SRC Run Report, April 25, 2009

What a beautiful weekend! There are two things that happen on the trail each year that I consider part of the rites of spring; 1) the water fountain at the Inn works again, and 2)the gnats provide a protein supplement to unsuspecting runners and riders. It's definitely spring now, although it felt more like summer this weekend. We'll have some cooler days ahead still, but isn't this great? I think the 21 SRC folks who showed up at Northwest Ave on Saturday morning would agree. Some were tapering for Broad Street next weekend, a couple were doing the post-Boston victory trot, and the rest were there because that's what you do on Saturday morning!

1. Alan G: Shawmont unspecified
2. BB Bestsy: Shawmont unspecified
3. Biker Bill: 7 on-the-trail
4. Dana: Canoe Club and Andorra (Welcome back!)
   
5. Dr. Ned: 7 on-the-trail (I think)
6. Gazella: To-the-Inn-and-back 5
7. Gerry: To-the-Inn-and-back 5
8. Hoby Dick: an easy paced 5
9. Joe H: Canoe Club and Andorra
10. Lima Bean: Shawmont unspecified
11. Milesman Hal: 10 on-the-trail (That's what he told me, but I suspect more miles)
12. Mr. Rogers: 10 on-the-trail
13. NC Tom: a "brisk" 8 on-the-trail
14. Prof Sandy: Shawmont unspecified
15. Quietman Tom: post-Boston 4 on-the-trail
16. Rabbi Jon: 6 on-the-trail
17. Tall Dave: Home-Canoe Club-Home for 16.5
18. Teach Craig: pre-Broad Street tapering 8
19. Terminator Tony: Tony Manor
    
20. Thierry: 6 on-the-trail
21. Tri-Marni: Canoe Club and Andorra

Also seen: Rob H

Race reports:

Sunday, April 19, 2006

1. NC Tom won his age division at the Valley Forge 5-miler last weekend in a time of 33:51! Congratulations, Tom!
2. CBG, Gazella, and Ben, aka Team Master Blaster, won the coed Masters team of 3 division at the Savage Adventure Race at Brandywine Creek State Park! It was a blast!

Boston Marathon 2009 Results

The weather held out for the 113th Boston Marathon yesterday with overcast skies and an average temperature of about 46 degrees (F). Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the race on TV, but the women's race was something else with first place by Salina Kosgei of Kenya, less than one second in front of second place by Dire Tune of Ethiopia . Third place was less than 20 seconds behind that by American Kara Goucher, in a time of 2:32:25. The men's race was won by Deriba Merga of Ethiopia in a time of 2:08:42. American Ryan Hall finished in third place in a time of 2:09:40. It's great to see Americans in top finishing places at Boston once again!

As for our local heroes, I think all of those bone-chilling long runs this past winter paid off yesterday. Some impressive times were posted!

Kenny Baby: 3:34:25
Lisa B: 3:55:22
Master Jack: 3:28:38
Maverick: 3:14:12
Milesman Hal: 3:37:22
Paul W: 3:04:24
Quietman Tom: 3:12:05
Sandor: 3:58:01
Seito: 3:34:15
Waterbottle: 3:29:47

Well done everyone! We're very proud of you!

Enjoy the recovery. You earned it.

SRC Run Report, April 18, 2009

I thought we were due for another group photo and since I wasn't running today, I brought Bailey (the unofficial SRC mascot) and my camera down to Northwest Ave this morning. That's a nice lookin' group, don't ya think? It was a beautiful spring morning too! Waterbottle stopped by for a little run before leaving for Boston and his BIG run on Monday. Other than that, there were quite a few Shawmonts, but nothing really specific so please excuse the general reported distances:

1. Alan G: Shawmont unspecified
2. Bailey (the mascot): 2 on-the-trail
3. BB Betsy: Shawmont unspecified
4. Biker Bill: Shawmont unspecified
5. Cisco Joe: 8 on-the-trail
6. Dolly Llama: 8 on-the-trail
7. Dr. Ned: Shawmont unspecified
   
8. Gazella: 2 on-the-trail
9. Hoby Dick: an easy paced 5
10. Iron Arthur: Shawmont unspecified
11. Lima Bean: Shawmont unspecified
12. NC Tom: To-the-Inn-and-back warm-up for the Valley Forge 5-miler tomorrow
13. Rabbi Jon: 10 on-the-trail
14. Rob H: 10 on-the-trail (?)
15. Teddio: Shawmont unspecified
16. Thierry: Canoe Club for 13
17. Tri-Marni: Shawmont unspecified
18. Waterbottle: pre-Boston 3 on-the-trail
19. Weezinator: 2 on-the-trail
20. Zen Yanni: 2 on-the-trail

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Report update - This past week I received this duathlon race report from Joe H.:

Last Saturday (Apr 11), I was at Lake Nockamixon for the 1st Doylestown Duathlon, which was a 5K run, 30K ride, and then the same 5K run. My main concern was that I should have brought heavier gloves for the bike ride, but after I wrung out the water in the pair I had they were OK for the ride. We started in waves, with mine being the second group, and the women were about 3 minutes after us. So in the first 5K, I was passed by the 1st woeman after about a mile and then passed by about 6 more women after that.

