Today is the final day of the month & the close of black history month. We've been noticeably ripped off as usual as we were given the shortest month of the year to commemorate all the progress of our race.
I had not planned to do Gasparilla again after that last time I went with my dad to do the PT cruiser challenge because I had done everything I could do at Gasparilla in Tampa except the marathon relay. For that reason and the fact that it was announced that this year will be the final marathon held by the organization 'compelled' me to go once again.
I passed on a plethora of events to be a part of history. I missed my favorite carnival Miami 8k, but since the walk was for fun, I would have been a mere spectator. The most popular on sat was 5k for a better day, where this year, I may have met my match (fast master field), diploma dash, guardians of hope 5k. Sunday was run-walk n roll, sun runners 10k & barefoot on the beach; I would have done the latter because of Kelly.
Saturday agenda-15k/5k
Due to the lure of the out-augural marathon, much like the Goofy challenge, I wanted to go out with a bang. I did the first two PT cruiser challenges, which features a 15k followed by 5k on Sat, then the next day, the marathon.; this was later renamed the Bud ultra. Jon W did & won the smaller version, which concludes with a half. I had to run carefully so as not to burn out for the relay the next day. I ran the 15k at a quick, but comfortable pace. The 5k, however, was just comfortable & had to be done while it was drizzling. Also, I got to it late, as I was on the outside looking in when the gun went off. Fortunately, the Lord allowed me to complete them both fast enough to earn the distinction of top 10 %. Special, colorful mug were given to those who qualified. It was cold, & even with that drizzled, it was still better than Disney.
Sunday agenda-marathon
This would be my first relay at Gasparilla & the last time it will be held. It was a 4 person relay, 7 miles each except for the anchor (5.2). In order to complete the challenge, I had to be the start leg. I had to run a 7 minute (or better) pace to be an asset to the team. This was more of a challenge than the ultra. By the grace of God, I was on pace for my leg & redeemed myself for the dismal performance at Disney with a sub 4 hour marathon finish. After I handed off to my teammate, I immediately reduced my pace to insure a finish. Now history is set, as I competed in the last marathon, both as an individual & a relay, plus the final ultra challenge. Weather was drier but much colder. All events offered finisher's medals. Post race was good on Sat but poor on Sunday. Our team made the top 5 overall out of over 140 teams! I was the elder as the rest of the team were young teenagers!
Like a marine, I exercised their motto because my request for Friday off was denied. Therefore, I had to drive directly from work to the site. Since I arrived around 1:00, I mimicked A1A by sleeping in my car. It's not cost effective to pay full price for 2-3 hours of sleep. I had to improvise by figuring out how to get there & rest, aware I would have inadequate sleep & under poor conditions (no bed), adapt to those conditions & overcome these challenges. I made a few stops along the way to break the monotony. Once I did those events, I was able to secure lodging. I am elated that I completed all events without injury. I'm off to run some more!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Feh Brair Oh!
Feh Brair Oh (Febrero), Spanish for February. Ya, we're already in the 3rd week.
Saturday morning agenda-5k
Still elated that I'm in the middle of running season. There was at least 1 race each in the tri county area. Furthest was for the love of children 5k, timed by my favorite timing company, Accuchip. Since I already had plans to travel, this one was easily eliminated. In Broward, ESM put on their 5k but it was so poorly advertised, I didn't realize it was happening until the last minute, so I missed it anyway. However, George won his age group over there. I used the proximity rule & raced in Miami. I was upstaged by Walthon for the master title so I had to settle for best of my age group. I was running conservatively because I did not want to be worn down for the night race, in which my performance may be critical for the team I set up. I was on pace for a 20, but was forced to pick up the pace in the final mile when 2 master runners caught up & threatened to pass me. I passed my friend Gene when this occurred & broke 20. Plaques to top 3 & overall master. The rest of us got the generic type medal with a sticker center. Post race was pathetic. Worse, the course was longer when they moved the starting line. The only positive was that it was cheaper than most at less than $15. I am not likely to repeat this one based on this year.
