ITS TIME TO LISTEN TO MY OWN ADVICE AND COMMON SENSE

AND JUST CHILL

After two years of injury riddled running/jogging in a random manner with zero confidence in my legs, its time to take time off. No point running marathons and 10ks and such with my legs feeling like iron weights.

I went to LHH and for the first time ever, just stopped running mid-race. After a few miles of plodding along with less than 50% leg health, I said to myself, this is silly and walked off the course. No point in hurting one's self because the ego beckons you to keep going.

I think I will take up rowing or kayaking for a bit and let the legs just rebuild themselves.

I hope to come back at some point like the six million dollar man(show from the 80s)

take it easy you all and keep having fun.

Weekend Race Results Wire

I just received word on the wire that BAIN picked up the Silver at a trail half marathon in Richmond.

Dwyer and Philippe ran the Lawyers Have Heart 10k finishing 3rd (32:42) and 4th (32:49) RESPECTIVELY.

Saturday's Run

Can I get a show of hands who might be heading to the run on Saturday morning?

The LHH 10k starts at 8am and it might be nice to start the group run from the LHH finish line so we can cheer on the likes of Jason "The Bearded Lightning" Dwyer and others. We could start the group run from the finish line circa 8:45.

I know a number of folks are heading home/away this weekend to hang out with Dad, so who will be showing up?

http://www.runlhh.org/race/index.htm

PS - I was thinking of Riley's Lock on Sunday. 15 miles at 9:00am. Any interest?

INSIGHT MAYBE?

Based on some of my back and forth comments with Mighty Matias, I have come up with some other Maxisms.

We are all different. We have unique strengths and weaknesses. In other words, we are human. There is no right way to have fun or derive pleasure, etc. If you enjoy getting a certain time running a road race or playing poker all night and losing $100000s, then so be it.

There are many stages to you as a person in terms of growth, development, awareness, etc.(CASE IN POINT IS DYLAN) This means you change your ways of looking at life, determining whats important, etc as you move along. The sooner one accepts this and just goes along with the ups and downs of life, the better.

My goal is to enjoy the ride, try to be a nice guy and take in all of the little aspects of living that are easy to ignore and or forget about when one is so focused on their own achievement or goal. I am not saying one or the other is good or bad but merely that when one is so focused on their own thing they are not geared up to be aware of whats going around them so much.

I am sure that if I was only interested in running faster times at races i might have done or do so. However, I enjoy the whole scene so much more. Its the people and locations and the whole package that has attracted me to running. Heck, most of the people on this team, the Moeser's and Hage's and countless others I have become friends with would not be friends, but simply other runners if I was so focused only on winning or my own goal.

Running and all sorts of exercise is a nice and pure way to express one piece of your humanity. But there is so much more. I suppose I would call running, like all sports I have played, a means to an end. I meet great people doing something I like to do. In the end, its the people and seeing them succeed that brings as much satisfaction as me achieving my particular ambition.

I will say this. In my 20's I had more opinions and hard core views. Us Vs them or my way or the highway kind of thing. As I have journeyed along I have lost many of these ways of looking at life. Values and principles are important but more as a means to guide my personal choices as opposed to how I view others, the world, etc.


As for race directing. That was a blast and lots of fun. Going into it I knew I would enjoy it and make it work.

I throw this out there as food for thought and simply because it came to my mind.

Max Sermon

Running in Dubai U.A.E.,...

Dubai is a remarkably developed city that is best described as a concrete mosaic jungle. Lying on the Arabian Gulf of the United Arab Emirates, less than 10% of the U.A.E.'s economy is based on oil and gas, the majority of its wealth generation coming from ambitious real estate projects, trade and financial services. Temperatures while here have hovered in the mid to upper '90's added with humidity that makes it feel like 104+ degrees. Running is non-existent. In the three days that I've been here I haven't seen a single person running in public. This is probably due to a number of reasons: the heat, a lack of open and unencumbered spaces, lots of traffic, metropolitan congestion and cultural shyness. I believe the Islamic culture here is still quite modest as many men dress in traditional clothing covering their heads and bodies and some women dress head to toe except for the face and hands. I can't imagine anyone running in the streets in skimpy shorts either bare-chested or in a sports bra. Thus my running has been confined to the gym pictured below.

Dubai is known for a number of man made wonders including the worlds largest indoor ski resort (Dylan - The snowboarding looked epic and your dreads would have been a hit!), the Burj Dubai (in construction but will be the world's tallest man made structure), the Palm Islands (man made peninsula resembling a palm tree), the Burj Al Arab (famous building resembling a sail boat), along with many man made jetty's and waterways that sprinkle the coastline. Dubai is also known for SHOPPING MALLS and FOOD and AIR CONDITIONING. I do not recommend Dubai for running, but would recommend it for indulgence.