I think the weather only attracted the serious or foolish runners/bikers and kept the novices away. It was not that bad and the bike course was very safe going around the perimeter of the lack on public roads with some challenging hills.

There were 150 individual finishers and another 45 relay teams. I was 123/150, 13/19 in gender age with split times of 26:13, 1:22:16, and 30:39. The first place in my gender/age splits were 20:50, 1:01:22, and 23:17. The first place woman's splits were 18:24, 55:50, and 19:38 and she finished 15th overall.

I did notice that when it's wet enough and you are going fast on a bike, the water coming off of the front wheel starts to spray straight up in the air. That was fun to watch.


Nice work, Joe! I think you deserve a medal just for showing up in the terrible weather conditions we had last week!

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Final note: To all of those who are Boston bound for the marathon on Monday -

Bill C
Kenny Baby
Lisa B
Maverick
Milesman Hal
Quietman Tom
Sandor
Seito
Waterbottle

I hope I didn't forget anybody.

Have a great run and a great time! You worked hard to get to Boston, and we'll all be there with you in spirit (and via the Internet) on Patriot's Day to cheer you on!

SRC Run Report, April 11, 2009

It's fitting that the first Saturday after the opening of the Major League Baseball season the SRC run was essentially rained out, or at least had a rain delay. There were so few people who showed up that I can describe just about the entire run in the narrative today.

I went down to Northwest Ave mainly out of a sense of responsibility to take attendance for the few dedicated and/or crazy folks who were willing to come out and run in a spring shower on a Saturday morning. Professor Sandy and Terminator Tony were there and started off on their run as BB Betsy and I pondered our options. Then along came Jon H and Quietman Tom. Jon was out because that's what you do on a rainy Saturday morning of course, and Quietman Tom was tapering for the Boston Marathon next week. Betsy and I, the independent thinkers that we are, gave in to peer pressure and decided to give the trail a try with Jon and Tom.

The rain was light and the puddles didn't seem too bad on the way to the Inn. We caught up with Prof Sandy and Terminator Tony at the Inn and once again considered our options. Sandy and Tony went on pursue a Manor run. My hamstring was having second thoughts about the run so I decided turn around. Then the independent thinkers, Tom, Jon, and Betsy decided to go back to Northwest Ave as well. We spotted Iron Arthur on our way back. By the way, the rain picked up and the puddles turned into ponds on the return trip. Jon gave up trying to jump over or run around the water hazards, and instead had a splashing good time. Betsy and Tom took a trek up Andorra, and Jon and I headed for our cars as the rain got heavier even still when we got back to Northwest Ave.

I'm on a baseball theme here, so once again humor me with this spin on "Casey at the Bat"

"Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright. The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light. Somewhere men are laughing and somewhere children shout, but there's no joy in Mudville, the Wissahickon Trail is rained out!"

SRC Run Report, April 4, 2009

First of all, I'd like to thank Waterbottle for taking attendance today. I wasn't able to join the gang at Northwest Ave this morning because CBG and I took a road trip down to Brandywine Creek State Park in Wilmington, DE to check out the location of our next adventure race, The Savage (April 19th). What is an adventure race? It's a team race (teams of 2-3 people) involving trail running, mountain biking, canoing and orienteering. It's fun and it's different from typical races that are strictly time-based competition if you're looking for something new to try. Anyway, if the wind outside of the Wissahickon trail was anything like the wind in the open areas at Brandywine Creek State Park, I'll bet you got as much of a workout bracing against the gale force wind as much as you did climbing Shawmont. It was unbelievable! It might also explain why so many folks opted for Shawmont-Wises Mill, to get back in the protected(?) valley. As Waterbottle reported, it was a Shawmont-Wises Mill Day! Here's who was not blown away by a little spring breeze this morning:

1. Alan G: Shawmont-Wises Mill
2. BB Betsy: Shawmont-Wises Mill
3. Doylestown Pete: Shawmont-Wises Mill
4. Hoby Dick: an easy paced 5
5. Iron Arthur: Shawmont-Wises Mill
6. Joleen: Shawmont-Wises Mill
7. Lima Bean: Shawmont-Wises Mill
8. Milesman Hal: Shawmont-something for 20
9. Professor Sandy: Shawmont-Wises Mill
10. Sandor: Shawmont-Wises Mill
11. Teddio: Shawmont-Wises Mill
12. Terminator Tony: Tony Manor
13. Thierry: 10 on-the-trail
14. Tri-Marni: Shawmont-Wises Mill
15. Waterbottle: Shawmont-Wises Mill
16. Weezinator: 3 on-the-trail
17. Zen Yanni: 2 on-the trail

Also seen: Rabbi Jon and Rob H.

I can't resist this so humor me. It seems appropriate after a windy run today to finish this post with an Irish Blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.