Fall

Fall is what I wish my times would do, like under 19. Seriously, Thursday marked the first day of autumn. While the humidity is still here, the temperature has fallen a bit.

Saturday morning agenda-5k

I passed on a closer fun run (broward) to race! I had to travel over 2 hours to northern palm beach county to do the bridge buster 5k in lake park. Last time I did this race, I carpooled with Jon & Jeffrey plus was badly injured. Now, my problem is illness. To add to my misery, it was windy. Well, I did the best I could & despite the dismal time, by the grace of God, I won my age group & made the top ten (7th). There were many festivities but the post race wasn't so good unless you paid at the concession. Except for title winners, those who placed got medals. However, since they were spinners, I give them credit for the awards.

Saturday evening agenda-5k

Initially, I planned on skipping this race (twilight 5k) because of the following:

a. I had to return to Miami to meet team, pick up packet & drop off my bike at the escape to Miami expo, then would have to come back to palm beach several hours later.
b. I have to front the money (put on by an opposing racing team)
c. ten year age groups
d. night race (typically hot & humid)

George recommended I give it a try but I told him it depends on circumstances. After I was done with the expo, it was 2 hours from that race start or go home; sorry, but I couldn't turn down a race. I had a hell of a time just trying to find it, even with the GPS. The race started with several females on quads (roller skates) & us runners had to dodge them along the curvy trails & side walks. It was hot & humid as expected. When the dust cleared, I was 6th overall but could not stay because I had the long drive home to get ready for the main event tomorrow. George agreed to pick up my award & told me I was 2nd & he was ripped off. He would've been first in his normal category but instead was pitted against 60 year olds; totally unfair. The post race seemed to be great but I missed all the festivities to be at my best for the team.

Sunday agenda-triathlon.

There were 2 triathlons available-tropical & escape to Miami. I passed on the former & chose the latter due to proximity. There were 2 distances at the escape to Miami triathlon: sprint & Olympic. As team captain, I chose the former because the swimmer is really a runner & she says that's her worst discipline; she does just fine. Technically, cyling is my worst in comparision to running. The team captains job is to get the best out of the athletes by focusing on the needs of the team & allocate the resources appropriately. We were a team of 3 runners. She was the only who could swim, I was the most experience & currently the fastest of all of us & Spencer is definitely the fastest runner of all of us. She had a great swim this day, my cycling was the 2nd fastest of all teams & he blew away the field with his running. We were so fast (2nd overall), we were mistaken for an all male team! We had to have that corrected later as the top co-ed team. After I finished my task for the team, I noticed someone from another team who seemed to be down on his luck. He told me that he just same earlier and the runner didn't show (supposedly sick but he suspected he went out the previous night) & now he'd have to run. I told him I'd be willing to run. Naturally, he was shocked & stated I might be too tired having just finished cycling. I replied, 'oh, I forgot. You don't know who I am. I am Jasper! Well, he took the chance & it paid dividends. I passed over a hundred people & that team was the 4th fastest of all teams, 2nd in male division. Remarkable, considering all that could go wrong for them was occurring before I started-runner quit & their biker took a spill. I had all kinds of hardware around my neck this day. It was my first 5k (actually 3.9 miles according to Spencer's Garmin) at the escape.

Superb weekend, 4 awards, 2 individual & 2 teams.

Honorable mention

* George placed 2nd overall in fun run 5k
* Linda was 4th overall in fun run 5k
* Both the aforementioned ran the twilight 5k
* Bryan got 2nd overall in twilight 5k
* Jon W got 3rd overall in twilight 5k

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, I heard the day of atonement. I need to do that & rest because I had been sick all week since last Sunday night.

Saturday agenda-5k

The United states air force marathon took place in Ohio, but why do that when there were 3 to choose from locally-1 in Dade, 1 in Broward, 1 in Palm beach; I chose the former for the following reasons:

a. sick all week & was forced to curtail training
b. proximity
c. inaugural

Plus, having skipped the local race on independence day cost me a lot of money so I thought I couldn't go wrong; I couldn't have been further from the truth.