Saturday evening agenda-5k
The famous Edison festival of lights was set for this night. I was a member of the open championship team last year, representing runners depot. We had 4 members, making me the wild card & we won with Mike Korir as the top performer; Jon W was on board. This year, I formed a master championship but Jon declined to be on it. He stated he was looking for another team with better (meaning much faster) runners; his loss. Meanwhile, I chose Mike Kelly, an up & coming runner who has, to my dismay, beaten me a few times, making him both a rival & friend. Originally slated as a wild card, like I was last year, George McCuen's time would now count as I had only the bare minimum to form a team. Many questioned my judgement when I chose to use him because of his age, but as team captain, I base my decisions on various factors but age is not one of them. Only a handful realize that he is nationally ranked in the top 3 & he steadily wins his age group on a regular basis. My major concern was which Bell would show up, considering recent struggles I have endured. By the grace of God, I got my best time in over 6 months & the personal record of the year. This result made me the top performer. Right after me was Mike Kelly, elated because he broke 19 for the first time ever! George was pleased to better his time from his morning race. I am proud of my teammates & elated that they all got trophies for their individual efforts which led to our surprise victory. We are the 2010 top male master championship team! The runner up was about 2 minutes behind. Congrats to all. Mike came with his 2 daughters & I bestowed on them honorary team medals as a token for the beginning of their athletic endevours. As team captain, I accepted the one team trophy & will put it on display at Runners depot. This was Mike's 1st team victory ever ,but the 2nd this year for George & I. It was the first time my teammates ever raced in ft. myers. The post race was 5 star with pizza, beer, & the usual stuff. They had raffles as well. Prior to the race, a spectacular fireworks display occurred. Immediately after the race, the parade began. Jon W was 2nd in our age group & I followed. Mike got 3rd while George won his category.
Sunday agenda-race
If I wanted to win an award, I would have done the SoBe fit 5k but I am still in the endurance portion of the running season so I opted for distance by doing the 5th annual A1A. I already prepared myself for a poor race because I was aware I would be diminished from having done 2 events prior, plus inadequate sleep conditions. I got back so late & was so far from home that I opted to sleep a couple of hours in my car. Praise the Lord, I was able to finish with a decent time despite dismal conditions (this time not the weather, as that was good). 4-5 stars regarding post race. Medal was unique; it opened up like a clam to reveal the race designs. Anton, of runners depot, won the half easily. Spencer did well (marathon) & got a pr. Louis took his age group. John G ran his best race. This was my fourth half of the year, 5th distance race.
Saturday morning agenda-5k
Still elated that I'm in the middle of running season. There was at least 1 race each in the tri county area. Furthest was for the love of children 5k, timed by my favorite timing company, Accuchip. Since I already had plans to travel, this one was easily eliminated. In Broward, ESM put on their 5k but it was so poorly advertised, I didn't realize it was happening until the last minute, so I missed it anyway. However, George won his age group over there. I used the proximity rule & raced in Miami. I was upstaged by Walthon for the master title so I had to settle for best of my age group. I was running conservatively because I did not want to be worn down for the night race, in which my performance may be critical for the team I set up. I was on pace for a 20, but was forced to pick up the pace in the final mile when 2 master runners caught up & threatened to pass me. I passed my friend Gene when this occurred & broke 20. Plaques to top 3 & overall master. The rest of us got the generic type medal with a sticker center. Post race was pathetic. Worse, the course was longer when they moved the starting line. The only positive was that it was cheaper than most at less than $15. I am not likely to repeat this one based on this year.
Saturday evening agenda-5k
The famous Edison festival of lights was set for this night. I was a member of the open championship team last year, representing runners depot. We had 4 members, making me the wild card & we won with Mike Korir as the top performer; Jon W was on board. This year, I formed a master championship but Jon declined to be on it. He stated he was looking for another team with better (meaning much faster) runners; his loss. Meanwhile, I chose Mike Kelly, an up & coming runner who has, to my dismay, beaten me a few times, making him both a rival & friend. Originally slated as a wild card, like I was last year, George McCuen's time would now count as I had only the bare minimum to form a team. Many questioned my judgement when I chose to use him because of his age, but as team captain, I base my decisions on various factors but age is not one of them. Only a handful realize that he is nationally ranked in the top 3 & he steadily wins his age group on a regular basis. My major concern was which Bell would show up, considering recent struggles I have endured. By the grace of God, I got my best time in over 6 months & the personal record of the year. This result made me the top performer. Right after me was Mike Kelly, elated because he broke 19 for the first time ever! George was pleased to better his time from his morning race. I am proud of my teammates & elated that they all got trophies for their individual efforts which led to our surprise victory. We are the 2010 top male master championship team! The runner up was about 2 minutes behind. Congrats to all. Mike came with his 2 daughters & I bestowed on them honorary team medals as a token for the beginning of their athletic endevours. As team captain, I accepted the one team trophy & will put it on display at Runners depot. This was Mike's 1st team victory ever ,but the 2nd this year for George & I. It was the first time my teammates ever raced in ft. myers. The post race was 5 star with pizza, beer, & the usual stuff. They had raffles as well. Prior to the race, a spectacular fireworks display occurred. Immediately after the race, the parade began. Jon W was 2nd in our age group & I followed. Mike got 3rd while George won his category.
