2014 Season Recap

“The proof is in the times when I did Broad Street my average pace was 13:24/mile. After 2 more months of training, today I ran The Revolutionary Run 10K my average pace was 12:13/mile!!! I had an awesome 5k time at half way point was under 40 min. (first time ever) Finish time of 1:17:10! Plus, I had an awesome running buddy that helped me keep my pace up, feeling proud…” 

                                                                                                                              -Pearl

“Combined with good coaching and camaraderie, it all has made a huge difference in my racing.” –Rob Hoy

“Awesome speed workout tonight!!! Timed mile...ugh, but I have to say I did awesome and improved    my time. I went from 9:34 to 8:52!!!! Feeling great…”  -Cherie

“The only thing that makes running hill repeats in 22 degree weather in the dark is doing it with other crazy people!!!” –Megan Howe

“Awesome day at the Speedsters annual track meet! This was one of the most rewarding experiences!”-Beth

               I typically begin each of my blog post with a famous quote.  Quotes that I feel capture or compliment what I have to say about the topics.  When I began this post I couldn’t find a quote that would speak positively about looking back.  I’m a strong believer that we must look back on where we have been to fully accept where we have come.  I decided to look back on some of the inspiring words that our members shared during this past year, and I highlighted them above. 

              As you all know I’m a huge fan of numbers (maybe to big), and looking back on this year I can honestly say that the numbers speak loudly.  We have improved tremendously in three years.  This season brought many personal best and personal record performances.  Our two races returned with positive outcomes.  The Beef & Bowl was a blast, and the Blue & Orange Track Meet was great success.  The club expanded, with the addition of so many new faces.  The new members just reinforced our already fun loving, remarkable group. 

             I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone that came out to at least one workout, thank you to everyone of you who stuck with it, and thank you to all of those that represented the Bucks County Speedsters in a positive way either through your running performance, your kindness to others, or through your volunteer work with the club and in the community.  Thank you to our Sponsors: Jay Ricco and CP Sunoco, Maureen Ricco of Carousel Invitations, Dr. Joe De Carlo, Brooks, Great Harvest Bread Co, The Brick, Horizon Services, and UCAN.  A very special thank you to the officers of the club: my wonderful and patient wife and club Secretary Allyson Thompson, our amazingly gifted Vice President Harris Brenner, our terrific Treasurer Jim Larson, and our fabulous Activities Director Denise Coll Manley.  

By the numbers:

·      We have come from sixty-three memberships in 2012 to ninety. 

·      We broke our attendance record when thirty-seven people came out to run Covered Bridge. 

·      We had 101 different runners come out and try one of our workouts.

      As the group continues to move forward my hope is that we continue to grow and become a bigger entity in Bucks County.  With the support of all of you I can’t see why we wouldn’t be able to accomplish both of these goals.  We have some exciting things planned for the 2015 season and beyond.  I hope you all continue to be active members of the Speedsters. Good luck in all your fall and winter races and I hope we run together on Thursday evenings and also at the Bucks County Road Runners Winter Series. 

Till we run into each other again…

CT

Testing Our Limits

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” –Bruce Lee

            As runners we’re constantly testing our limits, whether it be during a training run when the weather isn’t cooperating or we’re racing to accomplish a new goal.  We test our mental boundaries as well, with every negative thought being crushed by positivity.  No matter how hard you work or how you envision each mile playing out on race day, you’re rarely given a perfect race day experience.  No matter what the outcome we all need to hold our heads high and push forward.  We must remind ourselves that every race is a learning experience and to improve we must learn from what the past has taught us and apply it into our future plans.  I don’t mean to get philosophical, but there are days that come that find us struggling and we need to remind ourselves that this isn’t the end, but rather just another teaching moment. 

           

            Today was one of those days for me.  I’ve had a screwy racing season to put it nicely.  I began with my favorite race, the Broad Street Run back in May.  A race that I had planned to break 60 minutes, but I didn’t due to an unforeseen breathing issue.  I trained hard for months leading up to that race, I ate healthy and we all know I got the proper amount of beauty sleep. Come race day know matter how confident I was when I entered my corral it didn’t translate into a successful race day.  What I learned from that experience is that I was struggling with seasonal allergies.  I solved that issue with a little thing called Nettle Leaf.  Stuff works wonders!  I went on to have a great June and July with two PR’s.  August came and the running success continued, with a good track meet, which had me running my fastest 400 meter time, a time I hadn’t touched since high school.  After the track meet my legs were shot and I’ve been so up and down, that I make the stock market look balanced.  I have had awful training days followed by the occasional surprise good run. 

I went into today with a goal of attempting to run a 1:20 half marathon and within the first mile I knew it wasn’t going to happen, I was already struggling.  I could have easily pulled out of the race (seriously they make it so easy at the Rock and Roll by having you run past the start again around mile five, tempting), but I told myself to push on and finish what I had started.  I’m thrilled that I did for a number of reasons.  The first being that at mile five a group of girls whistled at me and thanked me for being eye candy.  I had a huge smile on my face until this shirtless stocky guy came up on my left, at that moment I thought to myself “the nerve of those girls, that was so demeaning” How could they treat that poor guy like he was a piece of meat?  The nerve!  The second reason I was happy I kept on going was when Matt Hastings, who I was with for the first four miles caught back up to me after he spent an entire minute urinating at the port-a-pots back at mile four.  I didn’t think that was humanly possible, both the minute long urination and him catching back up after.  Amazing.  Another reason came around mile 10 when I witnessed some guy mentally checked out and walking.  I took a moment to yell over to him to get his head right and to get back in the race.  He instantly began to run again!  The last moment came when I crossed the finish line.  Crossing any finish line is rewarding and very telling.  I didn’t finish in my goal time of 1:20 (I wasn’t even close), but I didn’t quit.  I finished what I had started, and seeing things through is always a good thing.  You know what?  There will always be another race and knowing that is good enough for me.

Till we run into each other again…

CT