Race Results

07/17/04 - Dash and Splash 5 Mile - 28:40 [5:45/mi avg] (5:36, 11:36, 17:26, 23:16) 12th place.   I was aiming for 5:40 pace, but just couldn't maintain...  I ran the last mile in 5:24, so I had something left, but I was not able to force the pace in the middle of the race.  I'm simply out of shape.  I had a good time though, cooling off in the Central Park Pool after the run.

09/01/03 - New Haven 20K - 1:06:20 [5:20/mi avg] (5:13, 10:29, 15:53, 21:01, 26:19, ?:??, 36:58, ?:??, 47:46, 53:14, 58:40, 1:04:10) 46th place.  We arrived in New Haven around 5PM the day before the race, checked into our hotel and then met up with Elliott Frieder, his wife and daughter for a good pizza dinner.  Jonathan Frieder and his new bride joined us as well.   Although my two sons kept each other awake during most of the night, I was able to get some sleep and felt ready when I awoke at 6:45AM.  I was able to get my chip and race bib around 7AM and then warmed up for about 20 minutes.  After taking some water and Gatorade, I was ready to get the race started.  This race serves as the USATF 20K Championships and draws a pretty deep field. My right ham was tight before the race, but didn't worsen. My goal was to run sub 5:20 pace and although my pace slowed over the last 4 miles, I am satisfied with the performance and effort.  The weather forecast was for rain beginning around sunrise and getting heavy as the day progressed.   Fortunately, the rain didn't start until mid-race and never became an issue (unlike last year's downpour).  I felt comfortable running sub 5:20 pace until I was hit with a sidestitch around mile 7.  That is a classic sign that I went out a bit too fast for my current level of fitness.  For much of the race I ran near the women's leaders, Colleen DeReuck and Marla Runyan.  Colleen actually pulled away around mile 7 and then Marla dropped me before mile 9, I believe.  They both finished in 1:05:45, running pretty even splits (our 10K split was 32:42).  After the race, I talked to Dan Browne and my wife got me Meb and Dan's autographs.  That is a cool birthday present.   

08/16/03 - NYRRC Club Championship 5 Mile - 26:39 [5:19/mi avg] 31st place.  I felt pretty good for the first mile (5:09), then the humidity got to me and I slowed.  I ran this in my Wave Phantoms with the outside toe area cut out to relieve pressure on my broken 5th toe.  The toe didn't bother me much, I'm just not in good shape yet.  Next race will be the New Haven 20K on Labor Day.

05/26/03 - Ridgewood 10K - 32:12 [5:11/mi avg] (5:11, 10:21, 15:31, 20:52, 26:03) 11th place.  This race serves as the USATF-NJ 10K Championship.  The weather was about 50 degrees with heavy rain.  There was lots of standing water along the course.  My goal was to run 5:10 per mile.  I started off on target, but I allowed the pace to slow the fourth mile.  During the first 3 miles Carlos Martins helped me push the pace and then shortly after the fourth mile he dropped back.  I then caught Saidi Mohammed and we ran together, each pushing the pace and trying to break each other.  I made a strong push just after the 6 Mile marker and there was no response.  Aside from almost running into a large police officer who chose to cross the road just as I was making the last turn toward the finish (about 100 meters left), the race went well.  The rain was nasty but didn't affect me much.  Up front, Gabriel Muchiri (30:17) held off a fast closing Rich Byrne (30:19) who was running his second race of the Memorial Day weekend.  Byrne won the Spring Lake 5 Mile on Saturday.  Muchiri is a world class runner with bests ranging from 13:23 for 5000m to 1:01:54 for the half marathon.  Gene Mitchell, owner of The Running Company sports stores, ran 30:23 to finish 3rd.  

05/18/03 - Midland Run 15K - 49:26 [5:18/mi avg] (?:??, 10:31, 16:03, 21:22, 26:55, 32:05, 37:30, 42:54, 47:52) 3rd place (2nd USATF-NJ)  This race serves as the USATF-NJ 15K Championship.  The weather was perfect for running - low 50s, light breeze, intermittent sun, low humidity.   My goal was to average 5:20 per mile, so I was able to surpass that.  I went out conservatively and Brian Harris, Rafael Veras and eventual race winner Matthew Byrne broke away to form an early lead pack.  I was running in the 2nd pack with Stephen Getman, Brian Harshman and others I couldn't see.  Around mile 3, Brian Harris began to fall off the back of the lead pack and master's runner Brian Harshman made an effort to close the widening gap between our group and the leaders.  Harshman quickly caught Harris but could not join the lead duo of Byrne and Veras.  Our pack passed Harris before mile 4 (?) and then the pack disintegrated as we ascended a long hill.  I had separated myself from the pack as I reached the crest, but Getman caught me on the downhill.  So the race is now Byrne and Veras together, Harshman in the middle and Getman and I chasing.  I don't remember exactly when, but I dropped Getman around mile 6 and started closing in on Harshman.  I caught Brian Harshman before the big hill at 7 miles and dropped him going up the hill.  By this time Byrne was solidly in the lead and Veras had lost contact.  I could tell that I was closing the gap on Veras, but he still had a substantial lead at mile 8.  I closed the gap to only 7 seconds, but I was never in a position to challenge him.  My breathing became labored up the two hills, but other than that the race didn't hurt too much.  I'm happy with my progress and look forward to racing the Ridgewood 10K on Memorial Day.

04/26/03 - Main Street 5K - 16:18 [5:15/mi avg] (5:02, 10:26) 4th place.  It's been a very long time since I last raced and it showed.  I really thought I should be able to run 16:00 or so just off of basic fitness... but evidently not.  The conditions were decent... light mist, about 50 degrees, light wind.  I went out in control at a pace that felt like 10K race pace.  The entire first mile is downhill, so my split didn't surprise me.   The leaders went through the mile in about 4:40-4:45, so I was already about 20 seconds behind.  I was mentally weak and let the pace really slow during the mostly flat second mile and then passed two runners going up the big hill during the last mile of the race.  Although I didn't feel wasted at the finish, I just couldn't get my legs to turn over any faster.  I guess that's expected because I haven't really started any quality workouts.  I need to start to train seriously if I want to get back into shape.  Up until now, I've just been running and not really training.  I'm disappointed mostly because I know that I didn't suck it up and push the pace during mile 2...  that was a mental letdown.  Up front, Fouzi Aloui, Carlos Nunes and Mohammed Saidi broke away early from the pack.  They dropped Saidi on the big hill during the last mile and Fouzi held off Nunes in a close finish.  My next race will be the Midland 15K on May 18th.  