Sunday agenda-race
If I wanted to win an award, I would have done the SoBe fit 5k but I am still in the endurance portion of the running season so I opted for distance by doing the 5th annual A1A. I already prepared myself for a poor race because I was aware I would be diminished from having done 2 events prior, plus inadequate sleep conditions. I got back so late & was so far from home that I opted to sleep a couple of hours in my car. Praise the Lord, I was able to finish with a decent time despite dismal conditions (this time not the weather, as that was good). 4-5 stars regarding post race. Medal was unique; it opened up like a clam to reveal the race designs. Anton, of runners depot, won the half easily. Spencer did well (marathon) & got a pr. Louis took his age group. John G ran his best race. This was my fourth half of the year, 5th distance race.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Olympic proportions
This is a weekend of Olympic proportions. Today in Lincolns birthday while tonight, the opening ceremony officially begins the winter Olympics in 2010. Tomorrow sets between that & 2 holidays and marks the new moon. Sunday is valentines day & Monday is presidents day, the observed day for both Lincoln & Washington. They didn't want Abraham to have his own day so they combined those 2 presidents together & dubbed it as their day. Much like Obama, Lincoln took over during troubled times. I felt George was lucky to be the first president and other than that, he didn't really do much to make a difference. Well, my dad set me straight on that, as he reminded me that if he hadn't been instrumental in many battles, USA wouldn't exist. For that reason, he was a perfect candidate for president; the inaugural.
Saturday agenda-race!
There was a race in each county I normally race. In my county, the festival of the poor 5k. In palm beach county, loop around the 6k. Lastly, in Broward, woman's wellness 5k. The former qualified as an inaugural, as I have done the latter two, but I had my mind set in advance, so I passed on that. The 6k I did before but if I would have done it again, it would have been as a couple with someone. Due to the distance, passed on that as well. I have good memories of the wellness race, so I selected that. Jon W won as usual, but due to my poor performance, I not only failed to break 19 but I allowed 2 people I normally beat defeat me for the top slots. Fortunately, I didn't fall too far from honor as the Lord allowed me to capture the master title. Just prior to the race, I convinced George (won his age group) to join me in team competition & we won the 'odd couple' title. The announcer basically said that we fit that description to a tee. This day marked my first team victory of the year & first master title of the month. Disappointing was that all those who placed, including overall, only got medals.
Sunday agenda-race again
Thank God for the running season as there were many to choose from again. I did the inaugural melbourne music half marathon last year, so no reason to travel so far this year. Besides, I was committed to the run through central park 5k because it is one of two events put on by my 'boss'-runners' depot. I had to miss the valentines 5k in Miami, which had couples divisions, the MESO wishing well 5k in which I told the fellow New Yorker race director I would do if there were no conflicts (George placed over there, along with Mike K) and the tour de Broward, which also featured a cycling events, as well as a 5k. I had to fight hard to get past Jeff P, but we both lost the master title to Walthon; I had to settle for top in my age division. However, despite that, I was pleased because I got under 19 and made the top ten. This one had a great post race, & even better, the awards were trophies. The representation of Runner's Depot was phenomenal. Spencer won the race, Louis M. places in age group, along with other teammates, such as the injured Allan N.
Saturday agenda-race!
There was a race in each county I normally race. In my county, the festival of the poor 5k. In palm beach county, loop around the 6k. Lastly, in Broward, woman's wellness 5k. The former qualified as an inaugural, as I have done the latter two, but I had my mind set in advance, so I passed on that. The 6k I did before but if I would have done it again, it would have been as a couple with someone. Due to the distance, passed on that as well. I have good memories of the wellness race, so I selected that. Jon W won as usual, but due to my poor performance, I not only failed to break 19 but I allowed 2 people I normally beat defeat me for the top slots. Fortunately, I didn't fall too far from honor as the Lord allowed me to capture the master title. Just prior to the race, I convinced George (won his age group) to join me in team competition & we won the 'odd couple' title. The announcer basically said that we fit that description to a tee. This day marked my first team victory of the year & first master title of the month. Disappointing was that all those who placed, including overall, only got medals.
Sunday agenda-race again
Thank God for the running season as there were many to choose from again. I did the inaugural melbourne music half marathon last year, so no reason to travel so far this year. Besides, I was committed to the run through central park 5k because it is one of two events put on by my 'boss'-runners' depot. I had to miss the valentines 5k in Miami, which had couples divisions, the MESO wishing well 5k in which I told the fellow New Yorker race director I would do if there were no conflicts (George placed over there, along with Mike K) and the tour de Broward, which also featured a cycling events, as well as a 5k. I had to fight hard to get past Jeff P, but we both lost the master title to Walthon; I had to settle for top in my age division. However, despite that, I was pleased because I got under 19 and made the top ten. This one had a great post race, & even better, the awards were trophies. The representation of Runner's Depot was phenomenal. Spencer won the race, Louis M. places in age group, along with other teammates, such as the injured Allan N.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Super bowl XLIV
Super bowl XLIV also coincides with my age, since the match up between the best of the AFC vs the NFC began in the same year I was born. Today was national wear red day in regards to heart disease/awareness, which hits close to home. February is also black history month & began this Monday. Tuesday, the 2nd, also marked my 2 year anniversary as a member on the runner's depot racing team. The weekend will be super!
