Start 'Em Early

K-rocks has been champing at the bit to race this year. I found the perfect event for her first race—a 5 mile trail run in Ridley Creek State Park—the Media Mud Stain. Between karate, hockey and weeks of running, she seemed ready, but we decided to go for a test run a few weeks before race day. After 1-1/2 miles, it wasn’t looking good.  Something just wasn’t right. Her faced seemed too red, like she was overheating. But it was a cool fall day, and she only had on a light jacket. I decided to take her jacket, and suddenly it was like a whole new girl. Only forty-five degrees out, and she's running through the woods in a tank top and shorts. When she finished with a sprint, I was sure she was ready.

WHY? (AC Marathon)

So far my post-marathon routine has consisted of zombie-like wandering while my brain and feet battle over whether they're allowed to stop and sit down—which all the run gurus decry as a painful decision. Eventually my feet realize they don't need to listen to my brain, and I sit down. Sunday my feet won the post-race battle in Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. My support team of Kristin, Mom and her friend Mrs. H watched as I joined other racers in the Hall--wrung out and spent. Mom finally asked a young guy
near us the obvious question:
“Why do you guys do this?”

Griesacker Race--the descent that made the climb worth it

Anytime a race makes me feel younger than what my license says . . . well that's a good day of racing. At the end of the Wilmington marathon I felt 75 and I swear buzzards were circling. But not today. Today was 30 years the other way.

Father's Day Phone a Friend

Father's Day.  I get to pick the adventure and we get to try phone-O.  One partner stays at the start with the map.  The second partner runs the first half of the course while being guided over the phone by the first partner.  It could be fun or it could be bad.  But it will be interesting for sure.

Green Means Go (as in Go Looong)

So I'm antsy to do an advanced orienteering course and DVOA is hosting an event at Hibernia.  How can I pass this up?  Dog wants to go and he wants to bring his buddy M1.  Sounds good.  Then K-Rocks wants in with her buddy Bunky.  Hmmm . . . this might not go according to plan.

Can you spot Krocks?

Rocked the Cradle

(Philly Cradle of Liberty Race)
 

So why do I always plan events the day before a race?  Ideally it's a relaxing day.  But K-Rocks comes first, and her adventure party is already two months over due.

Wilmington Marathon-A Bracket of One

OK, so I’m on my own.  I don’t know anyone.  I don’t know what to expect.  And it’s the biggest race I’ve ever been in.  I keep telling myself my primary goal is to finish--but if my time is slower than what I’m hoping for, I’ll feel like all my hours of training were wasted.  I need to let that go, but I can’t.

Revenge on Hibernia

Well I returned to the scene of "the Incident" from the previous week, determined to get rid of the bad taste in our mouth from our wreck-induced DNF. I came ready, but it was a different team this week--"Last But Not Least" with my newly found partner John Magee--a fellow Nova guy and great teammate.

The morning is “weather-whiplash” from yesterday's perfect sunny day.  Now it's cold, grey and drizzly this morning. First race is always a bit nerve wracking, and the threat of a rain-soaked day ratchets up the butterflies. I felt like an over-packed rookie with my big blue Rubbermaid tub full of gear, but I felt better as John unloads a ton of gear too.

HRC--Expect Anything

Our first High Rock Challenge (HRC) was a “don’t know what to expect” kinda of day. We had been stoked for months about this race, but things looked bad the week before the race. My teammate--Dog-- took a nasty mountain biking fall, followed three days later by an ill-advised playground incident that left him bruised and hobbling two days before the race. Doctor cleared him to go—but we didn’t know what to expect.

Blood on the Trail in Hibernia

Well we’re back for our second run at the Hibernia Duathlon. Better training this year, and a year stronger, so we're feeling good. Bonus—we remembered the inhaler. Dog had been able to conquer all of the climbs on the course during our practice rides, so our goal of shaving a half hour from our time feels very do-able. But we'll soon learn that conditioning doesn't guarantee success.