09/02/02 - New Haven Road Race 20K - 1:06:25 [5:21/mi avg] (5:00, ?:??, 15:36, 20:45, 25:54, ?:??, 36:40, 42:42, 48:05, 53:32, 58:50, 1:04:04) 29th place.  Well, I seemed to have strained my left hamstring somehow.  The odd thing is that my right ham is the chronically troublesome hamstring - my left has been OK.  To the race: Weather is cool and rainy.  After a quick first mile, I was cruising along comfortably and went through 5 miles in 25:54 - right on goal pace.  Shortly after the 10K mark (32:16), my left ham twinged.   This was moderately painful and it caused me to shorten up my stride and tuck in behind the 3 other runners I was with.  Within a minute or so, the left ham really cramped up and forced me to jog.  The pain was enough that I was limping, so I stopped and tried to stretch it out, wondering if I could get a ride back to my hotel.   I figured I'd have to run back, so I resumed running with a couple of guys who caught me.  The ham was painful, but I wasn't getting the sharp cramps which caused me the initial pain.  After a 6:01 7th mile, I got back in gear and tucked in behind Keven O'Neil.  He left me and then I followed Thomas Teger for the final few miles.   They were both running about 5:20 pace and I was happy to have someone who could help me get to the finish.  Thomas pulled away from me several times and I had to surge a little to catch him - this went on for the last few miles.  We ran miles of 5:22, 5:27, 5:17 and 5:14 (12th mile) before he kicked it in and pulled away from me.   There was no way I could kick without causing serious hamstring pain, so I ran the last .4/mi under control.  I think I'm pretty fit based on the fact that my breathing was fine, and I was able to run 5:21 pace with a messed up hamstring for over 5 miles.   If I can't get this fixed real soon, I will not run the Philadelphia Distance Run or the Chicago Marathon.  It would be impossible.  Why do I think this happened, you ask?  Well, the roads were wet/slippery, it was cool and rainy and perhaps I wasn't sufficiently hydrated.  Sometimes I don't drink a lot when it's cool out, even though I should.  I'm not really sure.  I won't be running any more races this fall until I get some rehab or something.  In fact, I can't even run at all right now - never mind race.

08/17/02 - NYRRC Club Championship 5 Mile - 25:15 [5:03/mi avg] (5:06, 9:57, 15:05, 20:17, 25:15) 8th place.   This race draws a lot of the local running talent from the NYC area.  It is a unique race in that the team results are based on 10 finishers per team.  That really tests the depth of each team and results in a very deep, quality race.  I forgot how strict the NYRRC is when it comes to race organization.  At races where I know I'll finish close to the leaders, I usually warm-up until the last minute then jog back to the starting line and squeeze in toward the front.  However, the NYRRC race officials allow no such antics.  After my warm-up, I was not allowed to get near the starting line, so I lost 7 seconds because I was so far back in the pack.  My chip time was 25:08.  I spent most of the first mile weaving in and out of much slower runners until I finally caught some familiar faces at the 1 mile mark.  I ran with Running Company teammate Terrance Armstrong until the 2 mile mark, when he steadily pulled away.   My breathing was already very labored and I just couldn't maintain contact with Terrance.  I kept my composure and ran with Art Gunther for the final 2 miles.   We shared pushing the pace and going up the last hill, I gapped him some.   However, Art passed me in the final 200 meters and I couldn't respond.  I am pleased with my time, especially in light of the warm and humid weather.  The only negative was my inability to kick at the end.  Overall, this shows I'm getting into good racing shape.  My next race will be the New Haven 20K on September 2nd.

08/10/02 - Sheehan Classic 5 Mile - 25:48 [5:10/mi avg] (5:11, ?:??, 15:27, ?:??, 25:48) 13th place.  This race fell at the end of a hard week of training which I think was the reason my legs felt dead.  I was struggling with the early pace even though I only ran 5:11.  The pace started to feel manageable around 2 miles and I was running with a couple of the lead women.  The weather was a little warm and humid, but not terrible.  I was able to drop the lead woman shortly after the 3 mile mark and then ran alone until I caught 2 runners going up Tower Hill, which is just after the 4 mile mark.  I finished strong and am pleased with my effort.

06/22/02 - Denville Run for the Roses 10K - 33:12 [5:21/mi avg] (5:18, 10:43, ?:??, 21:30, 26:57) 2nd place.   This was my first race back and I didn't really expect too much.  I was shooting for sub 33:00, and because I've done just one quality workout since the marathon I wanted to be conservative.  I was happy with my first mile, but Tim Mangera, Drew Davis and Mark Bahnuk pulled away from me.  By mile 2, I was running by myself.   I was prepared to run the entire race solo, but around mile 3 I noticed that Mark Bahnuk was coming back to me.  I held my pace and passed him.  I passed Drew Davis somewhere past mile 4 and actually was closing on the eventual race winner over the final mile.  I would guess that at one point he had a 30 second lead on me and by the finish I had narrowed the gap to 12 seconds.  I think he wasn't pressing too hard - just running hard enough for the win.  Although I wanted to run sub 33:00, I ran hard and am happy that my back seems to be OK. 

05/12/02 - Ottawa National Capital Marathon - dropped out after 13.1, which I reached in 1:13:05.  2K splits: (6:48, 13:43, 20:32, 27:58, 34:16, 41:08, 47:58, 54:57, 1:02:08, 1:09:19) DNF.  I didn't feel great from the start and my right ham started to hurt around 10K.  By 15K I was already adjusting my stride because of the pain and was starting to slow even though I was trying to maintain 3:25-3:27 pace per kilometer.  By 20K I had decided to drop out, and heading up a slight hill just past the half, another twinge of pain forced me to limp and I realized the time had come.  I stepped off the road, took off my race number and  walked to the finish area to retrieve my sweats.  While I was still running, my wife had packed the car, so after grabbing some breakfast and a quick bath, we headed back home with our son, Ryan.  The customs people at the US border confiscated some geraniums that we had purchased in Ottawa.  We checked the US State Department website before we left and geraniums were not among the "plants" listed as verboten, so we assumed we would be OK.  It turns out (suprise) that the State Department website doesn't reflect the most current restrictions which are supposedly listed on the US Agriculture website.  What a shock that two US government agencies don't communicate and are ineffective!  At any rate, my wife and I were not in the mood to argue with Customs Officials.  As my wife was "surrendering" the flowers, a news reporter asked if he could film her for the local news.  So, he set up his camera and my wife retold the story of our ill-fated geraniums.  It must have been a really slow news day for the CBS affiliate in Watertown, NY.

04/13/02 - Queens Half Marathon - 1:09:24 [5:17/mi avg] (5:10, 10:20, 15:35, 20:48, 26:00, 31:14, 36:35, 41:53, 47:15, 52:42, ?:??, 1:03:32, 1:08:53) 2nd place.  I lead this race from the start and dropped all competition except for eventual race winner Julio Chuqui by mile 3.  I'm not sure why there wasn't deeper competition.  I felt OK for the first few miles, but by mile 7 my legs were feeling heavy and sore.  Around mile 8 I developed a mild sidestitch and Chuqui pulled away.  Athough the sidestitch passed, I had allowed Chuqui to get too big of a lead and I couldn't reel him in over the final few miles.   I did close the gap to only 7 seconds at the finish, however.  From a larger perspective, I'm not pleased with the time as I really slowed starting at mile 7.  I hope it was just a bad day and not a reflection of my fitness.  Prior to the race I thought averaging 5:10 per mile was possible and I ended up averaging 5:17.  Not much I can do now but put in one more good week before I begin my taper.