Saturday morning agenda-5k
There were a plethora of events in the morn. Guess which one I chose? a. Melbourne 5k (& 10) b. delray beach 5k c. race for faith 5k d. maroone 5k e. walk for wishes 5k Last year, I did the inaugural melbourne music half marathon. The full was a double loop; ya'll know I hate that. I was not very impressed but admit the bridges were a challenge. This year, they held smaller distance races that can serve as a tune up for the main event. I opted against it due to distance. b. Although less distant, it would still be quite a drive considering I live south of Kendall; I passed on it. c. Also in Palm beach county, this posed the same challenge in regards to getting to it. My best choices left were both in Broward. Using the been there, done that rule, I skipped d for e. Due to ING half, I was still tight & had to compete against a fresh master, Walthon. Needless to say, I lost the battle against him and had to settle for runner up. Despite failing to break 19, my overall position was the best of the year & did not come easy. I had to outlast Humberto to earn this distinction. This was a master's race as the top 3 overall were all over 40! Yep, we aint dead yet so watch out, kids! All participants who placed got medals so you know I was disappointed.
Saturday evening agenda-5k
This was a fun run put together by the boca raton road runners in front of their headquarters, runners edge. I found just days before and scrambled to put together a team. When we got there to register, we found out that this was not a traditional 5k. Teammates had to be tied together by the wrists in order to vy for an award (gift certificates). Naturally, the BRR club had loaded every category with top caliber runners on their racing team so that #1 no outsiders would win & #2 have an awesome showing for the team. In light of this, the prospective teammate decided to run as individual, leaving me with no choice but to follow suit. The run was more challenging than expected due to the heavy winds. Also, it got cold fast. The post race was the best of the weekend. In fact, I rate it 5 star, as it had hot meals (burgers), plenty of food & snacks, plus sufficient drinks to quench the thirst. I got in a good training run & had fun at the same time.
Sunday agenda-5k
Well, since I passed on repeating the melbourne music half marathon, I had a choice between a race in Dade county (tribute to the military) or Broward (butterfly 5k). I chose the latter because #1 the categories are limited, decreasing my chances at a victory, #2 the best I could get would be a medal, #3 Although a 5k was available, only 10k participants would be eligible for an award. Considering I have already competed a marathon & 3 halves, I opted for a shorter distance. Although I failed to win my category by mere seconds, I was elated that it was under 19. The results gave me optimism that my recovery from injury is coming to pass. I finally got the monkey off my back by breaking 19 & finishing in the top ten.
Saturday morning agenda-5k
There were a plethora of events in the morn. Guess which one I chose? a. Melbourne 5k (& 10) b. delray beach 5k c. race for faith 5k d. maroone 5k e. walk for wishes 5k Last year, I did the inaugural melbourne music half marathon. The full was a double loop; ya'll know I hate that. I was not very impressed but admit the bridges were a challenge. This year, they held smaller distance races that can serve as a tune up for the main event. I opted against it due to distance. b. Although less distant, it would still be quite a drive considering I live south of Kendall; I passed on it. c. Also in Palm beach county, this posed the same challenge in regards to getting to it. My best choices left were both in Broward. Using the been there, done that rule, I skipped d for e. Due to ING half, I was still tight & had to compete against a fresh master, Walthon. Needless to say, I lost the battle against him and had to settle for runner up. Despite failing to break 19, my overall position was the best of the year & did not come easy. I had to outlast Humberto to earn this distinction. This was a master's race as the top 3 overall were all over 40! Yep, we aint dead yet so watch out, kids! All participants who placed got medals so you know I was disappointed.
Saturday evening agenda-5k
This was a fun run put together by the boca raton road runners in front of their headquarters, runners edge. I found just days before and scrambled to put together a team. When we got there to register, we found out that this was not a traditional 5k. Teammates had to be tied together by the wrists in order to vy for an award (gift certificates). Naturally, the BRR club had loaded every category with top caliber runners on their racing team so that #1 no outsiders would win & #2 have an awesome showing for the team. In light of this, the prospective teammate decided to run as individual, leaving me with no choice but to follow suit. The run was more challenging than expected due to the heavy winds. Also, it got cold fast. The post race was the best of the weekend. In fact, I rate it 5 star, as it had hot meals (burgers), plenty of food & snacks, plus sufficient drinks to quench the thirst. I got in a good training run & had fun at the same time.
