Final Message

One last message before we all travel to New Hope tomorrow for the much anticipated Bucks County Blue & Orange Track & Field Day:

I have heard concerns from multiple runners, from both teams.  Unneeded concerns, like I’ve never done anything like this before, or maybe I’m too old, and even I don’t want to let my team down.  I say bottle up all that nervous energy, swat away those pesky butterflies fluttering in your bellies, crack open a “cold one” and relax.  Seriously!  The sound of “Track Meet” has you all worked up over nothing.  At the end of the day tomorrow not a single one of us will have a deal in place with Nike.  The idea behind Blue & Orange Track & Field Day is to introduce runners who might not have had a track experience in an earlier time.  This is how I sum it up; most of the runners I know outside of Chris Mortensen and Greg Yerkes (ran with them in high school), got started running recreationally (shit Charlotte claims all her runs are recreational), they got asked to support a family member or a charity by running a 5k.  Their first response was how far is that again?  And after they think to themselves how hard can 3.1 miles be, the rest is history.  Am I correct?  How many of you got started this way?  I’m willing to bet the majority.  In any case I came up with the idea so you too could feel what it’s like to race around on a track, to do events you had seen done on television for years, but didn’t think you would have a chance to do. 

I’ll share a quick story with you: My senior year in high school I was part of the 4x800 relay team.  All year I had anchored the relay team, but at one of the biggest track meets of the year, Penn Relay’s (maybe you have heard of it), my track coach comes up to me and says Chris you’re the most aggressive on the relay team (big surprise I know), I’m going to switch you to the lead off leg, if you take an elbow you will give one right back, and you also won’t get knocked around like the other guys.  I agreed and lead off to one of the biggest let down’s in Track History.  The coach was right, there was a lot of pushing and shoving and even elbowing when the starter pistol fired.  And before the smoke could even clear from the pistol’s barrel I had lost the baton.  It got knocked out of my hand and as hard as I tried to get to it I couldn’t.  The sound of 52,000 people simultaneously saying “oooohhh” has echoed in my head ever since 1998.  My last year at Franklin Field as a high school senior is one I will never forget.  So, if the cold beer won’t help maybe my story will.  Just remember you’re supposed to have fun with this tomorrow.  Come on, isn’t there an unwritten rule that any event that incorporates tossing water balloons and hopping around in potato sacks has to be classified as F-U-N…

Check List:

Clothing that is your teams color: Blue team wears all blue and Orange team wears all orange.  Dress the kids in your team colors; paint your nails blue or orange, color the hair, get crazy.

Bring something to sit on. It’s a long day; you will want to rest when you can.

Sun block (we’re hoping for a beautiful sunny day).

Towel, flip flops, sun glasses

Running sneakers (spikes)

Change of clothes

Bathing suit for the after party

And most importantly wear your smiles it’s going to be a fun filled day!

Biggest turnout this season!

Tonight was the last chance to talk the talk, before we all attempt to walk the walk on Saturday.  And I am happy to say that we had our largest turnout this season!  With 25 Speedsters coming out including a first timer and a handful of “wow haven’t seen you in a while” types.  The turnout was so impressive that I almost forgot we had started the dreaded Yasso’s. 

Coming out tonight:

Orange: Allyson, Brian, Cory, Tim, Steve, Renee, Charlotte, Greg, and Steve I.

Blue:  Tom, John, myself, Harris, Paul, Bob, Kevin, Glenn, Dan, Andrea, Matt, Haydee, and Denise.

Also making an appearance:  Eric, Christa (welcome back!), and first timer Nicoleta Brusca (Welcome!)

Workout:

Yasso Week 1:

1 mile warm-up

4x800 (400)

1 mile cool down

I will see everyone bright and early in New Hope on Saturday at 7:30AM.  I hope you’re all getting as pumped as me!  Tim threw some gasoline on the fire in the blue camp when he claimed to the world that he plans to beat me in the 200 meter!  All I could say was bring it!  Good luck everyone and please if you do only one thing at this meet be sure that it’s “fun.”

Blue unofficially (Allyson wants to go through and recount the attendance) won the 10 point handicap with an astonishing 280 points to Oranges 242.  Way to go Blue Team!

A House Divided

A once peaceful, loving, home is now torn between the two people that were once responsible for filling it with love.  This can only mean it’s the week of the Bucks County Speedsters Blue & Orange Track & Field Day.  As Allyson sleeps with one eye open and I suffer with a stiff neck due to constantly looking over my shoulder, we continue to count down the day’s until we battle it out in New Hope.  It’s all in good fun…yeah sure it is as long as no one gets hurt!

Yesterday’s Hill workout brought out 13 runners:

6 Blue- Harris, myself, Amy, Haydee, Dan Schaal (yeah that Dan Schaal), and Denise.

5 Orange-Allyson, Charlotte, Renee, Nick, and Steve. 

 And thrown in the middle of the madness were Dawn and Jay.

We had a great workout, running a 1 mile warm-up, 6x400(400), and a 1 mile cool down.

