What's that you say?...Luck? Nah, we don't need it

Well, the spring racing season has officially arrived!  The past couple of weekends featured some of the best organized and most competition local races of the year.

Getting right to it, last Sunday kicked things off with two fast races.  In DC, Mick and Tiffany took to the roads in the St. Patrick's Day 8k.  Tiffany cruised along to finish at 32:00, just outside the top 20.  Mick was right behind, clocking a 32:10 for 2nd in his AG.

Meanwhile, in Charm City, a large group participated in the Kelly's Shamrock 5k, which coincides with the St. Patty's Day parade.  As some of us did our warmup run around the bay, we noticed that the wind was blowing into our faces heading towards Key Highway.  This is a good thing, we thought.  Headwind at the beginning and tailwind on the back half.  Well, we were...WRONG!  Mother Nature decided she wanted us to earn all 3.1 miles and provided us with a headwind the entire race.  There were several PRs, including myself, Seth, Kelly, and Caroline.  Seth started his 2013 campaign the same way he did in 2012 with a PR in 16:16.  Jason, on pace for around 17:00, pulled a hamstring at 2.5 miles and had to limp to the finish.  Hoping this doesn't mess up his Boston plans!  Kelly crushed 6:00 pace, running 18:24 and winning some $ for first Master while Caroline continued her assault en route to Boston, running a 40+ second PR of 19:06.  Chris Chattin is healthy again and ran an impressive 16:57.  His son, Anders, ran 20:31, representing the Junior Striders in style.  Vicki beat her pre-race goal as she continues to get back into shape, running 20:41.  Complete team results as follows:

Mark Buschman    15:26    2nd
Seth Geoghegan    16:16    9th    2nd (M30-39)
Steve Olenick    16:46    14th    3rd (M30-39)

Chris Chattin    15th    1st (M45-49)
Craig Lebro    17:23    24th   
Jason Tripp    17:44    29th    2nd (M40-44)
Tunde Morakinyo    18:28    41st    3rd (M45-49)
John Chall    19:25    58th    1st (M55-59)
           
Kelly Westlake    18:24    7th    1st Master

Caroline Bauer    19:04    10th
Vicki Lang    20:41    17th    2nd (F40-44)

Here's some action shots, courtesy of Carlos:

Pre-race (left to right): Madison, Carlos, Jason, Steve, Seth,  and Mark

Mark rolling down Pratt Street en route to a 2nd place finish

Seth's final steps to another 5k PR!

Steve kicking it in

Chris rounding the final turn

Kelly running sub 18:30!

Nice running form, Caroline!

Vicki cruising down Charles Street in the fast first mile

 Yesterday, Kevin and Kelly rolled at the Rock 'N Roll USA Half Marathon in DC.  Some of the Falls Road guys informed me the course was quite hilly, making it tough for a PR.  I'm not sure if Kevin ran a PR, but if not he was close, clocking a 1:16:16 for 31st.  Kelly was just outside of a PR, running 1:25:23 for 22nd and 2nd Master.  In Reston, VA, Tiffany hit the roads in the Lucky Leprechaun 5k where she broke 20 again, 19:51 for 11th.  I'm still awaiting B&A Trail Half Marathon results but I know Caroline toed the line and Tacy made her return to the racing scene, running 1:35:45 for 2nd in her AG.  Welcome back Tacy!

The big races (Cherry Blossom, Clyde's, Boston) are only a few weeks away, let's keep getting at it!!!

WE'RE BBBBBAACCKKKK

For the loyal blog followers, you have probably been asking yourself if this blog even still exists.  Well, I'm here to tell you that it does and it will be operating in full force from here on out!  I've got a lot of catching up to do since 2013 arrived, so here goes nothing....

The first performance of the year will undoubtedly be one of the craziest ones ever!  Keith flew to Hawaii, not to enjoy the beaches, sun, or coconuts, but to run one of the most challenging races the planet has to offer....HURT 100.  After experiencing Leadville with him last summer, I thought for sure he wouldn't be dumb enough to do another one of these, but I was wrong.  I don't believe anyone had ever cracked the 24 hour barrier before this year.  Our boy persevered, saw the sun rise twice, crossing the finish line in 32:37:00!!

Keith needs to see a psychiatrist...

