Bob's 50@50

"The snowstorm of the century"

2010-02-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

I wasn't planning on running today but when I heard the forecast, and my office was closed I decided to go out and play for a little bit. I called John Liptak to see if would join me. As it turned out, his office was also closed so out we went into the snow at 10:30am.

Running in this type of weather reminds me of my childhood. The minute we saw snow on the streets of Brooklyn, we headed out to play so today was no different.

The last storm on Saturday we tried to run to Beech Woods Park but we both slipped so we turned around not wanting to kill ourselves. We were determined to get there today. The footing was much better so off we went. While in the park I suggested to John that we head into the woods which I knew was going to be tough because of the 8 inches of snow on the trails.

One loop around the park and then into the woods. It was extremely peaceful, but tough to move. It was sought of like running on the beach but having to high step our way through.

After about 15 minutes in the park we headed to our respective homes. It was a slow pace but extremely enjoyable and we got six miles in. I feel sorry for the folks who decided to stay inside to today, it was a beautiful day to run.

Race #53 - Run to Victory

2009-12-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

I never thought I would ever run a race after running a marathon the previous day. One thing that I have learned after years of running is that its good to get out to do a slow jog after a long hard race. John and I decided to drive two hours north of Charlotte on Sunday to participate in the Run to Victory in Randleman, NC. The funds raised from this race goes to the hole in the wall gang for the disabled. It's a camp that was started in the memory of Adam Petty who was a stock car driver who died in a crash. He had this vision to start a camp for the disabled long before he passed. His dad and the NASCAR community kept his dream alive.

The race started at Randleman middle school and finished at the camp. There big race was the 1/2 marathon which John and I knew we wouldn't or couldn't do. The weather was horrible. It was cold and rainy but there was no turning back for us. We signed up for the 5 miler and we would not let the weather bother us.

Adam's dad, Kyle Petty was the official starter and John "the Penguin" Bingham was also there. John has written many books on the running slowly, but happy. He his an inspiration to many folks that speed is not that important.

My legs were certainly stiff as was John's. We we certainly tired but after hearing an inspirational speech from Kyle Petty at the start, John and I were pumped that we made the trip. We didn't give much thought about the course but that start was a 1/2 mile downhill. If you know anything about running downhill running is worse than uphill running especially after running a marathon. My legs were killing me the first mile and half and then we hit the hills again. Our pace was at least 11 minute miles and content with the speed.

There were no mile markers so we didn't know how much further we had to go but knew we were getting closer to the camp. At our final turn we had a slight downhill and headed into the camp. This camp was huge and the finish was toward the back near the cafeteria. The theme was all race car and extremely impressive. John and I finished in 53:30 and headed right to the food line in the cafeteria. All runners got a nice bowl bowl of chili which was excellent and corn bread. It hit the spot after running almost an hour in a cold wet rain.

We changed into dry clothes and headed back to my car via the shuttle bus. The 7 hour ride home from there was tough on our legs. Getting out at the rest stops was extremely painful.

I think that is my last race of the year. It has been a fun year meeting new people and running with lots of friends.

Race #52 - Thunder Road Marathon - Charlotte, NC

2009-12-13T13:05:00.003-08:00

John Liptak and I headed down to Charlotte on Thursday night at 5pm so not to have to make the 10 trip in one day. Our plan was to drive until about 11pm and pick out a hotel and spend the night. We hit 11pm just south of Petersburgh, VA so we decided to get off and find a nice hotel. There wasn't much around, but saw an Economy Inn. The place looked like the Bates Motel so we got back on he road for another hour. We were still jacked from the Starbucks so we drove another hour and found a Holiday Inn Express in South Hill, VA. Nice accommodations for 59 bucks.

We got up early on Friday and went for an easy 2.5 mile jog. It was surprisingly cold and we started to re-evaluate our plan for what to wear for the marathon. We were hoping to go with just a short sleeve and the Bob's 50@ 50 long sleeve but temps were going to be in the low 20's at the start.

We arrived in Charlotte at 1:30pm, checked in the DoubleTree Hotel and then headed to the expo. Not a bad expo for a small marathon. I met a guy who came up with an ingenious idea to showcase your medals from your favorite races. More to follow.

