Friday, December 31, 2010
Out with the old '10
This is the final day of this year, 2010. Kinda glad to see it go in many ways. Time to recap the year with Conan Obrien's top ten (not necessarily in order), Clint Eastwood style. *=Many are the same as last year. + is positive, - is negative (still bad).
The good:
10. I am still alive. +
9. Still a member of Runner's Depot! +
8. Got inSTOLed in the triathlon division
7. Got 3 overall victories, tying a record set 2 years ago in my inaugural year with RD!
6. Ran the holiday mile & set a personal best 5:18, beating all elite females!
5. 4 person marathon team (we STOL the show!) wins overall, officially as male team & set course record.
4. Completed 2 challenges, Goofy & Bud ultra challenge, both within 60 days of each other.
3. I completed 6 halves & 2 full marathons within the 1st quarter of the year, tying last year.
2. Florida Fleet Elite relay team wins overall inaugural Trilogy duathlon title.
1. I began a race last under all and still placed!
The bad:
10. Car problems with both & an unrecorded accident with the '02.
9. Even though I got a personal best 5:18 in the holiday mile, I did not place.
8. Elite division removed with multirace takeover of FFW, forced to age group
7. Linda AD, I remain a victim of false promises & other emotional games -.
6. Recession (yes, they say it's getting better, but I don't notice it personally yet). -
5. Struggles to get under 19 in races, worse, to stay under 20 -.
4. Injuries (back after a night time track meet) and other set backs -.
3. 1st relay team of year gets no award despite placing 3rd as co-ed, 5 oa (gasparilla).
2. Got sick after final relay of the year -.
1. Cant get any sleep (parties & celebrations). -
The Ugly:
10. Miami Dolphins seasons end without playoffs -.
9. Extreme difficulty forming teams as a team captain -.
8. Team got 2nd overall, top male team at Miami (not) nice tri but denied any award by evil race director (some technicality).
7. No raises, office closures. -
6. Credit card debt. -
5. Father & son team (yes, my dad) won male relay but stripped of title, given to cheating local favorites.
4. Late to 2 races within a week.
3. Lost (didn't place) in 2 races within a week.
2. a DNF due to poor signage at my first trail half.
1. I won a marathon entry but forced to forfeit due to communication problems and delays between sponsors leaving me insufficient time to prepare.
Happy new year! See you next year.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas 10
Merry Christmas to all! No gifts under the tree but yet blessed by the Lord. #1, he gave his only begotten son to save us all, the ultimate gift. I may not be a saint but I do recognize a good thing. #2, the gift of fitness, namely running.
Christmas eve agenda-roll
Since I have not had much of a change to inline skate, I did just that yesterday. I went long (12 miles) but due to internal (tired) & external (wind) conditions, I failed to break an hour. Afterwards, I did 2 sprints because as a runner, the run element is required!
Christmas day-run
Since I race so many 5k's, today was time for a long run. I did my famous tour de falls. It is a 15k that begins & finishes at my house and the turn around covers the entire face (outskirts) of the shopping center with the return to home on the busway sidewalk. I ran easy so I'm not happy with the time, only that I put in the mileage. Afterwards was a Christmas breakfast at a friends house then some much needed rest before I headed out again. I was invited by Allan Walton & his lady to a Christmas dinner. Another treat-George. I stayed overnight to save the drive to the next event. Praise the Lord & thank you all my friends.
Christmas day after-run
Normally, it my day for a long ride, but this year, I selected the resolution run as my final 5k of the year. I also volunteered before & after the event. Since it is a fun run (no timing), I pre determined to run leisurely, usually to help someone else. Thankfully, there were clocks. Before reaching mile 1, I ran with Louis Best & a friend from Boca before latching onto George McCuen. I 'helped' him break 8 then I moved on to Michelle Feldshiem. I went with her till the sprint zone, where I took off at a more normal pace to close. We don't get to run together in races due to differences in pace so I seized the opportunity to relax with a few fartleks in this training run.
Christmas eve agenda-roll
Since I have not had much of a change to inline skate, I did just that yesterday. I went long (12 miles) but due to internal (tired) & external (wind) conditions, I failed to break an hour. Afterwards, I did 2 sprints because as a runner, the run element is required!
Christmas day-run
Since I race so many 5k's, today was time for a long run. I did my famous tour de falls. It is a 15k that begins & finishes at my house and the turn around covers the entire face (outskirts) of the shopping center with the return to home on the busway sidewalk. I ran easy so I'm not happy with the time, only that I put in the mileage. Afterwards was a Christmas breakfast at a friends house then some much needed rest before I headed out again. I was invited by Allan Walton & his lady to a Christmas dinner. Another treat-George. I stayed overnight to save the drive to the next event. Praise the Lord & thank you all my friends.
Christmas day after-run
Normally, it my day for a long ride, but this year, I selected the resolution run as my final 5k of the year. I also volunteered before & after the event. Since it is a fun run (no timing), I pre determined to run leisurely, usually to help someone else. Thankfully, there were clocks. Before reaching mile 1, I ran with Louis Best & a friend from Boca before latching onto George McCuen. I 'helped' him break 8 then I moved on to Michelle Feldshiem. I went with her till the sprint zone, where I took off at a more normal pace to close. We don't get to run together in races due to differences in pace so I seized the opportunity to relax with a few fartleks in this training run.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
circumstances
Many decisions and/or activities can be altered by circumstances. This was the case this winter weekend. I decided to close out my last race weekend (next week is actually the last but races are difficult to find) of the year with a triple header! I had to pass on the inaugural royal 5k due to cost & day of week (Thursday).
Saturday agenda-race!
Of the list of races available, I was able to select 3; woo hoo! 1. classics by the sea 10k/5k 2. turn on the light 5k 3. its a wonderful run 5k 4. n creek explorer 5k Ironically, all the races were timed by Accuchip.
First race = #2
I dont remember if it was an inaugural but it was my first time doing it. To my dismay, some of the best masters showed up. By the grace of God, I managed to get 3rd master & place in the top ten despite barely breaking 20; circumstances. However, I didn't know this until later because I left immediately after crossing the finish line. On top of that, I could not pick up the award because of that. Due to the failure of by designee, I have to wait to next year to pick it up far far away.
Second race = #3
This become one of the most memorable races of year because of the outcome. I arrived over 3 minutes late (considered lucky) due to the car accident that occurred at the entrance to tradewinds prior to the first race. That caused the race to be delayed 15 minutes, the thing I most feared. I began last under all and by the grace of God, advanced to the 'spirit of' 76 overall despite using a training pace (8 minutes per mile). On top of that, the pathetic time I logged in qualified to place in my age group! I stuck around for the festivities & some rest because the day is not over.
Third race = #4
I didn't have to worry about the timing since hours separated this from the previous event. However, it had been raining since the 1st 2 events. I forgot that last year, the top ten overall not only qualified for the honor but also free entry into this event; can you say title defense? Praise the Lord, it came to pass. However, I was 3 seconds slower than last year. If it's any consolation, I won the 40-44 age class for the last time & got a trophy; all others get a medal. Also, the time was the best of the day! They had a pretty good post race & loved the long sleeve cotton shirts, previously the best you get until tech shirts were invented.
Sunday agenda-race!
Much easier to decide: a. parkland 5 mile b. jcc 5k (Dade) Proximity rules! However, to my dismay, some of the best masters showed up (Jon W & Walthon) to take the top titles. Despite a pathetic time, I still won my age group and placed within the top ten. For all the races I arrived on time, I made the top ten; circumstances to praise the Lord. This race tied the top position of all the races, 6th overall. Except for the titles, medals were given. Decent post race festivities.
Saturday agenda-race!
Of the list of races available, I was able to select 3; woo hoo! 1. classics by the sea 10k/5k 2. turn on the light 5k 3. its a wonderful run 5k 4. n creek explorer 5k Ironically, all the races were timed by Accuchip.
First race = #2
I dont remember if it was an inaugural but it was my first time doing it. To my dismay, some of the best masters showed up. By the grace of God, I managed to get 3rd master & place in the top ten despite barely breaking 20; circumstances. However, I didn't know this until later because I left immediately after crossing the finish line. On top of that, I could not pick up the award because of that. Due to the failure of by designee, I have to wait to next year to pick it up far far away.
Second race = #3
This become one of the most memorable races of year because of the outcome. I arrived over 3 minutes late (considered lucky) due to the car accident that occurred at the entrance to tradewinds prior to the first race. That caused the race to be delayed 15 minutes, the thing I most feared. I began last under all and by the grace of God, advanced to the 'spirit of' 76 overall despite using a training pace (8 minutes per mile). On top of that, the pathetic time I logged in qualified to place in my age group! I stuck around for the festivities & some rest because the day is not over.
Third race = #4
I didn't have to worry about the timing since hours separated this from the previous event. However, it had been raining since the 1st 2 events. I forgot that last year, the top ten overall not only qualified for the honor but also free entry into this event; can you say title defense? Praise the Lord, it came to pass. However, I was 3 seconds slower than last year. If it's any consolation, I won the 40-44 age class for the last time & got a trophy; all others get a medal. Also, the time was the best of the day! They had a pretty good post race & loved the long sleeve cotton shirts, previously the best you get until tech shirts were invented.
Sunday agenda-race!
Much easier to decide: a. parkland 5 mile b. jcc 5k (Dade) Proximity rules! However, to my dismay, some of the best masters showed up (Jon W & Walthon) to take the top titles. Despite a pathetic time, I still won my age group and placed within the top ten. For all the races I arrived on time, I made the top ten; circumstances to praise the Lord. This race tied the top position of all the races, 6th overall. Except for the titles, medals were given. Decent post race festivities.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
12 11 10 ...
12 11 10 ... 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 the count down! However, those numbers in the title actually represent the date of the weekend start. I got a rare opportunity race on hump day. Might as well since I didn't get to...
Wednesday agenda-holiday mile
I took a risk & signed up for this race since getting the word of my temporary re-assignment to another office. My first gamble failed, as you read in my previous blog but apparently, I'm a gambling man. Jonathan, the vice CEO of STOL, issued a challenge to many of the runners I train with at Niketown. I set a goal of 5:30, an attainable one that didn't seem likely based on some of my performances. Plus, this was a state championship mile race, which means the best show up to compete. Another disadvantage was ten year age group, my ultimate demise. I left work while it was hot but when I arrived in Boca, the temp had dropped; that's a plus. Once the gun went off, I took off like a bat out of hell. I was battling another master & lost by split seconds according to Accuchip; I would have been 3rd under normal 5 year age groups. However, I won, in a sense, by getting a PR & beating all elite women! On top of that, I was only 4 seconds behind Jon W, the age group winner. A surprising post race. Didn't have much but what they did have was hot pizza on a cold night; just what the doctor ordered!
Saturday agenda-race!
2 5k's: run to remember & holiday run. The latter was close, less than 2 miles away, & had a 10k as well. Also, fight 4 air climb, in which I skipped. What I remember is that I was so tight, I wound up forfeiting an overall victory for a master win, based on the winning time. My legs were so heavy it wasn't funny; I am blessed to get a great title despite that.
Sunday agenda-race!
3 for me to do!
a. mistletoe toe 5/10k
b. Boca raton road runners 5/10k
c. run for tomorrow 5
I selected c. & brought my dad so he could run. Our tradition is cat & mouse. After my 5k, went out and did over 11.5 miles since I still need to get in a long run. This year, I finally caught my dad! Once my mission was accomplished, I went at his pace to the finish. My time in the 5k was only slightly better than the previous day but was good enough to get 2nd master. I was disappointed with the scaled down post race (no pancakes). I closed the weekend still on a drought (failed to break 19) and am on the countdown to end this negative streak.
12 11 10 ... 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0!
Wednesday agenda-holiday mile
I took a risk & signed up for this race since getting the word of my temporary re-assignment to another office. My first gamble failed, as you read in my previous blog but apparently, I'm a gambling man. Jonathan, the vice CEO of STOL, issued a challenge to many of the runners I train with at Niketown. I set a goal of 5:30, an attainable one that didn't seem likely based on some of my performances. Plus, this was a state championship mile race, which means the best show up to compete. Another disadvantage was ten year age group, my ultimate demise. I left work while it was hot but when I arrived in Boca, the temp had dropped; that's a plus. Once the gun went off, I took off like a bat out of hell. I was battling another master & lost by split seconds according to Accuchip; I would have been 3rd under normal 5 year age groups. However, I won, in a sense, by getting a PR & beating all elite women! On top of that, I was only 4 seconds behind Jon W, the age group winner. A surprising post race. Didn't have much but what they did have was hot pizza on a cold night; just what the doctor ordered!
Saturday agenda-race!
2 5k's: run to remember & holiday run. The latter was close, less than 2 miles away, & had a 10k as well. Also, fight 4 air climb, in which I skipped. What I remember is that I was so tight, I wound up forfeiting an overall victory for a master win, based on the winning time. My legs were so heavy it wasn't funny; I am blessed to get a great title despite that.
Sunday agenda-race!
3 for me to do!
a. mistletoe toe 5/10k
b. Boca raton road runners 5/10k
c. run for tomorrow 5
I selected c. & brought my dad so he could run. Our tradition is cat & mouse. After my 5k, went out and did over 11.5 miles since I still need to get in a long run. This year, I finally caught my dad! Once my mission was accomplished, I went at his pace to the finish. My time in the 5k was only slightly better than the previous day but was good enough to get 2nd master. I was disappointed with the scaled down post race (no pancakes). I closed the weekend still on a drought (failed to break 19) and am on the countdown to end this negative streak.
12 11 10 ... 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0!
Sunday, December 05, 2010
On the road again
On the road again, that classic country song, certainly applied this weekend.
Friday agenda-waterfront 5k
After finding out I am being temporarily reassigned to different office further north, I took a chance & signed up for this event. In previous years, it was held Saturday morning. If it were blackjack, I hit one too many times; bust! I got stuck in the rush hour traffic and arrived late. To add insult to injury, even though I was pre-registered, my bib # & packet was given away & I had to fight to reissue another number plus take a shirt way larger than I reserved. That added further to the delay. I was told to begin behind the start mat & run, in effect, the race starts when Im ready. So, I pulled a George (similar incident happened to him at the Karhu 5k). afterwards, I was told that someone turned off the mat early so I didn't get my true (net) time. After some convincing, I was at least given the medal I would've gotten had they done it right, even though the clock time recorded won't reflect I placed. When I left work, it was hot but cooled down quickly by the time I got there. The post race was lame unless you were willing to pay.
Saturday agenda-race!
I had 3 choices:
1. Savannah river bridge run
2. OUC half marathon
3. jingle bell jog 5k
#1 is out of state; strike that. The last 2, been there, done that. Therefore, the proximity rule prevailed. I went into this with low expectations. why?
1. never placed at this event, even with great times
2. race within 12 hours of a previous race
3. recent struggles to meet my personal standards
Unfortunately, the tradition continued. On top of that, my time barely broke 20. Much better post race. I had not done the race in, like 5 years and this day reminded me why I haven't.
Sunday agenda-race!
I passed on the following events to continue tradition:
a. Brandon half & 5k
b. k9 cancer walk
c. sfk 5k run for success
d. tri key west
If I were a travelling man, I missed also the Las Vegas marathon & the Jamaican marathon. Speaking of travelling, I passed on a. I dropped b. because it's a fun run. Without a swimmer, I didn't even think about d. plus on top of that, the driving; c it is!
What's the tradition? Palm beach marathon relay! I felt like Pat Riley when the big 3 got signed for the heat. Why? I was able to get Jonathan Mederos, an elite athlete & top runner for team STOL. Plus, the return of Gene, from previous teams that have won. Originally, Chris A was to run but unfortunately got injured, so like UM did with Randy Shannon, I had to get a replacement. When Dwayne Wade spoke, the heat listened; so did I when Jonathon spoke. I took his recommendation, Jose N, as a replacement, not clear of his ability because I trust his judgement. As team captain, it's my responsibility to not only acquire the resources but properly allocate them for maximum results. By the grace of God, this came to pass. Our team not only won the male relay & set the course record but beat ALL teams plus was the only team to break 3 hours. On top of that, we had the 4th fastest time overall! Jose was the starter & impressed me by having us already in the lead. The pressure was on me to continue this then pass on to the 'star' of the team. He advanced us from top 20 to top 5 before passing on to the anchor. Gene killed it, running a great time & we took the title. Post race was probably the same as Friday but I wouldn't know since Jonathan & I were stranded at the 3rd leg relay point for a couple of hours. We were all elated we won. Now, I gotta get back on the road again.
Friday agenda-waterfront 5k
After finding out I am being temporarily reassigned to different office further north, I took a chance & signed up for this event. In previous years, it was held Saturday morning. If it were blackjack, I hit one too many times; bust! I got stuck in the rush hour traffic and arrived late. To add insult to injury, even though I was pre-registered, my bib # & packet was given away & I had to fight to reissue another number plus take a shirt way larger than I reserved. That added further to the delay. I was told to begin behind the start mat & run, in effect, the race starts when Im ready. So, I pulled a George (similar incident happened to him at the Karhu 5k). afterwards, I was told that someone turned off the mat early so I didn't get my true (net) time. After some convincing, I was at least given the medal I would've gotten had they done it right, even though the clock time recorded won't reflect I placed. When I left work, it was hot but cooled down quickly by the time I got there. The post race was lame unless you were willing to pay.
Saturday agenda-race!
I had 3 choices:
1. Savannah river bridge run
2. OUC half marathon
3. jingle bell jog 5k
#1 is out of state; strike that. The last 2, been there, done that. Therefore, the proximity rule prevailed. I went into this with low expectations. why?
1. never placed at this event, even with great times
2. race within 12 hours of a previous race
3. recent struggles to meet my personal standards
Unfortunately, the tradition continued. On top of that, my time barely broke 20. Much better post race. I had not done the race in, like 5 years and this day reminded me why I haven't.
Sunday agenda-race!
I passed on the following events to continue tradition:
a. Brandon half & 5k
b. k9 cancer walk
c. sfk 5k run for success
d. tri key west
If I were a travelling man, I missed also the Las Vegas marathon & the Jamaican marathon. Speaking of travelling, I passed on a. I dropped b. because it's a fun run. Without a swimmer, I didn't even think about d. plus on top of that, the driving; c it is!