Jessica kicked off the New Year running her longest race ever...the High Cloud Snapple Half.   Of course she PR'd, but cracked 90 minutes in her debut...1:29:43 in snowy conditions.  Meanwhile, in Lexington, KY, Conrad repped it hard at the USATF XC National Championship.  On a tough 12k course, he finished 89th in 43:20 and was the first Master in the open men's race.

Superbowl Sunday meant is was Penguin Pace day.  We had a small group run it this year.  I wonder why...oh yes, the course is hilly, it's usually cold as shit, and the competition is PATHETIC.  Weems was the lone wolf on the men's side, running 19:58 for 7th.  The ladies cleaned house.  Tiffany won in 20:06, with Robyn not far behind in 3rd (20:54) after a rough night with a bottle of wine so I've heard....

Saturday February 9th was filled with ultras.  Keith partook in the Holiday Lake 50k, finishing 5th in 4:02:10.  Meanwhile, in Rockburn Park, Adam ran the Mid-Maryland 50k, coming in 3rd in 4:09:10 with sloppy trail conditions on the 5-loop course.

And now to the Main Event, a week ago was everyone's favorite race...Club Challenge.  Though the course is awful, I gotta tell you the weather was unbeatable for this time of the year.  Temperature was in the mid 30s and the winds were light (except along Freetown Road).  I had a good feeling about our team this year, with most everyone healthy and running well.  The gun went off and we shot down Hickory Ridge like bats outta hell.  The lead pack went through Mile 1 in +/- 4:45.  We had a couple PRs (that I am aware of)....Kevin (57:28) and Steve (57:36).  The men's and women's teams won but we were edged 559-557 by Falls Road in the coed competition (with the large, but ugly trophy).  That has to be the closest margin of victory in race history!  After the race, people were complaining about the scoring.  The fact is Howard County has hundreds of runners and many of non-scoring males displaced many of our women scorers which costs us.  However, many of the top Falls Road ladies were down in New Orleans kicking it at the Rock 'N Roll New Orleans half.  Had they been in Columbia on Sunday, we still would have lost and the scoring wouldn't have been as close.  Congrats to our I-95 rivals!  We'll get 'em next year.  Here's a summary of the Striders results:

Mark Buschman    54:14    4th
Andrew Madison    55:36    8th
Kevin Ford    57:28    14th
Steve Olenick    57:36    15th
Kent Werner    57:59    17th
Seth Geoghegan    59:04    21st
Jason Tripp    59:38    26th
Craig Lebro    59:48    29th
Keith Levasseur    59:59    31st
Maurice Pointer    1:05:08    85th
Weems McFadden    1:05:39    95th
Phil Lang    1:06:11    105th
Tunde Morakinyo    1:07:42    127th
Mick Slonaker    1:08:15    136th
       
Kelly Westlake    1:05:02    3rd
Jessica Ivy    1:05:54    5th
Caroline Bauer    1:06:45    9th
Robyn Humphrey    1:08:11    15th
Tiffany Hevner    1:08:55    18th
Dorothy Beckett    1:15:03    44th

Shout out Brian Harvey and Kyle Stanton for being in town and helping us out.  Brian, last year's New England Runner of the Year, set a course record in 51:00 while Kyle, closing out a 140 mile week, came in 2nd in 52:25.  Also, congrats to Jessica for running an amazing race and qualifying for the elite team!  She's going to be a force to be reckoned with this Spring and into the Fall...WATCH OUT LADIES!!!

Here's some photos (thanks Denise) and a video (courtesy of Carlos) put together of the finish...

Brian running alone crushing the course record

Yours truly

Madison had a rough 2nd half, but he's tough as nails

Steve....pronator?

Seth regretting he didn't wear a singlet

Jason wasn't the first master in this one...guess they finally drug tested him...

Keith ran 6:00 pace to the 'T' today

Kelly is pretty fast...don't you think?

Is that a smile Jess?

Robyn in professional running attire

I know Mick has been dreaming about running this course again since he's been back in the States

Tiffany kicking it in

Dorothy in beast mode!

AWESOME JOB EVERYONE!!!  It will only get warmer and we'll be kicking some ass come April!!!

