May day

May day! May day! That's today! It's also what I might say should I struggle. Yesterday was the end of the April showers, now I'm waiting to see the may flowers.

The last event I was involved in was the corporate run in downtown Miami. New for this year was an elite division, in which anyone who can run under 19 minutes qualified to compete for the top 5 money slots. Although I met this requirement, I knew that the money would draw the best of the best, and right now, I'm barely average. Ronnie won like clockwork & he had a great team to boot. The top woman was none other than Sonia, an elite woman who often can beat an entire field of men!

Saturday agenda-5k

The choice was simple: race close or race far. The sunsmart sprint run was held in key Biscayne & I was certain medal were to be given for those who place. Since I will be there tomorrow, I decided to do a far one. The turtle trot 5k was in Jupiter, while the rock the run 5k was in Boca. I chose the latter because it was in the middle of both 5ks, plus it was an inaugural. Not the best course, especially the climb on the ramp in the sprint zone (.1). The organizers made the horrific error of deciding to give out tshirts after the race as all the male shirts were given to anyone who asked. Yep, I didn't get one. It was hot & humid, particularly since the race start was at 8. However, I give them props for using the hi-tech race numbers & the post race celebrations. This is one of the few times I give 5 stars, the highest rating! They had the usual plus a hot, buffet breakfast, including scrambled eggs, hash browns & oatmeal. Orange juice was available to drink, in addition to the usual hydration. Massage was available but I didn't wait this time. The awards were terrible. For those who placed, we got microscopic, generic medals; I had to write in as much basic details as I could within a very confined area. Although there weren't live local bands every half mile as advertised, they did have a good number (at least 1 per mile). My time was dismal but my age group position was the best I was gonna get, even if I had a pr. Unfortunately, I got beat by the top 3 women but I still made the dirty dozen. Not counting the ladies, I made the top ten among the men. An awesome turnout for a first time race, drawing over half a grand! Meanwhile, the other race barely drew 200, once again proving I don't avoid the 'big' races.

Sunday agenda-race

I found 1 very far (new jersey marathon), 1 in broward (sallarrulos race for champions 5k), 1 far (tropicool 5k in naples area) & 1 very close (tri Miami). #1, I've done enough distance racing this year plus since its in a different state, cost prohibitive. I passed on the west coast of Florida to mitigate damages (financial). I would've chosen the 5k in Broward, especially since hardware was guaranteed (finishers medals to all) but since I am in a series, I picked the latter. Besides, this would be my first official Olympic duathon. No big deal for me since I have done double duty on many an Olympic triathlon, but without the lead run, 1 leg was missing. Yes, I was excited, so much so that I made some critical errors. #1, I forgot my race helmet, but fortunately, I had a much less aerodynamic back up. #2, I did not set my meter so I was not able to see my speed. That, coupled with high wind, severely hampered my performance, but God is good. I still managed to capture 3rd overall masters & be in the top ten! My run suffered from the aforementioned, coupled with the heat & humidity; since I placed, no harm, no foul. While I was suffering, I kept reminding myself that hardware is guaranteed as long as I finish. Of course, because I am a competitor, I always want more but sometimes that incentive is enough to get through tough situations.

Honorable mention

* Mayweather (don't know if spelled right) wins fight
* George wins age group both days
* go West du relay team wins
* Sam completes his 1st Olympic du