westport summer series 4.7 miler: race photos and results

what a great day to run! not only did the temperature drop down into the 70's, but there was no humidity and a cool breeze as well! the 5th race (4.7 miles) in the westport summer series took place at the longshore country club. the last time i raced there was when longshore was part of the old minuteman 5 mile course!

the course took us out and back to compo beach. while it was a great day to run, my legs weren't up for it. i wanted to run a sub-7 minute pace, but at 3 miles my split was just over 21 minutes. my watch took also took that opportunity to die on me. it's been one disappointment after another (too many to recount) with this new timex ironman triathlon - and this was the last straw. no more timex' for me.

the last 1.7 miles (from the reset watch) took just over 12 minutes - which gave me an overall time of 43:xx. i'll have to wait until the results are posted to find out my actual finish (43:28).

here are the race results.

a few more photos on facebook.

no 24 hour run... westport instead

no trip to wakefield today. i had seriously though about doing the 24 hour run around the lake (one that i've done twice over the years), but can't do the road trip this year. instead, will head over to westport tomorrow morning for the summer series (4.7 miles).

not sure about sunday, but thinking about the trrc biathlon. last year i ran, while emmy swam. but since i haven't gone swimming since last year, jumping into the lake for a quarter-mile swim may not be the best way to get reacquainted with the water ;p

we'll see :D

"the art of the steal" documentary

i missed this incredible documentary, "the art of the steal," when it was in limited release in new york city. but thanks to netflix (on demand) i finally had a chance to see it - and it was worth the wait. but a bit of back story is in order. the film documents how a handful of powerful interests (primarily politicians and large foundations) conspired gain control of a valuable art collection (conservatively described as the most valuable art collections in the world) and physically relocate it to downtown philadephia in direct contravention of the govening documents of the foundation.

the barnes foundation, which houses the private collection assembled by albert barnes, in was purposely located in suburban philadelphia. barnes, a self-made millionaire with a fragile ego, was an art collector ahead of his time. when he established the foundation in 1923, the critics savaged his taste, his selections, his eclectic presentation of the works - every facet of his style and philosphy. barnes was stunned at the viciousness and swore his collection would never find its way back to philadephia.

when barnes died in 1951 his last will and testament stipulated that the collection remain where it was currently housed to keep it away from the philadephia elites he so despised. for almost 40 years, until the death of the last trustee personally selected by barnes, the collection was safe from the outside world. but, one of the first changes brought about by the new foundation trustees was sending the collection on a world tour - as a traveling exhibit - with its final stop at the dreaded (to albert barnes) philadelphia museum of art!

things quickly devolved from there - and culminated with a judicial decision approving the permanent relocation of the art collection to down philadelphia. a finale that no doubt had dr. barnes spinning in his grave at the injustice of ignoring his explicit directive. but even with such a one sided documentary it's difficult to muster any sympathy for barnes. the brief sketch of the man revealed someone who - to put it as charitably as possible - was a nasty old curmudgeon.

as an attorney who specializes in trusts and estates matters, i especially enjoyed the legal maneuvering that was employed (aided, no doubt, by equal parts political influence) to accomplish the "steal." but, had the documentary be a bit less partisan, there would have be some room to present the (legitimate) arguments in favor of relocating the collection. while public policy considerations were significant, it shouldn't be ignored that neighbors of the barnes foundation may have kicked off the transfer the collection with their collective "not in our back yard" stance over the addition a parking lot to ease traffic congestion!

while the title implies the collection was stolen, and in a sense it may have been, there were too many legitimate considerations for such a glib moniker. that said, put "the art of the steal" on your netflix queue. and if you're planning a trip to philadelphia... well make sure to watch it before visiting the collection :D

unexpected travel day

this morning i kicked off the day with a trip on the staten island ferry! at the ferry terminal i met up with my friend john and we drove to washington crossing, pa, to visit our friend joe. the trip had a business element since i had a last will and testament in my briefcase for joe to sign. aside from that little detail, we socialized for a while and then drove back to the city (this time via the holland tunnel).