Tomorrow’s workout will decide which team goes into this Saturday’s track meet with a 10 point handicap.  So come out and represent your team.  We will also practice relay exchanges again!  If you didn’t get a DIG DEEP! sticker last week and would want one please let me know tomorrow and I will get you one. 

Well, now I need to go get the heat pad out for my neck, I hope to see you all tomorrow…

Blue, blue, BLUE, BlUe, bLuE, BLue, blUE

Orange you glad I didn't say 'blue' again...

Time is tick, tick, ticking and that Track Meet we have been preparing for is going to be here in no time and when I say no time, I mean it's going to be here next weekend!  The score for the handicap is extremely close after this past week Blue: 230 Orange: 228.  The volunteer positions have not all been filled so, if you know of someone please send them my way.  We did have 22 people come out last night to workout those fast twitch muscles.  I hope the strong participation continues for this coming weeks workouts especially those on relay teams on Thursday.  I can not stress enough that it is extremely important to work with an entire relay team (to my knowledge this has not taken place for any relay team on Blue or Orange).  Last night's workout also came with a little give-a-way.  If you were there last night and left before they got handed out email me and I will be sure to get you yours. 

Coming out last night:

Brian Abrams (Fresh from the IR welcome back), Jay, Cory, Tim (Thanks for the Corona!), Paul, Andrea, Rich, Maggie Kanak (1st time I have seen her out this season!), Matt, Jimbo, Haydee (looking speedy girl), Steve I, John, Brian, Joe, Harris, Rod, Glenn, Denise, and Charlotte.

Have a great weekend Speedsters and good luck at the Ivyland 5k (2nd best pancake race in the area) and also at the 15k in Washington Crossing Park.  I have to do an easy 6 miles Saturday before I go wake-boarding on the Delaware with my boys and than some how get up early on Sunday to do a 15 mile long run.  Gotta love when marathon training starts and you got plans...

Hill Recap and Free Give-A-Way Thursday

I don't know what was a bigger surprise to me this week, that the Sixers landed Andrew Bynum from the Lakers or that we had a decent turnout at last nights workout even with a race right up the street and sketchy weather...It turns out that the Orange Team Captain sent out a memo to her team about showing up to help Orange win the 10 point handicap for the Track Meet.  Orange had more Blue members by one person.  This tells me that I don't have to send memo's to the Blue Team they're already dedicated.  But just in case your reading this and do want another incentive we will have "Dig Deep" Bumper Stickers to all members that come out on Thursday that includes those not able to participate in the meet, the blue team, and I guess even the orange team.  Add a little inspiration to your ride, while showing your support to the Speedsters!

Coming out to run Hills:

Allyson

Charlotte

Jimbo

Steve

Rod "Waldo" Messenger

Sharon
Brian
Tom Peterson (First time out this season!  Welcome!)

Myself

John

Kevin

Haydee

Current Score: Blue 220-Orange 219

Workout:

1 mile warm-up
400X4 (400) 200X4(200)
1 mile cool down

I hope to see the entire Blue team out on Thursday and the rest of you too...

Where's Rod-o?

Where's Rod-o?

Rod has been missing for 3 weeks!  If you have seen him please notify the Speedsters immediately!

Guess who's back...

The 2012 Track Meet Give-a-way (minus the beer).

Not Slim Shady, but Allyson and I!  After spending a great week at the beach we will be back with all of you running hills on Tuesday evening.  A huge thank you to our VP Harris for stepping up and running the "Speedster Show" while we were away.  Fall marathon training should have begun for most of you, I start my Marine Corps training tomorrow.  With fall marathon training beginning the Yasso's are right around the corner...But, before we get too far into marathon training lets not forget about our exciting track meet that's less than two weeks away!  As I was sitting on the ground under our Speedster tent this morning with Tim Damiani who competed in a Pentathlon (5 events) hosted by The Greater Philadelphia Club at the Germantown Acadaemy track in Fort Washington, I started getting excited for our 2nd Annual Blue & Orange Track & Field Day.  Also seeing other clubs setting up their tents made me wish we had put together a group of Speedsters to compete today to get ready for Saturday, August 25th.  This is something that I will discuss with the club officers for next season.  In any case Tim ran very well and represented us all just as well, finishing 26th out of 40, running in the 3000, 200, 1500, 100, and the 400.  By the way the reason I was sitting on the ground was because I forgot to bring a chair, Be sure to bring a chair for our meet, so you don't find yourself sitting on the ground for hours. 

WE"RE STILL IN NEED OF 3-4 VOLUNTEERS!

I wanted to give a shout out to Mark Harnishfeger who completed his second Iron Man competition yesterday.  Way to go Mark!

If you haven't heard we also have acquired a new sponsor Chow284 and we plan to start having some outings here.  Details are being worked out by the the owner of the Chow restaurant and bar and our Activities Director Denise.  Keep an eye out for Denise's announcement of this, until than don't forget to RSVP for our End of Season Party that will be held after the track meet on August 25th.  Bucks County Speedsters will be supplying all the food, drink, and music, you just have to show up and add the fun portion of the evening also there is a pool so don't forget your bathing suit. 

See you on Tuesday!