03/09/02 - Gate River Run 15K - 47:17 [5:05/mi avg] (4:54, ?:??, 15:00, 20:06, 25:12, 30:17, 35:26, 40:57, 45:45) 28th place.   This was a good test of my fitness as I aim to peak for the Ottawa National Capital Marathon on May 12th.  The early pace felt quick, but since I was running with the lead women for the first 3/4 of a mile I knew the pace was probably just right.  I didn't notice the first 2 mile markers (I found out after the race what my 1st mile time was) but was pleasantly surprised by the 15:00 at 3 miles.  By that point, I had dropped all female competition and was running in a fluid pack of 3-6 runners.  The pace was quick and I had to maintain concentration to keep up, but it did not feel "out of control" fast.   Eventually the pack I am running with is reduced to 3.  A guy in an Army singlet who turned out to be Phillip Castillo, a guy in a Fila singlet and me.  I was actually able to lead our pack for part of the time.  By mile 5, it seemed that Castillo was making an effort to pick up the pace, but in actuality he was just maintaining the pace.  I follow him and we pass several runners who went out too fast.  We trade pushing the pace until the big hill (Hart Bridge) before mile 8.   You can see the entire hill as you approach it and it looks depressing.   However, I noticed that several of the elites were dying on the hill and I used them as targets as I started up.  I certainly didn't increase my pace up the hill, but nevertheless Castillo fell back as soon as the incline got tough.  I passed Phillimon Hanneck and someone else on the way up (the hill must have been about 800 meters long).  I passed a couple more runners (including Shawn Found) on the even longer downhill which must have been at least 1200 meters.  I think that bridge is the longest uphill and downhill combo that I have ever encountered in a race.  I was happy with my finishing time, although my goal was to be within 4 minutes of the winner...   But Meb ran under 43 minutes!  That's a very impressive time in warm and humid weather.  I picked up a nice sunburn and a few autographs (Deena Drossin, David Morris, Josh Cox and Abdi Abdirahman) while waiting for the awards ceremony.  I have to award Abdi the "Rock Star" Award.  He was constantly accompanied by 2 blonde, attractive women who seemed to worship him.  Deena got the "I'm Afraid of a Sunburn" Award for wearing a long-sleeve windbreaker in 85 degrees / 90% humidity weather.  Josh Cox got the "Felix Unger" Award for refusing to sit on the ground (like everyone else) while waiting for the awards.  He very carefully laid down an article of clothing on the grass and sat on it.  I guess he didn't want to get grass stains on his Fila shorts.  Eddy Hellebuyck earned the "Information Superhighway" Award for posting the preliminary results at the letsrun.com message board while celebrating over few drinks at Hooters.  He certainly deserved to celebrate his 10th place finish (and obviously 1st master).     

02/02/02 - Pomoco Group Running Crab Half Marathon - 1:11:40* 4th place.  (5:12, 10:35, 26:37[5mi], 31:54, 37:14, 53:38[10mi]) This was an interesting experience.  Race day dawned as a pleasant sunny day with the temperature around 50 degrees - there was a stiff 20 mph breeze blowing, however.  The early pace was not real fast, so I found myself in the lead pack with eventual winner Julius Gwako, Jacob Kirwa, George Probst and 1984 Olympian John Tuttle.  The early wind-breaker was eventual 6th place finisher, John Piggott.  We went through two miles in 10:35, and I was running towards the back of the lead pack with Dai Roberts.   The pack was often single-file because of the brutal headwinds along the course.   I don't remember exactly when, but Gwako, Kirwa, Probst, Tuttle and Piggott all broke away from me.  I eventually caught Piggott around mile 4 and he and I dropped Roberts.  I led Piggott until mile 10 when we caught John Tuttle, who was jogging and seemed to be waiting for company (he kept looking over his shoulder).  Once we caught Tuttle, he tucked in and joined us.  I think I said, "Hey, are you John Tuttle?".  He answered, "Yup.  I'm just along for the ride, boys."  I am now leading our little pack of 3 into some nasty winds.  After pushing the pace into the wind, we reach the top of a highway overpass (one of the few "hills" on the course), Tuttle pulls alongside and says to me, "You're *bleep*ing tough!".  It was one of those moments that I'll never forget.  He was trying to share the lead, so we both pushed side by side until the next turn into a headwind and he tucked in behind me.  We had dropped Piggot by mile 11 and I was feeling strong.  Based on my 10 mile split of 53:38, I thought sub 1:11:00 was possible.  At about 11.5 miles, we reached an intersection where it wasn't clear which way to go - the lead pack of 3 were out of view.  So Tuttle yelled to the race official "Which way?".  The race official said to go right and pointed that direction.  We made a right turn and followed the road for over 800 meters before we realized that something was wrong.  We passed an abandoned water station (bad sign) and were sure we made a wrong turn.  We jogged for a bit, Tuttle swore several times, and then we decided to turn back the way we came.  It turns out that we were supposed to go straight where the race official directed us to go right.  Tuttle and Piggott (he was also told to go right, even though he knew the course and told the official the course goes straight) pretty much gave up and started jogging back toward the course.   I tried to get back into my race pace and get to the finish.  I yelled at the first race official I saw and alerted him to the mistake that had been made.  It turns out that they only misdirected the first six runners, all the others were directed straight through the intersection.  So, because of the over 1 mile detour, I was now in about 14th place instead of 4th.  I ran as hard as I could and I finished in 1:16:30, well ahead of Tuttle and Piggott.  Later, I checked how far off course I ran and it was just over 8 minutes of easy running at about 6:50-7:00 pace.  So, it was easily over a mile - probably at least 1.1 miles of extra running.  I figure I ran at least 14.2 miles in 1:16:30 (5:23/mi) which equates to a sub 1:11 half marathon.   After a discussion between Tuttle, Piggott and myself, the race director decided to "adjust" the times of 4th-6th place.  He gave me 1:11:40 and 4th place.   John Tuttle insisted that I would have beat him had the race proceeded normally.   He was very gracious; when I suggested that perhaps he could have outkicked me, Tuttle laughed and said that I was very tough and there was no way that would have happened.  He was awarded 1:11:41 and 5th place.  Nice guy. They did not adjust the times of the first 3 finishers even though they also went off course for a short distance (at least 700 meters, according to race winner Gwako).  Evidently, the lead vehicle realized the mistake and redirected the lead pack of 3 quickly - whereas Tuttle and I just kept on running and then hesitated before we decided to turn back.  To sum up, I got in a good race effort, the race director "fixed" the problem to the best of his ability and I enjoyed the weekend.  Jen, Ryan and I visited Virginia Beach and  Williamsburg and enjoyed watching the Super Bowl from our hotel room.

12/01/01 - Chase Corporate Challenge (3.5mi) - 17:58 11th place.  My team qualified for this race by our performance at the Morristown Chase Corp Challenge in July (see race report below).   The weather was great, I enjoyed running on Park Avenue past the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and had a good time.  My performance was not that great, but I've got a few months before I need to be running fast again.  I find that I lose fitness very quickly when I stop training hard.  I'm impressed by those who can race at a high level year-round.  I need to build toward a peak that I can hold for about 4-6 weeks.   If I continue racing after that my performances invariably worsen.  The guy who won (Christian Knoblich) works 25 hours per week for a company in Germany and is a world-class steeplechaser.  I'll probably run a couple of indoor races this winter for some variety during my mileage building phase.

