LT 1st @ ACLI Capital Challenge

I was checking how my Dad's NPR team did when I came across this picture.

It's not a red fox, but it's the best I could do...

Jake's birthday is tomorrow! He's too shy to post about it, but he will be celebrating at Rock Bottom in Bethesda for happy hour (5:30-?). Stop by to wish him a happy birthday!

Marine Corps Open

Just signed up.

Ryan Shay Piece on ESPN Tonight @ 7pm

Georgetown Classic 8K

I've been drafted by Max to create a team for this race. Both Reaves and I plan to bring our "A Game" and we need some others. Let me know if you are interested.

Max - how many people do we need, how many people score?

Bogotá, Colombia

On business here through Wednesday. Bogotá is not really conducive for city running because it's congested and there's always the fear that you'll stick out like a sore thumb and get kidnapped. Although safer than a few decades ago, you should still be cautious. However, nestled inside the city is a beautiful little park called "Parque Simon Bolivar" which is a little green gem. It boasts a myriad of paved, unpaved and clay trails and although only 2.5 miles in circumference, the trails make it seem a lot longer. The city is 8,661 feet above sea level (third highest city after La Paz, Bolivia and Quito, Ecuador) so I could definitely feel it on today's 7 mile run. If you're ever visiting Bogotá, try Parque Simon Bolivar for a safe and serene run.

- JARRIN

Upcoming Races

I need to update the race list (on the right hand column)...
Can people post (in comments) what races they plan on doing between now and Rockville Twilighter? We can see about adding teams to these races when applicable.

As a side note, as many of you know, Georgetown Running Company placed 4th (out of 83) at the Boston Marathon. At 10k, the team was in 13th place, at 13.1 we had moved into 7th place...35k in 5th place and by the finish we squeeked into 4th. http://bostonmarathon.com/2008/cf/public/TrackingTeam.htm

Pikes Peek Pictures

Pike's Peak

BAIN!!!!! So strong, so smooth... didn't that guy crush Boston like six days ago? He is a monster.

And DaveOOOOOO, I came up along side of him, we started to roll pretty good, he had that extra gear at the end. Glad to see him back out there hammering away. Always nice to see someone who's battled injuries come back and run well.

Boston Ernst? You guys are nuts.



DARCARS Pike's Peek 10k - Men
April 27, 2008
Last updated on April 27, 2008

DARCARS Pikes Peek 10km April 27, 2008 Rockville, MD
Montgomery County Road Runners Club
Official Results, Men (Sorted By Net Time)
Place Div/Tot Num Name Ag Hometown Gun Tim Net Tim Pace
===== ======== ===== ===================== == ================ ======= ======= 1 1/80 10 Joel Melly 24 West Chester PA 29:01 29:00# 4:40
2 1/154 3 Reuben Chebii 25 West Chester PA 29:04 29:02# 4:41
3 2/154 15 Demis Tefera 26 Takoma Park MD 29:05 29:03# 4:41
4 3/154 14 Dagne Dadi 27 Silver Spring MD 29:08 29:07# 4:42
5 2/80 4 Abiyot Endale 21 Bronx NY 29:14 29:13# 4:42
6 4/154 56 Derese Deniboba 25 Bronx NY 30:16 30:15 4:52
7 1/224 7 Wilson Komen 30 Washington DC 30:19 30:17 4:53
8 5/154 57 Samuel Wolseamudl 26 Wheaton MD 30:36 30:35 4:56
9 6/154 8 Tariku Aboset 26 Addis Ababa 30:44 30:43 4:57
10 7/154 618 Nathan Brigham 25 Washington DC 30:55 30:54 4:59
11 2/224 34 Michael Wardian 34 Arlington VA 31:22 31:21 5:03
12 1/223 35 Philippe Rolly 35 Fairfax VA 31:43 31:42* 5:07
13 8/154 16 Kyle Smits 29 Baltimore MD 31:45 31:44 5:07
14 2/223 41 Ray Pugsley 39 Potomac Falls VA 31:53 31:53* 5:08
15 3/224 32 Troy Harrison 32 Hustontown PA 32:09 32:06 5:10
16 9/154 3614 Paolo Natali 27 32:15 32:14 5:12
17 10/154 3255 Tim Schaefer 29 Gaithersburg MD 32:49 32:47 5:17
18 11/154 555 Sam Blasiak 28 Falls Church VA 32:51 32:49 5:17
19 4/224 473 Christoph Bain 30 North Bethesda M 32:58 32:56 5:18
20 3/223 788 Mike Colaiacovo 38 Baltimore MD 33:02 33:01 5:19
21 5/224 33 David Ohara 32 Washington DC 33:07 33:05 5:20
22 1/217 44 Tim Schuler 44 Chambersburg PA 33:11 33:09 5:20
23 12/154 31 Billy Askey 25 Washington DC 33:13 33:12 5:21
24 13/154 26 Matias Palavecino 26 Washington DC 33:13 33:12 5:21
25 14/154 1672 Joe Lamonte 27 Arlington VA 33:15 33:13 5:21
26 4/223 37 Rob Magin 37 Olney MD 33:17 33:15 5:21
27 5/223 3608 Stavros Rologas 39 33:16 33:16 5:22
28 1/215 48 Greg Cauller 48 York PA 33:20 33:17* 5:22
29 6/223 2642 Pekka Stenholm 35 Columbia MD 33:22 33:20 5:22
30 2/217 3793 Andres Wright 41 Frederick MD 33:35 33:34 5:24
31 3/80 528 David Bernstein 21 Hyattsville MD 33:38 33:36 5:25
32 4/80 2939 Alvin Yew 22 Silver Spring MD 33:49 33:46 5:27
33 5/80 1757 Cooper Linde 20 York PA 33:54 33:52 5:27
34 7/223 3320 Pavel Frelich 37 Chevy Chase MD 33:55 33:53 5:28
35 1/157 51 Mark Malander 50 Oak Hill VA 34:01 33:59* 5:29
36 15/154 3154 Antonio Molina 27 Boulder CO 34:09 34:07 5:30
37 2/215 53 Dave Berardi 47 Baltimore MD 34:11 34:08* 5:30
38 3/215 3165 David Cascio 45 Reston VA 34:13 34:11* 5:30
39 16/154 2379 Michael Rodgers 29 College Park MD 34:17 34:15 5:31
40 6/224 3451 Martin Lanz 34 Washington DC 34:25 34:24 5:33