while i had rescheduled a lunch meeting with my old friend dave, i still had class to teach at 6 - and that typically runs until 9. after class, and now at home, i have no energy or desire to log a few running miles - so it's an unscheduled rest day. in light of all the travel miles, it seems like a mandatory rest day :D

louie prima posthumously honored with star on hollywood's walk of fame

42 years after his death in 1978, and on the 100th anniversary of his year of birth, legendary jazz trumpeter louie prima was honored with a star on the hollywood walk of fame! the ceremony took place on sunday, as part of a day long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the walk of fame. prima's son and daughter (both of whom have followed their dad into the music profession) were at the unveiling ceremony.

i'm a huge fan of louie prima. his music has been a constant on my ipod for years. his partnership with keely smith (who is still going strong at 78) added yet another dimension to the music. it just jumps! "just a gigolo" has been covered by david lee roth - and he played it true to prima's version. both versions are awesome.

listen to a little louie prima today :D

katie's off at summer camp :D

katie is at camp now. we dropped her off yesterday afternoon, and stayed just long enough to get her checked-in and see her new bunk. with so many familiar faces, both campers and counselors, it hardly seemed like a year has gone by since last summer!

here are a few pictures :D

greetings from ashland, new hampshire, once again :D

these trips up to ashland, new hampshire, have become an annual event for us. in july we drive up here to drop katie off at summer camp. then in august we drive back here to pick her up from camp and bring her home. this is year six, and probably our last one since katie has reached her final year as a camper :(

we arrived last night, shortly after eight - following the shortest drive here we've ever had (4 hours and 20 minutes) thanks to no traffic whatsoever on the mass pike! not sure we'll see a repeat of that phenomena any time soon (especially on the drive home this afternoon).

i got in a hilly 5.5 miles this morning - over a route and terrain that i've run so often it seems like an old friend. this time there was none of the typical fog and humidity i've often encountered, so it was a lot of fun. after a quick breakfast, we're outta here :D

stay tuned, i'll post a few pictures when i get home tonight!

2010 norwalk summers series 9 miler: race photos and results

i switched from the queens half to the norwalk summer series 9 miler this morning. all things being equal, much easier logistics heading to norwalk than it would have been driving down to queens. either race, regardless of weather (which was brutally hot and humid), would have been a recovery run. so i opted to run norwalk and socialize with my friends afterwards.

as for the race, a few people only ran one loop. i felt like joining them! i hit the wall at 6 miles and found myself struggling to finish the last 3 miles! under those circumstances, i was more than happy to survive with a 1:13:15 (8:09 pace). while i wanted to run it in a sub-8 pace, i'll take the 8:09 :D

the one scary moment of the morning was emmy dropping to the grass after she crossed the finish line. she was at the edge of heat exhaustion and had us worried during the couple of minutes it took for her to cool down and rehydrate. that could have been any one of us out there!

this afternoon we have a long drive up to new hampshire - tomorrow kicks off a month of summer camp for katie!

here are the race results.

maybe the norwalk summer series 9 miler?

i may change plans and head to norwalk for the summer series 9 miler tomorrow morning - instead of the queens half. logistics for queens (either taking the metronorth in, or driving) are too much of a hassle for a recovery run (for me, anyway). i may grab the extra sleep time and drive to norwalk for the 9 miler (much more social) and put in another few miles before we head up to new hamsphire...

stay tuned :D

packet pick-up for queens half marathon at nyrr club

i went to the nyrr club this afternoon and picked up my bib, d-tag, and shirt for the queens half marathon on saturday. the red shirt was the same style as the brooklyn and manhattan half marathons, but it was cotton like the manhattan long-sleeve instead of a tech shirt like brooklyn (and it was a heavy weight cotton at that). i miss the days when nyrr gave out cotton singlets at summer races!

on the heels of 70 miles in vermont last weekend, this race will be a recovery run. if it wasn't the third of five in the grand prix series, i would probably have skipped it in favor of the norwalk summer series (9 miles) or westport (4.1 miles). but i'm actually looking forward to checking out the new course! running around the unisphere seems nicer (and faster) than the old course. weather conditions aside, looks like a great course for a pr!

as always, if you're there, say hi!

"the girl who played with fire" ("flickan som lekte med elden") movie review

I caught the “Girl Who Played with Fire” ("Flickan Som Lekte Med Elden") last week, before we drove up to Vermont. It’s the second installment of Stieg Larrson’s posthumously published “Millennium” trilogy. Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyquist reprise their roles as Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." In fact, all three books of the “Millennium” trilogy were filmed in one year, with the same principal actors. The third instalment, “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” is scheduled for an October release.

