Memorial day & 5k

Besides God, today was made possible by the millions of troops who gave the ultimate sacrifice to preserve and protect our freedom. Many barbecue, go to the beach &/or to a club, advertise sales or shop for discounts and forget the true meaning of why this day was set aside. We have fun while many go down by gun. I dressed in a manner to commemorate this day & many times while running I thought about war in general. I never like them but since it's happening, just remember & honor. I have never served but I, at the very least, have great respect for those who did & do. Keep up the good work.

On a side note, I ran in the memorial day classic 5k & posted my best time this year. By setting the 2006 P.R., I outkicked someone who normally beats me & by one second, I captured the last master's overall slot (3rd) and, at the same time, tied with a 17 year old with the time of 18:19. Praise the lord & honor the troops; happy memorial day!

Adversity vs tried & true

Unfortunately, not all events go as planned. In such a case, one's handling of an unexpected circumstance can determine the outcome of future. It can make or break whether or not there will be any success.

Saturday agenda: 5/20=Publix family fitness weekend- deerfield

The original plan for me was to compete as a soloist in a duathlon and be the anchor in a triathlon co-ed relay. The former was scapped due to the actions of a cab driver in Miami beach. While transporting my bike & that of the team's cyclist, my car was struck in rear when the cabbie make a lane change from left to right across 3 lanes. The rear wheel of my bike & front of teammate's bikes were bent out of shape (unusable). We also had time constraints to deal with. With only a half hour till race start, I had the wherewithal to switch my front wheel (unscathed) to her bike, set up the meter & at least salvage one of my intended events- tri relay. She wound up with a p.r. on the bike & our team placed 2nd. That was good enough consolation for me considering how bleak it looked just to compete at all. She thought it was over but I never had quit in my mind. I knew I had to find a way to overcome adversity. As a marathon runner & chess player, I know that you cannot determine the race or game solely on early circumstances. It aint over till it's over, therefore do all you can until it is literally impossible; case in point, the duathlon requires a bike to complete but I sacrificed my personal desire for the need of the team &, therefore, my event was impossible.

Sunday agenda: 5/21=Let my people run 5k

This event proceeded without major incident but did require some strategy. I was in 6th or 7th position for about 2 miles with the overall female 'pushing me', keeping with my pace of 6:05 (& setting a pr for herself). After I realized I was below pace (6 flat), I picked up to race pace utilizing JM's (previously mentioned duathlon runner teammate) negative split running style and advanced to 4th overall, shaking off the female competitor and holding for top master position. This strategy was effective & I broke my personal goal of under 19 by 20 seconds; I consider this tried & true. Why? Because I tried this before & it truly helped.

Mother's day madness

First of all, happy mother's day to all the ladies. I am obviously not a mom but I felt blessed like one this weekend. On saturday, I competed individually & on Sunday, as a team member.

Saturday agenda: Run for the roses by GFLRRC

This race is catered for the women as you can tell by virtue of the name. All women got a five minute head start and the fellas had to try to "catch 'em if you can". Naturally, the elite women can't be caught but depending on the runner's speed, you'll get past a good number of the slower ones. Since I was focused on the relay event (next paragraph), I originally decided to run easy because this event was award generous (5 deep in age groups) and save my strength. This lasted for about 2 miles until the competitive drive in me compelled me to propel at my normal (or better) race pace. When the dust cleared, I met my normal time goal and placed (3rd) for the first time in the Master's division. Cynthia & Bernard Raes, race directors, did well in organization & because she runs well, she knows how it feels to win an award. In their races, they offer more overall titles, such as golden master, to honor the more senior runners; my dad has the utmost respect for events like that. Also, female winners got a medal different from the male winners. All female finishers got a nice rose in observance of mom day.