Dade= united way 5k, Broward=cell-ebration 5k, Palm beach=firefighter 5k. Check this out:

Mine drew 268 finishers, Broward, only 55
Top winner 16:50, Broward-18:55
Top master 18:41, 4 oa while Broward-25:20, 10 oa
Top woman broke 19 while Broward-23:51 3rd overall here was low 17 while Broward over 21! My time today was good enough for 2nd overall over there in Broward; what a shame!

Today was like dejavu of last weekend but all on 1 day. Sickle cell (Broward race) & firefighter (Palm beach race) 5k's. Kinda like a shift up north in counties.

Choosing events is like rolling the dice, sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Hind sight is 20/20 so I have to deal with my decision. In fact, I actually need to praise the Lord because I still haven't fully recovered from illness & still made the top ten with a low 19! I got past a STOL teammate who actually led for nearly 2 miles. This qualified me to win my age group. Post race was very basic. Awards here were medals for anyone not overall.

Sunday agenda-the finale!

There was a marathon (fox cities) in Wisconsin & a rec bike ride in Clermont but there was no way I could miss the trilogy bonus round. It is the series finale and at stake-my age group and relay division inaugural duathlon titles! This truly would be a bonus round for me as I added a tri international relay to the plate. Having not fully recovered from illness, this would be an extreme challenge. I thank the Lord for deferring that somewhat & allowing me compete at nearly 90 %, still a viable threat. Multirace offered both sprint & Olympic distances for both the duathlon & triathlon. So much went down that it is best I surmise the events separately even though it was basically strung through.

Duathlon (individual)

I pre-registered for all 4 races of the inaugural sprint duathlon series and this bonus round was the finale. I was injured in #2, posting my worst bike & run times. Unfortunately, that bike time counted toward the relay as well, jeopardizing my chances of getting the elite runner to agree to a series. Since God is good, he did continue & I will expound on that next. Returning to the solo, I now need a good performance this day to drop that bad one. I ran conservatively (14 oa) to reserve strength for a decent ride. I had to fight the wind going to the bridge, it subsides temporarily, then reversed while headed due west. Once I turned around, I had to fight an even stronger head wind going back east. I was lucky to break a half hour & make the dirty dozen. After that, the 5k. I am still disappointed running over 21 minutes but remarkably, that made the dirty dozen. The transitions were slower as expected because I have to pass off a chip to my teammate. The combined times propelled me into the top ten; excluding relays, top 8. Also, my highest podium placement with 3rd overall master. I have officially won my age group for the inaugural du! Of note, also within the top ten highest points of the series winners.

Duathlon (relay)

Many wonder why I would be crazy enough to 'du' as an individual & a team. This was not my original intention but came out of chance. Running races were hard to find during the summer which is why I do multisports so Spencer West (an elite runner & runner's depot teammate) asked me about races he could possibly do between seasons, since he's heard about the number of events I do each year (100+). Naturally, as an experienced team captain, I suggested he run on a relay. We won despite my struggles aforementioned so I told him I'd understand if he didn't want to do any more with me. He was gracious & said 'non sense' and agreed to make history by signing on for the remainder races; I felt like Pat Riley when he got back Wade and signed up LeBron & Bosch. We never looked back since and are now the very first relay team to win the inaugural du series, plus on top of that, 4th overall highest points of the series winners. If we decide to the defend this title, in order to improve on that dismal T1 time that shows, I will have to commit. Regarding this race, he posted the fastest run splits of any athlete, including the overall winner! My ride was within the dirty dozen. We placed 4th overall thanks to him.