Sunday agenda-5k
Well, since I passed on repeating the melbourne music half marathon, I had a choice between a race in Dade county (tribute to the military) or Broward (butterfly 5k). I chose the latter because #1 the categories are limited, decreasing my chances at a victory, #2 the best I could get would be a medal, #3 Although a 5k was available, only 10k participants would be eligible for an award. Considering I have already competed a marathon & 3 halves, I opted for a shorter distance. Although I failed to win my category by mere seconds, I was elated that it was under 19. The results gave me optimism that my recovery from injury is coming to pass. I finally got the monkey off my back by breaking 19 & finishing in the top ten.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
ING Miami
ING Miami marathon weekend. Yes, this time I remained at 'home' down here in Miami to compete, instead of travelling, to fulful my desire & destiny of being an athlete for life.
Saturday agenda-5k
I stuck to my tradition of using the tropical 5k as a tune-up for the main event the following day. That means I had to pass on other races. If I were back in form, I could've won the William boynton 5k, since the overall winner didnt even break 19 (Jeff P)! My buddy (& rival) Mike K got 2nd overall. The top master 's time was a minute slower than my training run today (I was a pacer for fellow runner Gene) which yielded a 3rd in my age group (83) & I was 22nd overall. In fact, I could've walked this one as a runner and still get the same position in that race! The Omega XL 5k was more serious. The winner of this race was faster than the one I was involved with; both were in the 16's. My race topped all with attendance (1400 finishers) but that race had about 250 vs only around 60 in the aforementioned event. George chose the wrong event but still won his age group. My time today would've been 2nd in my age group there. The other race was on the west coast, named run for the paws, which I wouldve skipped due to the distance. Afterwards, I went to the expo to pick up my packet & met up with lots of fellow athletes, most of whom were planning on running tomorrow. Big treat was meeting Ryan Hall, the American Olympian & getting an autograph, in a addition to an interview at the 5k post race with coach GP; I later sat in on a lecture by him at the expo.
Sunday agenda-the main event
I dub it as such because #1, the marathon and half are the feature events and #2, we're talking about distance, which requires endurance. I am on par to get the ten year jacket so the other 2 distance races (Ocala marathon & Key west half) have to wait. It started off rainy & remained cloudy throughout. Although not hot, it was very humid. This is my 3rd half of the year (& month), and coupled with the fact that this course is not exactly flat & forgiving, I didn't expect a great race. However, I did not account for a wardrobe malfunction. No, not my clothes, but rather my running shoes. I set a personal goal of 1:34 (1 minute better than the best this year) & was on pace to do so until after 7-8 miles in, when on the grating of a bridge in Miami beach, a portion of the mid foot tread started flapping, much like a flat. I was forced to slow down various times as eventually 2 pieces tore off of my left sneaker. Once completely gone after 11 miles, the friction built up heat & my foot felt like it was on fire by the conclusion of run. Someone I knew was looking to take advantage of my misfortune in the sprint zone (.1). God willing, in that area, I WILL NOT BE DENIED! I sprinted with all I had left & edged him out. While he beat me by virtue of chip time, I was d***ed sure not gonna let him actually pass me & win by the clock time as well, if I could help it. I immediately went to medical to cool down that foot. I wound up 6 minutes off the goal; the greatest injury was to my ego. Fortunately, I escaped without any serious physical harm. The post race refreshments were average at best. For repeat finishers, there was nothing to write home about in regards to the finishers medal. No official mylar blankets were given out. I had to literally jump the fence to get a generic one to keep warm after some idiot officials hassled me about going back in to get what I needed.
Congrats to all my runners depot teammates who finished. Allan, we missed ya; get well soon!
Saturday agenda-5k
I stuck to my tradition of using the tropical 5k as a tune-up for the main event the following day. That means I had to pass on other races. If I were back in form, I could've won the William boynton 5k, since the overall winner didnt even break 19 (Jeff P)! My buddy (& rival) Mike K got 2nd overall. The top master 's time was a minute slower than my training run today (I was a pacer for fellow runner Gene) which yielded a 3rd in my age group (83) & I was 22nd overall. In fact, I could've walked this one as a runner and still get the same position in that race! The Omega XL 5k was more serious. The winner of this race was faster than the one I was involved with; both were in the 16's. My race topped all with attendance (1400 finishers) but that race had about 250 vs only around 60 in the aforementioned event. George chose the wrong event but still won his age group. My time today would've been 2nd in my age group there. The other race was on the west coast, named run for the paws, which I wouldve skipped due to the distance. Afterwards, I went to the expo to pick up my packet & met up with lots of fellow athletes, most of whom were planning on running tomorrow. Big treat was meeting Ryan Hall, the American Olympian & getting an autograph, in a addition to an interview at the 5k post race with coach GP; I later sat in on a lecture by him at the expo.