Sunday agenda: S. Fl duathon series dubbed as mother's day duathon by multirace.com

This was targeted as the main event of the weekend for me. My cyclist (JJ) & I already lead in the series with our combined efforts in the last few events but it doesn't hurt to pad the lead. Originally, I signed up the team to have 3 members: myself=run start, JJ=bike & my dad as anchor. After completing 4 marathons & 2 halves since October, 2005, at the last moment, my dad decided to pull out for these 2 reasons he gave, 1. He wanted to concentrate on long runs & 2. He felt my speed, even compromised, would better assist the team; he is the ultimate team player since he was concerned more about the team being number one than my desire to have him involved despite his speed. Therefore, in previous events, I had to run twice because my dad didn't run. A running partner of mine (JM) & top teammate of the 1st place 5k 5 person team at the marathon of the palm beaches last year, decided to accept the challenge of being on this team. He performed admirably & was second only to the race winner (run start leg), placing the cyclist in a perfect position. She had no one to really get in her way as she rode to her best time ever on the team. As team captain, I informed JM that some positions will be lost as I expected, but only a dozen elite men & the overall woman could get past her. When it was my time to shine (anchor run), by the grace of god, I was able to pass 3 of the men back but the real struggle came down near the end. I was still trailing the overall female after one & a half miles when, like an angel, the run start partner of the team served as a spectator & motivator. I then realized I didn't have far to go & dug down deep to outsprint her & help the team advance to 11th overall & top relay! I also set a PR pace for any leg that I've ever done, JM set the PR pace period & it was the first time any team I was involved with beat all the women. The rest of the day, I bonded better with my gratious bike partner, & no doubt we will be a force to be reckoned with (look out for next week); She no doubt had a great mother's day. I got the expected performance from JM & his services will be required again. In fact, both of the members will be utilized in some manner for future events.

team effort

well, today (5/7), i used the gift god gave me, the ability to run, to do my part on a multirace.com sprint distance co-ed relay team. Our usually swimmer decided to go solo, in support of the cause of the Tri-canes, & for the personal satisfaction of proving she can do it all if she wants to.
As team captain, I recommended she accept the challenge, even though I personally want her always to start in our scheduled events. In the past, I saw the talent & ability of another swimmer (J.G.) & was elated when she accepted the responsibility to replace our current swimmer. She did not disappoint & no doubt will be on-call in the future. Although addressing issues, the cyclist performed admirably & our combined efforts was awarded with success- we placed 1st!

As team captain, I always stress that there is no I in TEAM. All must give their best & hopefully, it is sufficient for victory. if one struggles, the rest must step it up. Even if I get a PR, if the team fails, that achievement is irrelevant. Extra thanks to the replacement. The team now moves into the lead in the point standings.

Look before you leap

Today, I turned down a 5k race that was reasonbly promoted for one that I pre-registered for that was poorly promoted. The reason for this: proximity.

The far race had what I expected: correct age groups, chip timing, brochures available at a race or store, timing clock & results posted.

The close race promised awards for age groups but i didnt stick around to see because, besides the fact I had many other things to do, too many things went wrong.

Now it's time to express myself.

Pro (positive): the race was for a good cause, asthma & even offered free screening. they had a bounce house for kids & had basic post race refreshments. At start/finish area, plenty of volunteers & most were nice. race director was also nice & did deliver race aps upon request. Raffle was available.

Con (negative): No clock, & therefore, no results, no race number, no goodie bag, no water, nor volunteers to give water, at the water stops, no lead cyclist to guide through the multi-curved course, no trophies however for some, the gift certificate is preferred.

When silence is not golden

Silence is golden at AMC & other movie theatres because most people want to enjoy the movies. However, when it comes to race events, it is not.

In a previous blog, I mentioned how I won 3rd overall & got no prize. No doubt, I did bring this up to many people at the race site before leaving disponded. Well, kudos to the race director of CSPRR & also, the time manager. He, along with a committee, reviewed my concernes and they agreed to correct the situation. This wise move will convince me to continue to do future events with the organization, which ultimately will attract more people since it's well known that I am vocal.

Whenever I believe something is wrong or even if something is right, I feel it's my responsibility to report this to appropiate sources. If you have a negative experience & remain silent, it is paramount to agreeing & accepting the treatment as correct. If the race director is ignorant of a problem, he is safe to assume there is none. I get different responses to my concerns but what I have noticed is that those who addressed them have improved. They will not only get my money but residual financial gain from those who choose to do an event I did because they heard about it from me.