Race Packet Fall 2012 Regional Runner Rankings

James Moreland, formerly of Washington Running Report, now works for Race Packet and has jump started his regional runner rankings.

Men: http://www.racepacket.com/rrrank/rrrwrap.php?id=7

Women: http://www.racepacket.com/rrrank/rrrwrap.php?id=8

Congrats (with a grain of salt) to those mentioned...but let's be real, these rankings are BS!!!

RRCA 10 Mile Club Challenge Registration NOW OPEN!

Registration is NOW OPEN for this race.  For those on the racing team, this race is mandatory unless you are injured.  We need everyone to bring their A-game if we are going to have a chance against our cross town rivals...FALLS ROAD

I believe the race is capped at 1,000 runners so don't wait too long to sign up.

http://www.striders.net/races/rrca/2013/registration/

Celtic Solstice Recap & Season's Greetings

Saturday featured the last big local year of the calendar year...Celtic Solstice 5 Miler

From personal experience, this is the first year I've made it to the start line to participate between in climate weather and injuries.  The race has grown exponentially since it's debut in 2000 from around a hundred people to approximately 3,000 finishers in 2012.  Major props to Jim Adams and the Falls Road Running Store for putting on this great event!

As we rolled into the large tent to get our bib numbers, the feel of Old Man Winter was certainly in the air.  If you weren't wearing a hat and gloves, you were being looked at as a total idiot.

The starting 'shout-out' went off just past 8:30am and the large herd of runners headed up the 1/2 mile incline into Druid Hill Park.  It was pleasant to see some of the younger runners (high schoolers maybe?) shoot out to the front of the pack then immediately lose their stride as the real incline began.  Never fails to amuse!

We had some impressive performances to close out the 2012 racing season.  Carlos, the race's perennial bridesmaid as he's now known for five 2nd place finishes, led for a portion of the race but was outkicked going around the lake and had to settle for yet another, but ran a PR of 25:35 and solidified his MVR status.  Mark followed in the distance, dying around 3.5 miles due to stomach cramping, crossing the line in 26:26 for 7th.  Steve and Jason had a photo finish finishing 16th and 18th respectively, in 28:10 and 28:12.  Weems and John wrote another chapter in their rivalry with Weems taking the cake, 30:57 to 31:28.  Tunde followed in 31:51 for 56th and Bobby was 64th in 32:17.

The ladies cleaned house as well.  Robyn posted yet another top 5 finish in 32:38.  Caroline finished her breakout 2012 in 7th clocking a 33:12.  Dorothy took care of business in GM division in 34:41.

All in all, every Strider mentioned above took top honors in their respective age group (which was only one deep), with the exception of John and Bobby who are the same age at Weems.  AWESOME JOB EVERYONE!!!  Now for a few pics...

Carlos all alone in 2nd

Steve closing out an amazing 2012 comeback

Jason taking another Master's win...ROIDER??

Weems making it look easy after an 8 month injury layoff

Tunde's game face

Bobby in picture perfect stride

Caroline taking care of the boys per the usual

Just a few studs partaking in a studly postrace photoshoot

Lastly, for my dedicated (but quiet) readers, we want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!  Can't wait to see what 2013 (if we can get past 12/21/12 alive)...

...A 2012 Year in Review will follow in the not so distant future...

Shamrock 5k Registration NOW OPEN

Probably the best local race of the Spring:


http://charmcityrun.com/page.cfm?pageid=33&eid=1150

Penguin Pace 5k

The Striders Annual Super Bowl Sunday race is set for 2013.  Registration is available here:

http://www.active.com/5k-race/columbia-md/penguin-pace-february-3-2013

This race usually fills up pretty quick.  For elite members, you will get a reimbursable entry.

A Sprint to the Finish with a Turkey Filled Stomach

I hope everyone reading this had an awesome Thanksgiving!

To my surprise, we had a light turnout at the Turkey Trots this year.  As a matter of fact, Kevin was the only one to partake in the competitive ring.  He ran the 76th Annual Manchester (CT) Road Race, a very popular and competitive 4.75 mile race.  The winner averaged 4:30/mi this year!  Kevin clocked 26:42 for 106th overall.