Sunday agenda-the main event
I dub it as such because #1, the marathon and half are the feature events and #2, we're talking about distance, which requires endurance. I am on par to get the ten year jacket so the other 2 distance races (Ocala marathon & Key west half) have to wait. It started off rainy & remained cloudy throughout. Although not hot, it was very humid. This is my 3rd half of the year (& month), and coupled with the fact that this course is not exactly flat & forgiving, I didn't expect a great race. However, I did not account for a wardrobe malfunction. No, not my clothes, but rather my running shoes. I set a personal goal of 1:34 (1 minute better than the best this year) & was on pace to do so until after 7-8 miles in, when on the grating of a bridge in Miami beach, a portion of the mid foot tread started flapping, much like a flat. I was forced to slow down various times as eventually 2 pieces tore off of my left sneaker. Once completely gone after 11 miles, the friction built up heat & my foot felt like it was on fire by the conclusion of run. Someone I knew was looking to take advantage of my misfortune in the sprint zone (.1). God willing, in that area, I WILL NOT BE DENIED! I sprinted with all I had left & edged him out. While he beat me by virtue of chip time, I was d***ed sure not gonna let him actually pass me & win by the clock time as well, if I could help it. I immediately went to medical to cool down that foot. I wound up 6 minutes off the goal; the greatest injury was to my ego. Fortunately, I escaped without any serious physical harm. The post race refreshments were average at best. For repeat finishers, there was nothing to write home about in regards to the finishers medal. No official mylar blankets were given out. I had to literally jump the fence to get a generic one to keep warm after some idiot officials hassled me about going back in to get what I needed.
Congrats to all my runners depot teammates who finished. Allan, we missed ya; get well soon!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
E nare oh
E nare oh, the approximate pronunciation for Enero, Spanish for January. My struggles continue but I will never quit!
Saturday agenda-5k
I chose a traditional 5k on the east coast rather than one on the west or the stair climb. This was my first time doing the Boca Christian 5k, but it was not an inaugural. The weather was comfortable & the sky overcast. Unfortunately, my internal conditions weren't up to par. I was still tight (too many distance races & long hours at work this week) & felt sluggish. The finishing time reflected this. This was a low quantity, high quality event, meaning the competition was fierce despite an average to low turnout. Some of the best masters showed up, including the likes of Harrie Olsthoorn, Jon Williams, Jeff Powers, Ralph Guijarro, all vying for a master title that didnot exist. That bumped me to second in my age group. Fortunately, my pathetic performance did not affect my age group position & was just enough to beat the overall female. The award was disappointing- a drinking glass with race info but only says age group winner. However, they made up by giving out a publix dolphin bag, long sleeve tshirt & 5 star healthy post race breakfast. I was disappointed that I couldnt eat any sweet snacks (no cookies or muffins) but was impressed with the hot meal, which included scrambled eggs, potatoes & sausage.
Sunday agenda-5k
With a sour taste in mouth from the previous day & aware that there is a master title in this race, i vowed to do best to capture it. Although I felt better, my performance was affected by poor training, in part due to adjustment to my heavy running schedule. Weather was comfortable & overcast like yesterday but slight drizzle before start. Today was the debut of Jeffrey Tait this year but unfortunately, he was not a registered runner. He remembered that I was the overall winner of the inaugural I care, I cure, I run 5k. This year, there was also a 10k. Normally, most go for that but not on this day. The 5k drew over 1500 preregistered! Both the 10k & 5k started at the same time but at different locations. Unfortunately, us 5kers got caught up with the back end of the 10k (mostly walkers & bouncers), whose slow pace served as speed bumps to us speedsters. Luckily, through many a triathlon relay, I have learned how to bob and weave with minimal reduction of pace. After 3 miles, I saw someone in front who could possibly be a master. I had to dig in deep to sprint uphill past him to the finish. Praise the Lord, that despite my struggles to break 19 (I still failed to do that), my competitive desire has not wained & proved to be the difference to win the master title; he & one other were just mere seconds from such victory. Despite not having a hot meal, I will rate the post race refreshments as 5 star because of the enormous spread. I had a lot of good stuff, various drinks, in addition to water, fruits, nutrition bars & my favorite, sweets! They encourage everyone to take as much as the want, so many of us went 'grocery shopping'. They had a raffle & plenty of activities for kids-wall climb, bounce house/slide, some rope bounce thing & a popcorn/puffed candy stand; a true family festival. Even though I got ripped off of the gift card promised to the winners, I did have a good time. Disappointing was that medals were given, even to overall & master.
Honorable mention
* George placed in both events, won age on sun.