However, those who do nothing will not only lose my support, both monetarily & promotionally, but the potential gains that would've been possible by the many people I know. Many value my opinion because I race just about every weekend & having run over 500 events within 15 years, I have the experience to know how an event should be managed. I am a stuanch believer of voting. those who don't exercise their right to vote, do not have the right to complain. They also squander their right to freedom of speech by not expressing their concerns when something is not right.

If you ever wonder why I may not be at an event, there are a number of reasons: (1) date conflict, which will force me to choose by certain criteria, (2) proximity, (3) ignorant of its existence, (4) athlete disrespect, (5) cost & (6) rectification refusal.

#1 is sometimes out of the control of race director but I will always state it. if it can be rectified, my presence will be known ($$). in event it cannot, then i use factors such as ammenities, proximity, cost.

#2 is sometimes out of the control of race director but I must consider it.

#3 usually occurs from poor promotion. I am known to find 90% of all events in some manner.

#4 is when age categories aren't 5 year increments or worse, don't exist, only 1 or 2 deep in awards or worse, no awards and little or no ammenities.

#5 may sometimes out of the control of race director but is a factor due to my budget. if it can be rectified, i'll be there.

#6 is when it is within the control of race director but he refuses to address it, sticking to the theory that he is right, not the customer. An event like that is not worthy of my presence, particularly because I have better things to do rather pay to go somewhere I am not respected or really wanted. Thank goodness I am in America and can chose to do something else.

St Anthony Triathlon weekend

St Anthony's Triathlon has been known as one of the most prestigious events held in Florida. I had the opportunity to compete, both as an individual, and as a teammate on a co-ed (mixed) relay team.

On Saturday, April 29, I competed in the Meek & the Mighty- a super sprint reverse triathlon designed for kids & novice adults. In that event, I was able to move from 2nd to 1st place and won the run leg of the event but hitting the first transition. I left transition in 3rd to 5th place & hammered on the bike to eventually beat out a fifteen year old female (event winner) to win the bike leg. I immediately dropped to 2nd in transition & then I had to tackle my weakest event- the swim. Everybody knows that I "can't" swim but for those who didn't know, my performance proved it. I struggled to survive the final leg, holding on to the swim lines periodically like most of Muhammad Ali's opponents to the ring ropes. My perserverence allowed me to complete the event & at the same, inspire some of the spectators. Many an athlete stopped me to say they were impressed with the run & bike but more importantly, the swim. However, the admiration was not because of the performance but rather because I did not give up, even though it was apparent that I was not a swimmer. My efforts paid off in two ways: #1 I received the finisher's medal, exclusive to those who do not quit & #2 the time was good enough to place third in my age group.

On Sunday, the main event occurred- the Olympic distance triathlon. This consists of a 1.5 K swim, followed by a 40 K bike & finally, the 10 K run. Since I am aquatically challenged, I recruited the help of a female swimmer (she swam for Triple Teem co-ed relay & helped the team win the S. Fl. triathlon series & Key Biscayne trilogy series last year) and a female cyclist (currently a part of the Du Tri Harder duathlon relay) to form a tri co-ed relay for this event under the same name as the latter. That day was particularly rough, especially the ocean. Our swimmer struggled but succeeded to finish & pass on to the cyclist. The cyclist & myself, in turn, had to deal with the wind. When my turn came up, I was able to do the thing I love to do & can do the best-run. I was able to pass over 300 tired people that were exhausted from having done the 2 prior activities; I always tell fellow athletes not to worry about me passing because I coming out fresh. At the end, our team was short of placing in the top ten co-ed by 2 minutes. However, I am proud of all the efforts of those teammates and I feel we, the team, faired well by placing 11th out 30 teams!

The biggest disappointment, besides the team not winning, was the handling of results. #1 they (race officials) were late to post any results, even though the event was chip timed. #2 no relay results were ever posted #3 extreme run around trying to get the relay results at the race site, just to determine if we placed; we waited over 2 hours just to find out we didn't.

I am back with my normal tri team, Triple Teem, this weekend. C U @ the races!