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was a brutally violent film, and the level of violence did not abated in “The Girl Who Played with Fire.” With scenes of a who girl dragged into a barn followed by a man who then powers up a chain saw, a girl shot and then buried alive, and flashbacks to the brutal rape in “Dragon Tattoo,” the sequel may contain even more violence! Certainly Lisbeth’s path through this movie is no less violent than what she endured in the first.

“The Girl Who Played with Fire” fills in the details of Lisbeth’s past for those who watched the first film. Interestingly, the fire motif picked up from the first film (the flashback where Lisbeth douses her abusive father and lights a match to him) and carried over to the cyborg-like evil henchman’s torching of the barn to, supposedly, dispose of two inconvenient bodies.

While this character feels no pain as a result of a genetic mutation, he doesn’t lapse into a comic cut-out of a clownish James Bond bad guy from the 60's or 70's (think Jaws, without the smile). He does the dirty work with clinical detachment and ruthlessness. His connection to the action is murkier than it appears, and the big reveal at the finish certainly opens some eyes.

The plot revolved around the murder of an investigative reporter and his wife, who both uncover a human traffic network and Blomkvist’s Millennium magazine is about to publish all the gory details. They’re killed before the expose is published - and Lisbeth is framed for the murders. This frame-up, while improbable, is essential and brings her back into the sleuthing business - to save herself. As she tries to find the real murderer, her past becomes part of the present day story.

Interestingly, while Blomkvist is certain of her innocence - and sets off to prove it - they don’t meet up until late in the film. Given the evidence the police have against her (including an inconvenient fingerprint), his unwavering belief that she couldn't have murdered them may have more to do with their physical relationship from “Dragon Tattoo” than any objective set of facts in the current film.

The trilogy will be remade in the U.S. - with Daniel Craig signed to play Blomkvist. The open question is what actress can play Lisbeth? Noomi Rapace inhabits the role so completely that's it's difficult to image another woman in the part. In the meantime, if you haven't seen "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," watch that one first. Then go see the "Girl Who Played with Fire."

catching up with jose at rattle 'n' hum

this afternoon i left work early and met my friend jose at rattle 'n' hum for a couple of beers. he was in town, just back from a trip to china, japan, and korea, on his way home to puerto rico. it's been almost a year since he was last in new york - last summer, in fact. that time around we headed over to puffy's tavern with our friend danny for catching up.

a southern tier brewery event was scheduled for that night, but we were too early for the special selections. but i kicked off with southern tier "hop sun" which was already on tap. it was an excellent summer selection. then, for something completely different i opted for some sour beer, a van honsebrouck "bacchus." while i had a nice tart kick, it was too thin for my taste.

ducking into a craft beer bar for a couple in the middle of a hot summer afternoon beats sitting in the office any day :D

2010 vermont endurance run: anatomy of a dnf :(

Not a typical race report...

This was my fourth consecutive trip to the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run. I went home with a .500 batting average. While I completed the run in 2007 and 2009, this year would join 2008 as a DNF. The short version is that after 18:33 I reached Camp Ten Bear (70 miles) well off my time goals (sub-24, or sub 26) and, with my quads trashed, I decided to pack it in. I didn’t want to slog through a 30 mile death march - basically walk the remainder of the distance in another 10 hours.

It was a tough decision for me for two reason - neither of which had to do with a DNF. First, I had run the bulk of the 70 miles with Emmy, who was in equally bad shape at that point. She wanted to finish and didn’t care about how long it took (that’s the killer instinct in her). So I felt lousy about not going on with her. That was mitigated because Nick headed out as Emmy to pace her. Second, Rob was there to pace me and I was bummed he had taken the time and effort to drive up - only to have me bail out.

Emmy and I were two hours late getting back to Camp Ten Bear. Instead of 8:30, we arrived at 10:30 - it was the first time I had covered the distance from the Margaritaville aid station back to Ten Bear in the dark (we were closer to Brown School House when it got dark). Rob and Nick were worried enough about our progress to do a mile out and back on the trail to look for us! It was an incredible sense of relief to finally arrive back there.