* Jon placed in both events, won the 5k sun.
* Runner's depot takes 2 & 3 overall in 10k.
* Louis won age & gave me a run for my money.
* Rachelle won the 10k female overall
* Kirsh family placed in both events, Chuck 5k, wife the other.
Saturday agenda-5k
I chose a traditional 5k on the east coast rather than one on the west or the stair climb. This was my first time doing the Boca Christian 5k, but it was not an inaugural. The weather was comfortable & the sky overcast. Unfortunately, my internal conditions weren't up to par. I was still tight (too many distance races & long hours at work this week) & felt sluggish. The finishing time reflected this. This was a low quantity, high quality event, meaning the competition was fierce despite an average to low turnout. Some of the best masters showed up, including the likes of Harrie Olsthoorn, Jon Williams, Jeff Powers, Ralph Guijarro, all vying for a master title that didnot exist. That bumped me to second in my age group. Fortunately, my pathetic performance did not affect my age group position & was just enough to beat the overall female. The award was disappointing- a drinking glass with race info but only says age group winner. However, they made up by giving out a publix dolphin bag, long sleeve tshirt & 5 star healthy post race breakfast. I was disappointed that I couldnt eat any sweet snacks (no cookies or muffins) but was impressed with the hot meal, which included scrambled eggs, potatoes & sausage.
Sunday agenda-5k
With a sour taste in mouth from the previous day & aware that there is a master title in this race, i vowed to do best to capture it. Although I felt better, my performance was affected by poor training, in part due to adjustment to my heavy running schedule. Weather was comfortable & overcast like yesterday but slight drizzle before start. Today was the debut of Jeffrey Tait this year but unfortunately, he was not a registered runner. He remembered that I was the overall winner of the inaugural I care, I cure, I run 5k. This year, there was also a 10k. Normally, most go for that but not on this day. The 5k drew over 1500 preregistered! Both the 10k & 5k started at the same time but at different locations. Unfortunately, us 5kers got caught up with the back end of the 10k (mostly walkers & bouncers), whose slow pace served as speed bumps to us speedsters. Luckily, through many a triathlon relay, I have learned how to bob and weave with minimal reduction of pace. After 3 miles, I saw someone in front who could possibly be a master. I had to dig in deep to sprint uphill past him to the finish. Praise the Lord, that despite my struggles to break 19 (I still failed to do that), my competitive desire has not wained & proved to be the difference to win the master title; he & one other were just mere seconds from such victory. Despite not having a hot meal, I will rate the post race refreshments as 5 star because of the enormous spread. I had a lot of good stuff, various drinks, in addition to water, fruits, nutrition bars & my favorite, sweets! They encourage everyone to take as much as the want, so many of us went 'grocery shopping'. They had a raffle & plenty of activities for kids-wall climb, bounce house/slide, some rope bounce thing & a popcorn/puffed candy stand; a true family festival. Even though I got ripped off of the gift card promised to the winners, I did have a good time. Disappointing was that medals were given, even to overall & master.
Honorable mention
* George placed in both events, won age on sun.
* Jon placed in both events, won the 5k sun.
* Runner's depot takes 2 & 3 overall in 10k.
* Louis won age & gave me a run for my money.
* Rachelle won the 10k female overall
* Kirsh family placed in both events, Chuck 5k, wife the other.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
MLK weekend
Thanks to Dr Martin Luther King's dream, many opportunities became reality. Like Dr Martin Luther King, president Obama is working diligently toward change. I want to reiterate what I said last year: The doc did so to defend & protect the rights of ALL people, rather than just the white male racist ones. He not only fought for 'our' people, African-Americans as a whole, but for all females, regardless of color & non-white men, such as Asians & Hispanics, as well. It's amazing how the country was founded saying that 'all men are created equal' but yet not treated equally.Although 'we' were free from actual slavery, we were still enslaved by a racist system. We were being punished just because of the color of our skin & our presence here in the U.S., even though in the past, we were forced to be here. Dr King, through methods similar to my primary hero, Jesus Christ, induced change to bring us closer to normalcy. Although I believe we will never attain a perfect society, it is possible to get a high percentage. Because of his efforts, Obama was able to achieve the impossible-a black man employed at the highest position in the nation-president. Last year, on the tonight show with Jay Leno, his favorite guest, Wanda Sykes said that George W Bush was the best thing that ever happened. Like Jay, I wondered why she said that. She followed up by essentially saying that if he hadn't screwed up so bad, no black man would have been considered. Now president Obama has a tall order. He has to try to dig us out of a deep & dirty ditch. I pray he can do this. We need to change from our dismal state to one of prosperity. We as a nation have already begun to heal the damage to our reputation worldwide. We need more focus on our domestic woes & less on others; godspeed.