What's the tradition? Palm beach marathon relay! I felt like Pat Riley when the big 3 got signed for the heat. Why? I was able to get Jonathan Mederos, an elite athlete & top runner for team STOL. Plus, the return of Gene, from previous teams that have won. Originally, Chris A was to run but unfortunately got injured, so like UM did with Randy Shannon, I had to get a replacement. When Dwayne Wade spoke, the heat listened; so did I when Jonathon spoke. I took his recommendation, Jose N, as a replacement, not clear of his ability because I trust his judgement. As team captain, it's my responsibility to not only acquire the resources but properly allocate them for maximum results. By the grace of God, this came to pass. Our team not only won the male relay & set the course record but beat ALL teams plus was the only team to break 3 hours. On top of that, we had the 4th fastest time overall! Jose was the starter & impressed me by having us already in the lead. The pressure was on me to continue this then pass on to the 'star' of the team. He advanced us from top 20 to top 5 before passing on to the anchor. Gene killed it, running a great time & we took the title. Post race was probably the same as Friday but I wouldn't know since Jonathan & I were stranded at the 3rd leg relay point for a couple of hours. We were all elated we won. Now, I gotta get back on the road again.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thanksgiving weekend
Thanksgiving weekend actually begins on Thursday with Thanksgiving, then bleeds into black Friday, the official start and busiest day of the Christmas season (holiday for the politically correct). The thanksgiving weekend will conclude with cyber Monday, the high tech version of black Friday (all deals available online).
Saturday agenda-voice of love 5k
With only 1 race in the tri-county area, the selection was simple. It was unusual as this was a cross country race, conducted entire on grass on the par 3 golf course. No doubt, it was scenic but also quite challenging. Noticeably missing-George & Jon; thankfully for me, the latter didn't. Allen N & I traded places throughout & we placed 3rd & 4th overall respectfully. That means he got the master title. It appears I was mere seconds from victory!
Sunday agenda-race!
Today, I had 2 choices for been there, done that events:
1. posnack sprint for the finish 5k
2. space coast half & full marathon
Love them both but stuck closer to home. Thank goodness because I didnt realize how much I was affected by yesterday until the race started. My legs felt heavy plus I felt tired. The markham course has hills plus it was windy. Hey, I gotta come up with excuses for my dismal performance. Fortunately, if I were to have a bad day, this was a good day for that. My age group position was not affected by my lackluster showing, only the overall. Although considered low quantity, it was a high quality field. The master winner was so fast that even Walthon couldn't catch him & he had a decent run! Post race was nice, including a raffle I didnt win.
Saturday agenda-voice of love 5k
With only 1 race in the tri-county area, the selection was simple. It was unusual as this was a cross country race, conducted entire on grass on the par 3 golf course. No doubt, it was scenic but also quite challenging. Noticeably missing-George & Jon; thankfully for me, the latter didn't. Allen N & I traded places throughout & we placed 3rd & 4th overall respectfully. That means he got the master title. It appears I was mere seconds from victory!
Sunday agenda-race!
Today, I had 2 choices for been there, done that events:
1. posnack sprint for the finish 5k
2. space coast half & full marathon
Love them both but stuck closer to home. Thank goodness because I didnt realize how much I was affected by yesterday until the race started. My legs felt heavy plus I felt tired. The markham course has hills plus it was windy. Hey, I gotta come up with excuses for my dismal performance. Fortunately, if I were to have a bad day, this was a good day for that. My age group position was not affected by my lackluster showing, only the overall. Although considered low quantity, it was a high quality field. The master winner was so fast that even Walthon couldn't catch him & he had a decent run! Post race was nice, including a raffle I didnt win.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving! The Lord has blessed me with yet another & this year is the 10th anniversary in my house. By the grace of God, its also the first time I ever had a celebration with family & friends here; I always go out. The idea was from a friend who is like family & did the leg work; I simply host it here. But before I pig out, you know the deal.
Today's agenda-turkey trot!
You know I am gonna race; nothing new here. The question is, which one?
a. race for the pies 4 miler
b. JCC turkey trot 5k
c. Tamarac turkey trot 5k
d. turkey tri (Broward)
e. turkey trot 5k (Dade)
f. run Miami turkey trot 5k & 10k
1 day I will do a. since it is the only race held previous to this year that I have not done. I skipped b. and the trophy opportunity to do an inaugural; ya'll know I couldn't turn that down. c. was too fast & too many bad experiences. I don't swim so scratch d. The last one had the most entrants & also was fast but I couldve placed still.
I seemed that everything that could go wrong did but I hung in there to log in another master victory. What went wrong. A late start race (8) that was delayed 15-20 minutes. Hot & humid by then plus windy. Ground was wet from previous rain. I was tired for some reason with heavy legs (internal condition). There were mile markers but no clocks. The bib chip system failed so they went to manual scoring. Due to the time constraints, only top 3 overall called & given their medals & gift baskets. Everybody else has to wait for them to be sent by mail. Also, you have to wait to get your official time (none printed or displayed) so I don't know what I did but I did make the top ten and was the fastest old guy who didn't make the top 3.
Post race was average & so little, everything exhausted quickly. I am happy I had an alternative to the tried & true & the guy legitimately tried his best to make this work.
Honorable mention
I know somebody will be missed (too many raced today) & congrats to all but I'm listing the ones I can remember at this time:
* Gene R got 2nd ag (f)
* Leo (STOL) 2nd ag (f)
* Allan W didn't place (4th) but got PR at (c)
* Courtney W got PR & 2nd ag at (c)
* Rachelle G won female overall at (b)
* George tops ag at (f)
Today's agenda-turkey trot!
You know I am gonna race; nothing new here. The question is, which one?
a. race for the pies 4 miler
b. JCC turkey trot 5k
c. Tamarac turkey trot 5k
d. turkey tri (Broward)
e. turkey trot 5k (Dade)
f. run Miami turkey trot 5k & 10k
1 day I will do a. since it is the only race held previous to this year that I have not done. I skipped b. and the trophy opportunity to do an inaugural; ya'll know I couldn't turn that down. c. was too fast & too many bad experiences. I don't swim so scratch d. The last one had the most entrants & also was fast but I couldve placed still.
I seemed that everything that could go wrong did but I hung in there to log in another master victory. What went wrong. A late start race (8) that was delayed 15-20 minutes. Hot & humid by then plus windy. Ground was wet from previous rain. I was tired for some reason with heavy legs (internal condition). There were mile markers but no clocks. The bib chip system failed so they went to manual scoring. Due to the time constraints, only top 3 overall called & given their medals & gift baskets. Everybody else has to wait for them to be sent by mail. Also, you have to wait to get your official time (none printed or displayed) so I don't know what I did but I did make the top ten and was the fastest old guy who didn't make the top 3.
Post race was average & so little, everything exhausted quickly. I am happy I had an alternative to the tried & true & the guy legitimately tried his best to make this work.
Honorable mention
I know somebody will be missed (too many raced today) & congrats to all but I'm listing the ones I can remember at this time:
* Gene R got 2nd ag (f)
* Leo (STOL) 2nd ag (f)
* Allan W didn't place (4th) but got PR at (c)
* Courtney W got PR & 2nd ag at (c)
* Rachelle G won female overall at (b)
* George tops ag at (f)
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Full moon weekend
I took tell it was a Full moon weekend by the turn of events leading up to & into the weekend. At work, got some of the strangest customers plus found out I'm being reassigned (temporarily) to one of the 'worst' offices (a bit a far) despite a mock survey asking which office is closer to me. I contacted 'friends' who didn't reply & even got a message from someone I don't remember. Read on!
Saturday agenda-5k
The following were up for grabs:
a. ragnar relay (actually began yesterday) from port richey to daytona beach
b. delray turkey trot 5k
c. coral springs turkey trot
d. Dolphins cycling challenge (actually began yesterday)
e. the smart ride (actually began Thursday) from Miami to key west
f. mariner 5k (islamorada)
Scratch c. immediately due to cancellation; it was my first choice (I think inaugural 5k). I was not invited nor could scramble up enough runners for a., so that's out. Running races automatically override any type of cycling tours or rides, eliminating d. & e. Once I realized that c. was no more, I had to choose between b. or f. if I was gonna race at all. I chose b. by recommendation of George plus the 'been there, done that' rule regarding f.
Guess what? It's time for the break down Clint Eastwood style!
The good-I beat Matt T in a 5k for the first time in years plus broke 19! I received a trophy & was 6th overall! Divisions catered to the older athlete (80+).
The bad-footworks style categories (no top 3 nor master), & a mystery runner added, forcing me down to 3rd age group. Average post race.
The ugly-la perra danielle, the bad race director, who gave me a hard time; average looking with ugly heart, as far as I am concerned. I was to be comped, was not; no problem. She really didn't care about my explanation of who I am, circumstances, etc. I was told to & filled out a confusing race ap in the dark that I really shouldn't have had to do then was hassled over a $5 difference when I really shouldn't have had to pay to begin with. She chose not work with me (used can't, the word George warned me about) & gave me an attitude about it. She basically called me a liar. Any intelligent person would know that I would not travel 3 counties, amassing nearly 90 miles one way, just to purger myself. She was also the brain child for those horrific categories for those competitive age groups. On top of that, no clocks at each mile.
I used that negative energy from her to draw positive results; thank you Lord.
Sunday agenda-5k
More choices; love it:
1. runner's classic (Orlando)
2. women's half marathon
3. Tyler S Goldberg sunset run 5k
4. run wild for the environment 5k
5. muddy buddy (Miami)
My original choice was 5. because it finally came down to my county & was an inaugural but could not get a partner so I was forced to pass on it. The reason for skipping 2. is obvious. The next choice was #4. Jon W recommended 1. Since I am single with no one to answer to, I decided on #1, also because I had never done it.
This was both a good & bad decision. The latter would be because I could've been in the top 3 overall, master at worst at #4. Also, the race I did did not give any trophies, plaques or medals.
The former gave out prizes in lieu of awards. However, it was the experience that was priceless. I got to race among 2 legends, Frank Shorter & Bill Rodgers. I got their signatures on my race bib as well as speaking to them both at the start & post race. This had a post race spread like no other, even better than many marathons I've been to. The best 5k post was previously the Edison festival of lights. I was able to beat Joe from a rival racing team & made the top ten. I was 2nd in my category, missing the top position by 3 seconds!
Jon & I had to rush back because we had a triple header weekend!
Sunday afternoon agenda-5k
Only one-the Tyler S Goldberg sunset run. Great cause & I was impressed the mom of the deceased spoke to me personally & thanked me for coming. I was very tired, having no rest between races so I knew this would be tactical. On top of that, the course goes over bridges & the wind was greater than it was in morning. Also, it was hotter & more humid since it was in the afternoon. Despite these challenges, the Lord allowed me to win the master title with a dismal time and still make the top ten! Disappointing is that all divisions, even titles, were medals with no designations. Pleased that the categories are good-top 3 & a master title (great=3 in this one). Excellent post race. Great day for runner's depot as all 3 entrants took top titles. Jon won & Chris was the runner up.
Honorable mention
* George completes triple header as well, winning age group in all
* Jon W wins a race on both days, master (4th oa) was worst position.
Saturday agenda-5k
The following were up for grabs:
a. ragnar relay (actually began yesterday) from port richey to daytona beach
b. delray turkey trot 5k
c. coral springs turkey trot
d. Dolphins cycling challenge (actually began yesterday)
e. the smart ride (actually began Thursday) from Miami to key west
f. mariner 5k (islamorada)
Scratch c. immediately due to cancellation; it was my first choice (I think inaugural 5k). I was not invited nor could scramble up enough runners for a., so that's out. Running races automatically override any type of cycling tours or rides, eliminating d. & e. Once I realized that c. was no more, I had to choose between b. or f. if I was gonna race at all. I chose b. by recommendation of George plus the 'been there, done that' rule regarding f.
Guess what? It's time for the break down Clint Eastwood style!
The good-I beat Matt T in a 5k for the first time in years plus broke 19! I received a trophy & was 6th overall! Divisions catered to the older athlete (80+).
The bad-footworks style categories (no top 3 nor master), & a mystery runner added, forcing me down to 3rd age group. Average post race.
The ugly-la perra danielle, the bad race director, who gave me a hard time; average looking with ugly heart, as far as I am concerned. I was to be comped, was not; no problem. She really didn't care about my explanation of who I am, circumstances, etc. I was told to & filled out a confusing race ap in the dark that I really shouldn't have had to do then was hassled over a $5 difference when I really shouldn't have had to pay to begin with. She chose not work with me (used can't, the word George warned me about) & gave me an attitude about it. She basically called me a liar. Any intelligent person would know that I would not travel 3 counties, amassing nearly 90 miles one way, just to purger myself. She was also the brain child for those horrific categories for those competitive age groups. On top of that, no clocks at each mile.
I used that negative energy from her to draw positive results; thank you Lord.
Sunday agenda-5k
More choices; love it:
1. runner's classic (Orlando)
2. women's half marathon
3. Tyler S Goldberg sunset run 5k
4. run wild for the environment 5k
5. muddy buddy (Miami)
My original choice was 5. because it finally came down to my county & was an inaugural but could not get a partner so I was forced to pass on it. The reason for skipping 2. is obvious. The next choice was #4. Jon W recommended 1. Since I am single with no one to answer to, I decided on #1, also because I had never done it.
This was both a good & bad decision. The latter would be because I could've been in the top 3 overall, master at worst at #4. Also, the race I did did not give any trophies, plaques or medals.
The former gave out prizes in lieu of awards. However, it was the experience that was priceless. I got to race among 2 legends, Frank Shorter & Bill Rodgers. I got their signatures on my race bib as well as speaking to them both at the start & post race. This had a post race spread like no other, even better than many marathons I've been to. The best 5k post was previously the Edison festival of lights. I was able to beat Joe from a rival racing team & made the top ten. I was 2nd in my category, missing the top position by 3 seconds!
Jon & I had to rush back because we had a triple header weekend!
Sunday afternoon agenda-5k
Only one-the Tyler S Goldberg sunset run. Great cause & I was impressed the mom of the deceased spoke to me personally & thanked me for coming. I was very tired, having no rest between races so I knew this would be tactical. On top of that, the course goes over bridges & the wind was greater than it was in morning. Also, it was hotter & more humid since it was in the afternoon. Despite these challenges, the Lord allowed me to win the master title with a dismal time and still make the top ten! Disappointing is that all divisions, even titles, were medals with no designations. Pleased that the categories are good-top 3 & a master title (great=3 in this one). Excellent post race. Great day for runner's depot as all 3 entrants took top titles. Jon won & Chris was the runner up.
Honorable mention
* George completes triple header as well, winning age group in all
* Jon W wins a race on both days, master (4th oa) was worst position.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Mid month crisis (Nov)
Mid month crisis time again as I struggle to break 19. Luckily, I succeeded once this month, although barely. There was a rare Friday race (Waterford) but I opted out based on past experience (only top overall, no master plus I got jipped a position at award ceremony (posted winner several times on time sheet)). The racewalk division was eliminated, as was my interest. Congrats to Ronnie for winning the event.
Saturday agenda-key run!
There were 2 events with multiple distances:
1. key Biscayne lighthouse run 5k & 1ok
2. key largo bridge run (half, 10k, 5k)
I skipped on #1 when the dual race option was eliminated. On top of that, no award ceremony; look for name & pick up award.
Last year, this event was called the jewfish creek half marathon but was renamed for this year. After I found out the hard way that it was 10 year age groups & no master title, I decided on the short distance 5k so I can have a chance to take home some hardware other than a finishers medal. I wanted an easy run but got challenged by last year's age group winner Allan W, who also set the course record; he was 3rd overall but only the top was given last year. This year, they improved by recognizing the top 3. By the grace of God, I got that last slot. after applying the master kick in the last stretch. With no master title, he was bumped to age group but also successfully defends his title despite dropping a position. Judging by the times, you can see this was a tactical race designed to overcome the challenges (bridges & wind from north) presented to us. I was both happy & disappointed; the latter because I was mere seconds from second! In the fact, the winning time is one I should have beaten; can't really complain.
Sunday agenda-race!
Better selection:
a. muddy buddy (AZ)
b. rock n roll San Antonio half/full
c. Naples on the run 20k
d. 13.1 ft lauderdale
e. Miami man (du/tri)
Passed on the 1st 3 due to proximity. The most logical is e. but considering how much I struggled & how much it cost last year, I went with d. I been there, done that with both events. Besides, this year, the organizers have now created a series medal for doing 3 or more of their races & this was the kick off!
I found out the Spencer was going to be a pacer & chose the 1:30 group, a time I can do on my best day. Weather, minus the wind, was favorable, but not the course (a tunnel & a bridge). Another teammate was with the 1:40 group, a decent time but not one that satisfies me. Well, actually, compared to the Halloween half, it would be a dramatic improvement. This was Spencer's first time a pacer (same for wife Julie (1:50)), so he wound up running ahead of schedule, giving all those who kept up PRs; his wife was spot on. Praise the Lord, I finished between them & got a PR for the year. I told them prior to the start I'd be happy to be sandwiched between them & it came to fruition.
Saturday agenda-key run!
There were 2 events with multiple distances:
1. key Biscayne lighthouse run 5k & 1ok
2. key largo bridge run (half, 10k, 5k)
I skipped on #1 when the dual race option was eliminated. On top of that, no award ceremony; look for name & pick up award.
Last year, this event was called the jewfish creek half marathon but was renamed for this year. After I found out the hard way that it was 10 year age groups & no master title, I decided on the short distance 5k so I can have a chance to take home some hardware other than a finishers medal. I wanted an easy run but got challenged by last year's age group winner Allan W, who also set the course record; he was 3rd overall but only the top was given last year. This year, they improved by recognizing the top 3. By the grace of God, I got that last slot. after applying the master kick in the last stretch. With no master title, he was bumped to age group but also successfully defends his title despite dropping a position. Judging by the times, you can see this was a tactical race designed to overcome the challenges (bridges & wind from north) presented to us. I was both happy & disappointed; the latter because I was mere seconds from second! In the fact, the winning time is one I should have beaten; can't really complain.
Sunday agenda-race!
