New year

Happy new year (Rosh Hashanah) to all my Jewish friends. Hey, even if you're not, it's another day to go out and celebrate! Meanwhile, this has been a new year of ups & downs. Keep readin' my blogs to experience my rollercoaster ride of life.

Saturday agenda-5k

Well, I found a 5k (race/walk for the animals) but it was mainly a charity event with only the top 3 overall with a chance to walk out with something. It had a 5k fun run & a mile family dog walk. Due to his proximity, or lack thereof (Palm Beach county), I elected to skip this one & focus on training. Since my duties have been largely relegated to the bike, I went to the Elite cycling ride. Would you believe the owner & Olympian can skate as fast, if not faster, than our cycling? Well, I endured over 4 hours of workout on the bike.

Sunday agenda-5k

There were 2 available this day. One in my proximity (Dade) & one in Broward. The former was put on my PR racing, called race for the kids, & are notorious for giving out generic medals, even for overall, & if lucky, a master title. Despite that, it drew over 700 finishers, the largest of the weekend & the winner did in 16 & change, the fastest time over the weekend.

I chose the latter because of the following:

1. I am the defending master champion, having held the title since I became a master.
2. The best I could get in the Dade race is a medal.
3. The chance at a trophy.

Luckily, I made the wise decision. This was was called the sickle cell sprint & brought back memories of one I did earlier this year. Unfortunately, I could not win this one with ease. I had to fight hard, having never lead the guy I had to beat to successfully defend the title but the Lord came through & I got my prize- a coveted trophy- which was given out only for that & the top 3 overall. Might as well say the top 4 overall; 199 others finished this event.

Honorable mention

* Jonathan won 3rd overall in Dade
* Overall winner & master were on the Runners Depot racing team
*Gene & George got their age groups in Broward
* John & Louis M got their age groups in Broward

Fall

Today marks the official day of the autumnal equinox, otherwise known as fall. However, I am also referring to occurrences. On Friday night, of all nights, I got injured while training on the treadmill, 1st time ever! My knee mysteriously got hurt, feeling as if I took a FALL & served as a hindrance, both that night through the next day.

Saturday agenda-bridge buster 5k

Ya'll know how stubborn I am. I had to FALL for Jon's offer. Since the injury occur ed within 12 hours, I decided to continue as planned. This was an inaugural race; that, coupled with the injury left me in a state of not knowing what to expect. The race was challenging enough with that dreaded blue heron bridge, located in singer island, and was used in the du that I did just weeks ago. Add to that, the heat, humidity & the injury and wa la! I carpooled with Jon & Jeff & we went up to W palm beach. I had to wrap up my knee, then grin & bear it (the pain). Naturally, those 2 took off. I had to struggle just to make it to the finish line. Despite setting my worst 5k time of the year, I just squeaked in to make it to the podium. Although I was seconds from second, that also applied to missing hardware. I thank the lord for giving me enough to make it, & for not giving up, I was rewarded with a plaque. I almost had to take a FALL by virtue of the circumstances. This qualified as a 3 1/2 to 4 star flash race with the amenities. This biggest plus, besides the massage, was the free pictures that were taken & given out.