Saturday morning featured the NCR Trail Marathon, starting up in Sparks, MD.  It was chilly and quite windy.  Keith, battling a knee issue, had to put his legs to the test in what sources say was an all-out sprint to the finish line for 2nd place, with Keith emerging victorious in 2:53:17.  Tunde ran a solid race, coming in 22nd at 3:12:49 and winning his AG.

Sunday morning, somewhere in paradise, Robyn made a racing appearance at the Bacardi 5 Miler in Bermuda.  I can only imagine that the weather conditions were much closer to optimal this back in MD.  She ran 33:00 for 3rd.  I wonder if post-race Bacardi shots were included in the entry fee...?

We're hoping to see more people under the lights at OMHS on Wednesday evenings at 6pm for some winter workouts.  This is a great opportunity we've been provided and it only makes sense to take advantage!

The End of Fall and the start of the Dark Ages...

Well, this weekend marks (in my mind) the last big racing weekend of the Fall.  It's been one heck of a season for most of us, dating back to mid-September.  We had some incredible performances at 26.2, with PRs all over the place.  Now the short, dark, and cold days of Winter begin.  A time when many hang up the racing flats and hibernate to the pantry, a select and dedicated few of us continue training knowing that we don't want to start the 2013 racing year off with a 2nd place finish when 1st was there for the taking...

And now for a quick recap of the results...

Saturday kicked it off with the Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon in NC.  Phil took to the streets, in search of completing marathon #46 on his quest for 50 by age 50.  He has been running so well as of late, I told him sub-2:55 was in the cards.  His post-race analysis indicated the course was pretty hilly, but he managed to pull off one of his fastest marathons in recent memory, running 2:57:12 for 12th overall and 3rd Master.

Meanwhile, down in MoCo, our ultra boys, Keith and Adam, took to the trails at the Stone Mill 50 Mile Run.  Keith battled what he's diagnosed a strained muscle in the back of his knee and really had to fight the last 10 miles or so to finish.  I know he wanted to win the race this year.  He still managed a very respectable 7:40:22 for 5th.  Adam wasn't far behind in 8th, crossing the line in 7:59:02.  I can't imagine either of these weekend warriors will be racing these insane distances until March, but who the hell knows!

Sunday featured a pair of low-key races.  In West Friendship, Joseph Keating put on the 5k Run For Food, a canned food drive for the homeless for his Eagle Scout project.  It was cold, and the course was quite challenging.  Joey Thompson took the easy win in 15:47.  Mark came in a distance 2nd, running 16:25.  Peter looked strong, taking 3rd and the Master $, running 16:57.  Jason was 4th in 17:28.

In Annapolis, our rejuvenated grandmaster crew partook in the Cold Turkey 10k.  James Blackwood (not a GM) took the overall crown.  Weems, continuing to work back from injury, returned to his winning ways in the 55-59 division, finishing 8th in 38:14.  His rival, John, wasn't far behind, with a 39:11 for 9th.

Lastly, up at the Philadelphia Marathon, I wanted to give a shout out to Hafiz Shaikh, who has worked his butt off this summer following (one of) Pfitzinger's marathon training plans.  He ran a 12-minute PR and earned a BQ, clocking a 3:04:24.  Way to go Hafiz!!!

Best of luck to anyone participating in a Turkey Trot tomorrow morning.  And to anyone who actually reads this damn thing, Happy Thanksgiving from the Striders Racing Team to you and your family!!!  If you're running Celtic Solstice, remember control yourself so you don't show up to the starting line 5-10 pounds heavier!!!

FLASH: Coach Phil breaks 3 hours in Charlotte...

The ageless one completed #46 in an amazing 2:57:12 at the Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon this morning!  He was 12th overall on the men's side and 3rd Master.  WAY TO GO PHIL!!!

In related news, the female winner ran a whopping 2:38!

Forget English, we going Metric up in here...

It was another big weekend on the local race front.  The revamped Columbia Metric Marathon Festival, in its 36th year, has a new race director, Grace Tran.  I heard she did a heck of job putting on this event in her inaugural year.

The Metric Marathon is the headline race and is 26.2k, or 16.3 miles of Howard County hills.  Just when you start to get your legs back turning onto Frederick Road around Mile 6, you get knocked in the face with Toll House Road.  It was a good year for the crew.  Jason led the way, running a solid 1:39:44 for 2nd.  Adam wasn't far behind in 3rd with a 1:40:20.  Mick, fresh off his return to the States, showed his NYC Marathon training in Oslo paid off, running 1:53:48 and winning the 60-69 AG.  Bobby had a tough battle in the 50-59 AG getting beat for the win, but crossing the finish line in 1:56:11.