Marine Corps Opens Wed

Chicago is full. I am going to register for Marine Corps, October 26th. See how training goes, and aim for sub 2:30 I think it is there. I will also be doing boston again. Do others have interest?

Sunday @ Brookmont Lock

View Larger Map

Jake & I are starting at 9:30am, but in the future, I too would like to start earlier to beat the heat. Christiam, maybe you can start at 8:55am, go 2.5 miles South starting from Lock 5 and then loop back to meet us at lock 5 at 9:30am.

Weekend Runs

I'm starting back up today...slow & easy.

I was thinking of running from "The Line" on Saturday...around 10am.

Any interest?

More Boston Pix

Steve Money sent me this link...I found a snapshot of me at every location where they took pictures.

http://jimrhoades.com/08/boston/

Boston Marathon Race Report

This was my first Boston, but I grew up in the marathon's shadow. I'm a native Baystater and longed to run the race long before I ever ran a step. As runners, my parents had both run Boston numerous times and I was constantly being toted up to a suburban Boston town by a Grandmother or someone to watch my parents blur past me. Before they arrived, I would marvel at the leaders who all donned singlets from countries I, as a grade schooler, had never heard of. It was an international event that ANYONE could do...if they trained.

I arrived in Massachusetts on Saturday evening. My teammate Jason Dwyer and I drove up together and we immediately hit the Boston Expo. I grabbed my number and bombed my way out the door, caught the “T” (train) and grabbed the first bus to Cape Cod. I then went into a nice leisurely rest until Monday morning.

Seven of my teammates from the Georgetown Running Company (Washington DC) had arrived in Beantown to conquer the world's most famous marathon. Five of us had a similar race plan and had trained together for the marathon since late last year. Our goal was to run between 2:30-2:35 but we narrowed our goal time to 2:33 after hitting a number of workouts at 5:54 pace. The tentative plan was to hit 13.1 in 1:17ish, maintain pace until mile 15-16 and then see what we had. We had done the work...now it was time to see what we could do.

When my bus arrived at Hopkinton a little past 8:00am the scene before me resembled a refugee camp. Skinny nervous characters donning trash bags huddled amongst each other in two large fields behind a high school. Some were jogging, some were sleeping, others simply chatted with one another, and I even saw one person doing some form of Yoga. Lines of people poured out from rows of port-a-johns.

Our team of 5 included – me, Patrick Reaves, Jason Dwyer, Patrick Murphy and Chris Bain. We found each other before the race and trekked our way to the starting line. The gun sounded and our 5-man crew pushed our way through the crowded downhills of Hopkinton. The race drops about 150ft in the first ½ mile or so but our plan was to go out conservatively and be able to “turn it on” after the hills of Newton. Reaves and I led our group at the mile (6:04) where we quickly passed Lance Armstong and his posse of Live Stong groupies. The course continues to spiral downhill pretty significantly and we fell out of our pace a little hitting mile 2 in 11:49 (5:44). Obviously the pace seemed fairly easy and we settled into a groove. Our 5-man pack began to pass some people who went out suicidal and hit miles 3 and 4 in 17:38 and 23:47 respectively (5:48s). I believe we were at 2:35 pace after the 5k. Dwyer felt the pace was a bit too quick and told us he was falling back. I half-believed him and half-anticipated him coming back up along side me in a mile, but I took a solid look around mile 5 (29:37) and didn't see him. I quipped out loud “I've lost my right arm”. Our group of 5 was now 4.