Sunday agenda-key Biscayne trilogy

Originally known as the Miami SS tri/du, it was changed to be known as the bonus round of the key Biscayne trilogy. This wild card race allowed anyone to drop the lowest or make up a missed race & if in the tri, 3 of 4 put you in that series. Well, after the nasty comments, rudeness & underhanded tactics of the team captain & dad of the father & son relay, I had a wild card up my sleeve. Our team was leading the series until that team that claimed they weren't going to singer island to race, did just that twice, to win contested. They wanted us to FALL to 2nd. Our anchor runner decided to race a 5k elsewhere, so I decided for at least 1 race to recruit someone who specialized in cycling while I do what I do best-run. I selected the same guy I used once last year, K.C., an Olympian, with the intention of achieving the same result-the overall victory. No doubt this came to fruition. However, unexpected was how well this combo would do & what reaction we'd get. Having never beaten our lead runner, Gene, the kid was compelled to overexert to finally get the monkey off his back. While both ran the mile sprint in a record time, tying with a 5:22, that move lead to his downfall on the anchor run against our team. The jerk of a dad (totally opposite of the humble & kind son) was cheating by placing his back on the edge of the rack to gain an advantage. That effort was futile against KC as he was smoked by our cyclist, who set a new course record of 22 & 1/2! Then came my turn. Having just struggled the day prior, I was not sure if I'd even been in the 19's. By the grace of God, I got my 2nd fastest course time & best of the year with an 18 & 1/2. It turned out that the cyclist could not take the same medicine he was dishing out, and like a wimpy cry baby, he protested to remove the points, which were naturally astronomical. He had been bitching & complaining the minute he discovered a minor change had occurred & couldn't believe that I could out think him in terms of strategy nor could he stand the feeling of disgust similar to what he served to my teammates, enough to discourage them from competing in 2 other events I really wanted them to do. Whether the points will count or not, I was worth it to me. Turnabout's fair play. Oh, and the owner of multirace is himself a cyclist, so he obviously sided with the jerk. Birds of a feather flock together. As quick as Rob is, KC outrides him as well. That was an error on my part not to take that into consideration; oh well. What I do know is that if our team does not win the du title, I will no longer pay to compete in his events because it is not right to change the rules during the game. According to both printed (S Fl multisport guide he published & even distributed through competitor SE) & his online site, any relay may have 2 or 3 members; we chose the latter. Also, there is no mention barring substitutions. if there were, it would be stupid because a member maybe unavailable due to illness, injury or another commitment; the latter applied. Remember that even in the Olympics, a replacement was used. I have introduced many, including Gene, via substitution & many of those are now solo competitors, making that company more money. I have been with that company since its inception. I sacrificed so many better events to commit to the series. Once I pull out, all the perks he enjoys will be gone with the wind.

Honorable mention

I went from worst (Fri & sat) to first (sun) by the grace of God. Athletes, beware never to underestimate me. I shock many not only with athletic prowess, but my uncanny mental ability. After all, I am a chess & video game player that has dabbled with poker. You never know what I could come up with.

Triple H

In the WWE, triple H is currently a champion & it stands for Hunter Hearst Helmsly, or something to that effect. However, I am referring to a triple Header, which means 3 events in a single weekend. Like WWE's triple H, I am going for the gold, however, not the belt but in 2 series.

Friday night agenda-powerade 5k

I normally avoid this race due to the generic medals, the exorbitant fee and the all (soft) sand course but this year, ESM created the grand prix 5k series & in order to qualify, one must complete 3 races plus the championship race. To win, one must earn the most points by placing as high as possible, but only the top ten overall yield points. This was the final of the regular season. With Jon W out, teammate Gene was in because this was his greatest chance to place 1st in his age group. When the race began, I was left in the dust, even by some female, but most took off too fast & dropped off prior to the 1st mile. By this time, my major competitor was also my teammate. Although I did not plan on racing hard, I established a comfortable pace fast enough to win the race and all to my overall victory count for this year.

Under premier running, I've gotten a few top 3 victories, with 2nd as the highest position. With the suggestion of Gary, co-owner of the up & coming shoe store chain, I switched to an already established shoe chain known as Runner's depot. Since doing that, I have attained 3 overall titles, in addition to many top ten finishes. I made the change due to my respect to Gary & the possible strain my success may have been putting on their business, which is struggling to find a niche in a crowded market of running establishments, plus I knew a whole lot more people on that team than where I was. The clincher was the opening of the Aventura store, headed by former Bikila member Diana & the acquisition one of my favorite female elite runners, Carol Postigo. I've always felt good about Renee, owner of Runner's depot & now, I am proud & even more elated to be directly associated with her & the organization through the racing team. No animosity; I still like the team of Gary & Adrienne, the owners of Premier running, soccer & tri.