Better selection:
a. muddy buddy (AZ)
b. rock n roll San Antonio half/full
c. Naples on the run 20k
d. 13.1 ft lauderdale
e. Miami man (du/tri)
Passed on the 1st 3 due to proximity. The most logical is e. but considering how much I struggled & how much it cost last year, I went with d. I been there, done that with both events. Besides, this year, the organizers have now created a series medal for doing 3 or more of their races & this was the kick off!
I found out the Spencer was going to be a pacer & chose the 1:30 group, a time I can do on my best day. Weather, minus the wind, was favorable, but not the course (a tunnel & a bridge). Another teammate was with the 1:40 group, a decent time but not one that satisfies me. Well, actually, compared to the Halloween half, it would be a dramatic improvement. This was Spencer's first time a pacer (same for wife Julie (1:50)), so he wound up running ahead of schedule, giving all those who kept up PRs; his wife was spot on. Praise the Lord, I finished between them & got a PR for the year. I told them prior to the start I'd be happy to be sandwiched between them & it came to fruition.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Veteran's day
Veteran's day, have a happy one! Please remember to show your props for our troops who have served & are currently serving to protect our freedom because it aint free.
Today's agenda-race!
In honor of the soldiers, some races are being held today and I had a chance to do a double header. I declined on the morning race due to the following:
a. proximity (required a lot of driving)
b. 7 am (normally a plus except when far)
c. cost (distance=more gas & the prices have gone up sharply)
d. scheduling (required lots of adjustments, reducing rest time)
The other race is in the evening, normally a disadvantage. Although still a drive (ft myers), much less than Melbourne, plus I'm able to rest in advance. One plus is that I have done this before so it wont be totally foreign.
Considering the following, I did well:
1. big race (high quantity & quality)
2. bridge
3. wind factor upon return
4. long drive to get to race
I was fortunate to make the podium by capturing the last slot in my age group & was in the top 25. Unfortunately, with no master titles, I was bumped to that when Jon W failed to make the top 3. Although 'microscopic', it was a trophy. Decent post race since massage was available.
Today's agenda-race!
In honor of the soldiers, some races are being held today and I had a chance to do a double header. I declined on the morning race due to the following:
a. proximity (required a lot of driving)
b. 7 am (normally a plus except when far)
c. cost (distance=more gas & the prices have gone up sharply)
d. scheduling (required lots of adjustments, reducing rest time)
The other race is in the evening, normally a disadvantage. Although still a drive (ft myers), much less than Melbourne, plus I'm able to rest in advance. One plus is that I have done this before so it wont be totally foreign.
Considering the following, I did well:
1. big race (high quantity & quality)
2. bridge
3. wind factor upon return
4. long drive to get to race
I was fortunate to make the podium by capturing the last slot in my age group & was in the top 25. Unfortunately, with no master titles, I was bumped to that when Jon W failed to make the top 3. Although 'microscopic', it was a trophy. Decent post race since massage was available.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Fall back !
Daylight savings time! Fall back! time to set the clocks back an hour & in the autumn, you get an extra hour of sleep; woo hoo!
Saturday agenda-5k
I had quite a selection to deal with but unfortunately, could only pick one:
1. wellington community fitness run & walk (palm beach)
2. CCA 5k
3. medal of honor 5k
4. walk for food allergy (Dade)
5. MDCC 5k (Dade) (unconfirmed, heard thru grapevine)
Passed on the last 2; #4=2 mile fun run/walk, however, was possible to do if I rushed over. #5 since unconfirmed, & heard thru grapevine, I couldn't chance doing another like last Saturday. #1 declined due to proximity. I originally planned on #3 (inaugural) but remembered doing #2.
Fall back also applies to racing, unfortunately. Judging by the results, I should've done #3; hindsight is 20/20. I selected to return to this event. The weather was cold but refreshing. When the race started, I was barely in the top 20 but as it progressed, many dropped until I was blessed to be in the top ten (5th overall). Despite that, I didn't win my age group! I was unaware that there was no master title here (bummer, since it was at the race I wanted at first). On top of that, the top 6 were all masters except 3rd overall! However, with the lackluster time, I was fortunate to place at all. The time fell back from my sub 19 and the position fell back from my overall win.
Sunday agenda-race!
The decision was eazy- pass on muddy buddy (CA) and the NYC marathon (dislike lottery entry) due to proximity, and on the carl sagan day 5k (fun run) because I didnt know about til afterwards, to do the boca pal. Next was either do the half or the 5k. I chose the latter for redemption but finally did a tack on workout and completed over 7 miles after the fact, for a total mileage of ten this day. This way, I got the best of both worlds.
It was a mass start for both the 5k & the half. Once the turnaround came, I could better see my position. I was pleased to have a sub 6 first mile but unfortunately, did not maintain this average pace. I sprinted in the last stretch of the mile and was blessed to break 19, even if it was by a split second. I fell short of 2nd master by 3 seconds, forcing me to settle for the last master slot; a decent consolation. They had a 5 star post race with the pancakes & waffles, in addition to the other goodies. Top 3 overall & masters got plaques, all else, clear mugs. Weather was still cold enough to wear tights & long sleeve.
Honorable mention
* runners depot dominates at the NYC
* Courtney W was 4 oa at half
* George wins ag both days
Saturday agenda-5k
I had quite a selection to deal with but unfortunately, could only pick one:
1. wellington community fitness run & walk (palm beach)
2. CCA 5k
3. medal of honor 5k
4. walk for food allergy (Dade)
5. MDCC 5k (Dade) (unconfirmed, heard thru grapevine)
Passed on the last 2; #4=2 mile fun run/walk, however, was possible to do if I rushed over. #5 since unconfirmed, & heard thru grapevine, I couldn't chance doing another like last Saturday. #1 declined due to proximity. I originally planned on #3 (inaugural) but remembered doing #2.
Fall back also applies to racing, unfortunately. Judging by the results, I should've done #3; hindsight is 20/20. I selected to return to this event. The weather was cold but refreshing. When the race started, I was barely in the top 20 but as it progressed, many dropped until I was blessed to be in the top ten (5th overall). Despite that, I didn't win my age group! I was unaware that there was no master title here (bummer, since it was at the race I wanted at first). On top of that, the top 6 were all masters except 3rd overall! However, with the lackluster time, I was fortunate to place at all. The time fell back from my sub 19 and the position fell back from my overall win.
Sunday agenda-race!
The decision was eazy- pass on muddy buddy (CA) and the NYC marathon (dislike lottery entry) due to proximity, and on the carl sagan day 5k (fun run) because I didnt know about til afterwards, to do the boca pal. Next was either do the half or the 5k. I chose the latter for redemption but finally did a tack on workout and completed over 7 miles after the fact, for a total mileage of ten this day. This way, I got the best of both worlds.
It was a mass start for both the 5k & the half. Once the turnaround came, I could better see my position. I was pleased to have a sub 6 first mile but unfortunately, did not maintain this average pace. I sprinted in the last stretch of the mile and was blessed to break 19, even if it was by a split second. I fell short of 2nd master by 3 seconds, forcing me to settle for the last master slot; a decent consolation. They had a 5 star post race with the pancakes & waffles, in addition to the other goodies. Top 3 overall & masters got plaques, all else, clear mugs. Weather was still cold enough to wear tights & long sleeve.
Honorable mention
* runners depot dominates at the NYC
* Courtney W was 4 oa at half
* George wins ag both days
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Trick or treat
Trick or treat, Trick or treat, give me something good to eat. That's the line for those celebrating Halloween. I like to dress up but do not consider that celebrating. Why? Whenever I celebrate, I put up decorations on & about the house & in this case, would buy candy to give out; ain't none of that happenin'. I typically avoid ghoulish costumes, except for aliens. In fact, I usually wear authentic outfits & uniforms, such as the fatigues soldiers wear. However, the trick or treat I'm referring to is my life this weekend. I thought it would be a treat to visit my ex girlfriend to remove the ex (rekindle) but ended up being a trick that wasted valuable time (over 7 hrs, including travel) , money (gas for 100+ miles of travel), & emotions (colder than the AC running, considering no affection & inconsiderate to a guest (noisy cleaning) that thought he was welcome. Oh well, that was yesterday, now the past.
Saturday agenda-race!
A nice tri-county selection (treat):
a. aruna 5k (w palm bch)
b. spooktacular 5k
c. safewalk-run 5k
d. ironman 70.3 (Miami)
e. reason to run 5k (Miami)
f. Miami dade heart walk (Miami)
d. automatically scratched due to cost & need of a swimmer. a. ruled out due to distance. f. is a fun run/charity so with no awards, cut off the list. I like b. & c. and originally planned on c. until the fallout, which called for a last minute decision, much like a pinch hitter; e. wins!
Unfortunately, I had to pay the race day rate (trick) for a chance to win hardware (treat). I never did this one before even though it was the 3rd annual. I later heard that Jonathan won it last year & many other fast kids showed up; the last thing I wanted to hear after just signing up. I didn't know what to expect, especially since I had only 2 1/2 hours of sleep (bailed out of hell hole in the early morning to get back to heaven, my home). This was the one time I was glad the race started at 8, and on top of that, the second closest ever to my house. There was only 1 person I really knew, Leo from the STOL run at nike, who showed up, looking to crack 19 & perhaps the win. Once the run started, I stayed with the overall runner (female) for over 2 miles until someone passed us both. He became the new bullseye & forced me to run even faster. I had to endure many surges but by the grace of God, succeeded (STOL training) and came up with another overall victory (treat)! Number 3 for the year, tying my inaugural year with runner's depot. Unfortunately, I found out that no awards were offered for any body (trick). However, the race director did hear me out & offered me a raffle prize; I give him credit.
TREATS:
1. supports cause to help kids
2. good post race party
3. mile markers
TRICKS:
1. no awards, not even finishers medals
2. only 1 clock (finish) but it didn't work properly (I don't know my time
3. no chip timing nor recorded results
Sunday agenda-race!
Happy Halloween!
Found various events but most too far:
a. marine corp marathon (OH)
b. Halloween halfathon (tampa)
c. Halloween half (Jensen beach)
d.Halloween half (Miami beach)
This was a no brainer. Due to the number of my favorite events (5k), this was a must do to work on my endurance. I need a race to force me to do long runs. This was that day.
Let me break it down (turn of events) Halloween style:
Treats:
1. completed my first half of the season
2. wore a costume (rasta runner)
3. met up with friends
4. Bryan wins it for runners depot
5. awesome 5 star post race party at nikki beach
Tricks:
1. external conditions bad (the course itself, it rained plus was very humid, forcing me to carry the dread wig most of the race and was compelled to slow down on wet boardwalk)
2. internal conditions bad (was very tight, felt tired (sleep issue from previous day) & had to carry that wig.
3. misdirection made the course a half mile longer. Me & many other at front line wound up looping to the back behind walkers, having to dodge frequently. that probably wore me down but I didn't really suffer until after the bridge.
4. all of the above cause me to fail to place when the age group times are doable when I am in my prime.
Happy this weekend closes out the month. Although I finish on a low (trick), I picked up two great highs (treat) along the way; praise the Lord!
Saturday agenda-race!
A nice tri-county selection (treat):
a. aruna 5k (w palm bch)
b. spooktacular 5k
c. safewalk-run 5k
d. ironman 70.3 (Miami)
e. reason to run 5k (Miami)
f. Miami dade heart walk (Miami)
d. automatically scratched due to cost & need of a swimmer. a. ruled out due to distance. f. is a fun run/charity so with no awards, cut off the list. I like b. & c. and originally planned on c. until the fallout, which called for a last minute decision, much like a pinch hitter; e. wins!
Unfortunately, I had to pay the race day rate (trick) for a chance to win hardware (treat). I never did this one before even though it was the 3rd annual. I later heard that Jonathan won it last year & many other fast kids showed up; the last thing I wanted to hear after just signing up. I didn't know what to expect, especially since I had only 2 1/2 hours of sleep (bailed out of hell hole in the early morning to get back to heaven, my home). This was the one time I was glad the race started at 8, and on top of that, the second closest ever to my house. There was only 1 person I really knew, Leo from the STOL run at nike, who showed up, looking to crack 19 & perhaps the win. Once the run started, I stayed with the overall runner (female) for over 2 miles until someone passed us both. He became the new bullseye & forced me to run even faster. I had to endure many surges but by the grace of God, succeeded (STOL training) and came up with another overall victory (treat)! Number 3 for the year, tying my inaugural year with runner's depot. Unfortunately, I found out that no awards were offered for any body (trick). However, the race director did hear me out & offered me a raffle prize; I give him credit.
TREATS:
1. supports cause to help kids
2. good post race party
3. mile markers
TRICKS:
1. no awards, not even finishers medals
2. only 1 clock (finish) but it didn't work properly (I don't know my time
3. no chip timing nor recorded results
Sunday agenda-race!
Happy Halloween!
Found various events but most too far:
a. marine corp marathon (OH)
b. Halloween halfathon (tampa)
c. Halloween half (Jensen beach)
d.Halloween half (Miami beach)
This was a no brainer. Due to the number of my favorite events (5k), this was a must do to work on my endurance. I need a race to force me to do long runs. This was that day.
Let me break it down (turn of events) Halloween style:
Treats:
1. completed my first half of the season
2. wore a costume (rasta runner)
3. met up with friends
4. Bryan wins it for runners depot
5. awesome 5 star post race party at nikki beach
Tricks:
1. external conditions bad (the course itself, it rained plus was very humid, forcing me to carry the dread wig most of the race and was compelled to slow down on wet boardwalk)
2. internal conditions bad (was very tight, felt tired (sleep issue from previous day) & had to carry that wig.
3. misdirection made the course a half mile longer. Me & many other at front line wound up looping to the back behind walkers, having to dodge frequently. that probably wore me down but I didn't really suffer until after the bridge.
4. all of the above cause me to fail to place when the age group times are doable when I am in my prime.
Happy this weekend closes out the month. Although I finish on a low (trick), I picked up two great highs (treat) along the way; praise the Lord!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Full moon
Friday began the full moon and it seemed to transform me into the monster I was in the past!
Saturday agenda-5k
There were a plethora of races, just in the tri county area, to choose but I unfortunately could only pick one (note: I found more outside this area & passed due to proximity):
a. Halloween 5k ghost run (n. palm beach)
b. tradewinds 5k
c. steps to independence 5k
d. schott 5k
e. 5k crunch run (sobe)
I ruled out a. due to proximity. I originally planned on c. (1 of 3 in Broward, the most of any county) but my original plans fell through so I took the closest to my home. Besides that, it was an inaugural in one of the most popular places in Florida-SoBe! It began in an unusual area of south beach- at 8th on A1A. The course headed north on the broadwalk & the turn around was just about the beginning of the boardwalk. The temperature was good but it was windy. I ran a moderate pace versus the wind but once we turned around, the race was on. I have to jump the gun and praise the Lord for allowing me to win but it wasn't easy. Mile 1 was about 6 & the next 20 secs slower. After mile 2, the guy I beat picked up his pace to a blistering level (sub 6). Thanks to God & the STOL nike runs, I was able to match his pace then close out with my master kick. However, barely. I beat him by a split second; ironic, because that's who was timing the event. It was my first 5k victory in over 2 years!
Sunday agenda-5k
Dejavu-There were a plethora of races, just in the tri county area, to choose but I unfortunately could only pick one:
1. Myrtle beach mini marathon (inaugural)
2. muddy buddy (TX)
3. wellington horse country 10 miler (& 5k)
4. Boca cross country challenge
5. FAU 5k fun run (late start)
6. sarcoma cure 5k
7. buddy walk & 5k run
You can rule out 1 & 2 automatically. I'll make it easy for you this time. I could not resist the honor of being selected by an elite runner (Spencer) to be on a team & running among the elites (Josh & Bryan) with the goal of capturing the open male title currently held by BRRR; #4 was the choice. As a bonus, #5 was possible since it starts at 10 am.
This to me was much like the Miami Heat dream team (Wade, James & Bosh) and I felt like Udonis Haslem (a veteran but not on the level of the 4). The big three finished that way when the dust cleared, meaning our team swept the top 3 slots. They lead the lead pack (5 runners, 1 a top notch cross country champion female) all the way. I battled to emerge as the overall runner not in that pack (6th place) and beat my time of last year by about a minute. We dethroned last year's open cross country champions, the boca raton road runners & won the honor to host the race next year. Plus, on top of that, I will see my name among those great runners engraved on the team trophy, a first for me. Way to go runner's depot racing team! The individual medals stunk but the honor overrides that.
After that, I advised my teammates that I was going to do a fun run for additional training; only Spencer accepted the challenge. It paid off as he was 2nd overall, winning 1 of 9 awards available (top 3 men, women & FAU students). The event was for the FAU homecoming. I was 10th overall at the race, dropped 1 slot online after several hours. No award, but happy to still make the dirty dozen despite a dismal time. I did manage to beat all women. Post race was excellent, about 4 stars. The had homemade smoothies, even veggie sandwiches. In fact, this fun run was better than some races I have done.
Synopsis
An awesome weekend with three events, including 2 race wins, one as an individual & one as part of a team. Pleased to have done a bonus event. Congrats to George winning as usual in other races.
Saturday agenda-5k
There were a plethora of races, just in the tri county area, to choose but I unfortunately could only pick one (note: I found more outside this area & passed due to proximity):
a. Halloween 5k ghost run (n. palm beach)
b. tradewinds 5k
c. steps to independence 5k
d. schott 5k
e. 5k crunch run (sobe)
I ruled out a. due to proximity. I originally planned on c. (1 of 3 in Broward, the most of any county) but my original plans fell through so I took the closest to my home. Besides that, it was an inaugural in one of the most popular places in Florida-SoBe! It began in an unusual area of south beach- at 8th on A1A. The course headed north on the broadwalk & the turn around was just about the beginning of the boardwalk. The temperature was good but it was windy. I ran a moderate pace versus the wind but once we turned around, the race was on. I have to jump the gun and praise the Lord for allowing me to win but it wasn't easy. Mile 1 was about 6 & the next 20 secs slower. After mile 2, the guy I beat picked up his pace to a blistering level (sub 6). Thanks to God & the STOL nike runs, I was able to match his pace then close out with my master kick. However, barely. I beat him by a split second; ironic, because that's who was timing the event. It was my first 5k victory in over 2 years!