Reaves and Murphy pushed ahead while Bain and I sat behind the “two Patricks”...still passing people. We hit 5:48-5:52 miles like clockwork until we got to mile 8. Our pace had been a tad fast (wanted to be 5:54) but the downhills made it too easy. My biggest fear was feeling too good and breaking free of the pace and dipping under 5:40, but that, thankfully hadn't happened. Our pack chugged along with a group of other runners. We soon caught a huge group of runners (25) around mile 10. Realizing we'd picked the pace up (52:34 at mile 9, 58:24 at mile 10) I tried to stay relaxed and tell myself I “only had 10 miles to go until the race began” and other helpful hints that spun the race positively in my favor. I felt excellent and knew I would likely run a good time. I heard a spectator shout “get on the train, it'll be faster”. I casually glanced to the left and smiled at the freight train chugging along at 5:35 pace. I felt reserved and ready to pull the trigger and get going. Mile 12 was my fastest mile to date (5:40) and then our group began to pick it up knowing that most of the downhills were now behind us (the first 13 is straight downhill).

Before mile 13 I heard a giant roar. At first I thought something bad had happened ahead of us but then I realized we were approaching Wellesley. I muttered “holy ___”. Reaves laughed and said “yeah, really”. A deafening symphony of estrogen soon surrounded us. I flipped up my shades and smiled for the first, and only, time in the race. I ran right along the edge of the female barrier and looked at all the “kiss me” signs and tried to take it all in without picking up the pace. We hit downtown Wellesley and 13.1 in 1:16:15 and now held steady mid-5:40s for the next 3 miles or so. Without realizing it at the time, the race for the finish line was beginning. We looked around at one another. I told everyone I was going to maintain until 18, hit the hills and then see what I had left. Then I said I'd wait until mile 17. We had already picked up the pace and I didn't want to pick it up any more. I caught up to Reaves, who always runs in the front, and whispered “go ahead”. I could tell he was antsy and rearing to go, perhaps this would be his day. He said “no, I am fine right here”. Miles 13, 14 & 15 were 5:44, 5:43 & 5:49. Reaves began to pull away around here. We had picked it up but I was content on trying to hold steady. Bain, Murphy and I watched as our friend soared ahead. The pack was now 3.

We encountered our first hill at mile 16 and took it in stride surging the downhill (5:41). We then made the famous right hand turn and rounded the fire station encountering the first of the Newton Hills. The race started to feel tough around here. Murphy and I stayed even with one another up and down the hill while Bain seemed to keep pace. My mile 17 was 5:55...the slowest mile of the race up to this point (excluding mile 1). Murphy and I watched Bain silently pull ahead and then amass a huge gap. Murphy and I ran 5:55 and 5:53 over the next two miles in the midst of the Newton Hills. Bain became a distant memory. “Come back Bain” I wanted to scream, but he was soon gone...
The crowds were screaming and in your face. Murphy and I got extra attention wearing identical singlets and sporting an identical slouched posture as we battled over hill and dale. We never spoke, but we made an agreement via ESP not to hammer each other during this stretch. I pointed out the Johnny Kelley statue, but Murphy didn't care. I told him we had one more hill to go; Heartbreak Hill (where some half century ago, the famous marathoner Johnny Kelley's heart was broken when a competitor surged past him to take the win) but Murphy only muttered something unintelligible. Mile 20 (1:56:45) was run in 6:07...mile 21 (Heartbreak) was a pedestrian 6:22. Still this pace was okay...it was a hill after all? But soon thereafter, the marathon began to be a grind. As we made our descent I turned to burp/vomit but only burped and dry heaved. I was a little dehydrated but the thought of Gatorade made me nauseous. Once in awhile I'd catch the whiff of kielbasa or burgers on a grill and I had to breath out of my mouth so to not smell the culinary odors. I dry heaved at least one other time and decided no forgo all other beverages. Murphy and I were hurting pretty bad. We pushed down mile 22 (6:01) and tried to get away from the deafening Boston College crowds. I hated the cheers, I hated the noise. I wanted everyone to shut up, go home and for the love of God, I wanted everyone to stop cooking Bar BQ along the race course. “Shut up everyone” I told myself, “shut up and die...just leave me be. Let me run in peace.” I was no longer running fast and I felt as if the cheers were actually jeers and the crowd was mocking me. I wanted to get to Boston and get there quick but I wanted to get there without throwing up and/or collapsing. Murphy and I turned left at Cleveland Circle (which isn't a circle) and grunted our way forward. Mile 23 (6:19) and mile 24 (6:14) were flat as a pancake, but my legs wouldn't budge. Again the crowds were deafening and claustrophobic at times as they huddled around the course. If Murphy had worn a different singlet they might not be screaming so loud. Damn it, whose idea was it to have him wear the same singlet! I shook my head and tried to regroup telling myself I had 20 minutes to go, 15 minutes to go...10 minutes to go, but my legs wouldn't respond. I had hit the wall. Get me to the finish, just get me there. Mile 25 was 6:25; I was dying a slow death. I never realized it but Murphy had disappeared. He fell back.