10/21/01 - Columbus Marathon - 2:26:38 (5:35.6/mi avg - splits below) 6th place.  I had 2 goals going into this race.  The first was to run sub 2:30:00, which I thought was possible if I did not crash at the end of the race like I did last year.  The second was to run sub 2:28:00, which my brain told me was possible from my workouts and recent races.  My soul however, still has vivid memories of the final 8 miles of last year's Columbus Marathon when I slammed head first into "The Wall".  So, when I was asked my goal for the race I usually told people sub 2:30 - but if pressed, I will admit to my secondary goal of sub 2:28.  The weather was a little warm, but not warm enough to dramatically affect my plans.  Race time temperature was about 50 degrees with a moderate breeze.  My plan was to run the first 3 miles of the race slower than my goal pace of 5:40 per mile.  I've read that the stomach empties carbs better at a slower pace and it can be advantageous to start easy and allow your muscles to store more glycogen during the early miles.  That could be physiologically impossible, but it sounded convincing to me especially after Catherine Ndereba started very slowly the first 3 miles of her world record marathon at Chicago this year.  During the first mile, I fell behind the lead pack of 20 runners or so and was running with one other person.    I was trying to run slow and my 4 mile time of 22:54 was a pace of 5:43 per mile.   But not all is well.  I'm getting a sharp pain on top of my left foot.  I quickly concluded that my shoe was cutting into my foot causing me noticable pain.   At this point I'm incredulous.  I've worn these racing flats without socks for every race this summer without any problems.  I ran a 20K and a half-marathon at a much faster pace with no problems whatsoever.  All I can think is that somehow the slower pace is causing the shoe to rub differently or maybe I tied my shoe too tightly...   I'm pretty upset and am already thinking of where I should drop out so I can save myself for the NYC Marathon in 2 weeks.  After mile 6 or so, I don't remember noticing my foot anymore.  Meanwhile, I've been taking the All-Sport that the race provides at every water stop.  I don't know why I crashed at last year's marathon, but this year it wasn't going to be because of inadequate carb intake (I drank Gatorade and ate a banana prior to the race start in addition to eating much pasta and bread the night before).  Through most of the first half of the race, my stomach was feeling quite full and I battled a sidestitch (which still hurts as I write this on 10/22) on my right side.  The sidestitich did not cause me to slow, I just changed my breathing pattern and occasionally dug my fingers into the painful area to work it out.   I was now locked into my marathon pace and it did not feel hard.  At each mile marker, I looked at my watch and thought, "Either I'm going to have a real good race, or I'm going to crash hard."  Believe me, I was not sure which was going to occur.   As the miles clicked off, each of them sub 5:40, I grew more concerned about the impending crash.  By the way, I've pretty much been running the race solo since the 4 or 5 mile mark.  I would occasionally pass a runner who went out too fast, but they were few and far between.  My legs got heavy on the hill around mile 18 and 19, but I tried to focus on my rhythm.  It seemed that I was locked into 5:35ish tempo that I could maintain even as my legs got heavier and more painful.   There were some lonely stretches around mile 20 through 22 when I doubted whether I could maintain the pace, but at each mile marker my watch kept reading 5:3x - The crowds were helpful, as well.   Although they were sparse in areas, there never was a long stretch without at least one cheering spectator.  I began to get confident once I saw a sign that said "3 Miles To Go".  I did some quick math and realized that if I could run 17:00 I would be well under 2:28:00.  I was much too tired to figure out how much under 2:28:00, but it was encouraging to know I was within reach of my goal.  I specifically remember saying to myself the last 3 miles when it was quite painful and I was getting lightheaded, "This is what you worked for.  Don't let up now!"   As an aside, I switched to taking water by mile 20, since whatever carbs I took in would most likely just sit in my stomach until the finish line.   As I mentioned I was getting slightly dizzy and I was warm, so I also dumped water on my head during the last few miles.  I specifically remember running through Ohio State University campus and realizing that there were no spectators because 90% of college students are asleep at 10:00am on a Sunday morning.  I was able to focus on a handful of runners that were dying during these miles.  I caught 2 runners who were barely moving less than 2 miles from the finish.  During the last mile, the crowds were getting bigger and I even smiled a few times as I realized that I definitely was going to make it to the finish in a good time.  I passed the 26 mile marker and made my final push for the downhill finish.  As I rounded the final corner, I was running hard down the gradual hill and then I saw the clock.  It said 2:26 something!  I realized I could get under 2:27:00!  That thought had never entered my mind during the entire run.  I knew I was running well, but it just didn't occur to me that I would be able to average 5:36 pace or better.  So, now I sprinted to the finish... yes, I had enough left to actually sprint.  Perhaps those who watched me might dispute my liberal use of the word "sprint", but it sure felt like a sprint to me and it was noticeable change of gears (to me at least).  Of course I forgot to stop my watch until after the volunteer removed my chip, so I didn't know my exact time until I checked the website over 12 hours later.  In contrast to my previous marathon, I actually smiled at the finish line volunteers and was coherent when I spoke with my wife and mom shortly thereafter.   I witnessed the 2nd place woman consume at least a dozen orange wedges at the food tables.  It made me eat a couple...  that's the Russian women's secret... Oranges!  I walked around the finish area eating bagels, bananas, Rice Krispie Treats, water, All-Sport, etc.  I couldn't believe how decent I felt.  Of course, now (10/22) my quads and calves are quite sore.  I even held my son for a few minutes... but then I realized that I wouldn't want to drop him if my legs buckled or anything, so I gave him back to the capable hands of my wife.  I got to lie down in the back of our Chevy Tahoe for the short drive back to the hotel.   After a badly needed bath in the hotel suite, we hit the road for the 9 hour drive back home.   During the trip, I consumed massive quantities of food, including potato chips, 6 Krispy Kreme donuts, a Subway sandwich and other stuff I can't remember...   I'm looking forward to my next marathon.  I'm tentatively thinking of Chicago 2002. Remember the pain in my left foot?  Well, my racing flat has a nice blood stain from where the shoe rubbed my foot raw...  For some reason, I did not feel the pain until I finished.

  

Mile    Time    Split

1 5:37 5:37
2 11:18 5:41
3 16:49 5:31
4 22:54 6:05
5 28:34 5:40
6 34:07 5:33
7    
8 45:19 11:12
9 50:51 5:32
10 56:19 5:28
11 1:01:53 5:34
12    
13 1:13:00 11:07
14 1:18:27 5:27
15 1:24:01 5:34
16 1:29:35 5:34
17    
18 1:40:51 11:16
19 1:46:39 5:48
20 1:52:19 5:40
21 1:57:58 5:39
22 2:03:24 5:26
23 2:08:56 5:32
24 2:14:34 5:38
25 2:20:09 5:35
26.2 2:26:38  

 

09/30/01 - Harvest Festival 5K - 15:02 (4:55, 9:33) 4:50/mi avg. 1st place.  I'm pretty sure the 2nd mile marker was misplaced, but I think the overall course is correct.  At the starting line I was surprised to see Fouzi Aloui, who I had assumed was going to run the Liberty Half Marathon this morning.  It turns out that he had, finishing 2nd, and then he decided he could make the 1PM start of the Harvest Festival.  After about 1/2 a mile, Fouzi, Terrance Armstrong, Carlos Marques (who also ran the Liberty Half) and I had separated from the pack.  We went through the mile in 4:55 and I felt comfortable.  When I pressed the pace some during the second mile, Fouzi and Carlos Marques fell back leaving Terrance and I to pass the misplaced 2 mile marker in 9:33.  I held the pace and within a few minutes, I was alone.  I pushed for the finish with about 800 meters to go and I couldn't hear anyone's footsteps.  As I made the last turn for the final 400m or so to the finish, I asked my wife who was perfectly positioned about 300m from the tape, if there was anyone behind me.  "No, I don't see anyone..." was the reply.   I kicked it in for my first actual win in quite a while.  Gearhart Chevrolet is the main sponsor and I appreciate the money and effort they put into this race each year.  I enjoyed a cooldown with new Running Company team member, Terrance Armstrong.  He's going to be in very good shape within a few months... This is my last race before the Columbus Marathon on October 21st.