Sunday agenda-5k
Dejavu-There were a plethora of races, just in the tri county area, to choose but I unfortunately could only pick one:
1. Myrtle beach mini marathon (inaugural)
2. muddy buddy (TX)
3. wellington horse country 10 miler (& 5k)
4. Boca cross country challenge
5. FAU 5k fun run (late start)
6. sarcoma cure 5k
7. buddy walk & 5k run
You can rule out 1 & 2 automatically. I'll make it easy for you this time. I could not resist the honor of being selected by an elite runner (Spencer) to be on a team & running among the elites (Josh & Bryan) with the goal of capturing the open male title currently held by BRRR; #4 was the choice. As a bonus, #5 was possible since it starts at 10 am.
This to me was much like the Miami Heat dream team (Wade, James & Bosh) and I felt like Udonis Haslem (a veteran but not on the level of the 4). The big three finished that way when the dust cleared, meaning our team swept the top 3 slots. They lead the lead pack (5 runners, 1 a top notch cross country champion female) all the way. I battled to emerge as the overall runner not in that pack (6th place) and beat my time of last year by about a minute. We dethroned last year's open cross country champions, the boca raton road runners & won the honor to host the race next year. Plus, on top of that, I will see my name among those great runners engraved on the team trophy, a first for me. Way to go runner's depot racing team! The individual medals stunk but the honor overrides that.
After that, I advised my teammates that I was going to do a fun run for additional training; only Spencer accepted the challenge. It paid off as he was 2nd overall, winning 1 of 9 awards available (top 3 men, women & FAU students). The event was for the FAU homecoming. I was 10th overall at the race, dropped 1 slot online after several hours. No award, but happy to still make the dirty dozen despite a dismal time. I did manage to beat all women. Post race was excellent, about 4 stars. The had homemade smoothies, even veggie sandwiches. In fact, this fun run was better than some races I have done.
Synopsis
An awesome weekend with three events, including 2 race wins, one as an individual & one as part of a team. Pleased to have done a bonus event. Congrats to George winning as usual in other races.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
What the...
What the... fill in the blank. It's that kinda weekend. I was informed by Jolie's mom that my eternal partner's birthday was yesterday. What the.... I didn't realize. I miss her & wish her the best in the after life. I'm going up but just not in a hurry.
Saturday agenda-5k
I had 4 options, 2 possible on the same day (from furthest to closest):
a. bulldog 5kdash (Indigo lakes)
b. pumpkin run at FAU (evening at Boca)
c. michaels special 5k (Hollywood )
d. race for the cure (Miami)
Passed on a. & b. due to distance, b. & d. due to cost. After choosing c., all my friend said, 'What the...' when I told them I was gonna pass on b. also because it's a night race. My last experience racing up there was not so pleasant & I'd like to do a bang up job for the main event tomorrow.
Since it was both an inaugural and for a cause, c. it was. I also was attracted to it because it featured athletes pushing riders (with disabilities). I thought this was a requirement until I discovered otherwise on race day. This put me at a slight disadvantage since I didn't wear racing flats but instead heavier ones with better traction.
Now for Clint Eastwood style:
The good-I placed in top ten, got 2nd. Guaranteed hardware (finisher's medals to all)
The bad-gift certificates with denominations determined by place as awards; what the....
The ugly-footworks age groups (top overall only, and no master categories). I was 2nd because of that (Jon W was 2nd overall but bumped me in my age group); what the....
Technically, the gift certificates were good considering the organizers were gonna Indian give (not give out age group awards despite advertising that on their brochures); what the.... Plus, those awards were redeemable at runner's depot; supurb!
Sunday agenda-race!
The following events were up for grabs:
1. muddy buddy (Portland, OR)
2. central FL women's sports festival (tri)
3. long leaf tri
4. 15k/30k training run
5. oleta trail run
6. Miami equalizer du/tri
7. homestead speedway (bike festival)
I passed on 1, & 2 due to distance, 3 for that plus would need a swimmer. I skipped 4 because its a fun run since no awards and 7 because its a fun ride. Since the trilogy award ceremony was to be held after #6, and knowing I planned on racing, I chose that over #5.
The Miami equalizer du/tri is the last scheduled sprint for this year. The Olympic was also offered. I decided to du only as an individual, particularly since this was not part of a series. The weather, not including the wind, was nice, allowing for a great start. I was estimating about a 6:10 for the mile sprint but by the grace of God, I broke 6. Although hampered by the wind, the Lord allowed me to at least exceed 20 mph for a 20k ride. It was only my 2nd time using the disc, first in Miami. What truly amazed me was off the bike onto the anchor run. For the first time this season, I broke 20 (I was only 4 seconds slower than when I ran only a 5k the previous day)! Could it be the shoes (debut of Konas)? The post race featured pancakes I never got because they took too long to make them. Not much else to eat, it was quite disappointing. They gave finisher medals for olympic, medals for sprint category winners & plastic plaque for Olympic. Wooden plaques for trilogy series winners. Our team got ripped off since only 1 was given for 2 people to share; what the .... I was actually 3rd master but was given first in my age group. Florida fleet elite was the overall relay team champion. This team featured Spencer West as the runner. We both are a part of history with wins in the inaugural duathlon trilogy series.
Saturday agenda-5k
I had 4 options, 2 possible on the same day (from furthest to closest):
a. bulldog 5kdash (Indigo lakes)
b. pumpkin run at FAU (evening at Boca)
c. michaels special 5k (Hollywood )
d. race for the cure (Miami)
Passed on a. & b. due to distance, b. & d. due to cost. After choosing c., all my friend said, 'What the...' when I told them I was gonna pass on b. also because it's a night race. My last experience racing up there was not so pleasant & I'd like to do a bang up job for the main event tomorrow.
Since it was both an inaugural and for a cause, c. it was. I also was attracted to it because it featured athletes pushing riders (with disabilities). I thought this was a requirement until I discovered otherwise on race day. This put me at a slight disadvantage since I didn't wear racing flats but instead heavier ones with better traction.
Now for Clint Eastwood style:
The good-I placed in top ten, got 2nd. Guaranteed hardware (finisher's medals to all)
The bad-gift certificates with denominations determined by place as awards; what the....
The ugly-footworks age groups (top overall only, and no master categories). I was 2nd because of that (Jon W was 2nd overall but bumped me in my age group); what the....
Technically, the gift certificates were good considering the organizers were gonna Indian give (not give out age group awards despite advertising that on their brochures); what the.... Plus, those awards were redeemable at runner's depot; supurb!
Sunday agenda-race!
The following events were up for grabs:
1. muddy buddy (Portland, OR)
2. central FL women's sports festival (tri)
3. long leaf tri
4. 15k/30k training run
5. oleta trail run
6. Miami equalizer du/tri
7. homestead speedway (bike festival)
I passed on 1, & 2 due to distance, 3 for that plus would need a swimmer. I skipped 4 because its a fun run since no awards and 7 because its a fun ride. Since the trilogy award ceremony was to be held after #6, and knowing I planned on racing, I chose that over #5.
The Miami equalizer du/tri is the last scheduled sprint for this year. The Olympic was also offered. I decided to du only as an individual, particularly since this was not part of a series. The weather, not including the wind, was nice, allowing for a great start. I was estimating about a 6:10 for the mile sprint but by the grace of God, I broke 6. Although hampered by the wind, the Lord allowed me to at least exceed 20 mph for a 20k ride. It was only my 2nd time using the disc, first in Miami. What truly amazed me was off the bike onto the anchor run. For the first time this season, I broke 20 (I was only 4 seconds slower than when I ran only a 5k the previous day)! Could it be the shoes (debut of Konas)? The post race featured pancakes I never got because they took too long to make them. Not much else to eat, it was quite disappointing. They gave finisher medals for olympic, medals for sprint category winners & plastic plaque for Olympic. Wooden plaques for trilogy series winners. Our team got ripped off since only 1 was given for 2 people to share; what the .... I was actually 3rd master but was given first in my age group. Florida fleet elite was the overall relay team champion. This team featured Spencer West as the runner. We both are a part of history with wins in the inaugural duathlon trilogy series.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Ten & tradition!
Ten! On a scale from 1-10, I am often rated as such but this time I'll give it to the weekend. In fact, today is all that-10/10-10! However, the weekend began yesterday & for some (not me), includes tomorrow (Columbus day); happy Columbus day. Traditionally, George & I go together to compete in the publix du championship; this was kept intact (tradition).
Saturday morning agenda-adva 5k
Before any main event, I need a tune up race; this was it. I haven't done this race in a few years due to its proximity (Delray). I remember that the post race was quite good but the awards were not (medals). In fact, I remember not getting one on the same day due to some snafu & waited weeks to get it in the mail. The weather was nice for the start but the temperature was rising quickly as the race progressed. I was barely in the top ten at the start but gradually, as people fell off, I advanced until ultimately I was third. My time could have been better, but without being pushed, I felt no need to 'kill' myself when I knew I had a championship on the line the next day. After George & I got our awards & bit of rest, off we went to Tradition.
Saturday agenda continues
Once we arrived, we picked up our packets, secured lodging then off to Cici's for carbo loading. I was aware of an evening 5k but made no plans for it. It is difficult for me to turn down a race so....
Saturday evening agenda-publix 5k
George was saying that he was gonna pass on this race. I was thinking, 'yeah, right'. Guess who was correct? I told him my plan was to run this easy, especially since the quality & quantity is typically low and the fact that the real race would be the next day. I stuck to this plan until the last half mile, where some youngster forced to me to move faster in order to defend my position. I was the 3rd overall runner but the results will show 4th by including a hand cycle athlete. George was 16th overall with his age group win. Unlike me, he ran the best he could. I usually avoid these 5ks due to the cost & the award (generic medal) but got caught up in the moment.
Sunday morning agenda-race!
I passed on the following events to conclude the publix duathlon series:
a. down2earth trail run (5k/10k/half)
b. the bare dare 5k (land o lakes, Fl)
c. girls wanna run 5k (women only)
As previously mentioned, traditionally, George & I go together to compete in the publix du championship; this was kept intact (tradition). This year, the race was held in-tradition! It's a town in port saint Lucie. Once again, the weather was cool but even better the wind subsided. This allowed for the debut of my disc wheel. This turned out to be an amazing event for me. The first mile was long, so my time appeared pathetic. My overall position barely made the top 25. The bike, however, was the best ever, almost clocking a 23 average. Despite that, it ranked 17, allowing me to advance a bit. During the latter stages, Lisa (the overall female) & I traded places but she edged me out with an aggressive move in the dismount area. With that & my poor transitioning, she was a country mile in front but still visible. Fortunately, by the grace of God, I felt strong & was steadily closing in on her. It took 2 1/2 miles to catch her, then I took over. Praise the Lord, I made the dirty dozen & beat all women in the process. Post race refreshments were superb but with no hot meal, 4 stars. We got a medal for the race but series winners also got a curved glass plaque. With elite missing, I won my age group for the series.
Saturday morning agenda-adva 5k
Before any main event, I need a tune up race; this was it. I haven't done this race in a few years due to its proximity (Delray). I remember that the post race was quite good but the awards were not (medals). In fact, I remember not getting one on the same day due to some snafu & waited weeks to get it in the mail. The weather was nice for the start but the temperature was rising quickly as the race progressed. I was barely in the top ten at the start but gradually, as people fell off, I advanced until ultimately I was third. My time could have been better, but without being pushed, I felt no need to 'kill' myself when I knew I had a championship on the line the next day. After George & I got our awards & bit of rest, off we went to Tradition.
Saturday agenda continues
Once we arrived, we picked up our packets, secured lodging then off to Cici's for carbo loading. I was aware of an evening 5k but made no plans for it. It is difficult for me to turn down a race so....
Saturday evening agenda-publix 5k
George was saying that he was gonna pass on this race. I was thinking, 'yeah, right'. Guess who was correct? I told him my plan was to run this easy, especially since the quality & quantity is typically low and the fact that the real race would be the next day. I stuck to this plan until the last half mile, where some youngster forced to me to move faster in order to defend my position. I was the 3rd overall runner but the results will show 4th by including a hand cycle athlete. George was 16th overall with his age group win. Unlike me, he ran the best he could. I usually avoid these 5ks due to the cost & the award (generic medal) but got caught up in the moment.
Sunday morning agenda-race!
I passed on the following events to conclude the publix duathlon series:
a. down2earth trail run (5k/10k/half)
b. the bare dare 5k (land o lakes, Fl)
c. girls wanna run 5k (women only)
As previously mentioned, traditionally, George & I go together to compete in the publix du championship; this was kept intact (tradition). This year, the race was held in-tradition! It's a town in port saint Lucie. Once again, the weather was cool but even better the wind subsided. This allowed for the debut of my disc wheel. This turned out to be an amazing event for me. The first mile was long, so my time appeared pathetic. My overall position barely made the top 25. The bike, however, was the best ever, almost clocking a 23 average. Despite that, it ranked 17, allowing me to advance a bit. During the latter stages, Lisa (the overall female) & I traded places but she edged me out with an aggressive move in the dismount area. With that & my poor transitioning, she was a country mile in front but still visible. Fortunately, by the grace of God, I felt strong & was steadily closing in on her. It took 2 1/2 miles to catch her, then I took over. Praise the Lord, I made the dirty dozen & beat all women in the process. Post race refreshments were superb but with no hot meal, 4 stars. We got a medal for the race but series winners also got a curved glass plaque. With elite missing, I won my age group for the series.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Awk 2 bray
Awk 2 bray, that's how October sounds to me in Spanish. What an interesting start of the month for me.
Saturday morning agenda-race!
I passed on the Jacksonville marine corps and the USAT national championship half due to the distance. On top of that, the latter requires swimming; not my cup of tea. So, I did yet another sickle cell 5k. This one was in cooper city & began at an odd time-7:15. This is my required tune up race to prepare for the main event. Once the race started, I knew that tactics would be necessary to not only conserve energy but to secure the best position possible. This is what came to pass; the finishing time was irrelevant. By the grace of God, I won the top master slot & trophy, setting the tone for the next race. Not a great post race but the awards made up for that.
Saturday night agenda-inaugural wine & dine half marathon
I chose this because of the following:
1. inaugural
2. my first night half, although as a relay
3. 1st time Disney offered a relay in any of their running endurance events
The challenge was not so much the race itself but rather the turn of events leading up to it. All that I planned on my end was falling into place; praise the Lord. Unfortunately, my teammate had problems. He got a flat last night that lead to this morning. He figured it would be a simple task so he waited kinda late. He was delayed further due to complications & wasn't sure he'd make it before the expo closing (4 pm). Ironically, he was worried previously if I'd make it after doing a 5k but everything went as scheduled for me; again, praise the Lord. Luckily, he sped like a NASCAR driver & got there in a nick of time. Step 2, we both had to make the transportation deadline. Because of that, the most rest I could get between the expo & that was a half hour. Disney made everyone park at EPCOT & then be bussed to either the starting line (wide world of sports) or for relay member #2 (me), the animal kingdom. Step 3, I had to wait over an hour & half before any athletes reached the 5 mile mark where we were positioned. The relay was divided as the start being an 8k while the anchor was a 13k. Gene prefers the shorter so he ran the 8k & was the 2nd fastest one in, putting pressure on me to perform. The longer the distance, the slower I get, but I generally fair better than him despite that when it comes to distance. I held the top male position until mile 7 when someone doing a 6 minute pace blew by. I managed to keep a near 7 minute pace, great for me in regards to that distance. We finished 3rd overall amongst over 600 teams & were runner up in the male division. Post race was great but logistics were horrific. I couldn't figure out how to exit & needed help, especially since time was of the essence.
Sunday agenda-5k
Title eliminates the 13.1 in Atlanta & the diva's half at long island (women only). Still had a great selection to chose from (from furthest to closest to my home):
a. Dunns' run 5k & 5 miles
b. race for the kids 5k
c .race judicata 2010
Considering I am coming from Orlando, the furthest from my home was actually the closest and thus my selection. I left half past midnight & arrived half past 4. I, unfortunately, had to sleep in my car for a couple of hours so I already knew my performance would suffer. On top of that, the course goes over a bridge & there were some hills to contend with. In order to have a chance, I had to employ a technique I used years back at the edison festival of lights. I stretched then did striders. Despite the aforementioned conditions & the wind, I made the top ten and was able to win my age group. Although the post race was good, the awards were not; medals.
Honorable mention
* Spencer wins the sickle cell 5k
* Anton van zyl, runners depot teammate, won the disney half
* Jonathan won the disney 5k
* Jonathan was 4th overall at disney, wins age group
* Leo wins master in my absence at race for kids 5k
* George won age group at all the 5ks I did.
Saturday morning agenda-race!
I passed on the Jacksonville marine corps and the USAT national championship half due to the distance. On top of that, the latter requires swimming; not my cup of tea. So, I did yet another sickle cell 5k. This one was in cooper city & began at an odd time-7:15. This is my required tune up race to prepare for the main event. Once the race started, I knew that tactics would be necessary to not only conserve energy but to secure the best position possible. This is what came to pass; the finishing time was irrelevant. By the grace of God, I won the top master slot & trophy, setting the tone for the next race. Not a great post race but the awards made up for that.
Saturday night agenda-inaugural wine & dine half marathon
I chose this because of the following:
1. inaugural
2. my first night half, although as a relay
3. 1st time Disney offered a relay in any of their running endurance events
The challenge was not so much the race itself but rather the turn of events leading up to it. All that I planned on my end was falling into place; praise the Lord. Unfortunately, my teammate had problems. He got a flat last night that lead to this morning. He figured it would be a simple task so he waited kinda late. He was delayed further due to complications & wasn't sure he'd make it before the expo closing (4 pm). Ironically, he was worried previously if I'd make it after doing a 5k but everything went as scheduled for me; again, praise the Lord. Luckily, he sped like a NASCAR driver & got there in a nick of time. Step 2, we both had to make the transportation deadline. Because of that, the most rest I could get between the expo & that was a half hour. Disney made everyone park at EPCOT & then be bussed to either the starting line (wide world of sports) or for relay member #2 (me), the animal kingdom. Step 3, I had to wait over an hour & half before any athletes reached the 5 mile mark where we were positioned. The relay was divided as the start being an 8k while the anchor was a 13k. Gene prefers the shorter so he ran the 8k & was the 2nd fastest one in, putting pressure on me to perform. The longer the distance, the slower I get, but I generally fair better than him despite that when it comes to distance. I held the top male position until mile 7 when someone doing a 6 minute pace blew by. I managed to keep a near 7 minute pace, great for me in regards to that distance. We finished 3rd overall amongst over 600 teams & were runner up in the male division. Post race was great but logistics were horrific. I couldn't figure out how to exit & needed help, especially since time was of the essence.
