1/4 Marathon

http://plattsys.com/m1shell.asp?eventid=1062

High points:

Lani volunteered and is excited about new job coming up in a couple of months
Taricani took care of Bradley
So did Theresa
Tray saved us all about 6 bucks by delivering paper apps for Newport full
The weather was a 10
Tomorrow is Easter and love is in the air
Kelly and Shaun are the best
Wanda showed up

Low points:


Pix:

First, from Kelly on Facebook

 Wanda Hodsen

 Linda and young runner

Next, from Linda

Tray, Lynn, Theresa, Lee

Cheryl Cunningham

Theresa Conneely

 Lynn

Easter Moon Desktop

1/4 Marathon this Saturday. 14 @ Rogers O on Easter @ 7 AM. Full moon tonight.

What Brickyarders did today

While Tray and Mike knocked off 32 and 24 @ Asta, Lea ran 10 in her neighborhood, Lee, Sri and Brent ran the Oleksak 1/2.

Lee did not run the first 8 or so particularly quickly or slowly (it's pretty much all up during the first 4 and pretty much down during the last 4). The first 4 was done at about 9's and the last 4 much quicker.

But the last 5 were another story. Run, walk, run, walk, run, walk, walk. Run, walk, walk, walk. Got to thinking about food and the gu when it showed up was a godsend. My average pace estimates for the race required recomputations until they got to a "can I even finish this?" The words of encouragement I like to give to struggling runners began to come to me, not from me. A probably about 5 year old girl was handing out kleenexes at about mile 11 and it was so unusual and so cute to do I knew the whole thing was worth it. I took some.

Not really sure what was going on but in a strange sort of way I enjoyed the trip. Running extremely slowly, surrounded by like minded athletes is inspiring. It took me 2 hours and 22 minutes to find the finish line. And the pasta meal.

I was a pretty boring passenger on the trip home.

There are good days. There are bad days. This was a good day.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/288516583
 

Sharon Classic 5-mile Road Race

Hi,

I found your running club while surfing the web and wanted to let you know about a great race in Sharon, CT.  It is a small race in the NW Corner of the state with a big heart and beautiful course.  As one runner described our race, it has "big race amenities and small town charm."  We have one of the largest prize purses in Litchfield County and offer many benefits for the runners, including free massages.

This year we are offering a $250 bonus for setting a new course record.  To find Sharon from Farmington, simply follow Route 4 west until it ends in the center of town. 

Details:   Saturday, May 4, 2013
Time:  Registration opens at 8:30; Kids Fun Run, 9:30; Kids Not-Quite-a-Mile 9:45; 5-Mile race 10:15.
Place:  Sharon Town Green (GPS reference, 63 Main St., Sharon, CT 06069)
Website:  www.SharonClassicRoadRace.org; register online or download an application
Prizes:  $250 for 1st man/woman finisher; $50 for winner of each age division, prizes 3 deep in age divisions; $250 bonus for setting new course record
Course records:  24:59 male; 28:38 female
Extras:  Performance t-shirt; free massages, free food for runners, facilities, water stations

Activities:  bounce house, silent auction, plant sale, exhibits from town organizations (Sharon Audubon, Sharon Historical Society, TriArts playhouse and more), food concessions, children's supervised activities, kids races

Facebook:  SharonClassic Road Race
Twitter:  @SharonClassic

Thank you,

Karen Dignacco
Race Director
860-364-0407

Shamrock 2 Miler / Savin Rock 1/2 / Life in the Son

   Brent ran 14:00 flat, a 7:00 pace. Tracy ran 14:43. She was faster than 68 other people in her division and slower than noone. Lee ran 15:34. Mike ran a sub-8 15:53. Wow! The course has a very long, steep hill in it. It was quite cold and we all froze waiting for the awards. Great hot soup.
Lea knocked out a 2:00:45 in the Savin Rock 1/2. 9:13 pace. "So windy!!!!!"
Rose placed 1st in her Life in the Son 5K w/ a 28:16









http://plattsys.com/m1shell.asp?eventid=1115   

This weekend ...

Just a wrap up of what I know "everybody's" doing ...

Xfit Queen Ms Crown will be doubling w/ Savin Rock Half and Asta Challenge.



Also on Saturday is the Shamrock 2 (and 5) mile in Bristol. Brent, Tray, Mike and Lee will see how close to (two digit number that begins w/ 1) minutes they can get. This leaves a lot of possibilities as there are 10.

I think Sri is joining Brent and Lee at the Oleksak Half in Westfield on Sunday.

Lea will be joined on Sunday by Tray and Mike at Asta They will be running 31 and 24 respectively. Yes, you read right.

If I've missed what you're doing and you want to let the blog know, email teamprimalforce@gmail.com and it'll crop up here.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Lee

Endurance Test & Dr. Report

I completed the bike endurance test today at Hartford Hospital. I warmed up for 5 min. at a very easy tension.  The researcher then turned up the tension to 75% of the highest amount I did during the VO2 max test on Mon.  I had to sustain 70 rpm at that tension for 10 min.  After 8 min., I was really starting to feel it.  At the 10 min. mark, she bumped up the tension again and I had to keep going (maintaining 70 rpm) until I could no longer keep it up.  I lasted another 8 min. with sweat pouring off of me, burning legs, and little breath to spare.  And yet, I still wonder if I pushed hard enough!

