New Season Brings New Opportunities

We officially started our 2013 Speedster season this past Tuesday at the track, and the fun continues tonight at the hill workout.  My ankle injury may of forced me to the side lines, but its not going to prevent me from supporting you the athletes.  If anything its allowing me to focus more time than ever on all of you.  We had eighteen runners come out to the first workout of the season (we only had eleven  last year).  It may of been windy and cold, but that didn't slow any of you down.  There were only a few lane violators and a couple form mechanics that needed adjusting, other then that it looked as if you all didn't skip a beat.  Coming out on Tuesday:  Emily Grace, Brian Abrams, Rob Hoy (First Timer!), Cory Steiner, Allyson Thompson, myself, Harris Brenner, Steve Cickay, Bharminder Gill (First Timer!), Lindsay Cooper (First Timer!), Kevin Delaney, Jay Ricco, Joe Haughey, Eric Stern, Tereza Gowen (First Timer!), Hilda Tucubal (First Timer!), Denise Coll, and Gabrielle, DeiTos (First Timer!).
It was great to see many new faces out at the track.

I would also like to officially welcome our newest members:

Rob Hoy, Tereza Gowen, Melissa Lipari, Kelly Reamer, Angela Griffis, Mike Kane, Jill & Larry Leonard, Bharminder Gill, Gregg Holst, Darron & Jessica Smith, and Kara Coleman

I hope you enjoy your first season with the Speedsters!

Announcements:

Great Harvest Bread Run
First ever 1 hour run from Great Harvest Bread Co. in Newtown on Saturday, April 27th at 8AM.  We will be attempting to add a new monthly run.  If this goes well, we will continue to have runs starting from Harvest Bread on the last Saturday of every month.  The owners will be offering the Speedsters a discount on their baked goods and beverages after our run.

Beef & Bowl
The 2nd Annual Beef & Bowl will be held on Saturday, May 11th from 8-11PM.  We will be bowling, eating, and drinking all while we're having a blast.  Denise and Allyson have been working hard to get us some great raffle prizes for us to take chances on.  Currently we only have 2 people signed up for this event.  Online Registration is available on our website or you could sign-up at the workouts.  The price is $25 per person.  Bring your friends and family.  This is a BYOB!  We will only be supplying the food and entertainment.

Track Meets
We only have a few signed up for the two away meets.  Please email me if your interested in participating in these meets.  They're free to all members!  You can also sign-up at the workouts.

Well, I've said enough, and I have to start getting ready for tonights hill workout!

Till we run into each other again...

CT

My Life Will Go On

Back in 1998 when Leonardo DiCaprio helped fool millions into watching a movie that they already knew the ending of, a time when Bill Clinton introduced us all to the phrase "sexual relations," and a little search engine that could, (Google) was founded and being used on a relatively new thing called the internet; all while I was graduating high school and trying to find places to sleep at night.

If you're new to this blog, I grew up with a very abusive father who put me out on the streets after I graduated high school, even though I was an honor student and an athlete.  My father sending me on my way at an early age, with no where to go was a lot safer than living with the fear of being hit for something as little as having a funny look on my face.  This also helped to make me a better version of myself.  I spent most nights living with the Yerkes, but also a good portion living out of my car.

I was granted a partial scholarship for track to attend Rider University, with the promise that I would be given a full scholarship in the Spring (which would include housing) if I could drop my 800 meter time two seconds.  Uncertain housing and other life obstacles prevented me from making it long enough at Rider to improve my 800 meter time.  After missing too many classes due to my cheap car breaking down, I left Rider University in my rearview.

Fast forward to the year 2013 and that homeless, tough track kid is all grown up and returning to the four year university scene.  Tomorrow, I will begin a new chapter in my life as I travel to West Chester University to continue my journey to a degree in education.  I've always had a passion for educating others, my hardships and life experiences have only reinforced that passion.

Till we run into each other again...

Your Going The Wrong Way!

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." -Soren Kierkgaard

         This past Sunday I ran my fifth complete race going backwards.  It never gets old hearing all the surprised comments.  "your kidding right," "your not really going to run the entire race backwards," and my most favorite "something's wrong with you."  People are still easily surprised at things that are different.  A friend of mine was telling his co-workers the story of how I ran almost six miles backwards (5.7 to be exact), which they replied with a resounding why?  Before I could respond this friend said "because he can."  As if I'm running backwards to show off.  I assure you that is not my intention.  

 

         For me running backwards stemmed from an awful marathon experience.  My second marathon.  Which was the ING Miami Marathon and it took place on a very warm day that started out with torrential down pours.  The heat really took a toll on me and instead of walking I decided to attempt to run backwards to use different muscles.  I knew nothing about running backward, I didn't even really know how to run a marathon at this time.  All I knew was I was exhausted and walking was only going to prolong the pain and suffering I was feeling.  I stopped, turned myself around (I didn't do the hokey pokey), and just started running.  

 

         I planned on just running a mile, but the crowd started cheering for 'the backwards runner' and I felt obligated to continue running that direction until I was no longer in view.  I wasn't about to disappoint the people of Miami.  I ended up running closer to three miles backwards and believe it or not my legs once turned and moving in the correct direction felt rested.  I finished the race forward and ever since I have run one race a year backwards.  

 

         I have to thank Rod Messenger for being my guide this past Sunday.  Even if at one point he was too busy talking about Volvo's with another runner to see me going into a hole that could swallow a small dog.  I didn't fall, but I sure came close.  Also a thank you to my caring wife who comes back for me every time I do this to myself.  Running backwards gives you a new perspective on life, just know that your world literally spins around once you finish and face forward not to mention your calves will be screaming at you for a few days after.