- JARRIN

Lawyers Have Heart

I just registered. Anyone else in it?

Speaking of memories....

A while back I let it slip that I once had dreadlocks. A bunch of you insisted that I post a picture of said hairstyle. It was something of a team tradition that I carried for over a year, this picture is from the 2005 MIAC Track and Field Conference Championships. I can't believe that was only 3 years ago. As awesome of a hairstyle as dreads are, they are very difficult to create and maintain, it requires a certain degree of OCD usually associated with running.

Enjoy, and.......stay hydrated.

love, dylan

MEMORIES AND MORE

Back when I was a mere youth(OK, be quiet Max) I would follow Wilson out on the C&O Canal at mid-day when it was 100 degrees. There was a pack of us. Wilson was rather new to the scene and typically wore a sweatsuit(kidding-- but he usually wore a long sleeve top). Mind you, it was 100 degrees and humid. We were already soaked with sweat after the 2 mile warm up. We then ran what we called "death runs".---(Intense fartlek runs) -- Basically, run until you die. In retrospect, it is quite possible that someone, might easily have died considering the insanity of it all. None the less, it made me a much tougher runner over a short period of time.

I will make one more go of this sort of thing and see if the 0ld body can hang on.

Live each day like its your last.

M

PS. The highlight of my Sunday, aside from the morning run, was picking up a Best of the Bee Gees CD at a yard sale.

Running in London England...

An often forgotten landmark in London is Hampstead Heath. The grounds of the park make up over 790 acres of sprawling green.

The Heath is known for its labyrinth of paved walkways, unpaved trails and myriad of charted and uncharted paths. It also traverses many a gorgeous neighborhood. Most Londoners enjoy the Heath for its outdoor activities as well as for its ponds, playgrounds, sculptures, track/recreational center and the famous Kenwood House.

The Heath contains Parliament Hill, London’s highest point of observation that serves as a summit from where to view areas of interest. The area has an undulating terrain that makes it ideal for trail running and training. To the south it connects to Primrose Hill and from there you can run down towards the extensive canal.

I traveled through London on Saturday after the GRC run; took full advantage of a 14 hour layover to get downtown and run 12 easy miles with some friends. Decent weather: 82 degrees, low humidity and sunshine.

- JARRIN

The Empty Forum...

Hot!

Not to sound like your parents, or Max Lockwood for that matter, but make sure you hydrate this weekend!

The "feels like" temperature could hit 110 degrees and none of us are quite acclimated to the DC humidity yet.

WX REPORT: A BERMUDA HIGH OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC THROUGH MONDAY WILLBRING HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS TO THE REGION ON WEST TO SOUTHWESTWINDS. HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS MOST OF NORTHERN AND CENTRALVIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON METROPOLITANAREAS WILL REACH THE MID AND UPPER 90S EACH DAY. A FEW LOCATIONSMAY REACH 100 DEGREES.THE HOT TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CAUSE HEATINDICES TO APPROACH 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. HEAT INDICES MAYAPPROACH 110 DEGREES SUNDAY AND MONDAY.THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILLCOMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES AREPOSSIBLE. SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST PERIOD OF HOT AND HUMID WEATHERTHIS SEASON...MOST AREA RESIDENTS HAVE NOT YET ACCLIMATED TOTHESE CONDITIONS. THAT MAKES HEAT RELATED INJURIES MORE LIKELY.

DIFFICULT RUN RUN ON SUN

I spoke with Jake and he is in agreement that it is OK to meet at 8:30am this Sunday rather than 9am. Its going to be very hot and it might be better to run as early as possible. Furthermore, several of us need to be doing other things by 11 and 12, respectively, so this makes it a little more manageable.

Also, despite the rumor that the water out there is infested with dangerous toxins, there will be an opportunity to jump in a cool pool of stream water after. Moeser, Geir and I cooled off after our last run and it felt good.

Hope to see everyone at the parking lot at 8:30am.

M

GAIT ANALYSIS AND MORE

Robert's photos are excellent for examining people's running Gaits and biomechanics or looking at your own, for that matter. Bain and Moeser, by the look of them, seem to be very efficient. Bain in particular seems to use his arms well to help propel him forward. Ever since I have known Philippe Rolly he has been very efficient, balanced and upright. Wilson has this kind of forward lean where he lurks forward and kind of lopes along. Wardian does not seem to be running as fast he does but he gets the job done. I believe biomechanics are really important and when they are off in anyway, injuries begin to occur. The opposite is true of course in that an injury will throw of one's biomechanics and one's running suffers.


I can tell that my gait is off as I am favoring my right side too much and my arms are wasting too much energy.