Saturday agenda-Publix series

The Publix series features the triathlon, their true focus & the duathlon, for folks like me. Also, some other ancillary events, such as swimming & the kid's event. This du was also the final of the regular season. The good-the was the closest event to my home. The bad-run course mostly on sand. The ugly-very windy, hot, humid & has 2 bridges that must be crossed twice. Did I mention the run is mostly on soft sand? This year was better than last in that a part of the run course went over the broadwalk versus all sand. Needless to say, I struggled on the bike due to those conditions but thanks to God, I still placed in the top ten. I was ripped off by ESM with a last minutes category change that displaced me to 2nd in my category, forcing me to accept an award half the size as what I've been getting. The post race amenities were good.

Sunday agenda-strides for safety 5k

This was a poorly advertised, little known event that I thought would be an easy run. To my dismay, even with the absence of Jon W, many of the swift showed up. I had to contend with Gene again, plus Walthon, who came fresh & ready to run. By mile 1, when the dust cleared, I was the caboose of a pack with him leading & Jeffrey Tait, the boy wonder, following close behind. He brought his A game, & I realized I couldn't just get by with a 19. They forced me to run hard! However, unlike them, I was beat down from the prior 2 events, make this one even more challenging. Oh, plus teammate Allen, another master, was here. When I applied my master kick, Walthon outlasted my special move to take the master title by a mere second. Meanwhile, Jeff was a victim of circumstance but still did his best of the year, I believe. The winner was Runner's depot teammate Mike Korir, a fast Kenyan. Stefon was 50 seconds behind & was 2nd overall but was "screwed", as was 3rd overall, by receiving medals similar to top 3 age group winners. The race organizers decided to give plaques only to THE overall male & female winners & the top masters. Although I want to complain about coming up short from that plaque, I really can't because the Lord gave me my best race of the year, in terms of time, since January.

Honorable mention

* Monday marks the middle of the month already
* Gene got 2nd overall on Friday & top in age group Sunday
* George wins age group in 3 events (he did Powerade 5k, publix du & riviera du)
* Mike Korir wins Sunday 5k
* Louis M, runners depot teammate, wins age group
* Garrido wins age group
* Allen N wins age group
* Stefon was 2nd overall in Sunday 5k
* Jeffrey wins age group

Running season

Although running is year round, September marks the unofficial start of the "running season". My dad gauges himself with this system, so he will soon surface on the running scene. Question is, when? My system is kinda like the USAT criteria for age (*) classification-by the year, in which my racing season began new year's day & ends just before midnight new year's eve (*). Since I am involved in multi-sport, the gap in the Running season is bridged. You might say I am similar to Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat, who competed in the Olympics between basketball seasons.

Saturday agenda-race for the Americas 5k

Miami-dade kicked off the season first with this inaugural event. They hosted both a 5k and a 10k. Also, it was the 1st of a series of events by PR racing. Although under new management, the same old practice of giving out generic medals continues. Technically, it was worse because of the use of a sticker instead of a custom design within the medal. The course was basically the reverse of the 5k leg from the trilogy series. It was quite hot & humid, plus a bit windy. Aware of these condition, plus the fact that I planned on racing the next day, I chose the 5k. Jesus Batista came out to train new runners. He sacrificed his place on the podium to help others. He also was flattering by referring to me as a legend but did use that to instill respect in the kids. I hooked up with that pack during the race & I believe everyone placed in their respective age groups;one of the kids out sprinted me but all, I believe, got PR's. Some genius decided to start the 10k first, & the 5k 3 minutes later. Naturally, the faster 5kers had to weave between all the slower 10kers. Even the fast ones had to go a bit slower since the distance is twice as long. I'm still on a drought for the master title locally but at least I broke 19 slump. I had to settle for top in age group;I was blessed to make the top ten.