Till we run into each other again...

Going Harder in 2013

          This is an exciting time for all of us, another year has ended and a brand new one has begun. This is when we get the opportunity to put everything behind us and at the same time we're given a fresh start.  I try and live each day as if it's a fresh start, but it get's tough to do at times.  But, when a year end's we can now close that book and place it on the shelf with all the other ones.  This year I plan to live by a four letter word...'hard.'  You gotta get your heads out of the gutter people, lets focus. 

          Once upon a time I was on a long sabbatical from running.  When I say long, I mean years with no running, none, nada, zippy-de-do-dah.  I was really focused on weight lifting.  I was more concerned with how much weight I could bench than my actual weight.  The reason I just went on that little tangent is to explain why the below poster was on my bedroom wall between Michael Jordan and some swimsuit model.  "Go Hard...Or Go Home." was something I lived by and I plan to return to in 2013, just this time it will be applied to my running. 

           We all know that there is no miracle cure to getting healthier, faster, or losing weight.  No matter what those infomercials are selling it all goes back to whether or not we're working our asses off or not.  If you work hard and when I say work hard, I mean really work at it for a long period of time and only than are you going to get results.  I'm currently fifteen pounds over racing weight and the flab is flowing free.  I needed the year to end to open my eyes and motivate me to get back in shape.  I'm making a promise to myself to "go hard" in everything I'm involved with in 2013 which includes YOU!  The Bucks County Speedsters will not only be "Digging Deep" but also going hard.  Tomorrow at 6PM join me for a killer hill workout.

Here is the entire quote with obvious changes: 

“ Go Hard…Or Go Home. Balls-to-the-wall training.  You sweat.  You push.  It hurts. [Out] here, there’s no room for crybabies, no place for talking trash. Just raw [running].  This is the real deal…”

Picture taken from gympump.com

Mark your Calendars!

The Bucks County Speedsters will be putting on a 10k race!  Saturday, March 16th 2013!  Online registration is open to the public, all members get $6 off we're still working out the bugs on giving the discount online, so please wait to sign-up if your a member or pick up a paper application and write the check to reflect the $6 discount.  In any case spread the word to the running world and we have plenty of paper applications, so if you think you know a place that would post them please see one of the club officers about getting some.  We're looking for sponsors also.  For more information and to register (members hold off) please visit: http://www.buckscountyspeedsters.com/race_form.html

Waving the White Flag

Picture from Stubhub.com

It’s so easy to give away advice like it’s growing on an oak tree, but when it comes to advice for myself, my head tends to harden and my ears fold over drowning out any advice that I need to hear.  Well, the good news is that no matter how hard I tried not to hear my advice, the pain in my hamstring was louder.  For the second time in a year I’m pulling out of a marathon.  Last time was because my heart wasn’t in it and now I’m just suffering with this nagging hamstring.  I have to be smart about this, if I lined up for this marathon I would do all I could to get through it and in doing so injure myself more. And with this unsettling weather coming in we won’t even be venturing to DC now.  I wish those still running the marathon the best of luck and I will be crossing my fingers that this storm turns away for you. 

I hope to be healthy enough to lead the first hill workout on Thursday, November 1^st at 6PM meeting at Council Rock South.  Following that workout we will be heading to Chow for our monthly Speedsters happy hour.  We have a lot of activities coming up in the next few weeks:  The return of Hill Workouts on Thursday evenings, Happy Hour, Expo, Expo, Trenton Half Water Stop, and a flag football game/tailgate.  Busy busy.

Till we run into each other again…

Been a Long Time...

It’s been awhile since my last post (hence the Led Zeppelin), it’s actually been a long time since I ran.  That’s because I’ve come down with another injury!  After having a decent summer of racing and training I strained my hamstring.  The first hint of this injury came during a long training run in Tyler Park; I was coming down agony and literally felt agony.  I stopped to stretch the hamstring thinking that it had tightened due to all the marathon training miles.  Well, I was a mile from the boat house (where I was parked) and ended up doing a mix of jogging and walking to get back.  I rested the next few days as a precaution, showed up at the track to do 8 Yasso’s and was only able to do three due to the hamstring pulling again.  I stopped to stretch and tried to continue only to be forced to wave the white flag. 

I took off again, this time for two weeks which was nice when it came to my studies, but not to my fitness, that went to hell along with all my training.  There’s just something about studying and snacks that go hand and hand…I decided last Thursday (exactly two weeks off) that I would attempt an easy flat run.  Though I was able to get through 5 slow extremely tough miles, this was not comforting.  The hamstring nagged me the entire time and for hours after.  It’s so hard to believe that everything can go up in flames faster than it takes to build them, even though I use to tell people that it takes 8 weeks to get in shape and only 8 days to lose it all.  That may not be accurate, but any one that workouts consistently can relate to what I’m saying. 

I’m supposed to be running the Marine Corps Marathon this Sunday, and I have no clue how that’s going to happen.  It’s too late to defer, too late to get the money back for the hotel and I did sprint to class the other day when it was pouring outside and the hamstring didn’t act up…so...I know the smart and proper thing would be to join Allyson on the side lines with the rest of the spectators (oh yeah Allyson’s hurt too similar hamstring injury, are injuries contagious…), this would be the responsible thing to do.  My plan currently is to go for another test run Thursday and see how this one goes before I pull out the lounge chair and claim my spectator spot. 

Till we run (or limp) into each other again…