On the ladies side, Robyn continued to exemplify her agelessness, finishing 2nd in 1:55:10.  Last year's big surprise, Donna, finished with the boys once again in 1:57:24 for 3rd.

In the Metric 5k, Kelly blasted the competition for the win in 18:59.  Caroline made a rare appearance in a short race, finishing 3rd in 19:55.  Samantha was 4th in 20:55.  Awesome job ladies!

Meanwhile in DC, Carlos and I decided to take on a solid field at the Veteran's Day 10k in West Potomac Park.  The race features heavy hitters from GRC and Pacers Race Team.  Carlos, shooting for sub 31:00, didn't have his best day, but still ran 31:53 for 10th.  Yours truly had a good race, despite getting a stomach cramp at Mile 4.5, crushing my old (open) 10k PR, finishing 13th in 32:11.  In related news, a former Howard High stud and baller at UNC Greensboro, Joey Thompson is back in town for the short term and has been training with us as of late.  He outclassed the field coming in 2nd overall in 29:57!  If his doesn't leave us for Charlotte, NC, he will be a huge asset come Club Challenge time!

Caroline celebrating 3rd in the 5k!

Tired Jason?





Welcome back Mick.  The hills missed ya... 

GO COACH BOBBY!

Is Robyn really smiling?

Donna even wore a hydration pack for the occasion

FLASH: BRITT LANG = MD 2A XC CHAMPION

A few short hours ago, Britt Lang, daughter of the infamous Phil and Vicki Lang, became the 2A Maryland Cross Country Champion killing the competition with a 19:21 on the tough Hereford course, beating 2nd place by nearly 30 seconds!  She led the OM Scorpions to a 2nd place finish on the girl's side...

WAY TO GO BRITT!!!

Whoever said eating grapes was tougher than running through them must have been drunk...

With only a couple weeks left in the Fall racing season, it's now or never to crank out those last ditch PR efforts.  However, this past weekend did not present favorable racing courses...

On Saturday morning, Keith ventured to Lynchburg, VA to take on the infamous Mountain Masochist 50 Miler.  Sources says this is a very difficult, but scenic trail run through the Shenendoah.  This year, post Hurricane Sandy left upwards of a foot of snow on the high (relatively speaking) slopes.  As he always does, Keith battled through, crossing the finish line in 8:37:18, good for 10th.

Sunday presented one of the Striders' big time races, Run Through The Grapevine 8k.  Race director, Jason Tripp, will tell you that this is a fun race but the reality is those non-stop brutal hills will beat you down, no matter what shape you're in.  It was quite chilly at the race start.  There was a sizeable lead pack through the first mile and a half.  I recall spotting the aforementioned Keith in the lead for a bit.  Adam and Steve battled for the top spot all race long, until an unfortunate miscue with a course marshal resulted in a missed turn and top 10 finishes.  Seth returned from the DL after a bust-out spring, running 32:32.

In the ladies race, Donna showed she's right back where she left off pre-injury, finishing 3rd on the women's side behind WRRC studs, Sherry Stick and Jill Krebs.  Sam also produced a top 10 finish, clocking a 38:11 for 6th.

A summary of the results:

Keith Levasseur 32:20 9th
Seth Geoghegan 32:32 11th
Adam Wytko 33:30 14th
Steve Olenick 33:31 15th
John Chall 34:26 21st
 
Donna Wecker 36:30 3rd
Samantha Matthews 38:11 6th
Dorothy Beckett 40:16 12th

 

Now for some pictures....

 

Keith, the day after a 50 Miler...CRAZY!

Seth reppin' Beantown

Adam and Steve hiding their frustration well

John wearing a shirt?!?!



Donna in the zone



Sam staring at the finish line







HOORAH! Rocking the streets of the Nation's Capital

Well, the time had finally come....

THE MARINE CORPS MARATHON

With forecasters predicting a real whammy from the approaching Hurricane Sandy, the organizers and runners of this race could have cared less what Mother Nature had in store.  It appears as though the weather wasn't terrible other than gusty winds, particularly while crossing the bridges into and out of the District.