09/16/01 - Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon - 1:08:26 (5:06, 10:18, ?:??, 20:58, 26:07, 31:25, 36:43, 41:57, 47:09, 52:22, 57:36, 1:02:53) 5:13/mi avg. 18th place.  Excellent weather and a fast course enabled me to run my goal of sub 1:09:00.  I barely finished ahead of Catherine "The Great" Ndereba (1:08:30).  I wasn't feeling great at the start and had to focus to maintain pace.  I picked off many runers during miles 3 through 6, at which point I saw Catherine and her rabbit about 100 meters ahead.  I was shocked because that meant that she must have gone through 2 miles about 10:00!  Leading a small pack of runners, I passed her (and her rabbit) on a slight upgrade and gave her some encouraging words because I heard from a spectator that she was on record pace.  I'm not sure when, but eventually I dropped her rabbit. However, I still heard the very quick footsteps of Ndereba behind me.  The sound of the motorcyle which was videotaping the lead woman was also a sign that she was not far back.  During miles 7 through 10 I began to play mind games to get myself to continue to run hard.  "Only 20 minutes left... no problem.  Just tempo pace, I can run tempo pace...  feel good... keep pushing - don't let up.  I can't believe she's still there!  I take this running seriously and I'm barely ahead of the first woman?  What am I doing?   Oh, legs are tired.  I really didn't taper for this race, so it's ok if I just slow... wait - no excuses.  no excuses.  push here - nice flat section.   get water, fold the cup, suck in the water (gag, spit, cough).  sheesh, I gotta practice this water thing - I have to learn how to do this for the marathon.   OK, there's mile 10... just about 15 minutes of running left.  I can do that.   run tall.  sheesh, she's still there - whoa, I just about ran into the back of the motorcycle... gotta get out of their way so they can get a clean video shot of Catherine.  I hate it when the men block the women from the camera... I'll run over here away from the cycle.  Keep pushing - look over my shoulder, she's still there.   This is unreal.  I think I'm running well, but she just won't drop.  What if she hadn't gone out so fast?  She'd destroy me.  I'm only here because she went out way too fast.  There's someone ahead.  First runner I've seen in a while.  Come to think of it, no one has passed me either...  I'm not gonna catch that guy, he looks good.  What's that?  Oh they're taking the race photos here... Oh yeah right, wave to the camera.  What a moron...  just before 12 Miles.  Run tall, look up.  That'll make a nice picture.  Uh-oh.  That was 2 camera cliks real close together.  She's still there.  Of course she is - that's why everyone is cheering... what, did you think they were cheering for some guy who is over a mile behind the leaders???  Yup, she's still there.  Less than a mile to go.  Run hard.  Oh, legs are going dead.  Pick it up.  C'mon!   It's gotta be less than 1/2 of a mile.  Quick look at watch... 1:06 something.   I don't see the finish, must be around that corner.  Run hard to the corner, it has to be just there.  OK... around the corner, legs are dead- hams are tight.   Keep going.  There it is!  Go!  1/4 of a mile... People are cheering for Catherine... very loud!  Run hard. OK, men to the right, women to the left. Stay right.  And SPRINT.  GO... up on your toes, sprint man, sprint!  I'm ahead of her.  Just a little bit more - wow it's loud cheering.  OK, there's the mat... stop the watch.  1:08:26.  I remebered to stop the watch.  There's Catherine.  Say something to her, she's a tough runner.  'Way to go, Catherine!'   Yeah, that was original.  Clap, clap.  Well at least she looks tired.   Course record, 1:08:30!  So I definitely beat her.  Oops, I'm getting in the photographer's way.  Sorry.  Oh, my chip.  Good, the volunteer is taking my chip off.  I'm not sure I could manage the laces right now.  I don't feel too bad... 1:08:26, that was expected.   There is Weldon Johnson.   "Weldon, how did you do?"  "Uh, I'm Robert and I ran 1:07:10."  "Oh yeah, I knew you were Robert.  Weldon's taller.   Nice time."

I hoped you enjoyed my stream of consciousness report from Philly.  I think it is a pretty accurate description of what was actually going through my head during the race.

09/03/01 - New Haven 20K - 1:04:36 (5:03, 10:13, ?:??[16:02 5K], ?:?? , 25:53, ?:?? [32:14 10K], 36:19, 41:37, 46:55, 52:19, 57:31, 1:02:37) 5:12/mi avg. 17th place.  This was my first time running New Haven - excellent race, good course and the weather was great.  Although I went out quite fast, I was probably in 30th place at the first mile!  I was even behind Milena Glusac and Sylvia Mosqueda during the first half mile.  I ran with a pack that helped me hold my pace and even pick off a few runners the last few miles.  Unlike the Sheehan Classic, I was never running alone during this race that serves as the USATF 20K Championship (complete results here).  I always had other competitors to work with and help push the pace.  I felt strong and was never in trouble during the race.  My time reflects a big improvement from my previous race and has convinced me to run the Columbus Marathon on October 21st.  One of the highlights was getting to see so many top US runners (Glusac, Christine Clifton, Dan Browne, Jimmy Herald, Weldon Johnson, Mike Donnelly).   My next race will be the Cow Harbor 10K on September 15th.  

08/11/01 - George Sheehan Classic 5 Mile - 25:41 (4:58, 10:07, 15:18, 20:40) 12th place.  I enjoy this race... well run race, good awards and excellent barbeque after the race by Jersey Mike's.  I went out at the back of the lead pack in 4:58.  The leaders, who ended up running 23:30, only went out in 4:55 or so.  Talk about negative splits!  After the first mile the lead pack of about 13 runners broke away from me.  I ended up running the rest of the race by myself.  I allowed myself to slow during the 4th mile, which killed any chance I had to finish close to 25:00.  I closed on the 11th place finisher, Ray Biersbach, during the downhill last mile, but he had much too large a lead.  I ran 26:14 here last year in the pouring rain...  After the race I cooled down with Robert Johnson, co-founder of Letsrun.com.  I got a picture of his brother Weldon Johnson (28:10 PR) holding my son, Ryan.  Nice guys, great website.  Although they are identical twins, they have different running form - I was able to observe their form from behind during the first mile.  My next race will probably be the New Haven 20K on Labor Day. It's a very deep race and there should be lots of people to run with.    

