Sunday, December 8th - Run with Santa 5k (Reston, VA)
A group of us braved the lousy weather and drove down to Reston for this race, put on by Potomac River Running. It draws some pretty serious competition. It was very cold, windy, and was snowing moderately the entire race. On the men's side, Mark led the way, nearly taking a rear end dive at the first turn, finishing 7th in 17:03. Tunde ran 19:23 for 3rd in his AG. Mick won his AG in 20:04 and Bobby won his in 20:28.
Jess led the women's team, allegedly outkicking her husband, Jack, at the line. She won her AG and finished just outside the $ in 4th with an 18:37. Kendra was 15th in 20:36.
Our team took 2nd in the open division.
Some action shots:
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| Mark finishing |
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| Jess getting ready to kick it past Jack |
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| Tunde with zero feet on the ground |
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| Mick with a snow beard |
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| Kendra kicking it in |
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| Bobby at the awards ceremony |
Saturday, December 14th - Celtic Solstice (Baltimore)
This race is the biggest winter race in Baltimore and is very well organized by Jim Adams and Falls Road Running Store. The good news was that the rain and snow held off so the roads were dry. Too bad the hills were still there. The first 2.25 miles or so are mostly uphill, though the course changed slightly this year back to the 'old' course from a few years back. I personally found it to be a tad easier at the hills were more gradual.
Carlos ran for the win but had to settle for 3rd in 25:56. Madison was next in 26:20 (his official time was shown to be 15 seconds faster but I know it is wrong) for 4th. Mark grabbed 6th in 26:35. David ran a nice race in 27:04 for 7th. TJ, battling some lower back pain, went out hard but was forced to back it off but still ran a great time of 27:45 for 10th. Jeremy appears to be 100% healthy as he clocked 28:33 for 13th, three seconds ahead of Kevin (28:36). Chris was 16th in 28:50 and notched the top Master spot. Jason, also still on the mend, cracked the top 20 with a 29:19. Tunde ran an amazing race, getting his second elite team qualifier in 31:20. WAY TO GO TUNDE! Maurice won his AG in 31:32 as did Weems in 32:16. Bobby was 60th in 32:41 and Mick was right behind in 32:46 for the AG win.
The women also cleaned house. Julia ran with Sherry Stick for a bit but couldn't quite keep up. She was 2nd with a PR of 30:18. In her debut race, Tori ran a fantastic race taking 3rd in 30:41. Kelly took the Master win, finishing 5th in PR fashion with a 31:57. Robyn drafted off of Mick most of the race as she admittedly isn't in top form, but easily won her AG and finished 12th in 32:52. In related news, Tiff is finally back running after tearing her plantar and her and Emily (also still getting fully healthy) ran the race at a comfortable pace and rockin' Christmas apparel!
A few photos:
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| Postrace group shot...Strider Blue aplenty |
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| Emily and Tiff smiling at the camera, decked out in festive gear |
Reminder that our Annual Racing Team party is set for this Tuesday starting at 6pm at Feet First. Our Annual Christmas Lights run is Wednesday at 7pm, starting at the Swim Center (bagel run start). Finally, if anyone is looking for a low-key XC race or a tempo run, Phil is putting on his Rudolph Run 6k/Two Person Relay next Saturday at OMHS. Race starts at 10am. If you'll be around, come out and support Bullseye Running! Click the Bullseye link in the upper left corner of the page to register.