We had a strong male trio competing this year: Keith, Conrad, and Kevin.  Keith, a former Marine, ran his PR of 2:38 at this race last year.  To our surprise, he decided to wear shoes...what an idiot!  Conrad recaps running with a fellow Navy teammate until Mile 14 where he fell off and he met up with Keith.  These guys ran together until Mile 20 or so before Conrad picked up the pace and claimed a top 25 finish and 3rd Master.  Keith was right behind him.  Kevin, in his debut marathon, went out at a comfortable pace going thru the half in 1:23.  We've all told him all summer that he had a good shot to break 2:50 if he ran smart.  Judging by the splits, he tailed off a bit the last few miles but crushed his goal of 3 hours, running 2:53 and setting a high standard for future 26.2 adventures.  Official results:

Conrad Orloff 2:41:07 24th
Keith Levasseur 2:41:43 26th
Kevin Ford 2:53:13 72nd

 

In related news, Phil Lang held his 2nd Annual 9k Around The Fairway race at The Timbers at Troy golf course in Elkridge.  To everyone's surprise, he decided to participate this year and took home top honors, clocking a 34:25.

 

We have another big weekend coming up with the NYC Marathon.  Adam Wytko and Hall of Famer, Mick Slonaker will be running through the Big Apple.  Hopefully the city will be back up and running by then.  Also on Sunday, the Run Through the Grapevine 8k will take place on the grounds of Linganore Winecellars.  Regardless of the condition of the course, I know the hills will be calling everyone's name!

 

Thoughts and prayers out to everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy!  At least we all have running to fall back on as a secondary means of transportation.



FLASH: Unofficial MCM results

It was cloudy and windy which made the running conditions less than ideal.  Kevin smoked 3 hours in his marathon debut!  Unofficial results as follows:

Conrad Orloff 2:41:07 24th

Keith Levasseur 2:41:43 26th
Kevin Ford 2:53:13 72nd PR

 

WAY TO GO FELLAS!!!!!

ATM Recap and Our World Record Holder Gets International Coverage

It was a quite weekend on the race front.  Sunday morning featured one of the largest and most competitive races in the MD/DC area...the Army 10 Miler.  Our crew was smaller than normal this year.  The headline of the race was  the long awaited return of grandmaster, Weems McFadden.  Weems has been battling lingering injuries for much of the past year but has finally gotten healthy and restarted his racing career.  My sources tell me he's been running 50 mile weeks and slowly throwing in some faster runs.  It's always fun to watch him go head to head with fellow rival John Chall for grandmaster AG wins.  The weather on Sunday was quite nice.  The course was allegedly about 0.1 miles long.  Results as follows:

 

Mark Buschman 53:44 44th PR
Weems McFadden 1:03:44 441st
John Chall 1:03:48 449th 

Meanwhile, in Ohio, Adam ran his fifth race in as many weekends (including four consecutive marathons), the Youngtown Peace 10k Race.  He indicated his legs didn't have lots of spring in them, but he still managed a respective 35:29, good for 25th overall and 4th in his AG.

In related news, Keith received some international press for his World Record marathon run in flip flops at Baltimore two weekends ago.  A reporter from Yajiuma! TV in Japan contacted Carlos asking for permission to run a story on Keith's amazing feat.  Here is the article posted on the TV station's website:

We have a big weekend ahead.  Keith, Conrad, and Kevin take on the Marine Corps Marathon in DC on Sunday.  Good luck fellas...GET SOME!!!  If anyone reading this is also running the marathon or 10k, good luck to you as well!

Baltimore Running Festival

There was plenty to celebrate at the 12th annual Baltimore Running Festival this past weekend.  The festival, consisting of a 5k, half marathon, marathon, team relay, and kids fun run, brought together a record attendance of 27,000 runners and an estimated half a million visitors.  It was the 6th year in a row that the event has sold out.  Among the throngs of runners, there were plenty of  royal blue and navy Striders/Bullseye Running singlets to be spotted.