08/04/01 - Impact Unlimited River to Sea Relay - 92mi 8:20:30 "Fastest Elapsed Time".  No, I did not run 92 miles.  The relay allowed a maximum of 7 runners.  The team I ran with, NJ Meatmasters, was captained by Joe McVeigh (2:16 marathoner).  Our team consisted of J.R. Meloro, Todd Lippin, Brian Harris, Gary Rosenberg, Joe McVeigh, Dave Komline and myself.  Our team owes a big debt to Dave who was a last minute replacement for an injured runner.  If Dave didn't change his plans and make himself available for an entire Saturday, we would have raced with only 6 runners... that would have been ugly.   There are 14 legs, and each runner must run at least 2 legs.  The legs range from 2.5mi to 8.65mi.  I ran the 6th leg (7.95mi) and the 13th leg (7.55mi).  I ran the 7.95mi leg in 44:20 (with 3:00 worth of mandatory stops at traffic lights) and I ran the 7.55mi leg in 37:51 (no stops).  I was pleased with my effort, especially the last leg - it was flat and I was able to run the last 3 miles pretty hard.  I had a lot of fun with the team, most of whom I didn't know very well.  It is worth mentioning that Brian Harris (9:06 steeple PR), ran his first leg so hard he ended up with heat exhaustion (it was warm and very humid).  Dave and I were trying to cool him down with water, but he wouldn't drink much and after about 10 minutes he started to concern us.  He threw up, was not speaking clearly and actually said "I'm in trouble".  I then called Dan Brannen (as the rules directed).  I told him I had a medical emergency and he put me on hold while he had a conversation with someone else.  When he finally decided I was worth speaking to, he simply said "Call 911".  What a freakin waste of time!  We were lucky that the extra 5 minutes I wasted didn't result in Brian's condition worsening.  I've recommended that the rules be changed to instruct the teams to call 911 first in the event of a medical emergency...  When the ambulance finally did arrive, they hooked Brian up to an IV (while I was rubbing ice on his neck) and took him to the hospital.  I did not enjoy having to call his mom and tell her that her son was in the hospital.  That was the only negative of the entire experience.  The relay was well organized and executed.   I'll run it again if I get the chance.  Oh, and our team missed the course record by 3 minutes.

07/19/01 - Chase Corp Challenge - 3.5mi 17:36 (5:01, 10:06, 15:08) 2nd place.  I've always wanted to run this race, but never worked for a corporation that participated.  I knew that last year's winning time was 18:14, so I thought I had a chance to win.  Chad McKonly (2000 winner), Michael Spence (8:45 steeplechaser from Princeton U) and I pulled away from the rest of the field.  Since I haven't been doing any speedwork, the pace felt quite fast.  After about one mile, Chad dropped back a bit and Michael Spence and I traded the lead a few times.  At one point, Spence pulled away on a downhill but I was able to make up the gap on the next uphill.  At the 3 mile mark, I'm pretty much hurting but hanging on to Spence.  With about 600 meters to go, Spence charges up the last hill gapping me by quite a bit.  At this point, I don't respond and basically fold like a cheap lawn chair.  Spence really earned the win by attacking that hill.   This race tells me where I am 3 months from marathon day.  I know I need to get down to doing some quality work - soon.  Enjoyed a long cooldown with Tony Cioce (6th 18:51), Gary Rosenberg (4th 18:31) and Chad McKonly (3rd 18:09).    

05/28/01 - Ridgewood 10K - 31:29 (5:02, 10:05, 15:14, 20:23, 25:27, 30:28) 5:04/mi avg - 3rd place. I was shooting for 31:00, but I am clearly not in the shape I want to be. Rumor has it that the expected contingent of Kenyans from Pennsylvania were late in arriving and therefore ran the 5K, which was later in the day. Back to the action in the 10K, the lead pack consisted of Joe LeMay, Toby Tanser and John Mwai and they went through 2 miles in 9:44. I was running with Gene Mitchell but even with us working together, we couldn't pick up the pace below 5:00 per mile. Before 3 miles, Toby Tanser started to fall off the lead pack and by the 4th mile, Gene and I had caught him. Gene proved his character in the race, as he was trailing Toby and I by a few strides, he noticed that we were going straight through an intersection where the course made a left turn. He yelled out "LEFT!, LEFT!" which enabled Toby and I to make a quick adjustment before we went all the way through the intersection. I'm sure the yelling took some energy, and I respect Gene for giving us the heads-up that we were about to go off course. About the 5 mile mark, Toby tucked in directly behind me (so much for working together to pick up the pace). I was able to run a 5:01 6th mile with Toby hanging on behind me - Gene had fallen back some by this point. As soon as I reached the 6 mile marker, I started to sprint. It takes me a little time to get to full speed and I didn't want to wait until the final straightaway. I kicked hard - I was running scared all the way to the finish because I had no idea if Toby was just waiting to sprint. It turns out he didn't kick at all and I put 10 seconds between us in the final .25 of a mile. I was never "in extremis" during this race, but I also couldn't seem to pick up the pace below 5:00, either. I guess I'll just train harder and run more miles in my next cycle. Joe LeMay won the race in 30:39, John Mwai was second in 31:21, Toby Tanser was fourth in 31:39 and Gene Mitchel ended up 5th in 31:56.

05/20/01 - Midland 15K - 48:29 (5:04, 10:15, 15:37, 20:44, 26:13, 31:23, 36:44, 42:08, 46:59) 5:12/mi avg - 8th place. I was hoping to average 5:10 per mile, but I'm satisfied with my race nonetheless. This race draws a lot of the local running talent (USATF-NJ 15K Championship) and also a few Kenyans and a token Russian. I was at the back of the lead pack at the 1st mile, but then about 8 runners pulled away and I ran most of the race with Carlos Martins. We were briefly joined by Sean Mick and Michael Wardian, but they couldn't handle the fearsome pace we were setting. My legs felt pretty weak on the uphills and I had a sidestitch for about 3 miles, but I was able to push the pace and had a decent kick at the end. I didn't feel sharp, but I put in a good race effort and I'm looking forward to the Ridgewood 10K and its flat, fast course. The winner in 45:15 was Stephen Ondieki, an NCAA champion from Fairleigh Dickinson University here in New Jersey. Ryan Grote finished in 4th place as the first US finisher in 46:11, a time that would have won last year's race. A highlight of the post-race party was getting to meet Elliot Frieder's 5 month old baby daughter. As a new father, I appreciate those things now...

05/11/01 - Dr. Keebler Invite @ North Central College 10000 Meter 31:11 (4:59, 10:00, 15:01, ?:??, 25:01, 30:03) 5th place. This meet is a popular last-chance qualifier for D3 colleges in the midwest. The 10000 is last on the schedule, so the gun went off around 1:30am. I was trying to run sub 5:00 pace, but it was a struggle just to run 75 second laps, so that became my goal after the first mile. The second mile brought on a mild sidestitch that stayed with me until the 20th lap. Pretty early on, a lead pack of 4 pulled away. For a large part of the race, I was leading the chase pack. Two runners eventually fell off the back of the lead pack and our pack caught them. Shortly after the 5000m mark, 2 runners from Nebraska Wesleyan passed me. I went with them for about 4 laps until they finally broke me. I think they increased the pace, running 73-74 second laps and I couldn't hang on. I was desperately just trying to hold on to 75 second laps. Fast forward to the last lap: I'm in 5th and haven't started my kick yet... with 200 to go I'm passed by Jim Akita... that woke me up out of my trance and with 150 to go I opened up and started to sprint... Akita responds and holds me off until about 75 meters from the tape when I find another gear, sprint like mad and pull away convincingly. It seems that I'm always able to sprint pretty well even when I've been hurting the entire race... interesting. Finally, I would have liked to run sub 31:00, but I just didn't feel comfortable running any faster than 5:00 pace. Now that I look at my workouts, they really didn't indicate that a sub 31:00 was in the cards... My workouts are not comparable to the spring of '92 when I ran my best. I've got a little further to go...