As for facial expressions and such....................

Klim has some serious facial expressions going on. Klim, were you pissed, in agony or what? Pat Murphy seems euphoric. Bain seems well, like, Bain.

Anyway, its good to be to get the closeups and do what you will with them.

Georgetown 8K Race video

Sorry for the delay. Apparently it takes google about 3 days to process 10+ minute videos once they have been uploaded. Check out the intensity of the guy finishing at the end of the video. That's my favorite part.

Pictures from the Georgetown Classic 8K

Hey Everyone...

I've posted over 300 pictures I shot last Saturday May 31, at the Georgetown Classic 8K race.

This is my first upload to my brand new flickr premium account and I have granted full access rights for anyone to pull pics and do as they please.

I am not a professional photographer and actually purchased my favorite new weapon (a Nikon D40 SLR) last March prior to my trip to Africa. I'm hooked. And am planning on taking a course in photography to improve upon the work reflected here. When not racing and not traveling, the team can count on me to do some shooting. A big nod to Pete Silverman for the inspiration.

Enjoy.

- JARRIN


http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert_jarrin

Marine Corps Marathon

Someone from the MCM called the store yesterday asking if we were going to be entering a team this year. Anybody interested in representing GRC should call Chris L. @ the store...

Potomac Valley Track Club's all-comers meets

Hi all, three things:

1. I have signed up for the Potomac Valley Track Club's all-comers meets on first coming Sunday. I will either do the 800m or 3000m, depends on how many people that shows up. Any other interested?
More info on: http://www.pvtc.org/outdoor.html

2. Since I have not figured out when you guys have a track session (except Wilson’s Tuesday morning), I am going to the Washington-Lee HS Track tomorrow to train with the DCRR, anybody else interested?
(Copied from homepage) June 4: 8 x 500M at 5K pace. 300M rest. NOTE: Severe T-storms already are predicted for this evening. Please watch Home Page for any announcements with regard to that on Wednesday afternoon.

3. An interesting article in the NYT: Swallow this

Geir

Sunday at Difficult Run

Anyone interested in running at Difficult Run on Sunday?

9am start time...then dip legs in cool, polluted water post-run.

Meet HERE

My birthday run

Read about my 32 mile jaunt on my 32nd birthday (culminating in the GRC 8k!) HERE.

Was great to see so many of you out there and catch-up, albeit briefly. Thanks to Max for organizing the Water St Gym talk with Wardian. I think it went off smashingly.

RACE TO REMEMBER

The Inaugural G-town Classic 8k came and went with success. All of the work and prep paid off as we had approximately 400 runners sign up and around 350 finish. All of this on a day when severe thunderstorms hit the area and threatened to put a damper on the event. This was not to be. NO way. Not on our race. Somewhere around 4:30 the sun appeared and it is was clear the race would be a go.

Logistics were smooth as volunteers and staff worked with positive enthusiasm to make sure water stations, packet pickup and overall race administration was covered.

Aside from the busywork, it was great to see all of the runners out there. There were the usual cast of characters including Philippe Rolly, Chuck (the Orchestrator)Moeser, Klim(who is apparently getting famous for his red hair), Chris(truly silent Bain), Wilson and lots of other familiar faces.

Prior to the race there was a little trouble as a gentleman had a problem with the heat and had to be helped off of the Capital Crescent trail. Yes, it was humid! None the less, we were able to help the man to safety and get prepared for the race.

As the race starting time approached, Luke Merkel was properly set up at the front with his bike and whistle and was ready to lead the charge. Other folks were doing last minute stretching and warm ups, etc.

All during this time I was able to take it all in as I blurted out random pieces of information on the microphone and tried to provide some guidance and structure to the pre-race scene.

With a few seconds to go, I handed the horn to Ben and jumped in so that I could run and see the event first hand. The GO word was yelled out and we were off. Off in the very front I could see the tall and lanky Wilson kind of hopping along with Wardian and the eventual winner, right there. As far as I could tell, the trail was clear as there seemed to be very little, if no, congestion. Yes, it went off well.

When I got done, Ben handed me the mike and I got a chance to encourage people as they pushed across the finish line. Totally cool.

When all was said and done and prizes handed out, etc. We did some clean up and headed over to get some beer and pizza and do some post race chatting.

I could go on forever with various details but I will spare you.

I do, however, want to give shout out and special thanks to Ben Cooke and all of the staff at the store who worked the race. All were positive and helpful. Also, a special thanks goes out to Jay Wind who did lots of behind the scenes work and provided race management expertise that only comes with years of experience.

Laura Turner was also very helpful and thanks to Robert and Peter for taking photos.

Lets make this a tradition that will continue for years to come.

Max