We got a nice technical long sleeve shirt and a few other freebies. From there John and I headed to Charlotte-Douglass airport to pick up Frankie T. Frank hasn't been able to run race with me this year and felt bad so he decided to run the 1/2 marathon. Frank and I ran together many days when we worked at BT/DB.

After picking up Frank we headed out to dinner and a big bowl of pasta. We also stopped at a few bars afterwards since it was still rather early. Two beers and we were all in bed by 10pm.

Temps were in the 20's at the start so we added an extra heavy layer but went with shorts. The hope was that it would be warmer towards the end of the race. Frank's hotel was very close to the start so we met him there and did our "business" in comfort. With ten minutes to the start we headed out. It's was great to be near the start. We got right to the front but backed away and hung with the sub 3:30 pace group.

John and I had just one goal in mine and that was to qualify for Boston. John needed to run a sub 3:30 and I needed a sub 3:35. My plan was to go with John and run a sub 3:30. That way we would keep each other company. Frank had no time in mine so we figured he would run the first 1/2 with us and then say bye bye. We were all doing 7:45's for the first 5 miles and felt very comfortable but it was clear early that the course was going to be up and down for much of the race. Frank pulled ahead of John and I by mile 8 and so we were on our own. We ran through some beautiful neighborhoods early in the race and the crowd support was surprisingly strong for a small marathon.

John and I hit the halfway point at 1:41 so we both on target for the sub 3:30 but rolling hills were coming more frequent. They weren't very big but they were steep and often. By mile 15 John and were still together but I was feeling it a bit. John was extremely encouraging and he kept me motivated, but the hills were starting to get to me. I think it was a hill at mile 17 that I just couldn't keep with him so I told him to go. I knew at that point my sub 3:35 was in trouble unless the course turn favorable, meaning downhill. As John slowly pulled away he looked strong as I was struggling with the hills.

At mile 20 there was brick wall made from plywood with a door to run through. They wanted you to hit the wall as you passed through it. As I did, I was hitting the wall myself. I hit mile 20 at 2:38 which meant I needed to run the last 6 miles in just under 1 hour. I knew it was going to be tough since I had taken a few walking breaks up the hills. I picked up my pace but once again felt it as I ran up another small hill. I was getting a bit disoriented so I took another walking break. There were a few of us struggling and we tried to encourage each other to keep going. One guy told me to take it easy, "it was better to finish then to end up in the medical tent". I took his advice and just concentrated on finishing. I couldn't believe I was feeling this bad.

At mile 24 there was one last big hill (Hawthorne Hill) which I pushed hard to make it. I made it to the top and found a woman handing out cookies. My stomach was filled with GU but I needed to eat something. I ate 3 of the best tasting cookies ever.

Two miles to go and the sub 3:35 a distant memory so I wanted to just finish strong and running. I was just hoping not to see John at any point. As I mad the turn to the finish i heard Frank call my name. I think I gave him a smile and crossed the line at 3:46:40.

I was disappointed but I knew I gave it everything I had. I saw John and he told me he ran a sub 3:28, so at least one of qualified for Boston. He said he was fading fast at the end but held on. Those last 7 miles are a killer.

I guess overall I was happy that I finished with a decent time, but was dismayed that I was a mess at the end. I trained hard but maybe I just ran too many races to realistically think I could be fresh for this race. I also think the course was way to hilly for a good time. It looks like I will have to find a runner friendly course if I want to run Boston.

I had a great time hanging with Frank and John. We ate well and had a few $2 beers at various gin joints. I hope we can do again in 2010.

Race #51 - Born to Run 5 Miler - Freehold, NJ

2009-12-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

Race #50 - Flemington Turkey Trot - 29:48

2009-11-26T15:43:00.000-08:00

Today I completed my goal of running 50 races in my 50th year. When I contemplated running 50 races when I turned 50, I knew I needed the support of my family and friends. I immediately got both so it was just a matter of lining up all the races. It was a special finish to have all my family with me as well as my nephew Andrew, his girlfriend Kate and my neighbor Ken White. This journey started on a very cold January 1st New year's eve with Brad Hunt, Jackie Barnes and her sister. There were many fun races along the way as well as some nice destinations. I met many new friends and hooked up with lots of old ones.