04/28/01 - Main Street 5K 15:39 (4:34, 9:54) 6th place. In addition to being downhill, the first mile was also short. The two mile marker seemed to be correct, though. The lead pack of about 8 runners was probably at least 10 seconds ahead of the second pack which I was leading. As I mentioned, this course is all downhill for the first mile, then is flat for a bit and then is uphill from about 1.5mi till ~400m from the finish. The finish is a very steep downhill with a 90 degree right turn less than 50 meters from the finish. After the first mile, I dropped everyone in my pack and then caught someone who had fallen off the first pack. I passed another runner on the downhill just before the finish. I finished 10 seconds behind 5th place (Carlos Martins). The winner was Wilson Kagiri in 14:44. I'm just glad I'm over being sick and I'm looking forward to some good training. Next race will be a 10,000m on the track May 11th.

03/31/01 - Wheaton College Invite 5000 Meter 15:05 (1:11, 2:24, 3:36, 4:49, 6:01, 7:16, 8:29, 9:44, 10:56, 12:08, 13:21, 14:33) 3rd place. I ran this in breezy and rainy conditions and I felt ok. I was trying to run sub 4:50 pace (15:00), so I just need to work on the 2nd mile where I lost focus and allowed the pace to slow a little. I'm pleased with the result considering that I haven't started any VO2 workouts. I'd like to run another track 5000 to go sub 15:00, but I'm finding it pretty hard to find a local meet that allows open athletes. My next race, if I can't find a track meet, will be a 5K road race on April 28th.

03/23/01 - NMIC 3000 Meter indoor at The Reggie Lewis Center (Boston, MA) 8:45.44. I'm satisfied with the effort, although I was shooting for 8:40. I was hoping to be in a heat with several runners around 8:40, but it turns out everyone fell off 8:40 pace at about 2200m. I then took the lead, but could not get back on pace. I finished 2nd in my heat by .1 of a second, but had a decent kick the last 100m. I'm still planning on running a track 5000m on 3/31.

03/04/01 - MAC 3000 Meter indoor at The Armory 8:52 (?). I wanted to run 8:45, but I went out too slow and although I finished strong (passing about 5 runners during the last mile), I had left myself too much to make up. This was a weird race. The starter had just told us to step up to the starting line when the gun went off. No one said "Set" or anything. Therefore, a lot of the runners weren't prepared and I didn't start my watch. That usually isn't a problem because splits are normally given every 200 meters - not at this race, however. No one was calling out the splits. I really didn't know any of my splits, but that was my fault because there was a huge scoreboard with a clock running on it and all I had to do was look up as I passed the start/finish line and my splits would have been staring me in the face. Duh. I gave a good effort, but I didn't really push until the last 5 laps or so. My next race will probably be a 5000 meter outdoor track race at Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL) on March 31st.

01/11/01 - NYRRC 3000 Meter indoor at The Armory 8:56.6 This race served as a qualifier for the Fred Lebow 3000 meter race at The Millrose Games, so there was plenty of competition. The first 7 runners all ran faster than 8:32. I didn't take my splits on my watch so this is all I remember... My first lap (200m) was :35 and I was in last place, then I hit 1:09 for 400m and I was still in last. I remember 2:20 for 800m and 4:46 for 1600 and that's about all I can recall. After that point I passed a couple of runners and ended up beating about 3 competitors. I'm satisfied with the time considering I haven't started any quality workouts yet. I may run another indoor race in the next couple of weeks.

10/29/00 - Columbus Marathon 2:34:33 (5:45, 11:32, ?:??, 22:51, 28:24, 34:06, 39:47, 45:27, 51:06, 56:38, 1:02:17, 1:08:02, 1:13:51, [1:14:29 at half], ?:??, 1:25:16, 1:31:00, 1:36:49, 1:42:25, 1:48:39, 1:54:51, 2:01:02, 2:07:09, 2:13:39, 2:20:16, ?:??, 2:33:25- avg 5:53) 19th place. I was trying to run 2:30:00, but crashed after mile 18. I went from running about 5:40 per mile to over 6:00 per mile. The weather was great - about 35 degrees, no humidity and light wind. The course is pretty much flat. I ran with a group of 4-6 guys from mile 3 until mile 18 when I fell off the pace. I took water at most every water station which seemed to be spaced about 2 miles apart. I took a gel with water at mile 12, mile 17 and mile 21. I probably didn't take enough water with each gel. Instead of allowing the runners to pick up their own water off the tables, the volunteers were handing it out. So after I took my gel, I tried to get 2 cups of water by grabbing a cup at the beginning of the station and one at the end. I probably spilled about 25% of the water, and the cups were only half-full to start out with, so it's possible that I didn't get enough. I felt fine aerobically the entire race, it was just that my legs turned to lead around mile 18. They were very heavy and painful. That's my first experience with what others call "the wall" and I didn't like it. My plan is to rest for 2 weeks, then start to train for the spring. I'd like to set a 10K PR in May. After that I may run another marathon next fall.

09/24/00 - Liberty Waterfront Half-Marathon 1:10:56 (5:24, ?:??, ?:??, 21:15, 26:41, 32:10, 37:35, 43:03, 48:28, 53:47, 59:22, 1:04:59- avg. 5:25) 6th place. I was trying to average 5:20 per mile, so I missed that target by a little but I'm satisfied with my place and effort. My pace lagged during the later miles even though I felt like I was really working hard, but I was able to pull away from the 2 guys I was running with during that time. I finished only 32 seconds behind 2nd place and had a strong last mile. {1st place Fouzi Aloui 1:09:14 - 2nd place Joe McVeigh 1:10:24 - 4th place Chris Langan 1:10:39} Now it's time to taper for the big day... If anyone has any taper suggestions, let me know!

09/07/00 - Warner Lambert 5K 15:30 (4:59, 10:04) 2nd place. I ran this race instead of a 20K on 9/04. I think that I need some more maximal VO2 type work and with a half-marathon slated for September 24th, I feel that a hard 5K would help in that area. I really was hoping to run close to 15:00, but I keep reminding myself that I'm not peaking and that I trained through this race. My legs were just dead from the beginning and after I passed through the mile in 4:59, they weren't getting any better. I stayed within 20 meters or so of Brian Boyett until about one-half mile from the finish when I closed to within 5 meters. When he realized I was closing in on him, he steadily pulled away for the win. By the way, he's a high school senior - I hope he goes to a college that will bring him along gradually and keeps him healthy. He's got great potential. As I mentioned, my next race (and last before the Hartford Marathon) is the Jersey City Waterfront Half-Marathon on September 24th. That race will provide lots of good competition. {1st place Brian Boyett 15:23 - 3rd place Andy Latincsics 16:08}

08/19/00 - NYRRC Club Champs 5 Mile (Central Park) 25:15 (5:01, 9:57, 15:08, 20:23, 25:15) 13th place. This race draws a lot of the good runners from the NYC area. There is a strong competition for the "Club Champion", where my team finished 8th. I ran a much stronger race than last week. I was able to focus in the middle miles and didn't let anyone pass me after the 3 mile mark. My last mile and finish were strong, which tells me I had a little left in the tank. Or maybe it was because the last mile of the race was mostly downhill... {1st place Paul Mwangi 23:55 - 2nd place Brian Clas 24:04 - 3rd place Toby Tanser 24:32}

08/12/00 - Sheehan Classic 5 Mile 26:14 (no splits) 14th place. This is an excellent race which draws lots of good Kenyan talent. I was hoping to run under 26:00, so I'm not real happy with my performance. Although I was not able to get accurate splits, I know that my pace lagged during the 3rd and 4th miles. I did not stay strong mentally and push through those middle miles. I'll have to have a different mindset next week when I race in Central Park next Saturday (8/19). {1st place Titus Munge 23:05 - 2nd place Gabriele Muchiri 23:07 - 3rd place Ronald Mogaka 23:15}

07/01/00 - Montville 5K 15:48 (5:05, 10:12) 1st place and course record. This is my hometown race, and my wife insisted that I run it. I ran the first mile with a high school kid, who quickly faded before the halfway point. I was tired from running camp, but gave it a good effort over the last 1.5 miles even though I was running solo. My next race will probably be a 5 miler on August 12th.