Triathlon (relay)

Many wonder why I would be crazy enough to enter into a triathlon relay after 'du'ing both as an individual & a team. This also was not my original intention but came out of chance. A triathlete sought me for the run, & at first, I said no because I already committed to a relay. As an experienced team captain, I have to be aware of possibilities, timing & positioning. Another sprint was impossible but the new distance of international was added; inaugural for the trilogy. After some calculations and realization that more history could be made (the first team to enter this distance & my first involvement at this distance at a trilogy), I reconsidered & had to convince them I could do it (succeeded in the past). By the grace of God, as Hanibel of the A-team would say, 'I love it when a plan comes together'. I made it back after completing the 2 categories with ample time to get the chip from Andre's son. I had an average run but it was good enough for us to win, making more history. The swimmer (Andre's brother) was the fastest of all finishers, including the overall winner! The cyclist matched my time but for double the distance; awesome. We got an inaugural commemorative finisher's medal in addition to the category win.

What a great weekend. This was my first time being involved in 3 distinct events at the same venue, more history! On top of that, 1st time making the podium 3 times at the same event on the same day (history)! Praise the Lord!

9-11

Today marks the 9th anniversary of that fateful day when terrorists attacked us on our homeland. Millions of innocent victims died because of al-kaida's twisted translation of the Koran. I find it hard to believe that their version of the bible could actually promote this behavior just as I know my bible (king James version) does not support racism, even though many claimed to be Christian. My condolences to all & I give my respect & honor the troops, dead & alive, who serve to protect & defend our freedoms.

Saturday agenda-5k

This weekend will be my first dedicated strictly to running, thus reflecting the season. That means I passed on a tri that was held in Clermont today & will pass on another held by same company tomorrow. Also reminiscent of the season is a choice of races. There were 7, the furthest in the tri-county area was the freedom walk & run (WPB). Therefore, I chose the closest, the sickle cell 5k, which also was in my county (have few races). This race brought back many memories. First of all, it was held at the stadium (now called sunlife) where I got my first overall victory in the last century and also the top runner 2 events back. They say its the 31st annual this year but I never heard of it until that year I won. Last year, the infamous blocking techniques were implemented to assist their chosen runner to win the race. The good news is that I didn't have to worry about that this year. The bad news is that I didn't have to worry about that this year because money was being offered for the top 3 overall, which will naturally draw Ronnie Hollassie, plus many other faster runners. Remarkably, Jon W didn't come to claim the 2nd slot, so some unknown guy (a master) cashed in. Courtney took the last slot. With no master title offered, I was relegated to age group. Fortunately, despite a dismal performance, I still made the top ten (6th) & won my category. That poor showing was largely due to the late start. Already scheduled late at 8, it was delayed over 20 minutes with extracurricular activities, including a warm up aerobic session for the walkers, making an already hot & humid day much worse. On top of that, there was virtually no shade; I had to drink & throw water on me like I was doing the Ironman in Kona! Sadly, no plaque but instead a medal. I lucked out again as they ran out of medals for many who placed & what they gave was decent, a 3D image of runners on front, name & date of race on back and not a generic one. However, the age group & place was noticeably lacking. Post race refreshments was horrific but acceptable for meat eaters (hot dogs). The mile markers were good but no clocks. However, what was good is that a health fair was on & the battle of the bands were back. More importantly, it was for a good cause. I couldn't stay this time, as I needed to prepare for the main event the next day.

Sunday agenda-5k

Although many events were available, far & near, my undying commitment to the racing team (runner's depot) made the firefighter 5k a no brainer. Check out the list below:

1. Chicago half marathon
2. nation's triathlon (in D.C., would have required a swimmer)
3. Florida challenge tri (also would have required a swimmer)
4. aces of clubs 10k & 5k