It was hard to believe that we had left Ten Bear, with Nick jogging with us to the trail head, almost 6 hours earlier! At the first weigh-in I was astonished to learn that I had dropped six pounds (at the weight-in, I'd lose yet another pound)! It was all the more worrisome because I had consistently finished off my 22 ounce water bottle (usually filled with water or water/heed) between the aid stations, in addition to the fluids I drank (and watermelon I ate) at the aid stations. But my appetite hadn’t diminished - I ate a sausage and pepper hero on the way out of Ten Bear!

Far from giving me stomach issues, that solid food reinvigorated me for the second half. In the first half I had pretty much stuck to watermelon, PB & J, turkey & Swiss, and boiled potatoes. But nutrition wasn’t the issue for me - humidity was. It took its toll across the first 50 increasingly slower miles. My 50 mile split of 12:33 was more than an hour off last year’s pace. I got a preview of the slower times right at the start, when the first horse galloped passed me before I had reached the second aid station.

Little things like that (the horses usually arrived past the second aid station) clued me in early that it would be a tough day. While I don’t mind heat, humidity is an insidious creature. For the first 40+ miles I felt like I was running underwater because my clothes were continuously drenched. I changed into dry clothes three separate times (at 20, 30 and 48 miles). Despite the change of clothes and plenty of Glide, chaffing also became a problem as the day wore on.

On the way back to Ten Bear I realized that since it wasn’t my day, I should cut my losses. If I had been able to run (or even convince myself I could run) some of the remaining distance, I may have pushed on. But the though of walking all the way back didn’t appeal to me. Instead, Rob and I rode the shuttle van back to finish. We crashed on cots in the medical tent and, in the morning, waited for Emmy and the rest of our friends to cross the finish.

As I often say, "you gotta take what the day gives you." This weekend dealt us a heat-wave and I tried to make the best of it. But (apologies to the Clash), "I fought the humidity, and the humidity won." Still, there are plenty more races out there (and a million more weather patterns), so keep on running :D

vermont update: dnf at 70 miles

the short (and decidedly gnarly) version: reached 70 miles at roughly 18:20 hours and my quads were shot. not much running at that point and i decided to drop instead of walking the remaining 30 miles (at a roughly 3 mile per hour pace). i had lost 6 pounds at the first check-in (48 miles) and another pound at the second (70 miles) - despite downing 22+ ounces of fluid every 3 miles.

details to follow :(

2010 vermont 100 mile endurance run: pre-race briefing photos

we had an easy drive to vermont today, 3.5 hours from our house to the pre-race check-in and briefing. as expected, plenty of familiar faces: john, phil, nick, paul, emmy, marge, wayne, seth, admas, lucimar, yuen, zeke, and scott, just to mention a few.

after my medical check-up (weight and blood pressure), i took my multi-colored drop bags to the pick-up area. then followed socializing and catching up until it was time for the briefing. we didn't stick around for the dinner, opting to eat near our hotel.

it's going to be an short night. my wake-up call is set for 2:30 and will be on the road to the start by 3:00 - with a 4:00 kick-off to the race. it's going to be very humid tomorrow. my goal of a sub-24 hour finish may have to yield to the weather :(

more pre-race photos posted on facebook.

a movie ("the girl who played with fire") and some drop bags

it's been a relatively busy week, especially with summer session II kicking off yesterday, so i decided to catch a mid-day movie. i went to see "the girl who played with fire" - the follow up to "the girl with the dragon tattoo" and the second instalment of stieg larsson's "millennium" trilogy. in some ways, it was actually better than the first one! i'll write up a review of it next week.

when i got home, priority one was planning the drop bags for the vermont 100 mile endurance run this weekend (otherwise i would have written the movie review). as a certified procrastinator, i got as far as laying out all the essentials. the actual packing will, as usual, take place hours before i get in the car. in some ways, there's a lot less to consider taking along because the weather forecast is for hot, humid conditions all weekend.

regardless of the weather, looking forward to having a lot of fun (in the context of running, walking, slogging, crawling, to get through 100 hilly miles of vermont roads and trails). like last year, rob is coming up on saturday to pace me for the last 30 miles. so many returning (and new) faces expected this weekend that it may double as an ultrarunning reunion!

stay tuned :D

first night of summer session II

just got home from the first class of my summer session II course (advanced estate planning). this class meets 2 nights a week during the 6 week summer session. it kicked off with an interesting news item: george steinbrenner's heirs will avoid federal estate taxes because he died during the one year (in the entire history of the tax) that no estate tax is imposed on an estate! steinbrenner isn't the first billionaire to die this year (he's the third one, in fact) and have his estate escape taxation - and he probably won't be the last.

