Golf and German Endurance Fest

It has been another long break from blogging.  Too much to really go into, other than it has just been crazy busy.  With three kids in sports, our annual golf outing on May 17, 2012, and training for another Ironman, I just have not had a ton of motivation to blog about why I am so busy and can’t blog.  Instead this post will be about our golf outing and my latest race.

Every year, the Abington Fitness Institute (my work) has its annual golf outing and raises money for Our Lady of Confidence Day School in Willow Grove, PA.   We had a great turnout and raised  $6,280.00 for OLC.  OLC is a school of special education serving children with Down Syndrome and other cognitive/physical impairments.  OLC has two locations serving children from ages 4.5-14 in Willow Grove, and 15-21 at Bishop McDevitt High School.  Our donation to Our Lady of Confidence will go directly to their Tuition Assistance Program, and will help many families.  The school is very appreciative of the support!  In seven years we have donated over $45,700.00 to their Tuition Assistance Program.

I wanted to offer a special thanks to the 50/50 winner who donated a portion of their winnings back to the event.  I also wanted to thank the staff and member volunteers of the Abington Fitness Institute for all their hard work in getting everyone checked in, making cookies for your bags, getting the gifts distributed, and for all their help in preparing for the day. 

Now, the latest race report. 

I competed in the Dirty German Endurance Fest (http://www.uberendurancesports.com/Dirtygerman.html) on May 20, 2012.  This event has a 25K, 50K, & 50 mile race distance.  I competed in the 25K (15.5 miles).  The race is run by the ÜBER ENDURANCE SPORTS Group.  This is the third race of theirs I have done.  They are awesome events that are a lot of fun, and not overly Type A’ish if you know what I mean.  Most of their races are trail runs, so the atmosphere is different.  Very competitive race, but a laid back event.  Lots of people dress up as German Beer Waitresses or in Lederhosen, so there are lots to look at.

The race itself was pretty good.  The start is a cattle shoot with everyone heading towards two 90 degree turns so you can hit the trails.  My plan was to try and carry an 8 minute pace on these trails, which would be pretty good.  Most of the race is single track, so passing is a little tough.  After the first 3 miles the crowd thinned and I settled in with a group of about 8 runners, 7 men and 1 women.  We were all around the same pace give or take the steepness of a hill, slipperiness of a rock, or depth of a creek crossing. 

We made a big loop, with a sort of figure 8 at one point.  Right around 7.75 miles I noticed it was just me the women together.  We were heading back to the start along a 2-mile section of paved bike path..nice and flat.  She had some support out there with her husband meeting her along the sections where the trail crossed a fire road, or the bike path.  I was slugging along, suffering from a few beers on Saturday night with Cathy and the Ellison Family. 

The last 4 miles are real technical, lots of switchbacks, tight single track.  No big deal other than the 50 mile participants are coming at you.  On one section I joked with three runners coming at me about a tight turn they would have and they needed a “blinker” so other runners could see them coming.  As soon as I said blinker, down I went right onto the shoulder I dislocated last year.  I thought I just ended my Ironman training, but I jumped up and the shoulder seemed ok.  Just some muscle soreness the next two days but no structural damage thank god.

When you get close to the finish line, about ½ mile out you can hear the German music and accordion, so you know you are coming down the stretch.  As we headed towards the finish I held back some so the lady in front of me could have her moment at the finish line area, she was in 2^nd place for women after all, and I could see her husband waiting.  Little did I know he was waiting because he had food for her 2^nd loop, she was doing the 50K.  I went on by and crossed at 2:01:13.  Good enough for 8^th overall and 2^nd in my age group.

Best Finisher Item!

2nd Age Group

This was my last stand alone run race, and now have Mooseman 70.3 in 10 days.  This weekend is my first BIG DAY training.  Saturday will call for 1 hour swim, 90-minute break; 5 hour bike ride, 90-minute break, and finally a 2 hour run.  Sunday will be recovery with a pool party at a friend’s house.  Gonna try and get back to the blog a little more, I think it helps to keep me motivated.

Long Strange Trip

Well it has been a long lapse in posting.  I don't have any good reason either.  EVERYONE is busy with their life.  I am no different.  I have three great kids, and they all started baseball/softball with some extra zest the past couple weeks.  This means the nights are crazy busy.

My oldest daughter Kristina, has practice 1 night a week, then games on Sunday late afternoon.  Emma has practice 2 days a week and games, sometimes 1 game, sometimes 2.  Conor has practice 1 night and games on Saturday mornings.  That leaves not much weeknight time for the family.  Thank god Emma's Girls Scouts are coming to a close.

Last year, the evenings were great in late Spring/Summer because I could train hard in the day time, and kickback at night.  Not this year.  I don't mind having the sports details, but I feel guilty if I just sit on the side like a bump on  a log and not interact with the other parents or coaches.

I'll give a quick Broad Street Run Report from 5/6/12.  The BSR is the largest 10 miler in the USA now, 38,000 registered runners and 33,977 finished.  It was a perfect day, cool in the AM and slight breeze at our back.  With 38,000 registered runners you can imagine the logistics.  From my perspective, everything went fine.  Easy drive to the finish area, easy parking at the stadium, easy ride up to the start on the subway, and easy to line up in the corrals.  The only problem I notices was the same I see at every race no matter the size...not enough port-potties.  That happens at every race!

I finished in 1:07:24 officially.  My Garmin said 1:06:30, I had to stop in a port potty along the way.  I was 791/33,977, or in the top 2.3%.  I was about 4 minutes slower than last year, which I am ok with.  I have not kicked the last 15lbs I am holding yet, so I figure it was like I ran with a Pot Roast with me.  I held a 6:44 pace which was part of my goal.

I felt pretty good with it overall and the course is awesome, straight slight downhill.  Nice tempo run training day is how I looked at it.