Sunday agenda-5k
Title eliminates the 13.1 in Atlanta & the diva's half at long island (women only). Still had a great selection to chose from (from furthest to closest to my home):
a. Dunns' run 5k & 5 miles
b. race for the kids 5k
c .race judicata 2010
Considering I am coming from Orlando, the furthest from my home was actually the closest and thus my selection. I left half past midnight & arrived half past 4. I, unfortunately, had to sleep in my car for a couple of hours so I already knew my performance would suffer. On top of that, the course goes over a bridge & there were some hills to contend with. In order to have a chance, I had to employ a technique I used years back at the edison festival of lights. I stretched then did striders. Despite the aforementioned conditions & the wind, I made the top ten and was able to win my age group. Although the post race was good, the awards were not; medals.
Honorable mention
* Spencer wins the sickle cell 5k
* Anton van zyl, runners depot teammate, won the disney half
* Jonathan won the disney 5k
* Jonathan was 4th overall at disney, wins age group
* Leo wins master in my absence at race for kids 5k
* George won age group at all the 5ks I did.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Fall
Fall is what I wish my times would do, like under 19. Seriously, Thursday marked the first day of autumn. While the humidity is still here, the temperature has fallen a bit.
Saturday morning agenda-5k
I passed on a closer fun run (broward) to race! I had to travel over 2 hours to northern palm beach county to do the bridge buster 5k in lake park. Last time I did this race, I carpooled with Jon & Jeffrey plus was badly injured. Now, my problem is illness. To add to my misery, it was windy. Well, I did the best I could & despite the dismal time, by the grace of God, I won my age group & made the top ten (7th). There were many festivities but the post race wasn't so good unless you paid at the concession. Except for title winners, those who placed got medals. However, since they were spinners, I give them credit for the awards.
Saturday evening agenda-5k
Initially, I planned on skipping this race (twilight 5k) because of the following:
a. I had to return to Miami to meet team, pick up packet & drop off my bike at the escape to Miami expo, then would have to come back to palm beach several hours later.
b. I have to front the money (put on by an opposing racing team)
c. ten year age groups
d. night race (typically hot & humid)
George recommended I give it a try but I told him it depends on circumstances. After I was done with the expo, it was 2 hours from that race start or go home; sorry, but I couldn't turn down a race. I had a hell of a time just trying to find it, even with the GPS. The race started with several females on quads (roller skates) & us runners had to dodge them along the curvy trails & side walks. It was hot & humid as expected. When the dust cleared, I was 6th overall but could not stay because I had the long drive home to get ready for the main event tomorrow. George agreed to pick up my award & told me I was 2nd & he was ripped off. He would've been first in his normal category but instead was pitted against 60 year olds; totally unfair. The post race seemed to be great but I missed all the festivities to be at my best for the team.
Sunday agenda-triathlon.
There were 2 triathlons available-tropical & escape to Miami. I passed on the former & chose the latter due to proximity. There were 2 distances at the escape to Miami triathlon: sprint & Olympic. As team captain, I chose the former because the swimmer is really a runner & she says that's her worst discipline; she does just fine. Technically, cyling is my worst in comparision to running. The team captains job is to get the best out of the athletes by focusing on the needs of the team & allocate the resources appropriately. We were a team of 3 runners. She was the only who could swim, I was the most experience & currently the fastest of all of us & Spencer is definitely the fastest runner of all of us. She had a great swim this day, my cycling was the 2nd fastest of all teams & he blew away the field with his running. We were so fast (2nd overall), we were mistaken for an all male team! We had to have that corrected later as the top co-ed team. After I finished my task for the team, I noticed someone from another team who seemed to be down on his luck. He told me that he just same earlier and the runner didn't show (supposedly sick but he suspected he went out the previous night) & now he'd have to run. I told him I'd be willing to run. Naturally, he was shocked & stated I might be too tired having just finished cycling. I replied, 'oh, I forgot. You don't know who I am. I am Jasper! Well, he took the chance & it paid dividends. I passed over a hundred people & that team was the 4th fastest of all teams, 2nd in male division. Remarkable, considering all that could go wrong for them was occurring before I started-runner quit & their biker took a spill. I had all kinds of hardware around my neck this day. It was my first 5k (actually 3.9 miles according to Spencer's Garmin) at the escape.
Superb weekend, 4 awards, 2 individual & 2 teams.
Honorable mention
* George placed 2nd overall in fun run 5k
* Linda was 4th overall in fun run 5k
* Both the aforementioned ran the twilight 5k
* Bryan got 2nd overall in twilight 5k
* Jon W got 3rd overall in twilight 5k
Saturday morning agenda-5k
I passed on a closer fun run (broward) to race! I had to travel over 2 hours to northern palm beach county to do the bridge buster 5k in lake park. Last time I did this race, I carpooled with Jon & Jeffrey plus was badly injured. Now, my problem is illness. To add to my misery, it was windy. Well, I did the best I could & despite the dismal time, by the grace of God, I won my age group & made the top ten (7th). There were many festivities but the post race wasn't so good unless you paid at the concession. Except for title winners, those who placed got medals. However, since they were spinners, I give them credit for the awards.
Saturday evening agenda-5k
Initially, I planned on skipping this race (twilight 5k) because of the following:
a. I had to return to Miami to meet team, pick up packet & drop off my bike at the escape to Miami expo, then would have to come back to palm beach several hours later.
b. I have to front the money (put on by an opposing racing team)
c. ten year age groups
d. night race (typically hot & humid)
George recommended I give it a try but I told him it depends on circumstances. After I was done with the expo, it was 2 hours from that race start or go home; sorry, but I couldn't turn down a race. I had a hell of a time just trying to find it, even with the GPS. The race started with several females on quads (roller skates) & us runners had to dodge them along the curvy trails & side walks. It was hot & humid as expected. When the dust cleared, I was 6th overall but could not stay because I had the long drive home to get ready for the main event tomorrow. George agreed to pick up my award & told me I was 2nd & he was ripped off. He would've been first in his normal category but instead was pitted against 60 year olds; totally unfair. The post race seemed to be great but I missed all the festivities to be at my best for the team.
Sunday agenda-triathlon.
There were 2 triathlons available-tropical & escape to Miami. I passed on the former & chose the latter due to proximity. There were 2 distances at the escape to Miami triathlon: sprint & Olympic. As team captain, I chose the former because the swimmer is really a runner & she says that's her worst discipline; she does just fine. Technically, cyling is my worst in comparision to running. The team captains job is to get the best out of the athletes by focusing on the needs of the team & allocate the resources appropriately. We were a team of 3 runners. She was the only who could swim, I was the most experience & currently the fastest of all of us & Spencer is definitely the fastest runner of all of us. She had a great swim this day, my cycling was the 2nd fastest of all teams & he blew away the field with his running. We were so fast (2nd overall), we were mistaken for an all male team! We had to have that corrected later as the top co-ed team. After I finished my task for the team, I noticed someone from another team who seemed to be down on his luck. He told me that he just same earlier and the runner didn't show (supposedly sick but he suspected he went out the previous night) & now he'd have to run. I told him I'd be willing to run. Naturally, he was shocked & stated I might be too tired having just finished cycling. I replied, 'oh, I forgot. You don't know who I am. I am Jasper! Well, he took the chance & it paid dividends. I passed over a hundred people & that team was the 4th fastest of all teams, 2nd in male division. Remarkable, considering all that could go wrong for them was occurring before I started-runner quit & their biker took a spill. I had all kinds of hardware around my neck this day. It was my first 5k (actually 3.9 miles according to Spencer's Garmin) at the escape.
Superb weekend, 4 awards, 2 individual & 2 teams.
Honorable mention
* George placed 2nd overall in fun run 5k
* Linda was 4th overall in fun run 5k
* Both the aforementioned ran the twilight 5k
* Bryan got 2nd overall in twilight 5k
* Jon W got 3rd overall in twilight 5k
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, I heard the day of atonement. I need to do that & rest because I had been sick all week since last Sunday night.
Saturday agenda-5k
The United states air force marathon took place in Ohio, but why do that when there were 3 to choose from locally-1 in Dade, 1 in Broward, 1 in Palm beach; I chose the former for the following reasons:
a. sick all week & was forced to curtail training
b. proximity
c. inaugural
Plus, having skipped the local race on independence day cost me a lot of money so I thought I couldn't go wrong; I couldn't have been further from the truth.
Dade= united way 5k, Broward=cell-ebration 5k, Palm beach=firefighter 5k. Check this out:
Mine drew 268 finishers, Broward, only 55
Top winner 16:50, Broward-18:55
Top master 18:41, 4 oa while Broward-25:20, 10 oa
Top woman broke 19 while Broward-23:51 3rd overall here was low 17 while Broward over 21! My time today was good enough for 2nd overall over there in Broward; what a shame!
Today was like dejavu of last weekend but all on 1 day. Sickle cell (Broward race) & firefighter (Palm beach race) 5k's. Kinda like a shift up north in counties.
Choosing events is like rolling the dice, sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Hind sight is 20/20 so I have to deal with my decision. In fact, I actually need to praise the Lord because I still haven't fully recovered from illness & still made the top ten with a low 19! I got past a STOL teammate who actually led for nearly 2 miles. This qualified me to win my age group. Post race was very basic. Awards here were medals for anyone not overall.
Sunday agenda-the finale!
There was a marathon (fox cities) in Wisconsin & a rec bike ride in Clermont but there was no way I could miss the trilogy bonus round. It is the series finale and at stake-my age group and relay division inaugural duathlon titles! This truly would be a bonus round for me as I added a tri international relay to the plate. Having not fully recovered from illness, this would be an extreme challenge. I thank the Lord for deferring that somewhat & allowing me compete at nearly 90 %, still a viable threat. Multirace offered both sprint & Olympic distances for both the duathlon & triathlon. So much went down that it is best I surmise the events separately even though it was basically strung through.
Duathlon (individual)
I pre-registered for all 4 races of the inaugural sprint duathlon series and this bonus round was the finale. I was injured in #2, posting my worst bike & run times. Unfortunately, that bike time counted toward the relay as well, jeopardizing my chances of getting the elite runner to agree to a series. Since God is good, he did continue & I will expound on that next. Returning to the solo, I now need a good performance this day to drop that bad one. I ran conservatively (14 oa) to reserve strength for a decent ride. I had to fight the wind going to the bridge, it subsides temporarily, then reversed while headed due west. Once I turned around, I had to fight an even stronger head wind going back east. I was lucky to break a half hour & make the dirty dozen. After that, the 5k. I am still disappointed running over 21 minutes but remarkably, that made the dirty dozen. The transitions were slower as expected because I have to pass off a chip to my teammate. The combined times propelled me into the top ten; excluding relays, top 8. Also, my highest podium placement with 3rd overall master. I have officially won my age group for the inaugural du! Of note, also within the top ten highest points of the series winners.
Duathlon (relay)
Many wonder why I would be crazy enough to 'du' as an individual & a team. This was not my original intention but came out of chance. Running races were hard to find during the summer which is why I do multisports so Spencer West (an elite runner & runner's depot teammate) asked me about races he could possibly do between seasons, since he's heard about the number of events I do each year (100+). Naturally, as an experienced team captain, I suggested he run on a relay. We won despite my struggles aforementioned so I told him I'd understand if he didn't want to do any more with me. He was gracious & said 'non sense' and agreed to make history by signing on for the remainder races; I felt like Pat Riley when he got back Wade and signed up LeBron & Bosch. We never looked back since and are now the very first relay team to win the inaugural du series, plus on top of that, 4th overall highest points of the series winners. If we decide to the defend this title, in order to improve on that dismal T1 time that shows, I will have to commit. Regarding this race, he posted the fastest run splits of any athlete, including the overall winner! My ride was within the dirty dozen. We placed 4th overall thanks to him.
Triathlon (relay)
Many wonder why I would be crazy enough to enter into a triathlon relay after 'du'ing both as an individual & a team. This also was not my original intention but came out of chance. A triathlete sought me for the run, & at first, I said no because I already committed to a relay. As an experienced team captain, I have to be aware of possibilities, timing & positioning. Another sprint was impossible but the new distance of international was added; inaugural for the trilogy. After some calculations and realization that more history could be made (the first team to enter this distance & my first involvement at this distance at a trilogy), I reconsidered & had to convince them I could do it (succeeded in the past). By the grace of God, as Hanibel of the A-team would say, 'I love it when a plan comes together'. I made it back after completing the 2 categories with ample time to get the chip from Andre's son. I had an average run but it was good enough for us to win, making more history. The swimmer (Andre's brother) was the fastest of all finishers, including the overall winner! The cyclist matched my time but for double the distance; awesome. We got an inaugural commemorative finisher's medal in addition to the category win.
What a great weekend. This was my first time being involved in 3 distinct events at the same venue, more history! On top of that, 1st time making the podium 3 times at the same event on the same day (history)! Praise the Lord!
Saturday agenda-5k
The United states air force marathon took place in Ohio, but why do that when there were 3 to choose from locally-1 in Dade, 1 in Broward, 1 in Palm beach; I chose the former for the following reasons:
a. sick all week & was forced to curtail training
b. proximity
c. inaugural
Plus, having skipped the local race on independence day cost me a lot of money so I thought I couldn't go wrong; I couldn't have been further from the truth.
Dade= united way 5k, Broward=cell-ebration 5k, Palm beach=firefighter 5k. Check this out:
Mine drew 268 finishers, Broward, only 55
Top winner 16:50, Broward-18:55
Top master 18:41, 4 oa while Broward-25:20, 10 oa
Top woman broke 19 while Broward-23:51 3rd overall here was low 17 while Broward over 21! My time today was good enough for 2nd overall over there in Broward; what a shame!
Today was like dejavu of last weekend but all on 1 day. Sickle cell (Broward race) & firefighter (Palm beach race) 5k's. Kinda like a shift up north in counties.
Choosing events is like rolling the dice, sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Hind sight is 20/20 so I have to deal with my decision. In fact, I actually need to praise the Lord because I still haven't fully recovered from illness & still made the top ten with a low 19! I got past a STOL teammate who actually led for nearly 2 miles. This qualified me to win my age group. Post race was very basic. Awards here were medals for anyone not overall.
Sunday agenda-the finale!
There was a marathon (fox cities) in Wisconsin & a rec bike ride in Clermont but there was no way I could miss the trilogy bonus round. It is the series finale and at stake-my age group and relay division inaugural duathlon titles! This truly would be a bonus round for me as I added a tri international relay to the plate. Having not fully recovered from illness, this would be an extreme challenge. I thank the Lord for deferring that somewhat & allowing me compete at nearly 90 %, still a viable threat. Multirace offered both sprint & Olympic distances for both the duathlon & triathlon. So much went down that it is best I surmise the events separately even though it was basically strung through.
Duathlon (individual)
I pre-registered for all 4 races of the inaugural sprint duathlon series and this bonus round was the finale. I was injured in #2, posting my worst bike & run times. Unfortunately, that bike time counted toward the relay as well, jeopardizing my chances of getting the elite runner to agree to a series. Since God is good, he did continue & I will expound on that next. Returning to the solo, I now need a good performance this day to drop that bad one. I ran conservatively (14 oa) to reserve strength for a decent ride. I had to fight the wind going to the bridge, it subsides temporarily, then reversed while headed due west. Once I turned around, I had to fight an even stronger head wind going back east. I was lucky to break a half hour & make the dirty dozen. After that, the 5k. I am still disappointed running over 21 minutes but remarkably, that made the dirty dozen. The transitions were slower as expected because I have to pass off a chip to my teammate. The combined times propelled me into the top ten; excluding relays, top 8. Also, my highest podium placement with 3rd overall master. I have officially won my age group for the inaugural du! Of note, also within the top ten highest points of the series winners.
Duathlon (relay)
Many wonder why I would be crazy enough to 'du' as an individual & a team. This was not my original intention but came out of chance. Running races were hard to find during the summer which is why I do multisports so Spencer West (an elite runner & runner's depot teammate) asked me about races he could possibly do between seasons, since he's heard about the number of events I do each year (100+). Naturally, as an experienced team captain, I suggested he run on a relay. We won despite my struggles aforementioned so I told him I'd understand if he didn't want to do any more with me. He was gracious & said 'non sense' and agreed to make history by signing on for the remainder races; I felt like Pat Riley when he got back Wade and signed up LeBron & Bosch. We never looked back since and are now the very first relay team to win the inaugural du series, plus on top of that, 4th overall highest points of the series winners. If we decide to the defend this title, in order to improve on that dismal T1 time that shows, I will have to commit. Regarding this race, he posted the fastest run splits of any athlete, including the overall winner! My ride was within the dirty dozen. We placed 4th overall thanks to him.
Triathlon (relay)
Many wonder why I would be crazy enough to enter into a triathlon relay after 'du'ing both as an individual & a team. This also was not my original intention but came out of chance. A triathlete sought me for the run, & at first, I said no because I already committed to a relay. As an experienced team captain, I have to be aware of possibilities, timing & positioning. Another sprint was impossible but the new distance of international was added; inaugural for the trilogy. After some calculations and realization that more history could be made (the first team to enter this distance & my first involvement at this distance at a trilogy), I reconsidered & had to convince them I could do it (succeeded in the past). By the grace of God, as Hanibel of the A-team would say, 'I love it when a plan comes together'. I made it back after completing the 2 categories with ample time to get the chip from Andre's son. I had an average run but it was good enough for us to win, making more history. The swimmer (Andre's brother) was the fastest of all finishers, including the overall winner! The cyclist matched my time but for double the distance; awesome. We got an inaugural commemorative finisher's medal in addition to the category win.