last summer this course kicked off following the untimely death of michael jackson. jackson's estate also provided some interesting, and very topical material, for my students to consider! i enjoy teaching this particular class because its focus is on planning issues (whereas the basic course is on code sections and introductory material). it looks like this summer will have plenty of topical material for discussion!

when i got home tonight, waiting for me in the mail was an acceptance letter to the jfk 50 miler! that was great news (and it was the first time i had a guaranteed entry to that event). woo hoo! i haven't run jfk since 2007, so this is one race i'm really looking forward to revisiting in november! more importantly, however, my major running priority of the moment is planning out my drop bags for the vermont 100 mile endurance run this weekend!

stay tuned :D

george steinbrenner: r.i.p

george steinbrenner died early this morning, july 13, 2010. he had just celebrated his 80th birthday. the boss (not springsteen in this case, as yankee fans will point out) gave up day to day control over the team to his sons hank and hal, but he nevertheless remained a looming figure at yankee stadium. during his 37 years as principal owner, the team won 7 world championships, the most recent of which was last year. and it was his vision that brought into existance the brand new yankee stadium.

steinbrenner was the stuff of legend. he redefined notions of modern baseball when he ushered in the age of free agency during the 1970s by signing catfish hunter and reggie jackson steinbrenner was a controversial figure - even among yankee fans - for his constant interference with day to day game decisions (and his impetuous hiring and firing of managers). but it all served to make him part of popular culture - no less so than when a caricature of steinbrenner became part of the seinfeld universe during the late 1990s.

while he made few public appearances because of his declining health over the last few years, fans will ever forget his determination to win! or, as he often expressed it, "he hated to lose!"

rest in peace george steinbrenner.

jimmy buffett's concert for the gulf coast

last night jimmy buffett and the coral reefer band played a free concert on orange beach, in gulf shores, alabama. the benefit for the gulf shore region battered by the bp oil spill was originally set for july 1, but had to be postponed because of concerns over hurricane alex. the show was broadcast live, commercial free, over cmt cable - and billed as "jimmy buffett & friends: live from the gulf coast."

because of the rescheduled appearance, the original list of friends was altered. kenny chesney and zac brown couldn't appear last night. but buffett brought on a few local favorites to expand the spectrum of sound on stage. he introduced singer-songwriter jesse winchester (who performed "rhumba man" and "mississippi, you're on my mind") and new orleans legend allen toussaint (who performed "yes we can, can") mid-way through the 90 minute performance

buffett took the opportunity to play up the oil spill and changed the lyrics to "margaritaville" when he declaimed, "it's all bp's fault!" he again toyed with the lyrics of his encore, "when the coast is clear." but the biggest surprise was the extended show beyond the 90 minute cmt broadcast window. buffett announced that there would be, and then played, more music after the live broadcast officially concluded.

if you missed the original broadcast on cmt, check the listings because cmt plans to rebroadcast the show!

here is the setlist:

the pascagoula run
one particular harbor
it's 5 o'clock somewhere
come monday
nobody from nowhere
son of a son of sailor
rhumba man
mississippi, you're on my mind
changes in latitude, changes in attitude
bama breeze
yes we can, can
cheeseburger in paradise
where the boat leaves from
a pirate looks at 40
back where i came from
fins
margaritaville

encore:

when the coast is clear

some pictures from amy's post-race brunch

after the norwalk summer series 7 miler, emmy and i drove over to amy's house (also in norwalk) for her annual brunch. what a fantastic event amy put together! she was up at 4 a.m. making all the food and then drove over to westport for the summer series 5k (at which she took second place)! there were runners from both races at the brunch (and even one of the girls from the h.s. cross country team she coaches). in addition, amy put 7 candles on the cake and we sang a happy 7oth birthday (a bit on the early side) for bob! it was a great time!

here are a few more pictures.