I knew this race would be challenging, so I prepared to bring my A game. All of the best of the RD team show up here, even the rarely seen Kenyan Mike Korir (race winner) make it. The boss, Renee Grant, often too busy to make the races, definitely appears here as this company, not only puts on the race, but dominates it. The race was unusual for me because split second timing usually puts out working clocks to gauge your performance each mile; not this year. I had to judge strictly by the field & thanks to the turn around, I could estimate who may be a threat to the master title as well as the age group. My failure to break 19 eliminated my chance for the master but my category was still possible, although without a fight. Allan W had a great start & lead through the 1st mile & a quarter before my steady pace got by him. He can be a good closer so the pressure was on for me not to decline significantly. By the grace of God, I outlasted him but surprisingly, he was not one to be concerned with (5th), as somebody I didn't know was seconds behind me. I won my category & made the dirty dozen; woo hoo! Post race was nice but the awards were the best-trophies! Sadly, 2 of friends, 1 male (also rival) & 1 female didn't make the cut due to the high quality field. On top of that, it was high in quantity (900+).

Honorable mention

* Thursday began Rosh Hashanah
* Ramadan begins around this time
* Louis Molina wins age group
* George wins age group
* Spencer wins age group (5th oa)
* Julia is 3rd overall
* Runner's Depot men's team sweep all titles (top 1-3, M) & top ag categories
* Anyone I missed, like Louis Best (2 ag), congrats!

Labor weekend

Labor day lands on Monday but since its tied to the weekend, I dub it as such. Ironically, most people don't labor on that day, except maybe if a baby is due for the pregnant.

Saturday agenda-5k

Today was the unofficial start of the running season! On top of that, football is back! Once basketball starts as well, this will be the closest I get to heaven on earth. I saw 3 races, with the possibility of doing 2 on the same day. I picked the closest race for the morning and passed on the evening race. Regarding the latter, it is typically run entirely on sand but even if not, the generic medal is not worth the expenses I would occur. Most importantly, I want to be well rested for the next day, as the distances are longer than usual; I will definitely be competing out in the sun over an hour.


For the last few years I have missed the fall fling 5k due to conflicts with the Publix du/tri but since they moved it to Sunday, it's now on my schedule. Less hot, still humid, I was hoping it wouldn't rain during the event. The event was divided into to categories: master (over the hill) and sub master (young & the restless). The former started first. At last, we 'old' people get an advantage. The best of the latter can't catch our best, even if Olympic caliber! By the grace of God, I edged out a tough field in my age group, including the brother of the won who won the master race & the won who beat me in a prior race (Allan W). On top of that, it was the 1st time I broke 19 (even if only by a second) in 2 months! I passed on the following to win this:

1. John clay 5k (teammate JW placed here)
2. Venice tri (far plus no swimmer)

Sunday agenda-race!

Last year, I did the inaugural king of the hill 5k & enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the move of the family fitness du/tri prevented me from doing this one. Many things happened here. First of all, I got surprised when George showed up to race here, meaning he forfeited his king of the hill entry. This was due to an unforeseen circumstance that could've prevented him from racing at all. A cameo appearance from Linda was the cause (she brought him) and competed as well. As for me, let's do it Clint Eastwood style:

The good: I won my age group & placed 8th overall, edging out the overall female Lisa B.
The bad: I lost positions during the bike portion when forced to stop, costing me a master slot & better overall position. The 2nd run barely broke 7 minutes.
The ugly: the bad was due to a mechanical issue with the bike (the multisport Gods are more relentless than the running one, causing the rear brake lock), first time in history. To add insult to injury, I got a parking ticket!

I was impressed with this event as all finishers came home with hardware (a quality medal) & all those who placed got a clear plaque. The post race was nice & for the 1st time I could remember, the du awards were given out first (caught George off guard).

Monday agenda-train

Happy labor day! I opted out of a long travel for a race (Tampa area) and a fun run (palm beach) for cross training. Having done enough in my primary discipline (run) and primary cross training discipline (bike), I picked the secondary cross training discipline- inline skating. I rolled for 12 mile in an hour flat (lost time due to various traffic delays). Congrats to all who competed this weekend.

Honorable mention

* George wins both at 5k & du
* Shannon makes the podium
* Linda picks a new category & wins an award!
* Louis M places at king of hill 5k
* Spencer wins at king of hill 5k