The Flemington Turkey Trot has become one of the largest races in the state. There were over 3400 finishers today on what turned out to be a beautiful day for a run. Ro was walking the course and I was planning on running with Leigh, Bob and Michael. They were planning on running under thirty 30 minutes, so I was going to pace them. Unfortunately we all got lost at the start but I found the boys on the course and ran with them. Leigh and Ro were towards the back so they got stuck in the pack and couldn't work their way up towards us..

Bobby sprinted towards the finish and finished in 29:36 while Michaela and I finished in 29:43. My nephew Andrew ran a 27:40 which was very good time for him. We all met at the green where the food and refreshments were given out after the race. There I met up with Ken White, Mark and Rosemarie Strawn.

I have met a lot of great people this year and it has been a blast running almost every weekend although I was getting a bit tired the last few weeks.

I have a lot to be thankful for on this Thanksgivng day, especially being married to my wife Ro who allows me to do these crazy things. We will be married 25 years in February and I have been running long before I met her. Maybe after my anniversary in February, I will do a 25@25 but it won't be races and hopefully it will be mor than 25.

I thank everyone who joined me as well as everyone who has made a donation. Although I reached 50, I still have about 4 more races to run, including the Charlotte Marathon in December. I am also running tomorrow in Freehold.

I won't be running 50 races next year, but I still hope to have people join me at the races. Please consider getting out there.

Race #49 - The Saddle River 15K - 1:07:25

2009-11-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

John Liptak and I have been doing long runs (14-18 miles) every other weekend and today's race was meant to be the other weekend's run. We wanted to run something with distance and at a comfortable 7:30 per mile and maybe push it the last few miles. This wasn't a big race, actually it was the first time it was held. I rarely run up in Bergen county so it was serving two purposes, a long run and a change of scenery. I had to convince John to run with me otherwise I was going to do a 5K in Somerset on Saturday. John has been a great runnng patner and it doesn't take much to convince him to run a race. I think he has run about 10 races with me this year

Today's race was held exclusively in Wild Duck Pond so I really didn't see much of Saddle River. The course was like a double out and back and we had to dodge the slower runners on the back portions, as they were running 3 across a narrow path. The weather was just about perfect as the rain left us the night before. In fact, it was a bit warm for a November 15th race. It was run very well except no t-shirts.

Core Therapeutic was at the race working on runners which John and I took advantage of. The 10 minutes of pressure in certain spots really helped. We also met a few folks along the way.

John and I went out faster than we wanted, hitting the first mile in 7:20 and then the second one in 7:14. We couldn't get a consistent pace, mainly due to switchbacks on the course. It seemed like we were always turning somewhere. We did speed it up the last mile running a 6:52 but I think it was a little short. Overall we were happy with the time, but not thrilled that we hurt at the end. We are both running the Charlotte Marathon in December with hopes of qualifying for Boston. We need to run sub 3:30. We have one long run next week and then we take it easy for the last few weeks leading up to that race.

I write today's blog as with only one race to go to complete my goal of 50 races. Race #50 will be on Thanksgiving with my whole family plus a nephew or two. I am looking forward to the Flemington Turkey Trot because everyone will be there. I think there will be 3 more races after that so it will actually be 53@50.

My one regret is that more of my friends couldn't make one of the 50 races. I really appreciate the company of those who have joined me. It has been a blast.

Race #48 - Run with the Vikings 5K - 21:57

2009-11-13T13:58:00.000-08:00

This race is my baby. I started it 5 years ago with lots of help from my wife and the Viking Athletic Club. The club needed a fund raiser and I suggested a road race. I always wanted to organize a race, but knew I needed help. I brought my proposal to the VAC and they thought it was a great idea. To date we have raised over $35K and energized the community to get out there and exercise. My goals are to raise at least $10,000 each year and attract over 500 runners and will continue to work towards those goals. I have run over 450 races and I think I know what runners want in a race. I try to give them more than a t-shirt and a bottle of water.