The researcher said the endurance test is very individual, meaning there is no standard to measure my performance against.  She mentioned an interesting point - some people who had a higher VO2 max actually DID NOT last as long on the endurance test (different workload?).  I will be very curious to see how I do when I go back in a month.  I have to repeat the VO2 max test (which I did on Mon.) with the tube and head thingie and then a couple of days later, do another endurance test (like today).  One little issue - my 50 miler is 4 days before I go back for the VO2 max test.  That was the only time we could do it so hopefully, I'll be okay to do it.

Other readings/measurements:  I don't freely give my weight to anyone (and I won't here either :P) but I got a really good body fat measurement - 15.4%!  My jaw dropped.  I told her I wasn't complaining but that it sounded low.  She said the calipers sometimes give a lower/more favorable reading, as opposed to bioelectrical impedance analysis, which can give a higher less/favorable reading.  I had the bioelectrical impedance analysis done last year at the YMCA and it was 20% so I'm probably somewhere in between.  Perfectly fine with me, as I was fretting that the number would be over 20%.

I asked if she got my max HR on Mon. and she said it was 163.  Sounds rather low.  Today it was 166.  Don't know what to make of that, except that it's a different activity from running so perhaps I perceived it as being harder because I'm not used to using different leg muscles. 

Now for the doctor report (sorry for the dissertation here, guys).  So the dr. mentioned the dreaded 'A' word - arthritis!  Apparently, I have arthritis in my big toe.  My range of motion is about 20%.  She said the hills have probably aggravated it, along with the extra mileage I've been putting in.  And I'm only running 50 something miles/week.  Most ultrarunners are running 70 mile weeks!  Anyway, she prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and "aggressive physical therapy."  She said if it is bothering me, she can give me a cortisone shot a week before the 50.  I'm semi-distraught.  It could certainly be worse but no doubt, this is going to be one of those nagging, pain in the ass injuries to try to stay on top of.  Arthritis is a progressive disease and the running is further injuring the joint.  Despite that, she said surgery was not needed nor recommended and she didn't have a particularly bleak outlook on my running career.  I picked up the medication tonight and I'm icing my foot as I type this.  Tomorrow I will put in a call to the chiro. (my preference over physical therapy).  Hopefully, I can keep the soreness at a minimum and make it through my 2 big ultra events. 

Thanks for reading!
Tray

Chip Bradley, Honorary Member!

Joining the ranks of Steph, Larry and Sri, Chip Bradley has been made an Honorary Brickyarder. He has exemplified the true spirit of being a Brickyarder. Each of us is different, so there are no general qualifications to being a Brickyarder. Chip's recent consistent logging efforts and his persistence in keeping his runs short to prevent injury are noteworthy. He has a long term goal to qualify for Boston, as do many. Some Brickyarders will be running the Newport Full and Newport Half this Fall. It has been suggested that with luck, careful training, Chip might want to consider registering for the Newport Half and run w/ his group.

He will now be able to enjoy the benefits of being a Brickyarder which include but are not limited to slogging thru the wintery roads we've seen of late, trading ideas thru the blog and hopefully running a few races in the Fall. Another benefit is he has been put on the auto email list so now he will be notified whenever somebody posts her/his story, result, dream, disappointment, photo, plan.

Welcome!

VO2 max test

This is what I looked like today for my VO2 max test.  It wasn't as bad as I thought, though a bit uncomfortable.  I don't have any results/data to report yet.  I'm hoping to get some useful info. on Thurs., when I go back for the endurance test.  Today I did a 5 min. warm up on the bike at an easy tension.  Then the tension was increased after 2 min., and then after every min.  The researcher took my blood pressure a couple of times and I wore a heart rate monitor.  I also had to point to a number on a chart for my perceived rate of exertion.  She said I did well and that I would likely have an even higher VO2 max if it was a treadmill test.  She said most people score lower on the bike (especially when you don't bike!).

Tray  

JBLWU

http://primepuzzle.com/tpf/daystill.html

Mike and Sri nail New Bedford

1670 3759 Michael Taricani M 59 Burlington 01:58:36 09:07
488 893 Sri Bodkhe M 46 Buckland 01:33:07 07:09

Direct from Florida!

Rose ran the Sharky's 8K today and placed 3rd out of 14 w/ a 9:25 pace. Nice job Momma Rose!

Holyoke

Tray's bummed cuz she missed 50 minutes by about 5 seconds. She bettered last year's time by something like 45 seconds. Brent predicted he'd do 49 and change. Brent did 48 and high change. I took 53 and high change. This course is basically one long giant unforgiving forever lasting sort of gradual but up, more up, more up ... it then tops off and gives you an awesome about 2 miles of screaming down where you can get back a lot of the time you lost in the first 3+. Zero food at the end. Water in good supply. Oh, did I mention there were almost 6000 finishers? The start was a study in sardines. Brent put himself at the 8 minute "corral." Tray and I slipped literally thru the fence and were in the 7 minute corral. I almost got clocked by a couple of crazies at the beginning but have learned to be *real* careful in the first few minutes so no problems.

http://racewire.com/live_results.php?id=2686