Speaking of dreams, this was a dream weekend for an athlete like me, beginning with a double header tune-up. I was in 3 different counties for at least a half hour!
Saturday agenda 1-5k
In Miramar, there was both a 10k & a 5k. In light of what I have done & yet to do, I chose the latter. Despite cool weather, I had a dismal time. In spite of that, I still won the master title, but unlike last year, my tune up racing was not complete.
Saturday agenda 2-5k
I had to commute from the west side of south broward to the east side of Boca within an hour & still pick up my packet at the next event. This is usually the challenge, not the events themselves, except this time. The coach Roudy 5k turned out to be more like 5 miles, as whomever measured it did a horrible job. On top of that, the course was not marked, therefore Mike & I went off course, adding more distance, that last thing I wanted to do. The longer distance is more advantageous for him, particularly since he was fresh, in addition to that it's his specialty. We both lost positions but by the grace of God, we regained all but 1 slot. This caused me to fall to 3rd overall & he took the master title with 4th. To add insult to injury, the staff left all the medals unattended, so some kids looking for a finishers medal, swiped both of our awards and now we have to wait for them to be mailed. There were no mile markers or clocks, a water station with an inept girl talking on the cell rather than distributing the fluids.
Sunday agenda-Naples half
In keeping with my tradition, I went over to Naples. This was the main event for running this weekend. I forfeited my chance to place in lieu of an endurance event. Overnight, it rained like cats & dogs. In the morning, the ground was wet & the sky was cloudy. However, the external conditions were great, as it remained cool (not cold) throughout the run. I was able to meet my average standard but failed to meet or beat the best time I set for this course.
Monday agenda-MLK 5k
Also a tradition, this event falls on the observed holiday. Due to the strength of my schedule, I chose to racewalk. By the grace of God, I recovered well enough to win the event once again, despite a dismal time. It was great to see many of many Niketown running mates, both the old school (Fred (2 ag), Berta, Ronnie (winner), Leo(3 ag), John D(2 ag), Courtney(1 ag)) and the new (Jonathan(2nd oa), the Rubio family(Humberto=1 ag & wife wins overall female racewalk)); we outnumbered them! Runners depot teammates Jon W & Louis M takes their age divisions.
Honorable mention
* George wins age group in 2 races
* Mike K wins in my age group
* Silvia completes #27 & wins age group
* Runner's depot (representation in all events I went to).
Speaking of dreams, this was a dream weekend for an athlete like me, beginning with a double header tune-up. I was in 3 different counties for at least a half hour!
Saturday agenda 1-5k
In Miramar, there was both a 10k & a 5k. In light of what I have done & yet to do, I chose the latter. Despite cool weather, I had a dismal time. In spite of that, I still won the master title, but unlike last year, my tune up racing was not complete.
Saturday agenda 2-5k
I had to commute from the west side of south broward to the east side of Boca within an hour & still pick up my packet at the next event. This is usually the challenge, not the events themselves, except this time. The coach Roudy 5k turned out to be more like 5 miles, as whomever measured it did a horrible job. On top of that, the course was not marked, therefore Mike & I went off course, adding more distance, that last thing I wanted to do. The longer distance is more advantageous for him, particularly since he was fresh, in addition to that it's his specialty. We both lost positions but by the grace of God, we regained all but 1 slot. This caused me to fall to 3rd overall & he took the master title with 4th. To add insult to injury, the staff left all the medals unattended, so some kids looking for a finishers medal, swiped both of our awards and now we have to wait for them to be mailed. There were no mile markers or clocks, a water station with an inept girl talking on the cell rather than distributing the fluids.
Sunday agenda-Naples half
In keeping with my tradition, I went over to Naples. This was the main event for running this weekend. I forfeited my chance to place in lieu of an endurance event. Overnight, it rained like cats & dogs. In the morning, the ground was wet & the sky was cloudy. However, the external conditions were great, as it remained cool (not cold) throughout the run. I was able to meet my average standard but failed to meet or beat the best time I set for this course.
Monday agenda-MLK 5k
Also a tradition, this event falls on the observed holiday. Due to the strength of my schedule, I chose to racewalk. By the grace of God, I recovered well enough to win the event once again, despite a dismal time. It was great to see many of many Niketown running mates, both the old school (Fred (2 ag), Berta, Ronnie (winner), Leo(3 ag), John D(2 ag), Courtney(1 ag)) and the new (Jonathan(2nd oa), the Rubio family(Humberto=1 ag & wife wins overall female racewalk)); we outnumbered them! Runners depot teammates Jon W & Louis M takes their age divisions.
Honorable mention
* George wins age group in 2 races
* Mike K wins in my age group
* Silvia completes #27 & wins age group
* Runner's depot (representation in all events I went to).
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