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!