2010 norwalk summer series 7 miler: race photos and results

this morning was the norwalk summer series 7 miler - and weather conditions were pretty gnarly. a bank thermometer on the post road read 85 degrees at 7:30 (half an hour before the start). but the real concern was the brutal humidity, which made it seem like we ran the race under water! i finished in 53:24 - well off the 7:30 pace i had wanted to run. it was easily the toughest race i've run this summer - and i was relieved to get it over with when all was said and done!

after some post-race watermelon and ice cream, some of us headed over to amy's house for an excellent brunch. amy had not only got up early (4 a.m.) to put it all together, but she ran the westport summer series 5k (and took second overall) as well!

i'll write up a short race report; here are the race results.

a few more photos posted on facebook.

van cortlandt track club summer xc series two person relay

tonight i ran the van cortlandt track club's two-person xc relay with emmy at van cortlandt park. it was my first time at a vctc summers xc series race! more often than not, i typically head over to new canaan for the waveny summer xc series. tonight was a fun change of pace.

despite the hot, humid conditions (which seemed practically cool by comparison to the heat wave temperatures of the two days) there was a huge turnout. some familar faces at the event: sal, joe, and judy, avi, and robert. despite arriving w/20+ minutes to spare, i didn't get our bibs until minutes before 7 (and the race kicked off 15 minutes late).

because of continuing construction, the two mile loop course was slightly altered. the first group went off in front of the tortoise and hare statue. the second group started 75 feet beyond that point (but finished where the first group started). the highlight of the course was cemetery hill. without the construction fencing, the course would have been similar to the nyrr henry isola 4 miler (a double loop of the 2 mile layout).

emmy took the first loop, ran a 15:32, and tagged me for my start. i ran a 6:58 first mile and a 7:36 second mile for a 14:33 split for the second loop. our combined time was 30:06, or a 7:32 pace for the combined 4 miles. not sure how we placed in the overall results because we couldn't stay for the awards. all in all, it was a great summer evening workout!

katie's stress fracture :(

well, it's official - the x-ray on katie's foot revealed a stress fracture :( she came back from the doctor's office wearing a boot - and she has to wear it for at least another 10 days. it's not a serious injury, and should heal quickly. but the downside is that she can't participate in sports - which means she has to miss field hockey camp (and, to a lessor extent, no waveny xc relay with her dad) :(

on the bright side, she should be as good as new in 2 weeks :D

emmy's putnam county classic race director report: guest post

here is the text of emmy's write-up of the 2010 putnam county classic for the "putnam examiner." i'll add a link to the paper once it's available.
________________________________________________

Over 320 finishers at the July 4 Putnam county Classic 8 mile race

The 34rd running of the July 4 Putnam County Classic 'Run for your Life' was a huge success despite hot temps, and intense sunny skies. 325 finishers braved the rolling, scenic lake route, which started and finished at Mahopac High school. The challenging course winds its way down Baldwin Place Road, up Route 6N, around Lake Mahopac, and finishes on the high school track. The race, organized by Taconic Road Runners Club, is a community event which draws area high school and college competitive runners, as well as Club members and runners of all abilities and ages. Its 8 a.m. starting time leaves plenty of hours for family time and relaxation on the holiday. As the holiday fell on a Sunday, the race saw a record turnout.

Ryan Cunningham, age 20, of Brewster, won for the men in a time of 46:45 (5:51 per mile pace). Michael Tanzi, 25, of LaGrangeville, came in second with 47:00. Brad Antes, 20, of Pleasantville was third in 47:12. First over 40s male was Mahopac resident David Mitzi. Greg Diamond of Taconic was the first over 50s male. The first female to cross the line was Connie Seigh, 41, of Pleasantville, in a time of 51:36. 34 year old Kristen Colsey of Ossining was second in 55:20 and Lindsey Regan, 26, was third in 55:33. Club member John Albanese, of Mount Kisco ('old glory'), carried the flag in the race for the 26th year. His father started the tradition. Other Taconic members who ran --Eliot Lee, Ilana Robinson, Leo Gormley, Frank Colella, Fran Pisano, and many more.

"This is club-wide effort," said George Grenier, Club President. "Our members work the scoring, finish line, put out water, handle the registration, and prep the food. Taconic Road Runners club is known for its commitment to this event...(see below) And race proceeds go to Taconic's annual High School scholarships." Safety of the runners is the main concern, and the club would like to thank the Carmel Police dept and the Carmel Sherrif's dept. for providing such great support on the roads, with 3 vehicles. The Mahopac falls Volunteer Fire dept also sent an ambulance and EMT person, as they do every year, and should be thanked. "One of our club members is a HAM radio operator, so we have a Carmel area HAM radio team ("PEARL") who has come the last 2 years and monitor the course," said Emmy Stocker, co-race director. With the town's safety help, all runners made it around the lake without mishap. Several Lake families each year hand out water, which is always needed, and spray hoses.