What a great weekend. This was my first time being involved in 3 distinct events at the same venue, more history! On top of that, 1st time making the podium 3 times at the same event on the same day (history)! Praise the Lord!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
9-11
Today marks the 9th anniversary of that fateful day when terrorists attacked us on our homeland. Millions of innocent victims died because of al-kaida's twisted translation of the Quran. I find it hard to believe that their version of the bible could actually promote this behavior just as I know my bible (king James version) does not support racism, even though many claimed to be Christian. My condolences to all & I give my respect & honor the troops, dead & alive, who serve to protect & defend our freedoms.
Saturday agenda-5k
This weekend will be my first dedicated strictly to running, thus reflecting the season. That means I passed on a tri that was held in Clermont today & will pass on another held by same company tomorrow. Also reminiscent of the season is a choice of races. There were 7, the furthest in the tri-county area was the freedom walk & run (WPB). Therefore, I chose the closest, the sickle cell 5k, which also was in my county (have few races). This race brought back many memories. First of all, it was held at the stadium (now called sunlife) where I got my first overall victory in the last century and also the top runner 2 events back. They say its the 31st annual this year but I never heard of it until that year I won. Last year, the infamous blocking techniques were implemented to assist their chosen runner to win the race. The good news is that I didn't have to worry about that this year. The bad news is that I didn't have to worry about that this year because money was being offered for the top 3 overall, which will naturally draw Ronnie Hollassie, plus many other faster runners. Remarkably, Jon W didn't come to claim the 2nd slot, so some unknown guy (a master) cashed in. Courtney took the last slot. With no master title offered, I was relegated to age group. Fortunately, despite a dismal performance, I still made the top ten (6th) & won my category. That poor showing was largely due to the late start. Already scheduled late at 8, it was delayed over 20 minutes with extracurricular activities, including a warm up aerobic session for the walkers, making an already hot & humid day much worse. On top of that, there was virtually no shade; I had to drink & throw water on me like I was doing the Ironman in Kona! Sadly, no plaque but instead a medal. I lucked out again as they ran out of medals for many who placed & what they gave was decent, a 3D image of runners on front, name & date of race on back and not a generic one. However, the age group & place was noticeably lacking. Post race refreshments was horrific but acceptable for meat eaters (hot dogs). The mile markers were good but no clocks. However, what was good is that a health fair was on & the battle of the bands were back. More importantly, it was for a good cause. I couldn't stay this time, as I needed to prepare for the main event the next day.
Sunday agenda-5k
Although many events were available, far & near, my undying commitment to the racing team (runner's depot) made the firefighter 5k a no brainer. Check out the list below:
1. Chicago half marathon
2. nation's triathlon (in D.C., would have required a swimmer)
3. Florida challenge tri (also would have required a swimmer)
4. aces of clubs 10k & 5k
I knew this race would be challenging, so I prepared to bring my A game. All of the best of the RD team show up here, even the rarely seen Kenyan Mike Korir (race winner) make it. The boss, Renee Grant, often too busy to make the races, definitely appears here as this company, not only puts on the race, but dominates it. The race was unusual for me because split second timing usually puts out working clocks to gauge your performance each mile; not this year. I had to judge strictly by the field & thanks to the turn around, I could estimate who may be a threat to the master title as well as the age group. My failure to break 19 eliminated my chance for the master but my category was still possible, although without a fight. Allan W had a great start & lead through the 1st mile & a quarter before my steady pace got by him. He can be a good closer so the pressure was on for me not to decline significantly. By the grace of God, I outlasted him but surprisingly, he was not one to be concerned with (5th), as somebody I didn't know was seconds behind me. I won my category & made the dirty dozen; woo hoo! Post race was nice but the awards were the best-trophies! Sadly, 2 of friends, 1 male (also rival) & 1 female didn't make the cut due to the high quality field. On top of that, it was high in quantity (900+).
Honorable mention
* Thursday began Rosh Hashanah
* Ramadan begins around this time
* Louis Molina wins age group
* George wins age group
* Spencer wins age group (5th oa)
* Julia is 3rd overall
* Runner's Depot men's team sweep all titles (top 1-3, M) & top ag categories
* Anyone I missed, like Louis Best (2 ag), congrats!
Saturday agenda-5k
This weekend will be my first dedicated strictly to running, thus reflecting the season. That means I passed on a tri that was held in Clermont today & will pass on another held by same company tomorrow. Also reminiscent of the season is a choice of races. There were 7, the furthest in the tri-county area was the freedom walk & run (WPB). Therefore, I chose the closest, the sickle cell 5k, which also was in my county (have few races). This race brought back many memories. First of all, it was held at the stadium (now called sunlife) where I got my first overall victory in the last century and also the top runner 2 events back. They say its the 31st annual this year but I never heard of it until that year I won. Last year, the infamous blocking techniques were implemented to assist their chosen runner to win the race. The good news is that I didn't have to worry about that this year. The bad news is that I didn't have to worry about that this year because money was being offered for the top 3 overall, which will naturally draw Ronnie Hollassie, plus many other faster runners. Remarkably, Jon W didn't come to claim the 2nd slot, so some unknown guy (a master) cashed in. Courtney took the last slot. With no master title offered, I was relegated to age group. Fortunately, despite a dismal performance, I still made the top ten (6th) & won my category. That poor showing was largely due to the late start. Already scheduled late at 8, it was delayed over 20 minutes with extracurricular activities, including a warm up aerobic session for the walkers, making an already hot & humid day much worse. On top of that, there was virtually no shade; I had to drink & throw water on me like I was doing the Ironman in Kona! Sadly, no plaque but instead a medal. I lucked out again as they ran out of medals for many who placed & what they gave was decent, a 3D image of runners on front, name & date of race on back and not a generic one. However, the age group & place was noticeably lacking. Post race refreshments was horrific but acceptable for meat eaters (hot dogs). The mile markers were good but no clocks. However, what was good is that a health fair was on & the battle of the bands were back. More importantly, it was for a good cause. I couldn't stay this time, as I needed to prepare for the main event the next day.
Sunday agenda-5k
Although many events were available, far & near, my undying commitment to the racing team (runner's depot) made the firefighter 5k a no brainer. Check out the list below:
1. Chicago half marathon
2. nation's triathlon (in D.C., would have required a swimmer)
3. Florida challenge tri (also would have required a swimmer)
4. aces of clubs 10k & 5k
I knew this race would be challenging, so I prepared to bring my A game. All of the best of the RD team show up here, even the rarely seen Kenyan Mike Korir (race winner) make it. The boss, Renee Grant, often too busy to make the races, definitely appears here as this company, not only puts on the race, but dominates it. The race was unusual for me because split second timing usually puts out working clocks to gauge your performance each mile; not this year. I had to judge strictly by the field & thanks to the turn around, I could estimate who may be a threat to the master title as well as the age group. My failure to break 19 eliminated my chance for the master but my category was still possible, although without a fight. Allan W had a great start & lead through the 1st mile & a quarter before my steady pace got by him. He can be a good closer so the pressure was on for me not to decline significantly. By the grace of God, I outlasted him but surprisingly, he was not one to be concerned with (5th), as somebody I didn't know was seconds behind me. I won my category & made the dirty dozen; woo hoo! Post race was nice but the awards were the best-trophies! Sadly, 2 of friends, 1 male (also rival) & 1 female didn't make the cut due to the high quality field. On top of that, it was high in quantity (900+).
Honorable mention
* Thursday began Rosh Hashanah
* Ramadan begins around this time
* Louis Molina wins age group
* George wins age group
* Spencer wins age group (5th oa)
* Julia is 3rd overall
* Runner's Depot men's team sweep all titles (top 1-3, M) & top ag categories
* Anyone I missed, like Louis Best (2 ag), congrats!
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Labor weekend
Labor day lands on Monday but since its tied to the weekend, I dub it as such. Ironically, most people don't labor on that day, except maybe if a baby is due for the pregnant.
Saturday agenda-5k
Today was the unofficial start of the running season! On top of that, football is back! Once basketball starts as well, this will be the closest I get to heaven on earth. I saw 3 races, with the possibility of doing 2 on the same day. I picked the closest race for the morning and passed on the evening race. Regarding the latter, it is typically run entirely on sand but even if not, the generic medal is not worth the expenses I would occur. Most importantly, I want to be well rested for the next day, as the distances are longer than usual; I will definitely be competing out in the sun over an hour.
For the last few years I have missed the fall fling 5k due to conflicts with the Publix du/tri but since they moved it to Sunday, it's now on my schedule. Less hot, still humid, I was hoping it wouldn't rain during the event. The event was divided into to categories: master (over the hill) and sub master (young & the restless). The former started first. At last, we 'old' people get an advantage. The best of the latter can't catch our best, even if Olympic caliber! By the grace of God, I edged out a tough field in my age group, including the brother of the won who won the master race & the won who beat me in a prior race (Allan W). On top of that, it was the 1st time I broke 19 (even if only by a second) in 2 months! I passed on the following to win this:
1. John clay 5k (teammate JW placed here)
2. Venice tri (far plus no swimmer)
Sunday agenda-race!
Last year, I did the inaugural king of the hill 5k & enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the move of the family fitness du/tri prevented me from doing this one. Many things happened here. First of all, I got surprised when George showed up to race here, meaning he forfeited his king of the hill entry. This was due to an unforeseen circumstance that could've prevented him from racing at all. A cameo appearance from Linda was the cause (she brought him) and competed as well. As for me, let's do it Clint Eastwood style:
The good: I won my age group & placed 8th overall, edging out the overall female Lisa B.
The bad: I lost positions during the bike portion when forced to stop, costing me a master slot & better overall position. The 2nd run barely broke 7 minutes.
The ugly: the bad was due to a mechanical issue with the bike (the multisport Gods are more relentless than the running one, causing the rear brake lock), first time in history. To add insult to injury, I got a parking ticket!
I was impressed with this event as all finishers came home with hardware (a quality medal) & all those who placed got a clear plaque. The post race was nice & for the 1st time I could remember, the du awards were given out first (caught George off guard).
Monday agenda-train
Happy labor day! I opted out of a long travel for a race (Tampa area) and a fun run (palm beach) for cross training. Having done enough in my primary discipline (run) and primary cross training discipline (bike), I picked the secondary cross training discipline- inline skating. I rolled for 12 mile in an hour flat (lost time due to various traffic delays). Congrats to all who competed this weekend.
Honorable mention
* George wins both at 5k & du
* Shannon makes the podium
* Linda picks a new category & wins an award!
* Louis M places at king of hill 5k
* Spencer wins at king of hill 5k
Saturday agenda-5k
Today was the unofficial start of the running season! On top of that, football is back! Once basketball starts as well, this will be the closest I get to heaven on earth. I saw 3 races, with the possibility of doing 2 on the same day. I picked the closest race for the morning and passed on the evening race. Regarding the latter, it is typically run entirely on sand but even if not, the generic medal is not worth the expenses I would occur. Most importantly, I want to be well rested for the next day, as the distances are longer than usual; I will definitely be competing out in the sun over an hour.
For the last few years I have missed the fall fling 5k due to conflicts with the Publix du/tri but since they moved it to Sunday, it's now on my schedule. Less hot, still humid, I was hoping it wouldn't rain during the event. The event was divided into to categories: master (over the hill) and sub master (young & the restless). The former started first. At last, we 'old' people get an advantage. The best of the latter can't catch our best, even if Olympic caliber! By the grace of God, I edged out a tough field in my age group, including the brother of the won who won the master race & the won who beat me in a prior race (Allan W). On top of that, it was the 1st time I broke 19 (even if only by a second) in 2 months! I passed on the following to win this:
1. John clay 5k (teammate JW placed here)
2. Venice tri (far plus no swimmer)
Sunday agenda-race!
Last year, I did the inaugural king of the hill 5k & enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the move of the family fitness du/tri prevented me from doing this one. Many things happened here. First of all, I got surprised when George showed up to race here, meaning he forfeited his king of the hill entry. This was due to an unforeseen circumstance that could've prevented him from racing at all. A cameo appearance from Linda was the cause (she brought him) and competed as well. As for me, let's do it Clint Eastwood style:
The good: I won my age group & placed 8th overall, edging out the overall female Lisa B.
The bad: I lost positions during the bike portion when forced to stop, costing me a master slot & better overall position. The 2nd run barely broke 7 minutes.
The ugly: the bad was due to a mechanical issue with the bike (the multisport Gods are more relentless than the running one, causing the rear brake lock), first time in history. To add insult to injury, I got a parking ticket!
I was impressed with this event as all finishers came home with hardware (a quality medal) & all those who placed got a clear plaque. The post race was nice & for the 1st time I could remember, the du awards were given out first (caught George off guard).
Monday agenda-train
Happy labor day! I opted out of a long travel for a race (Tampa area) and a fun run (palm beach) for cross training. Having done enough in my primary discipline (run) and primary cross training discipline (bike), I picked the secondary cross training discipline- inline skating. I rolled for 12 mile in an hour flat (lost time due to various traffic delays). Congrats to all who competed this weekend.
Honorable mention
* George wins both at 5k & du
* Shannon makes the podium
* Linda picks a new category & wins an award!
* Louis M places at king of hill 5k
* Spencer wins at king of hill 5k
Friday, August 27, 2010
A.K.A.
A.K.A.=Andrew, Katrina Anniversary. This is the 5th of this millennium's worst thus far. Also, this past Tuesday marked an anniversary of hurricane Andrew, Florida's most devastating of the last century.
Saturday agenda-elite 5k trilogy finale
I initially found out about this series trying to fill in the gaps of the summer (lack of races). Ya'll know I am a sucker for inaugurals & series events; this satisfied both. Today marked the series finale, and with the race for the top slot tight, I knew I needed to bring my A game. To my dismay, a greater quantity of faster runners showed up. By the grace of God, except for Perry, all of them were submasters. During the course, there was a damp, slippery bridge section. I was during this area that I intentionally slowed my pace so as not to slip (did this error in the past) but lost 2 positions in the process, one, a master (friend Mike K). I regained one position once back on normal turf but did not press the kid (I was more than twice his age). I won the master title for the day (Perry was 2nd overall & given grandmaster title), which I call winning the battle. Perry won 2 battles as the 2nd best twice but ultimately I won the war (the entire series) because I was consistent (top ten finishes) in all 3 races. In fact, today was my worst finish at 7th overall; previous 2 were 4th. Praise the Lord! I actually won 2 titles: the overall title and the 40-44 age group title. I call it double dipping but based on the scoring system utilized, it wasn't. The overall title was based on points accumulated in regards to your overall position within the total number of runners in your sex category. The age group title gave a max of 20 points down to zero based on your position in your age group. This means that if more than 20 are in your age group, & you don't place within, you get 0 points, whereas, even if dead last, the overall scoring will yield at least a point. Post race was nice, perhaps 4 star. All awards were (drinking) glasses.
Sunday agenda-triathlon
This day would have been Michael Jackson's 52nd birthday if he were still alive. Speaking of travesties, the Miami nice tri was on for the 2nd time this year & my 3rd attempt to bring home hardware. Even though every team I was involved in placed, I have yet to bring home an award. This was due to a seemingly racist female who was put in charge of running this event. In the inaugural last year, only 1 trophy was given to a team of 3 people (I was the team captain). The cyclist, who now rarely wins an award, took it to show his boss & I haven't seen it since; I fault the organizers for that error. This year, in June, I joined onto a team, hoping for better luck. At least she listened to me & offered 1 award per teammate (3 to distribute among the winning teams) but sadly, only gave them to her friends. She unjustifiably withheld my award claiming the team captain (not me) improperly &/or incorrectly formed the team. In essence, I got punished for his alleged mistake. If I were not who I am, she would have rectified this in the background, if not on the spot. Therefore, I got ripped off Miami twice! So, in this race, I am the team captain & formed the team myself to ensure it is correct. Would you believe that 'perra' hassled me again? Yep, prior to even starting, she decided to alienate me while I was chatting with a teammate, trying to embarrass me & insinuate that I was not a registered athlete, meanwhile there were so many obviously unregistered people scattered about. I responded in kind & later converted this negative energy to achieve a positive result.
The team was aptly named TRI-MEN D'US (dats us). It was exciting for all. Josh was scheduled to do his longest swim ever racing. For Spencer, it was his first triathlon relay. We were to do the sprint. This was my third attempt to come home with an award after placing. I have been unjustifiably denied my awards so much that even God disapproved of the organizers. After the 2nd wave went off, the skies opened up, lightning struck near while the winds gusted through and all the swimmers were called back due to the tumultuous weather. Once convinced the message was delivered, all subsided except the wind, which merely stopped gusting but still steady blowing high. With the ground wet, care had to be taken. The course was altered due to the inclement weather, making it easier for the Olympic athletes but a bit harder for the sprint. The swim was shortened for them but lengthened for us sprinters 900 yds instead of the normal quarter mile. Imagine signing for a 5k but doing 5 miles instead (it happened to me early this year). It will slow you down somewhat because you weren't prepared for that. Despite that, he was the 5th fastest of all relays. I did 1 loop and so did the Olympic athletes, who were supposed to do 2. Even though the conditions were not in my favor, God granted me the fastest bike time of all relays, dirty dozen overall! The run remained in intact. Although I took of a fraction of our deficit, Spencer not only eliminated that but reversed it into a substantial lead, despite his fast paced long run (18 miles under a 7 min average) the previous day. Post race was very good. Ultimately, the third time was the charm!
Saturday agenda-elite 5k trilogy finale
I initially found out about this series trying to fill in the gaps of the summer (lack of races). Ya'll know I am a sucker for inaugurals & series events; this satisfied both. Today marked the series finale, and with the race for the top slot tight, I knew I needed to bring my A game. To my dismay, a greater quantity of faster runners showed up. By the grace of God, except for Perry, all of them were submasters. During the course, there was a damp, slippery bridge section. I was during this area that I intentionally slowed my pace so as not to slip (did this error in the past) but lost 2 positions in the process, one, a master (friend Mike K). I regained one position once back on normal turf but did not press the kid (I was more than twice his age). I won the master title for the day (Perry was 2nd overall & given grandmaster title), which I call winning the battle. Perry won 2 battles as the 2nd best twice but ultimately I won the war (the entire series) because I was consistent (top ten finishes) in all 3 races. In fact, today was my worst finish at 7th overall; previous 2 were 4th. Praise the Lord! I actually won 2 titles: the overall title and the 40-44 age group title. I call it double dipping but based on the scoring system utilized, it wasn't. The overall title was based on points accumulated in regards to your overall position within the total number of runners in your sex category. The age group title gave a max of 20 points down to zero based on your position in your age group. This means that if more than 20 are in your age group, & you don't place within, you get 0 points, whereas, even if dead last, the overall scoring will yield at least a point. Post race was nice, perhaps 4 star. All awards were (drinking) glasses.
