Moose 5k CC - Concord, NH 8-29-2010

I have slept less than 5 hours/night now for what' seems like 2 weeks. Traveled to Canada, Philadelphia, ridden a fundraiser century, managed to bang out a 3 day company strategic plan build session, and now am getting ready to board a plane to Switzerland, back for a few days before we head to Florida Disney with the kids, then off to Interbike in Vegas for our industry show, then race CX Vegas.

With the rest of the team in Canada to manage World Cup MTB at Mt.St.A, I headed with the family to a cross country 5k in Concord, NH. My second race in 2 weeks, no speed efforts, no training, but I have been enjoying running in between my time on the bike.

Work life in my new role has me working hard to balance, work, life, fatherhood, being a good husband, travel, and training to race in any discipline.

The 5k was categorized as a trail XC (cc) 5k race along the Merrimack River. Managed by good guy Michael Amorello of 3C LLC (race director). I knew Mike from my racing days but really hadn't seen him in years. The course description upon arrival seemed to have a hill up/down over rt 93, some trails, and managed to cover plenty of NHTCC campus. All in all, $16 registration and a chance to run tempo it was an easy decision.

Wish I could tell you the race details were exciting, but simply laid out like a a development plan in the bronx, it was complex. First mile split was 5:43. The legs were light but the stitch setting in was kick-a$$. My right side was stabbing (seems I need to do some speed work) - HR was 173avg at the split, a bit under my typical CX race. Mile 2 was a 6:12 split, I was running in 5th spot after jumping in the heals of another runner that had come through me like I was standing still. I watched up ahead as the lead rider was G-O-N-E (gone). The final mile was in the open sun heat (92 degree heat). I knew I had one more hill to get up. I was closing on 4th place runner ahead by the time we managed the slight bump (hill) over the pass-way. Only a few turns left and we had a 300-400 meter straight finish. I missed his jump (he already had 30 meters on me into the final turn). I focused the last 400 meters on (well, not dying).

My final 100 meters I saw Ker and the girls off to my left on the picnic blanket. Was that a cookie Anna was eating? Ok, so I notice these things when I race. Looking up the clock was in the low 18's. WHAT? I had expected to run 20minutes here. Recall my single reader, I have not raced for 5 years, and frankly have been running for a few weeks under #CPC, and these 2 races I have done were for fun. How the heck am I in the 18's?

I managed to hold on to 5th place and run a sanctioned 5k course in sub 6 minute/mile pace, or an 18:26 official time. Polar 72 watch time reads 18:19, but either way running sub 6 for 3.1 is a gift and beggars can not be choosers at this stage, and age.

Managed to win a pint glass in my age group (did I mention pint glasses are my thing). Not bad for $16, in and out in less than 1 hour. Hmm.....

Livestrong Philadelphia 100 miler 2010

To say the experience was less than epic is offensive.

2010 was my third year attending the Philadelphia Livestrong weekend to raise funds & support the Livestrong foundation.

2009 August my mother was diagnosed with CLL-Lymphoma. After some bouts with pain in her abs, fatigue her blood test was 'abnormal'.

For anyone that has received the call post diagnosis, your life changes in that instant. In 2008 I rode Livestrong with my uncle for his company for no great reason, like a burger after midnight it was without personal meaning. Sure, I believe in supporting and raising funds for many causes. Each year Ker' and I give to the children's hospital oncologist unit, we give to our local church, and we give to a few unnamed causes. We give because there will always be the need.

But 2008 I was not thinking cancer in our direct family. The call in August of 09 was textbook. My mother announced the doctors had 'found' something but to not be scared because it was too early.

2008 I rode as part of Team Shire. My uncle is an avid cyclist, Lance Fan, and works in the health care industry in the benchmark pharma company. Our bond is years of family lines, roots and road miles. 2009 Livestrong was the shift. Shire is able to raise enough funds ($130K over the 3 years) to attend the pre-ride VIP dinner. Last year I traveled with a great friend to see the experience differently. I now see the event through the eyes of a 'caring for'. Last year at the VIP dinner LA's friend college lightened the room before the Internet's good friend Fat Cyclist brought the rooms to tears. My 2009 dinner was spent in the space of time. I drifted to think what was coming. The 2009 ride was ridden with meaning, cause, purpose and defiance.

For the next 12 months I watched my mother's health fluctuate. Her doctor's in Canada seemed to be like any medical professional, treat with matching intent. July I made a phone call to a family member to advocate for/with/to my mother. He spleen had enlarged as a result and was causing significant discomfort for 12 months. TWELVE MONTHS.

The sit & wait mentality was not working. I was angry. Cancer causes anger. Cancer breeds anger. Three & a half weeks ago I and Ker' boarded a flight to Canada alone to attend my mother's emergency surgery. Her spleen was coming out. Her fight was strong but her health was suffering. With the family together for the first time in a long time we watched my mother fight. We get older and our parents get more beautiful.

My mother is the center of our family. Our rock. Always has been always will be. Her love for family and my father is simply put as 'life'. She breeds life, she exudes life, she lives life. Her FUCK you Cancer attitude is contagious. She spent the past 2 months telling me why it was more important the doctors treat the 'other' sick patients before her, because they were likely more sick, and she should wait. Who should wait to kick cancers ass? We were all around her as she wheeled into the Op room, we hugged as a family, cried, then we waited. Not many words, tears, smiles, odd laughter said enough.

Her recovery in the hospital was epic for us. Her stories of strippers, drinking, our youth, her youth, the 'hot' doctors, made me fall in love with my mother again with each laugh. Then I got angry. She began to be more worried about everyone in the room. Were we comfortable, was the room too hot, we should get some sleep, we should eat more. She has tubes down her throat, in her nose, in her side, other places, is on countless drugs, antibiotics, and she is worried about our comfort. After four days Ker' and I had to get home. I left the hospital angry at where we were twelve months later.