Sunday agenda-firefighter 5k

Although this was the fifth annual event, it was my first. I missed the inaugural due to the hurricane situation that year. Many events were getting cancelled or moved, most notably was the A1A half. I had to wait to mid week to verify this one would not be another victim, as many others. Unfortunately, I am not rich & cant just throw away money. The organizers refused to cut me some slack, so I opted out & trained instead. Last year, an injury kept me away. Despite various storms, none threatened the east coast so the event was on. This one was put on by Runner's Depot, my team, & was highly represented. It also drew a fast & furious crowd of nearly 800, more than was in the race of America's 2 combined events! I knew I had to bring my A game but couldn't do so with God's help. Despite the weather, I ran my best time since ???, especially with the push from Jeffrey, the kid wonder, who ran his best race. Even though I did my best, I barely placed. Everyone who wanted an award had to break 19 just to stand a chance. The master title was taken by a teammate, as well as the overall title. To my surprise, those who placed got trophies;you know how I like those. I didn't break the top ten but did make it near the mid 18's. Looking at a glass half full, I was in the top baker's dozen.

+Both events had a raffle but as usual, I didn't win. Guess I can't get lucky all the time.
+Both events supported a cause, the former was to help educational needs of Latin American & Caribbean children. The latter, for firefighters.
+Both events were timed by splitsecondtiming, the former using new technology-the D chip-which is embedded in a paper strip initially attached to bib number. The latter used the standard shoe chip.

Honorable mention

* Jonathan placed top in age group, missing the top 3 by mere seconds.
* Jon W placed in both events, beat the aforementioned sat & won age group sun.
* John G, du teammate, faired well but competition was too stiff to place.
* Louis M wins his age group easily
* George pulls a double header & wins age group twice.
* Silvia came down to race & gets 2nd.
* 2 friends placed behind me in age group on sat, Kevin, MIT teammate was 2nd.
* Asha pulls a double header also, wins an award on sat.
* I saw Hector & Leonor, both former teammates in my inaugural relay year.

Labor weekend

Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice many events to do only one. I had to LABOR over that idea, but the one event was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To get the lowest rate, I had to take off Friday to head over to California.

The following sacrifices were made over the labor day weekend:

Saturday
Jon Z 5k-gave out my favorite-trophies. Last year, I was 2nd only to teammate Jon W & took the master title, bringing home my tallest trophy ever. Gone with the wind this year.

Sunday
Human race 10k. I missed all the pageantry but technically, I was involved since I did wear my Ipod.

Monday
Labor day. I had to return to Miami.

Labor day weekend agenda-Disneyland half

I was interested but initially turned down going to this one when the inaugural was announced last year due to its distance & subsequent costs. However, I was convinced by a friend & a special offer to do it this year. On top of that, I just realized that I have never raced or ran on the west coast of the United States. So, I decided to do the inaugural coast to coast challenge. What's that? Disney decided to reward any athlete who competed in Disney world a special finisher's for that accomplishment combined with a finish at the Disneyland half. A whole lot of bad signs occurred to me before the ultimate good one. First, I got discriminated against by some Mexican in California while attempting to purchase my first meal there. I wasn't so hungry that I let him succeed in taking my money to boot! I ate elsewhere. Next, I found out I was given a high race number. Whats the big deal? The Disneyland half has 3 waves (1st at 6 am then 10 minute delays), like in a triathlon. Despite having competed this year in their event, they put me in the last corral (G), final wave. I had to go to a computer & print out proof that I deserve to be at the front! I did this Friday afternoon, prior to my teammate Gene arriving near midnight. I learned from him that the coast to coast participant require a special band. Yep, you're right. They the didn't give me that. I had to return to the expo, this time with him, and prove I ran at Disney world in order to get what I should have been given. I really had to LABOR to compete. I wasn't able to do a tune up race but did do a training run with my teammate the day prior.

Race day

I decided to wear my Ipod so that the race also counted toward the human race. By mile 2, I had trouble with those ear plugs & had to continue without them. Meantime, I lost precious time fidgeting with them, case in point why I don't wear them in any serious race. The weather was nice but not cold enough for a PR. Oh, while running at approximately mile 3, I saw that the last wave was about to start. Despite all that happened, I still finished with a decent time, barely a minute behind him. I completed it within the top 200 finishers, better than the top 2% of the more than 10,000 in attendance. Mission accomplished;I got both finishers medals.