Sunday agenda-triathlon
This day would have been Michael Jackson's 52nd birthday if he were still alive. Speaking of travesties, the Miami nice tri was on for the 2nd time this year & my 3rd attempt to bring home hardware. Even though every team I was involved in placed, I have yet to bring home an award. This was due to a seemingly racist female who was put in charge of running this event. In the inaugural last year, only 1 trophy was given to a team of 3 people (I was the team captain). The cyclist, who now rarely wins an award, took it to show his boss & I haven't seen it since; I fault the organizers for that error. This year, in June, I joined onto a team, hoping for better luck. At least she listened to me & offered 1 award per teammate (3 to distribute among the winning teams) but sadly, only gave them to her friends. She unjustifiably withheld my award claiming the team captain (not me) improperly &/or incorrectly formed the team. In essence, I got punished for his alleged mistake. If I were not who I am, she would have rectified this in the background, if not on the spot. Therefore, I got ripped off Miami twice! So, in this race, I am the team captain & formed the team myself to ensure it is correct. Would you believe that 'perra' hassled me again? Yep, prior to even starting, she decided to alienate me while I was chatting with a teammate, trying to embarrass me & insinuate that I was not a registered athlete, meanwhile there were so many obviously unregistered people scattered about. I responded in kind & later converted this negative energy to achieve a positive result.
The team was aptly named TRI-MEN D'US (dats us). It was exciting for all. Josh was scheduled to do his longest swim ever racing. For Spencer, it was his first triathlon relay. We were to do the sprint. This was my third attempt to come home with an award after placing. I have been unjustifiably denied my awards so much that even God disapproved of the organizers. After the 2nd wave went off, the skies opened up, lightning struck near while the winds gusted through and all the swimmers were called back due to the tumultuous weather. Once convinced the message was delivered, all subsided except the wind, which merely stopped gusting but still steady blowing high. With the ground wet, care had to be taken. The course was altered due to the inclement weather, making it easier for the Olympic athletes but a bit harder for the sprint. The swim was shortened for them but lengthened for us sprinters 900 yds instead of the normal quarter mile. Imagine signing for a 5k but doing 5 miles instead (it happened to me early this year). It will slow you down somewhat because you weren't prepared for that. Despite that, he was the 5th fastest of all relays. I did 1 loop and so did the Olympic athletes, who were supposed to do 2. Even though the conditions were not in my favor, God granted me the fastest bike time of all relays, dirty dozen overall! The run remained in intact. Although I took of a fraction of our deficit, Spencer not only eliminated that but reversed it into a substantial lead, despite his fast paced long run (18 miles under a 7 min average) the previous day. Post race was very good. Ultimately, the third time was the charm!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
In the rain
Some people were singing in the rain but not me. I was just getting wet. Well, most of the time I had to deal with driving in the rain. Since I picked an event that was not local, I had to travel after work (couldn't get off or leave early). That's when I got hit with the weather conditions, in addition to traffic & lane closures. By the time I made it, it was almost midnight.
Saturday agenda-race!
I've had too many weekends with 'no' races (not local) so this time I decided to revisit an event I did nearly a half decade ago rather than go to key west (conch pride 5k), among others scattered in the far regions of Florida. There are so many forts here in Florida that I forgot how far this was. The ones I have heard of & been to have been Ft Lauderdale, Ft Pierce, Ft Myers & Ft DeSoto; the latter was were the venue was held. Therefore, it took me about 5 hours, with only 1 pit stop, to get there. Once there, I saw so many athletes I knew, it was like a familiar scene. Although my first run was under 6 minutes, that was barely enough to make the top 20. I felt slow on the bike but the time was better than expected. After the course snafu (not all signs were properly placed), I was given 2nd in age group; I felt I won since the guy in front ran mostly concrete going the wrong way. The time was disappointing but I have to take into consideration that half of the 5k was on loose sand, my worst surface to run on. By the grace of God, besides a podium finish, I made the top 10% of the entire du field & broke an hour in the process. The post race was great (4 star) but lacking the veggie burgers of the past. Thanks (hospitality) & congrats to Shannon, who also found the podium. Lisa B dominated once again, taking the overall female title, made the top ten (not percent) & had a bike time faster than me for a change; her run always did in this sport.
Sunday agenda-train
Well, I had my share of travelling & racing this weekend, so I opted for more training. Another muddy buddy (MN) came & went. I passed on the oleta la roootaaa mt biking series & pulled out a road bike to finally join a group that rides the Miami man half iron course. Except for 1 guy, I was like in a dream riding with 4 beautiful women but don't let that deceive you; they can ride. I wound up doing a tad over 60 miles, lasting about 4 hours including the pre & post meet up and 1 pit stop at the fruit & spice (their choice, not mine). I left with the feeling that I am ready! Oh, after some rest, before I could cut the grass, it started raining!
Saturday agenda-race!
I've had too many weekends with 'no' races (not local) so this time I decided to revisit an event I did nearly a half decade ago rather than go to key west (conch pride 5k), among others scattered in the far regions of Florida. There are so many forts here in Florida that I forgot how far this was. The ones I have heard of & been to have been Ft Lauderdale, Ft Pierce, Ft Myers & Ft DeSoto; the latter was were the venue was held. Therefore, it took me about 5 hours, with only 1 pit stop, to get there. Once there, I saw so many athletes I knew, it was like a familiar scene. Although my first run was under 6 minutes, that was barely enough to make the top 20. I felt slow on the bike but the time was better than expected. After the course snafu (not all signs were properly placed), I was given 2nd in age group; I felt I won since the guy in front ran mostly concrete going the wrong way. The time was disappointing but I have to take into consideration that half of the 5k was on loose sand, my worst surface to run on. By the grace of God, besides a podium finish, I made the top 10% of the entire du field & broke an hour in the process. The post race was great (4 star) but lacking the veggie burgers of the past. Thanks (hospitality) & congrats to Shannon, who also found the podium. Lisa B dominated once again, taking the overall female title, made the top ten (not percent) & had a bike time faster than me for a change; her run always did in this sport.
Sunday agenda-train
Well, I had my share of travelling & racing this weekend, so I opted for more training. Another muddy buddy (MN) came & went. I passed on the oleta la roootaaa mt biking series & pulled out a road bike to finally join a group that rides the Miami man half iron course. Except for 1 guy, I was like in a dream riding with 4 beautiful women but don't let that deceive you; they can ride. I wound up doing a tad over 60 miles, lasting about 4 hours including the pre & post meet up and 1 pit stop at the fruit & spice (their choice, not mine). I left with the feeling that I am ready! Oh, after some rest, before I could cut the grass, it started raining!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Mid month crisis (Aug)
It that time again. Yesterday was not just a Friday, but the 13th! My bad luck included having to do a brake job on my car, in addition to the fact that I have not broken 19 since independence day!
Saturday agenda-race?
Well, at least there was 1 local event-the ING kick off 5k. Sadly, it was basically a fun run, with no individual awards or categories. Fortunately, the top 30 males & females got a prize. Last year, it was a medal. This year, a starbucks gift card on an ING lanyard, thus far the 2nd lamest as far as a finishers medal but however, practical. This was my debut 'race' wearing the Vibrim 5 finger shoes. I ran the 1st mile an easy 6:15 & basically ran with Allan W. lost ten seconds in the 2nd. The last mile I intentionally slowed down to adjust with Allan. At the final stretch, I pulled back, jogged near the finish, stopped & turned around to walk in backwards for the finish. Hey, I was having fun! Also, I needed to reserve my strength for the main event tomorrow. Unfortunately, I didn't escape without injury; I re-aggravated a callous on my right foot. My mission was accomplished for today-be in the top 30 & do it in under 20; yep, I made it even with the showboating. Remember, this was a FUN RUN. They had a nice post race with a raffle (rigged) offered. Oh, I forgot. There was a special category I missed because of that. George won the male swimsuit division. There were other winners, male & female, but I didn't know any of them.
Sunday agenda-race!
Already scheduled on my calendar, it's time for round 3 of the trilogy series. I saved my strength for this one because I not only compete as an individual, but also as part of a team; I was more concerned about the latter. However, I also needed to redeem myself for my last outing. Praise the Lord, the callous was not a factor & with 90+ % recovery, I was basically in race form. With little or no wind, conditions were ideal for cycling. Unfortunately, even with cloud cover, it was still hot & humid. By the grace of God, I cracked 6 minutes on the mile sprint (8 oa) to reach the awaiting teammate who blew the field with the fastest split, despite an 18 mile training the day prior. The good Lord came through again as I had one of my better cycling days with a better than 21 average (14 oa); yea, I lost some positions, as expected. Once Spencer took off, he advanced the team by dropping 10 people and we won hands down! Meanwhile, by God's grace, I picked off the same number as our overall position. I actually could've been 1 better but lost the sprint to the finish to a kid nearly 2 decades younger; that was expected. I warned him that he had better stepped it up or this old man would've beat him. If you check out the stats, I defeated him on both run legs, which means he was a faster cyclist. Post race was nice, with hot pancakes & lots of fruit. Oh, Spencer had the fastest split on the anchor run as well; thank you, teammate. My second run was rated the same as the 1st in overall position. I was aware I lost time in transition but winning twice, both as an individual & team, was well worth it. Crisis over?
Honorable mention
* George took the male swimsuit division in the 5k & age group in the du despite complications.
Saturday agenda-race?
Well, at least there was 1 local event-the ING kick off 5k. Sadly, it was basically a fun run, with no individual awards or categories. Fortunately, the top 30 males & females got a prize. Last year, it was a medal. This year, a starbucks gift card on an ING lanyard, thus far the 2nd lamest as far as a finishers medal but however, practical. This was my debut 'race' wearing the Vibrim 5 finger shoes. I ran the 1st mile an easy 6:15 & basically ran with Allan W. lost ten seconds in the 2nd. The last mile I intentionally slowed down to adjust with Allan. At the final stretch, I pulled back, jogged near the finish, stopped & turned around to walk in backwards for the finish. Hey, I was having fun! Also, I needed to reserve my strength for the main event tomorrow. Unfortunately, I didn't escape without injury; I re-aggravated a callous on my right foot. My mission was accomplished for today-be in the top 30 & do it in under 20; yep, I made it even with the showboating. Remember, this was a FUN RUN. They had a nice post race with a raffle (rigged) offered. Oh, I forgot. There was a special category I missed because of that. George won the male swimsuit division. There were other winners, male & female, but I didn't know any of them.
Sunday agenda-race!
Already scheduled on my calendar, it's time for round 3 of the trilogy series. I saved my strength for this one because I not only compete as an individual, but also as part of a team; I was more concerned about the latter. However, I also needed to redeem myself for my last outing. Praise the Lord, the callous was not a factor & with 90+ % recovery, I was basically in race form. With little or no wind, conditions were ideal for cycling. Unfortunately, even with cloud cover, it was still hot & humid. By the grace of God, I cracked 6 minutes on the mile sprint (8 oa) to reach the awaiting teammate who blew the field with the fastest split, despite an 18 mile training the day prior. The good Lord came through again as I had one of my better cycling days with a better than 21 average (14 oa); yea, I lost some positions, as expected. Once Spencer took off, he advanced the team by dropping 10 people and we won hands down! Meanwhile, by God's grace, I picked off the same number as our overall position. I actually could've been 1 better but lost the sprint to the finish to a kid nearly 2 decades younger; that was expected. I warned him that he had better stepped it up or this old man would've beat him. If you check out the stats, I defeated him on both run legs, which means he was a faster cyclist. Post race was nice, with hot pancakes & lots of fruit. Oh, Spencer had the fastest split on the anchor run as well; thank you, teammate. My second run was rated the same as the 1st in overall position. I was aware I lost time in transition but winning twice, both as an individual & team, was well worth it. Crisis over?
Honorable mention
* George took the male swimsuit division in the 5k & age group in the du despite complications.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Aw gaw stoh!
Aw gaw stoh! That's how it sounds in Spanish. A gust, oh, is what we want sometimes to alleviate the torture of the extreme heat & humidity. A gust is what we could encounter if a hurricane comes by. Agosto!
Saturday agenda-race?
To race or not to race, that is the question. The answer is that I didn't feel like driving all over the state just to race. However, I commend Jon for doing 4 races within 14 hours. I couldn't make the 2 nite races in Orlando, and, although this morning was possible, I declined on the long trip. So, this morning, I pulled out my inlines & skated a 10k.
There was a inaugural night race scheduled that I had reservations about, so I had already pre determined not to do it. These were the reasons:
1. 10 yr age groups
2. distance (in Boca)
3. cost
4. conditions- internal=just recovering from injury, external=weather
Ultimately, it was the latter that prevailed (race cancelled due to inclement weather). However, it was the heat & humidity that deterred me before I found out about the rain.
Sunday agenda-race?
With the same sentiments as before, it was an easy decision for me to stay local. Question is, do I race or not? Last time I entered my first trail & despite my best efforts, I came up short due to confusion and logged my first ever DNF. I refuse to leave that stone unturned, so I entered once more into a trail half. This time, I saw more people I knew- Jon,and the Hadley sisters , in addition to Sam. Except Sam, they all did the shortest distance (5k). I got what I expected (heat & humidity, although less severe than last time due to the clouds) and then some (poor signage). Since the staff was clueless & even the race director was unable to help me get back on course due to poor signage (later discovered that a direction sign placed knee high was blocked by a water table), this was the first time in history I began at the front and finished dead last in an event. Fortunately, I brought my Garmin, so I was able to know how long, both in time & distance, I've been travelling. When I crossed the finish line, I did 14.75 miles in 3:18 but the actual half distance was completed within that at 2:48. I am satisfied that I have avenged the DNF plus picked up some slack (1.65 more) in the process. I got in great training & enjoyed the challenging scenery. This time, more hydration was available, but no great post race. Unless I find no other events, I had my fill of adventure racing.
Saturday agenda-race?
To race or not to race, that is the question. The answer is that I didn't feel like driving all over the state just to race. However, I commend Jon for doing 4 races within 14 hours. I couldn't make the 2 nite races in Orlando, and, although this morning was possible, I declined on the long trip. So, this morning, I pulled out my inlines & skated a 10k.
There was a inaugural night race scheduled that I had reservations about, so I had already pre determined not to do it. These were the reasons:
1. 10 yr age groups
2. distance (in Boca)
3. cost
4. conditions- internal=just recovering from injury, external=weather
Ultimately, it was the latter that prevailed (race cancelled due to inclement weather). However, it was the heat & humidity that deterred me before I found out about the rain.
Sunday agenda-race?
With the same sentiments as before, it was an easy decision for me to stay local. Question is, do I race or not? Last time I entered my first trail & despite my best efforts, I came up short due to confusion and logged my first ever DNF. I refuse to leave that stone unturned, so I entered once more into a trail half. This time, I saw more people I knew- Jon,and the Hadley sisters , in addition to Sam. Except Sam, they all did the shortest distance (5k). I got what I expected (heat & humidity, although less severe than last time due to the clouds) and then some (poor signage). Since the staff was clueless & even the race director was unable to help me get back on course due to poor signage (later discovered that a direction sign placed knee high was blocked by a water table), this was the first time in history I began at the front and finished dead last in an event. Fortunately, I brought my Garmin, so I was able to know how long, both in time & distance, I've been travelling. When I crossed the finish line, I did 14.75 miles in 3:18 but the actual half distance was completed within that at 2:48. I am satisfied that I have avenged the DNF plus picked up some slack (1.65 more) in the process. I got in great training & enjoyed the challenging scenery. This time, more hydration was available, but no great post race. Unless I find no other events, I had my fill of adventure racing.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Transition weekend (summer)
This is yet another transition weekend, now in the summer of 2010. Today marks both the end of the week & the month, while tomorrow begins them both.
Saturday agenda-5k
Previously, on a mission to find races during the summer, I stumbled upon a series on the east coast of Florida. Now that I'm locked in, the eagle lakes 5k is the midpoint of the series & was an easy choice. 2 people I know (Jon W & Mike K) found out about my last result & came over to compete as well, decreasing my chances. Still recovering from injury, I did not know what to expect, basically expecting the worse but hoping for the best. By the grace of God, the latter eventually prevailed. I pushed to stay with the elite female athlete Lisa Buohler. She was in top form this day, possibly because it was her birthday. Obviously, Jon beat me but amazingly, he did not win but instead ran away with the master title. Mr speedster himself (Perry) nearly beat out a kid for the overall title but was seconds short. He was awarded the grand master title. The Lord allowed me to fend off a challenge for the next position in the final mile. Hindsight is 20/20 as I discovered this guy is only a couple of points from the series title. I am hanging on to a slight lead by successfully defending the 4th overall position. I am not out of the woods yet as this local runner will surely appear at the finale & my failure to compete would be literally forfeiture. I not only have to show but must not lose more than 1 slot to this guy. Of course, you know I can & want to beat him once more. Same glass award but this time no Tshirt (supplier failed to deliver). The post race was actually better than the last time.
Sunday agenda-2 tri or not 2 tri
Hey, I wanted a spiffy title. Multirace & FFW held a sprint tri in Melbourne on this day (Lisa B chose this one & won the overall du), but I participated in the Huntingtons disease triathlon because it is much closer and supports a good cause. Ironically, it began when I did, meaning it is the 19th running. Oh yea, passed on another muddy buddy. Both sprint & olympic tri's were being held; we chose the former. I got my favorite runners to form the relay "Tri'N 2 win", & we did just that. Inga (triathlete) agreed to swim, even though that was not her favorite discipline, because us guys don't. I was relegated to the bike because Gene doesn't even own a bike, much less ride one. When the dust cleared, we were the fastest non professional team to win. The award earned was 2nd in co-ed division. Each person got a nice plaque. The post race qualified as 5 star, especially with the pasta. This year, they improved as tech shirts were given out. With low wind, I had a great ride (by my standards) on the bike. Despite the time, Gene had the fastest run split. A surprise cameo appearance by George made the day. It's rare to see him unless he competes but this day, he pulled a number like I do at times. Also of note, I spoke briefly to an Indy car driver (Kanaan) who completed the tri solo.