All runners received technical shirts by New Balance Westchester, one of 2 title sponsors. The other sponsor, National Road Safety Foundation, is an advocacy group for safe driving, which works with the July 4 holiday. Coldstone Creamery of Mahopac provided ice cream coupons, and Somers Hot bagels provided bagels, along with the race refreshments of watermelon, bananas and drinks. My brother Bobby's Salsa, also a sponsor, gave out samples of fresh salsa (available at Red Mills Market).

This year, Taconic again had a kids' run on the track, with t-shirts and ribbons to all participants. Over 100 kids ran around the track, and seemed to have fun despite thirst at the end. All and all, the race was a nice way to kick off the July 4 morning.

Thank you from Lee and Emmy to all the volunteers who made the race a success:

Registration - Barb Ende, Cathy Groneman, Diana Pernicano (more helped); Food Prep: Fran Pisano, Frank Colella; Scoring-Karen Davies, Joe Groneman; finish line, start line and trailer -Tom Maile, Joe Porcaro, Ted Pernicano; Lead car - Pete Corsino; Water and Tables -Nick Jubok; Course map and marking - Greg Diamond; Course marshalls -Bob Hermesch, Ernest Joseph; Kids' run-Terry Ellis, Tina Batton; water stop -Pam and Alex Harrison, Carly Johnson. Pickup bagels and ice - Ted Pernicano; Taconic singlet sales -George Grenier; and, Announcements and sound system - Ed Mclaughlin.

Many others helped, and the race could not go on without you!!!.

2010 four on the fifth: race photos and results

it was a hot (but, thankfully, not humid) morning to run 4 miles in new canaan! despite the heat, jim had a great turnout for the 4 on the 5th race. there were a lot of familiar faces (some who also ran the westport 2.2 miler on saturday, the putnam county classic yesterday, or both). at one point jim announced (jokingly) that anyone only up for two miles could get bused to the turnaround point on the out and back course - and run it in from there ;p

while i had no plan to race this one, it came in as one of my slowest 4 milers in recent memory. at 29:04, a 7:16 pace, my finish was well off the time i last ran this race (2007/26:49) or my pr for the course (2005/25:43). while i didn't have a goal in mind, it was just off the sub-29:00 time i wanted to run! but, as the third race in a hot weekend, i'll take it!

here are the race results from clubct.


the winners: amy and anatolie :D

pre-race: emmy (w/ice pack) and rob (in vibrams).

"are we really doing a third race?!"

a few more pictures posted on facebook.

2010 putnam county classic 8 miler: race photos and results

another great putnam county classic took place this morning, with a record 360+ finishers! a record turnout, even with sunny, hot conditions (it was 75 degrees at the 8 a.m. start). this is taconic road runners club event, and many team members were either volunteering or running the race this morning. emmy and lee did a great job as race directors.

i ran a 1:01:51, 7:44 pace, this morning - well off my 1 hour target (and much slower than my finish last year). track side, i had a watch malfunction when i tried to store my split times - and wound up erasing them - argh! despite the slow finish, it was fun time. here is a partial list of familiar faces: emmy, rob, don, eliot, pam, ilana, greg, lee, tom, bob, ted, alex, tony - and some new ones too.

will write up a race report tomorrow. here are the race results.









here are a few more photos posted on facebook.

2010 westport summer series 2.2 miler: race photos and results

the 2010 westport summer series kicked off this morning with the 2.2 miler at staples high school. this was my first time running this particular course - way shorter than the 10 mile course at staples (which closes out the summer series on labor day weekend). there were a lot of familiar faces there: emmy, rob, roy, ronnie, karen, jim, dawn, liz, and anatolie, just to mention a few.

i ran a 14:48, 6:45 pace, which came in just under my 15 minute target. emmy, then rob, caught and passed me in the last half mile. emmy was second woman overall, just behind liz!

this will be a busy weekend, with emmy's putnam county classic tomorrow and jim's four on the fifth on monday. on a down note, my car died on the way home - and i'm waiting to hear back from the mechanic what the problem is (and how much it will cost to fix) - argh :(

here are the race results.

and a few more photos posted on facebook.