In the marquee event, the marathon, four Striders finished in the top 50.  The top finisher for the Striders was none other than our resident mileage king, Keith Levasseur, who decided that running a marathon with shoes was not enough of a challenge for him.  Instead he opted for some "comfortable" flip flops to carry him across the distance. His time of 2:46:58, was good for 29th overall and set the Guinness World Record for world's fastest marathon in flip flops.

Only a few minutes behind Keith were Jason Tripp (2:48:24, 31st), Peter Keating (2:52:47, 38th) , and Adam Wytko (2:53:34, 41st).  Jason's time was good for 3rd in the master's category (40+).

Starting concurrently with the marathon was the team relay.  On the men's side, the Bullseye Running team, consisting of Carlos Renjifo, Phil Lang, Tom Williams, and Mark Buschman, was looking to repeat as winners for the third year straight.  On the women's side, the Bullseye Running Ladies (Kelly Westlake, Vicki Lang, BeaMarie Altieri, Robyn Humphrey) were trying to go for the win as well.  The men faced stiff competition from a team of UMBC alumni (Adventures for the Cure), while the ladies had to contend with a very strong women's team from the Falls Road Running Store.

In the women's relay race, the Bullseye ladies took an early lead over Falls Road, as Kelly Westlake ran a superb first leg, giving the team almost a two minute lead over their rivals.  This lead, however, was short-lived, as Falls Road's second leg ran a tremendously fast and essentially put the chance of victory out of reach.  This fact did not seem to deter the Strider/Bullseye women, who ran their hearts out, with Vicki running a gutsy second leg (48:39), followed by Strider hall of famer Bea Marie (41:54) on the third leg, and a very strong finish by Robyn on the final leg (48:02).  Even though they finished 4 minutes behind the Falls Road team, they obliterated the team behind them by nearly 14 minutes, with a time of 2:54:40.  Oh ... and one more thing I forgot to mention ... these women are all 41 years young or better, which makes the feat all the more remarkable!

In the men's relay race the race ended up being a nail-biter.  Carlos led off with a fantastic first leg, which saw him handing off to Phil almost a minute and a half in front of the UMBC team and nearly a minute in front of the top Kenyan's in the marathon.  Phil ran a brilliant leg, which was over 90 seconds faster than his previous best over that leg of the race.  Although the Bullseye team was caught by the UMBC team, Phil's effort limited the gap to a little over 30 seconds, which kept the team in contention.  On the third leg, Tom cut the gap to less than 10 seconds, giving Mark the opportunity to take a shot at the victory.  Mark did not disappoint,  as he threw in a few surges early in his leg to close the gap and take the lead.  Despite being taken off course by the pace bike, Mark kept his composure and came home strong with a convincing victory over their challengers.  The time of 2:23:54 was almost 6 minutes better than last year thanks to great performances across the board.

Other racing team members running on relay teams included Caroline Bauer (The Usual Suspects, 2nd coed team, 2:53:15) and Dorothy Beckett (Run4Chocolate, 4th female team, 3:13:46).

Finally, there was the half marathon, where John Chall and Stephen Olenick represented the team.  John ran 1:20:16, which was good for 2nd in the grandmaster category (50+).

But by far the best performance of the day (in my humble opinion) was Stephen Olenick's 1:15:05 half marathon, good for 5th place overall.  The time was a huge PR for Steve on a very challenging course.  The feat becomes even more impressive when you consider that only two years ago, after setting  a PR in the Baltimore Marathon (2:48:08), Steve was seriously injured and sidelined from running for 18 months.  In less than 6 months, Steve has gotten himself back into top form and is arguably in the best shape of his life at the ripe old age of 36!  Way to go Steve!

Congratulations to all who raced.  Here are some pictures/videos, courtesy of Brian Fleming and Issel Lim:

Adam, finishing his 4th marathon in 4 weeks.

Master superstar, Jason Tripp running a solid sub-2:49 marathon.

John, either flexing his muscles, or pumped up to finish 2nd in the grandmaster category of the half marathon.

Keith in his flip flops.  Looks like he still has some spring in that stride!

Mark in some patriotic attire.  No better way to celebrate a three-peat.

Robyn brings in the Bullseye Running ladies team.

Steve, in the form of his life, and probably wearing a singlet in a race for the first time in 2 years (he usually runs shirtless).  The Striders logo looks great on you, buddy!