What a great transition for me. I ended July with bang (top in my class & lead in the series) and began August in a similar fashion (hardware), but with help from my athletic friends.
Saturday agenda-5k
Previously, on a mission to find races during the summer, I stumbled upon a series on the east coast of Florida. Now that I'm locked in, the eagle lakes 5k is the midpoint of the series & was an easy choice. 2 people I know (Jon W & Mike K) found out about my last result & came over to compete as well, decreasing my chances. Still recovering from injury, I did not know what to expect, basically expecting the worse but hoping for the best. By the grace of God, the latter eventually prevailed. I pushed to stay with the elite female athlete Lisa Buohler. She was in top form this day, possibly because it was her birthday. Obviously, Jon beat me but amazingly, he did not win but instead ran away with the master title. Mr speedster himself (Perry) nearly beat out a kid for the overall title but was seconds short. He was awarded the grand master title. The Lord allowed me to fend off a challenge for the next position in the final mile. Hindsight is 20/20 as I discovered this guy is only a couple of points from the series title. I am hanging on to a slight lead by successfully defending the 4th overall position. I am not out of the woods yet as this local runner will surely appear at the finale & my failure to compete would be literally forfeiture. I not only have to show but must not lose more than 1 slot to this guy. Of course, you know I can & want to beat him once more. Same glass award but this time no Tshirt (supplier failed to deliver). The post race was actually better than the last time.
Sunday agenda-2 tri or not 2 tri
Hey, I wanted a spiffy title. Multirace & FFW held a sprint tri in Melbourne on this day (Lisa B chose this one & won the overall du), but I participated in the Huntingtons disease triathlon because it is much closer and supports a good cause. Ironically, it began when I did, meaning it is the 19th running. Oh yea, passed on another muddy buddy. Both sprint & olympic tri's were being held; we chose the former. I got my favorite runners to form the relay "Tri'N 2 win", & we did just that. Inga (triathlete) agreed to swim, even though that was not her favorite discipline, because us guys don't. I was relegated to the bike because Gene doesn't even own a bike, much less ride one. When the dust cleared, we were the fastest non professional team to win. The award earned was 2nd in co-ed division. Each person got a nice plaque. The post race qualified as 5 star, especially with the pasta. This year, they improved as tech shirts were given out. With low wind, I had a great ride (by my standards) on the bike. Despite the time, Gene had the fastest run split. A surprise cameo appearance by George made the day. It's rare to see him unless he competes but this day, he pulled a number like I do at times. Also of note, I spoke briefly to an Indy car driver (Kanaan) who completed the tri solo.
What a great transition for me. I ended July with bang (top in my class & lead in the series) and began August in a similar fashion (hardware), but with help from my athletic friends.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Trouble in the tropics
There's trouble in the tropics. Luckily, there was minimal damage from tropical storm Bonnie but this were merely a wake up call that we are in hurricane season. Of course, the heat & humidity is still in full force, perhaps rising to new heights. Only thing added was much more precipitation. Trouble in the tropics is not only weather related but personal. I've been struggling to recover from serious injury, in addition to efforts to rebound from lack luster performances. Despite many events available today (most far but within the state), I reluctantly limited myself to only one & sadly, it would be a dreaded evening race. I had to postpone the adventure tri (the only local event in the morning) till another day. Instead, I pulled out the skates a did a lap just to get the blood flowing in morning. I planned on 4 miles but did half because I started to feel it & the last thing I want to do is be counterproductive, knowing I need to race tonight.
Saturday agenda-race!
Unfortunately, 2 of my favorite events are scheduled around the same time, on the same evening. Last year, I did the Hemingway 5k down in Key West & was lucky to carpool. This year, I decided not to make the long trip down south (especially solo) and head up north (long enough) to revisit the Dreher park dash, where I have had some success in the past. I was expecting the worse but hoping for the best. As usual, the heat & humidity was at an all time high. The main set back was the injury. I was aiming for a low 19 but barely broke 20; good considering the conditions. By the grace of God, that was sufficient to place. I was first in my age group but got bumped to 2nd after my category was called last. Naturally, I was disappointed in that & my time, plus the fact that, in my prime, I would've gotten the master title. However, I should consider myself fortunate & blessed I even made it to the podium with all things considered. Post race was great. The raffle was rigged as expected & the method of award distribution pathetic, but also expected. I avoided the Hemmingway race due to distance & the title awards. Guess what I got? a miniature version (big one was given away).
Sunday agenda-C-mas?
Merry Christmas (in July). This day was created by capitalists in an effort to increase revenue. Well, I accepted my gift from God with pleasure & I thank & praise the Lord. I was able to train with minimal pain. I passed on racing in an effort to improve for next week. I decided to do something I never did before- a brick workout! Oh, wait I've done a brick before but never with swimming as one of the disciplines. That's what I said. I rode the bike about a 10k, transitioned to a pool, swam a couple of laps then returned home. This was completed in about an hour & felt like a longer ride because of that swim. Hooray for me!
Honorable mention
* George wins
* Louis M is back & placed, representing the RD
* Michelle win age group
* Mike K wins despite complications
Saturday agenda-race!
Unfortunately, 2 of my favorite events are scheduled around the same time, on the same evening. Last year, I did the Hemingway 5k down in Key West & was lucky to carpool. This year, I decided not to make the long trip down south (especially solo) and head up north (long enough) to revisit the Dreher park dash, where I have had some success in the past. I was expecting the worse but hoping for the best. As usual, the heat & humidity was at an all time high. The main set back was the injury. I was aiming for a low 19 but barely broke 20; good considering the conditions. By the grace of God, that was sufficient to place. I was first in my age group but got bumped to 2nd after my category was called last. Naturally, I was disappointed in that & my time, plus the fact that, in my prime, I would've gotten the master title. However, I should consider myself fortunate & blessed I even made it to the podium with all things considered. Post race was great. The raffle was rigged as expected & the method of award distribution pathetic, but also expected. I avoided the Hemmingway race due to distance & the title awards. Guess what I got? a miniature version (big one was given away).
Sunday agenda-C-mas?
Merry Christmas (in July). This day was created by capitalists in an effort to increase revenue. Well, I accepted my gift from God with pleasure & I thank & praise the Lord. I was able to train with minimal pain. I passed on racing in an effort to improve for next week. I decided to do something I never did before- a brick workout! Oh, wait I've done a brick before but never with swimming as one of the disciplines. That's what I said. I rode the bike about a 10k, transitioned to a pool, swam a couple of laps then returned home. This was completed in about an hour & felt like a longer ride because of that swim. Hooray for me!
Honorable mention
* George wins
* Louis M is back & placed, representing the RD
* Michelle win age group
* Mike K wins despite complications
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Who lee oh!
Who lee oh! Now that summer is here, most races are gone! Nothing local but there were several events all over the far reaches of the state.
Saturday agenda-train
Considering that I injured myself on a weekday track meet, and the fact that I have an important race tomorrow, I opted for training. Except for some test jogging, I stayed away from running so that I can recuperate & be as strong as possible. I pulled out my inlines & skated about a 10k. It was slightly more challenging with the wind but much less torture than running or even cycling. Since I remained on schedule with cycling, there was no need to get on the bike today.
Sunday agenda-race
Time for round 2 of the key Biscayne trilogy series, duathlon division. I passed on racing Saturday due to the aforementioned in an effort to shine; didn't happen. The injury proved too great but so was my will. Adhering to the marine motto: improvise, adapt, overcome, I competed (both as an individual and in a relay) & completed both. Spencer was the awesome teammate who shined on the team, doing both run legs. However, he had to wait for me to finish mine before I could take the chip. For the first time I could remember, I made a rookie mistake & forgot to put on my cycling shoes (was rushed out of transition & forgot to set up prior) & had to run back to do so, squandering precious time. On top of that, the head wind & gusts on the return trip killed whatever speed I had, forcing me into survival mode. Once I got back & passed off the chip, he anchored the team to victory; we were not the only team, as I intended at registration. I, on the other hand, had to resort to salvaging the race, as I fell to a pathetic pace worse than I average on half marathons! 'Quitters never win & winners never quit' proved to be true as, by the grace of God, I still managed to reach the podium. My injury prevented me from reaching the top, where I belong, but I will accept any hardware I can earn. Thanx Spence for agreeing to be on the team & representing our racing team, Runner's depot; we lead the series at this moment. As far as me, if I perform as usual or better in the remaining races, this one will be dropped. Florida fleet elilte STOL the show!
Congrats to all who competed!
Saturday agenda-train
Considering that I injured myself on a weekday track meet, and the fact that I have an important race tomorrow, I opted for training. Except for some test jogging, I stayed away from running so that I can recuperate & be as strong as possible. I pulled out my inlines & skated about a 10k. It was slightly more challenging with the wind but much less torture than running or even cycling. Since I remained on schedule with cycling, there was no need to get on the bike today.
Sunday agenda-race
Time for round 2 of the key Biscayne trilogy series, duathlon division. I passed on racing Saturday due to the aforementioned in an effort to shine; didn't happen. The injury proved too great but so was my will. Adhering to the marine motto: improvise, adapt, overcome, I competed (both as an individual and in a relay) & completed both. Spencer was the awesome teammate who shined on the team, doing both run legs. However, he had to wait for me to finish mine before I could take the chip. For the first time I could remember, I made a rookie mistake & forgot to put on my cycling shoes (was rushed out of transition & forgot to set up prior) & had to run back to do so, squandering precious time. On top of that, the head wind & gusts on the return trip killed whatever speed I had, forcing me into survival mode. Once I got back & passed off the chip, he anchored the team to victory; we were not the only team, as I intended at registration. I, on the other hand, had to resort to salvaging the race, as I fell to a pathetic pace worse than I average on half marathons! 'Quitters never win & winners never quit' proved to be true as, by the grace of God, I still managed to reach the podium. My injury prevented me from reaching the top, where I belong, but I will accept any hardware I can earn. Thanx Spence for agreeing to be on the team & representing our racing team, Runner's depot; we lead the series at this moment. As far as me, if I perform as usual or better in the remaining races, this one will be dropped. Florida fleet elilte STOL the show!
Congrats to all who competed!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Dream vs nightmare
Dream vs nightmare, a perfect title for the turn of events as of late. Let's start with a dream, or better dream team as the Miami heat keep our star player Dwayne Wade plus add Chris Bosh and LeBron James. While Elvis may have left the building (earth, now), the king is here! This in turn equals nightmares for Cleveland & Toronto. Another nightmare is that Haiti still suffers from the devastating earthquake of 6 months ago. Continuing on this theme, condolences to a cyclist that was killed by hit and run recently; nightmare. Dick Beardsley in the hall of fame, dream. World cup dream for both in terms of first time appearances but nightmare for Netherlands for losing. Nightmare for Lance Armstrong with 3 crashes that took him out of contention in the tour de france. George Steinbrenner dies, a nightmare for us new yorkers & baseball fans. J Harris ready to play for the U, a dream.
Saturday agenda-run
This weekend is considered a nightmare for me as there were no local races for me. That means that the training continues; remember, I train to race. In dire need of mileage, I decided to do a long run. Whenever I drive to that (usually at the circle), I intend to go over the Rick, which is 7 miles out. I agreed to meet with Jonathan & Leo for the STOL training run which starts too late (7 am) for me but I wanted to give a try while I can (I usually race over the weekend). We started 10-15 minutes later than planned. It was extremely hot & humid already & just got progressively worse, as expected. Obviously, this is my nightmare. Why? I know I will break down & suffer, which in turn means I get left behind. I wanted to see how long I would last before this happens; it was around 31/2 miles out. I put in more mileage than my counterparts, but obviously, at a slower pace. To me, its not always about speed. I got a tough workout & met my objective for the day.
Sunday agenda-ride
Yet another muddy buddy was held but of course, in some other state. With many duathlons upcoming, I decided to focus on the 2 disciplines this weekend, naturally leaving me with cycling. I did my favorite long ride (30 miles), which begins in Perrine, and goes through cutler bay, goulds, naranja, homestead & Florida city, turning around on US 1 near card sound rd & returning to home base. Although it took longer than desired, the task was completed.
Tuesday agenda-race
On rare occasion, a race is available on a weekday, usually due to holiday; no holiday but a night event was scheduled. I had to due the unthinkable in order to participate. First, I'd have to beg for time off or a normal release from work; the latter applies. Then I have to trade this over Niketown training. When I arrived, the master mile was on its way (I missed an event). Actually, I need to thank the lord I was able to make it at all, then see what is left that I could run. I competed in the following: 100 m dash (first time ever), 200 m dash (PR), 400 m dash, 800 meters, & the keno mile (prediction run). I busted my butt (literally) to get 3rd overall in the 100.
Due to my injury, I suffered the worst losses in the 400, keno mile and 200. The dream team continues to attract great players, including the return of Udonis Haslem. No telling where we'll be around thanksgiving.
Saturday agenda-run
This weekend is considered a nightmare for me as there were no local races for me. That means that the training continues; remember, I train to race. In dire need of mileage, I decided to do a long run. Whenever I drive to that (usually at the circle), I intend to go over the Rick, which is 7 miles out. I agreed to meet with Jonathan & Leo for the STOL training run which starts too late (7 am) for me but I wanted to give a try while I can (I usually race over the weekend). We started 10-15 minutes later than planned. It was extremely hot & humid already & just got progressively worse, as expected. Obviously, this is my nightmare. Why? I know I will break down & suffer, which in turn means I get left behind. I wanted to see how long I would last before this happens; it was around 31/2 miles out. I put in more mileage than my counterparts, but obviously, at a slower pace. To me, its not always about speed. I got a tough workout & met my objective for the day.
Sunday agenda-ride
Yet another muddy buddy was held but of course, in some other state. With many duathlons upcoming, I decided to focus on the 2 disciplines this weekend, naturally leaving me with cycling. I did my favorite long ride (30 miles), which begins in Perrine, and goes through cutler bay, goulds, naranja, homestead & Florida city, turning around on US 1 near card sound rd & returning to home base. Although it took longer than desired, the task was completed.
Tuesday agenda-race
On rare occasion, a race is available on a weekday, usually due to holiday; no holiday but a night event was scheduled. I had to due the unthinkable in order to participate. First, I'd have to beg for time off or a normal release from work; the latter applies. Then I have to trade this over Niketown training. When I arrived, the master mile was on its way (I missed an event). Actually, I need to thank the lord I was able to make it at all, then see what is left that I could run. I competed in the following: 100 m dash (first time ever), 200 m dash (PR), 400 m dash, 800 meters, & the keno mile (prediction run). I busted my butt (literally) to get 3rd overall in the 100.
Due to my injury, I suffered the worst losses in the 400, keno mile and 200. The dream team continues to attract great players, including the return of Udonis Haslem. No telling where we'll be around thanksgiving.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Independence day
Happy Independence day! We, the United States of America broke free from England to continue similar madness over here, displacing native Americans in the process; woo hoo! Let's not forget the troops who pay the price for our freedom. Remember, freedom aint free!
Saturday agenda-train
I had the opportunity to race yesterday. All but 1 were far, so at the last minute, I pulled out my inlines and opted roll instead of run. Remembering the error I made prior to the memorial 5k disaster, I intentionally cut my routine in half. I was on my way up for the night race but had second thoughts & returned home due to the inclement weather. Had I pre-registered, I would have gone anyway; that's why I commit to most of my events. I took the weather, distance & generic medal into account for my decision; I forfeited a top 3 spot with that choice. The idea was to maximize my focus on today with full knowledge I would have to perform well to podium.
Sunday agenda-race!
Discounted all races out of my 'local' zone, the following events occurred (from furthest to near):
a. multirace duathlon/triathlon
b. Weston 5k
c. july 4 5k (miami)
d. crimestoppers 5k
I easily eliminated d. because that was in key west. I had plans on a. I could've done it as an individual but didn't need to. I thought about doing it as team, 1st as a tri but couldn't get a swimmer, then as a du but I'd have to compete against a plethora of teams from Ali's bootcamp in addition to Keno's team. c. seems like the viable choice since it is the closest to home & I did this one last year. However, this year, money was being offered to first overall & master winners. Most of my runner's depot teammates & the boss herself, Rene Grant, were showing up at b.; I felt the pressure to be present but was aware I'd be in for a fight. Since 3 overall & master slots were available, the odds were in my favor.
In a nutshell, Clint Eastwood style:
The good: I broke 19 for the first time since my birthday week in April & was able to place.
The bad: my legs tightened up in the last quarter mile & I lost 2nd age position by seconds.
The ugly: forfeited a top master title & $200 by picking a further race!
That's the mystery of racing. I calculated that all the good runners would go down there to collect the money & was partially right. The overall winners were Ronnie Hollassie & Sonia Friend-Uhl. The error is that some of the top runners (even Cobi Morales, from team footworks, came up) and the best masters, including some from Miami came up to Weston to race & all the master slots were seized with times under 18! On top of that, the attendance was the highest of all events, with about 3/4 of a grand! Can't say I avoid the big races & be telling the truth. The post race was extremely disappointing with only oranges, bananas & bagels to eat.
Rene was pleased with the team (& me for showing up) because everyone who ran placed & we swept the rival running wild. Runner's Depot represented well. However, unlike our store, they were open & held a BBQ celebration.
The Miami race was the debut of STOL, and the racing team was impressive. Jonathan won his age group (6th overall) with a 16:50, over a 2 minute improvement (unheard of in running) from his last race while the biggest winner of them all was Leo, who took the master title with my absence with a 19:22 & made out like a bandit since he had a free entry & left $200 richer; congrats to my Miami teammates!
Honorable mention
* Gene places despite lack of training
* John Garrido wins his age group with sub 19
* George wins in the du despite complications (forgot chip & course issues)
* Mike Nunez got 2nd in his age group
* Louis Molina is back! placed in his age group, representing the RD.
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