2010 Livestrong Philly was another chance to ride in honor of my mother's battle. 2010 was going to ket it's ass kicked. I traveled again with a good friend from 09 to visit my uncle and ride the 100 miler. Last year I managed to raise the bare minimum entry fundraising fee. This year I managed to raise 4x my 09 figure. People in life are kind. People give a shit. People when pushed and think; understand. The funds deserve another entry so I will skip my thoughts for now, but will return to why funding for any cause of belief deserves the right to live.

The 100 miler ride was plagued with rainfall and extreme conditions. Last year our train of 4 broke the 20mph over 100 miles and 7k-feet of hard tough PA climbs. This year I wanted to ride stroke for stroke with my uncle. It was after all his sister battling cancer. This year it was not about the speed, nor the flashy bikes, nor the kit, fuck it was not even about the bike, it was about the journey to see a loved one fight.

The ride was hard. The climbs were tough. Team Shire had a solid outing again raising $35k for the event. The rain sucked, the descents sucked, at times I wanted to fold and walk away. I thought of the friends that donated on my mother's behalf. I thought of my mother in the recovery room and how scared she has been and might still be.

Me riding 100 miles is not about me. Never was, never will be. It is not about the Livestrong Foundation. Never was, never will be. I believe in Livestrong, I am a strong supporter, always will be. They talk about the issues, the raise the issues, the share stories, they have created a community of fellowship, they have created hope, but for reasons as appropriate as pizza on a friday night, the ride was for my mother and for my family.

2010 Livestrong Philly ride is in the books. There were tears and laughs again this year. My mother is home recovering, and stronger as ever to continue to kick cancers ass.

So cancer - FU-Cancer.

Mines Falls Summer Series XC Trail 5K - August 16-2010

You could call it a kind of 'coming out of retirement' but frankly I only laced the sneakers up 2 weeks ago to try and put some high tempo (heart rate) miles in for cross season this fall.

Results here of one of my last (if not) last 5k XC races.

The last time I raced a running race was Providence US Grand Prix in 2004 running with the open team Whirlaway. After that race I managed one tempo run with a few friends in the hills of NH before blowing out my Achilles and limping home. Add 1.5 years of no running I picked up a bike to trim the waist, and never went back to running.

Each year I dabble in training. After logging a few weeks I convince myself like a cheap suit I am back, but after a month into cross season I hang up the shoes and trade them for interval sessions in my cold damp dark basement.So much the same, two (2) weeks ago I managed a 20 minute run. After 4 days of not being able to shake the pain and agony of post first run I ran again. Repeat the cycle for 2 weeks.

I have had the last 3 runs feel good. Managing to clock sub 7:15 miles for 5, dabling in sub-7's on a few miles I planned a run this past Saturday of 6-7 miles. Coming off only 2 weeks and years of ignoring the sport my 6.3 miles on Saturday left me on a high. I slowed my pace down and managed to tick off 7:20-7:30's with ease. Russian roulette.

Fast forward to Sunday night, tinkering on my ol'favorite site coolrunning I found a local XC summer 5k-5m series. Why not?

Tonight I paid my $5. 100% of the fee goes to the trail preservation of Mines Falls (race location). Ker' and the kids jumped in our rig to come watch. On the drive over we took bets on how slow I would run. I figured 23:20-ish. I managed 24:10 for 5k Saturday feeling smooth as butter so 20sec/mile faster seemed reasonable. Paid my entry fee kissed the girls and hit some hill repeats to warm up.

At the line I didn't notice anyone. Wow, I have been gone a long time from the local race scene. With 50-75 runners I knew no one, this in a summer series that weekly sees 50-100 finishers. My race strategy was to 'sit in' and just run for the cross workout. I wanted to hit the first mile in 6:35-6:40. Going into the woods I was somewhere in 15th spot. Up ahead was a group of 4-5 high school XC runners leading us all into the woods. Around me there was a small 3-4 person group, and another 4 man group in between the lead runners. At the 3/4 mile spot I put in a small 5-6 stride surge (ol' race team trick Coach K taught us). I gapped 2 runners, pulling through them. Managed to pull in 1 more runner before I was overtaken by 1 runner (Jim Hansen).

At the 5k/5m split we hitched a right over the bridge to hit mile 1. 6:08 first mile - shit. Faster then I wanted but why did it feel so smooth? The guy that had come through me was now on my shoulder. My bike racing tactic kicked in, and I had a f-it moment and popped behind him and sat on his shoulder for the next mile. Fearing I would upset him I pulled through at mile 2 coming back on to his shoulder. Shit I missed the split I had hit 'stop' on my borrowed watch instead of split. The time still read 6:08. No knowing where we were I asked the guy what he runs for 5k's on this XC course. His suggestion of mid 20's had me feeling ok. Slow i comparison to years past but for my first race in 5 years and running for 2 weeks mid-20s, hell I was retiring from bike racing and running with Pre. Look at me boys! (NOT)

I knew we had less than 1/2 mile and remembered the 3M chalked onto the gravel finish. Behind us a runner was getting ready to pull through and knew he would kick given he had chased us down he had the guts & energy to kick. At the 3M chalk he went. I jumped on his train we gapped. It was a straight finish up the gravel trail. I pulled around finishing 2 bike lengths (did I just refer to a running race finish as bike length)?

Good for 6th place finish in the 5K with a 19:51 finish (6:24 pace). For a XC trail 5k, running for 2 weeks not racing in 5 years, no speedwork, I'll take it.

Running I have missed you, oh so much.