Mark, Carlos, and Tom pose for a picture after a thrilling relay victory.

Mark at the end of the race, showing his finishing speed.

More pictures are available on the Striders Website and the Racing Team Picasa Album.

Striders Receive Honors from Howard County Recs & Parks

On October 9th, 2012, racing team members Bobby Gessler and Carlos Renjifo and former Junior Strider Corey Hamilton were recognized at the 10th Annual Howard County Celebration of Sports Event hosted by Howard County Recreation & Parks at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, MD.

Bobby Gessler, a long-time Strider, received a Goodsports Coach of the Year award for his involvement with the Howard County Junior Striders program.  The award specifically recognizes "the coach's commitment, dedication, preparation, respect for officials, teaching skills, emphasis on teamwork, team ethics, leadership, motivation, sportsmanship and patience in their work with youth and adult sports."

Carlos Renjifo, our racing team captain, received a Goodsports Adult Player of the Year award, recognizing his "dedication, respect for teammates, leadership, community service, attitude, commitment to practice, respect for coaches and respect for officials."

Corey Hamilton, a participant in the Howard County Junior Striders for many years, was awarded a Youth Player of the Year award, recognizing his running talents and "dedication, respect for teammates, leadership, community service, attitude, commitment to practice, respect for coaches and respect for officials."

Also in attendance were fellow Striders and Hall of Fame members Phil Lang and David Tripp.

In addition to the coaching and player awards, several officials were recognized and 7 new individuals were inducted into the Howard County Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame.  The keynote speaker was Scott Foster, Howard County resident and active NBA referee.

Photos of the event will be available soon here: http://countyofhowardmd.us/celebrationofsports.htm

Congratulations to All!

Carlos and Bobby show off their awards.

5k Run For Food - November 18, 2012

Joseph Keating, son of the great Peter Keating, is putting on this race as part of an Eagle Scout project.  Phil is helping him out with it.  The course is located on the grounds of the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship.  I know it comes right after the fall marathon push, but if you're around and still healthy, please consider doing it and supporting him.  Registration link is here:

http://www.active.com/running/west-friendship-md/5k-run-for-food-and-1-mile-fun-run-2012

What Time Is It?....PR TIME!!!

I was remiss in picking up any of race results from two weekends ago so let's start there...

Dorothy Beckett kicked off the action on Saturday, 9/29 cruising to an age group win at the College Park Cares 5k, running 21:20 for 7th.  Marathon connoisseur, Adam Wytko kicked off his three marathons in three weeks in Akron, OH, clocking a 2:50:01 for 16th in what I was told was a comfortable effort. 

On Sundau, 9/30, our Ironman, Keith Levasseur went down in enemy territory and took the overall crown at the hilly Falls Road 15k, nailing a PR in 54:50.  SSSWEEETTT!  Pekka and I participated in the BWI Airport 4 Miler.  We both used it as a hard tempo run.  I got outkicked in the last 100m and had to settle for a roundtrip ticketless 2nd, but ran a good race given the 13 miles the day before in 20:18.  Pekka won the 'Furthest Traveled' award and hit his pre-race goal of sub 22, clocking 21:50 for 7th and 2nd in his age group.  I can't believe he'll be a master in a couple months!

Now onto the this past weekend.  Caroline and Craig took their talents to the Windy City for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.  Race morning conditions were damn near perfect (maybe a bit chilly).  I streamed the end of the men's race and they were clocking mid 4:30s from Mile 22 on.  Craig ran a BIG PR, running 2:44:03.  Caroline followed suit, clocking nearly even splits and a HUGE PR in 3:14:43.  All those scorching summer miles must have paid off!!!

Kevin Ford headed down to Alexandria, VA to run the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon for a second straight year; this year as a tune-up for Marine Corps.  Not sure if it was quite a PR or not, but he cracked the top 20 in a pretty competitive field with a 1:16:03.  Adam ran marathon #2 of 3, this time in Johnstown, PA.  This is usually the Karsten Brown show but he beat him by 5+ minutes, running 2:53:07 for 4th and unfortunately out of the money (?!?!), but taking his age group.

It was certainly an awesome start to the Fall racing season and it just keeps getting better.  Good luck to everyone partaking in the Baltimore Running Festival this Saturday!  I hope to see many of you out there!