Now I was alone...with a mile plus to go I crawled ahead. FINALLY I turned the corner at Hereford Street before the final turn down Boylston. My parents said they'd be at Hereford Street, but I never saw them. They were screaming at me, but I never heard them. A handful of runners limped by me but I never responded. If there was a pistol, I would have used it on myself...I was broken and beaten. I staggered home with a 6:23 last mile and immediately began to walk. I hit the finish line in 2:35:48. I've never felt so broken in my entire life. I never turned around and began to simply walk ahead looking for any place to sit down. Eventually I found a curb and decided to lie down. I know from 14 years of running this is the worse thing to do, but I didn't care. Eventually Reaves came over and lifted me up. He was hurting pretty bad too but had run a phenomenal race; 2:31 LOW. Bain had ended up in mid 2:32. Dwyer had caught Murphy and together came in just a bit behind me in 2:36. PRs all around. As a team we finished 4th. My muscles started to spasm and Dwyer advised us to get massages. I drank some water staggered about and made some small talk with my teammates. Then I began to weep.

The five of us then regrouped, the first time since mile 4 in Ashland, and headed into the massage booth. We were done.

SPLITS
6:04 6:04
11:49 5:44
17:38 5:48
23:27 5:48
29:17 5:50 29:17
35:06 5:48
40:56 5:50
46:48 5:52
52:34 5:46
58:24 5:49 29:07/58:24
1:04:12 5:48
1:09:17 5:40
1:15:12 5:44
13.1 - 1:16:14
1:21:21 5:43
1:27:10 5:49 28:46
1:32:51 5:41
1:38:48 5:55
1:44:43 5:55
1:50:37 5:53
1:56:45 6:07
2:03:07 6:22 29:53/58:21 (Heartbreak Hill)
2:09:08 6:01
2:15:27 6:19
2:21:42 6:14
2:28:08 6:25
2 = 2:35:48 6:23 pace last 1.2

BOSTON IS..........................

what it is. To me, its the best experience in running. Two days of fun capped off with a 26.2 mile run.

Great run all. Everyone ran as well as their bodies would allow which, is all that can be asked for.

I figure that the best I can do now is 2:47 or so since that is what I seem to run in my most recent marathons. The endurance is there but thats it. Speed work is needed.

otherwise,

Felt great today and simply ran the same speed more or less the entire race. The hills were fine and the crowds, awesome. Body never felt stressed.

You guys who PR'd are awesome. All of the speedwork and hard long runs have paid off.

I love this race for so many reasons.

I had a blast. After the race, my hammy was really spazzing so some lady with a WICKED strong Boston accent put me in a wheelchair and brought me to the massage tent. WICKED good service.

After that I walked 3 miles back to my house in Cambridge where I soaked in an epsom salt bath to relax the muscles. Felt great after. upon leaving the bath of glory I went to visit Klim and Co and then came home(where I am now). Presently cooking a real good dinner and having a glass of vino and just loving life. My moma bought me organic food and magic potions to speed up recovery and she has been a real support and kind soul, which always helps.

congrats to all and be proud!

___________________M

PS. Murphy, the massge guy called and asked if noon will work. Let me know if that works on your end.

Runners' High

Some of the GRC team after the race. In this pic none of us truly realizes how much pain we are in. Congrats to all.

THE STORM PART II: Team Pic

Great day for everyone. Phenomenal TEAM performance - I heard we came in fourth...at the Boston Marathon.

JARRIN

Boston Results. Congrats to All!

D-Day!

THE STORM: Part I (2008 Women's Olympic Marathon Trials)

Live from Boston, so close we could touch them. Meet your 2008 US Women's Marathon Olympic Team:


1 - Deena Kastor 2:29:35


2 - Magdalena Lewy Boulet


3 - Blake Russell


JARRIN