06/17/00 - Run for Roses 10K 32:41 (5:15, ?:??, 15:45, 21:01, 26:26) 4th place. Warm (bout 80) and humid. I went out conservatively because of the weather and found myself in first place with Trevor Scott following close behind. I knew something was wrong because Fouzi Aloui and Said Diri were both in the race and both are much more fit than I am right now ;-) I maintained 5:15 pace through 3 miles, and then the course has some hills where I slowed some. I was still leading at 4 miles and really didn't know why. It seems that Fouzi and Said had decided to run easy for the first 4.5 miles and then blast the last mile and a half. They took off shortly before the 5 mile marker, and the race was over (for me). Trevor Scott tried to go with them, but he only succeeded in securing 3rd place. I could not gather enough strength to close the gap on Trevor. He ran a tough race. This is the 2nd time that Trevor has beaten me (last time was by 7 seconds). He's a very good masters runner. Fortunately for me, double dipping was not allowed in this race, so I was able to take home the 3rd place prize and Trevor took the 1st place Masters prize (which was bigger than the prize I won, anyway). By the way, I really dislike losing to runners in the "geezer class" ;-) This is the last race for me for a while. I'm planning on a fall marathon, so I'm going to increase the mileage and not race. I'm satisfied with the season, and I feel confident that I can improve on my performaces over the next year or two.

06/12/00 - President's Cup 5K 15:14 (4:50, ?:??) 7th place. It was a rainy, humid day but not bad for racing because the rain kept the temperature cool. I went out hard and felt quite comfortable so I stayed with the lead pack for most of the first mile. The leaders got away from me shortly after that but I held on pretty well. I actually passed a couple of runners during the last mile including Carlos Martins who must have had an off day. I had a good finish but was not able to catch Ryan Grote who was just using this race as a workout and to help the Runner's Pace team score well at this USATF-NJ Championship race. {1st place Fouzi Aloui 14:57 - 2nd Eric Kean 15:00}

06/03/00 - Stillwater Stampede 5 Mile 25:54 (5:07, 10:20, ?:??, 20:57) 3rd place ($25). I decided to run this at the last minute, hoping to pick up more cash than I did... The guy who won is from Morocco with a 5000m PR of 14:05. This race was much more work than the Ridgewood 10K - I felt rough from the start and was about 20 meters behind the top 2 runners by the first mile marker. It was a hilly course, especially around mile 3 where I developed a slight sidestitch after I took some water (mistake). I know that water doesn't help in such a short race, but my mouth was very dry and I figure I should learn how to take water when running in the event I ever attempt a marathon. To sum up, I was able to close on the 2nd place finisher over the last mile, but he had too much of a lead over me. I'm satisfied with the effort, but wish I had felt better. {1st place Said Diri 25:39 - 2nd place Trevor Scotts 25:47}

05/29/00 - Ridgewood 10K 31:17 (5:10, 10:08, 15:13, ?:??, 25:19) 4th place. I was hoping for sub 32:00 based on my last race, so again I'm thrilled to be running this fast. I was planning on running 5:10 miles, but after mile 1 I ran with Gene Mitchell and we worked together until just past 3 miles when he pulled away a bit. I was fighting off a mild sidestitch but was able to stay within about 25 meters or so over the next 2 miles. Then during the last mile I steadily gained on Gene and Eric Too until I passed them both with about .5 miles to go. I had a strong kick and was not challenged at the end. Next race is President's Cup 5K on 6/12.

05/21/00 - Midland 15K 49:03 (5:14, 10:34, 15:54, 21:20, 26:39, 31:51, 37:18, 42:11, 47:29) 9th place. I was shooting for sub 50:00, so I am really happy with this race. It represents a marked improvement over my last couple of races. I felt strong until just after the 8 mile marker, when I developed a nasty side stitch. Even so, I was able to hold it together for the last mile and not fall apart. This race gives me confidence in my training and shows that I'm rounding into shape just in time. Complete results can be found at CompuScore. Next race is the Ridgewood 10K on Memorial Day (5/29).

05/06/00 - Chilton 10K 33:19 (5:28, 10:52, 16:14, 21:37, 27:01) - went out slow because there was nobody near me and I thought maybe I was going too fast. Turns out nobody showed for this race because there are 2 high quality ones tomorrow. I was shooting for sub 33:00 based on my recent workouts. Ran solo the entire race and I am happy with the effort. Temp was over 70 when race started at 8:00am. I'm running the Midland 15K in 2 weeks and I hope to run the same pace (5:22 per mile) for the entire 15K .

04/08/00- St. Mary's 5K 16:01 (5:03, 10:19) - felt sluggish, and I let Elliot Frieder pull away from me in the last mile, but for my 1st race of the season, I'm satisfied. I was shooting for sub 16:00. I was/am still sore from track workout on 4/4, so I feel that I've got a faster time in me. I just need to continue to do more Threshold, VO2 and Speed stuff and I'll be ready to run well toward the end of May (I hope). 1st was Fouzi Aloui 15:06.

02/13/00- Indoor Meet @ FDU- 800m 2:07.73 (31.54, 32.22, 33.47, 30.50) felt good to run fast again

09/28/99- Harvest Festival 5K 7th 16:08 (5:02, 10:16) - felt weak, legs like jelly

09/09/99- Warner Lambert 5K 2nd 15:58- 1st was Fouzi Aloui 15:07

08/21/99- Contact We Care 5K 1st 15:44 (5:10, 10:17) - felt good

08/14/99- Sheehan 5mi 21st 26:46

07/03/99- Montville 5K 1st 16:13 - this is my hometown race. I beat some 14 yr old kid.

06/18/99- June Moon 5K 2nd 16:27 - pretty tired, 2 races per week is too much

06/14/99- President's Cup 5K 18th 16:08 - decent kick, competitive race, winner was 14:53.

05/31/99- Ridgewood 10K 17th 33:55 -

05/22/99- Chatham 5K 1st 16:11 - Manuel Pereira was 2nd, nice guy

05/01/99- Apple Chase 10K 2nd 34:25 - 1st mile was 5:17, that's too fast, I died

04/24/99- Sparta 5K 3rd 16:25 - good effort, won $25

03/28/99- Track Meet @ Reggie Lewis Center, Boston 800m 2:06.67 part of 3200 relay