We had 282 finishers in the 5k which was down 20 runners from last year. I attribute that to the Yankee game running late, Halloween the night before and the early rain in the morning. It was a successful day and made better by Phil from IHOP who donated his time and over 1000 pancakes for the runners. I received lots of emails and one call saying it was a great time.

I saw lots of my friends from South Brunswick running today but not many of other friends there. Taugh Lynch who is a regular at the RWTV5K and Chris Kelly showed up which was much appreciated.

I ran a 21:57 running much of it with Taugh. My son Mike ran with my nephew Andrew which was nice to see.

Only two more races plus a few bonus races including the Charlotte Marathon. Holiday season is coming so I think you should get out and exercise a bit. That way you won't have to pass up the egg nog. It's never too late to get back in decent shape, unless of course you like having 3 wardrobes.

Race #47 - Allan D. Morrison 5K - Melrose, MA -21:12

2009-10-17T15:37:00.000-07:00

First cool day in a while so Bob's 50@50 long sleeve had to come out of the bag. I ran a 21:12 with a 6:19 first mile, 6:40 second mile and a real slow mile 3 due to a big hill halfway thru the third mile.

I was planning on running a 10K on the Sunday in Dorchester while I was in Boston. Ro and were visiting Bobby for BU parent weekend so I figured I would get a race in. I really enjoy running in different towns whenever I get the chance. It's a good way to see different towns and meet different people. There was lots of bad weather predicted this weekend with Sunday getting the worst of it, plus it made more sense to run the Saturday. I found a 5K that was only about 20 minutes away from where I was staying. I chose the Allan D Morrison 5K in Melrose which was north of Boston although I few other options. My concern was getting back quickly so I would have more time to spend with Ro and Bobby.

It was the 1st annual so I wasn't expecting many runners and since the weather was very cool I thought that might hold off some runners. I got the sense there were going to be a lot of walkers and not many runners. They had 201 finishers and about 120 of them were walkers. This was my first race in a while that I was running alone and didn't have company. I was concerned that I didn't have someone else to hold up my banner.

Since I signed up on race day I didn't get a t-shirt which was fine with me because I just don't have any more space in my drawers. My legs were feeling good despite running the 18 miler the weekend prior so my plan was to run at 80% speed for the first mile and if I felt good, push it the final two.

My first mile was 6:19 which was closer to 90% percent of my top speed. Mile two was a 6:40 which I thought was slow but I never trust these mile markers especially at a new race. In fact I am not even sure the course was certified. We were running through the streets while cars were zipping by us and all runners had to look both ways at the intersections. They could have used a few more volunteers on the course. At mile two I was at 12:50 so I thought if I could just hold the sub 7 pace I would finish close to 20:20. There was a big hill halfway through mile 3 which slowed my pace considerably, but I was very surprised I hit the tape at 21:12. You just never know when you run a race that the course is not accurate.

I got a good workout in and still got back to the hotel and was ready to go before Bobby was up back at his dorm. We met for lunch at his cafeteria, which Bobby said is ranked in the top twenty of all colleges. The food was pretty good and they have a huge selection of goodies. The rest of the day was walking the streets of the University and some shopping.

Not sure what my next races will be but it looks like I am doing the Thunder Road Marathon in December.

Race #46 - LBI 18 Mile Run - 2:20:08

2009-10-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day to run 18 miles. It was sunny and 60 degrees with very little wind. This race and distance could be a real bear if the weather is not favorable. This race is run from one end of the island to the other which is 18 miles long, from Holgate to Barnegat. I ran this race 5 years ago into a 25 mph head wind which was not very pleasant. When I signed up, I was hoping the weather would be in my favor and it did.

There weren't many takers for this race except for Eric Davis who has run a few races with me this year. Eric goes sub 20 for a 5K and 1:30 for a 1/2 marathon. My goal today was to run easy and hope to feel comfortable at the end. It was meant to be more of a training run leading up to a potential marathon in November or December. My plan was to hopefully run 7:45's and feel good at the end. My overall pace was 7:47, but I didn't feel great at the end. It was combo of the feet pounding and just the legs getting fatigued. This was my longest race of the year so I wasn't sure want to expect at the end.

The number pickup and registration was at the St Francis Community Center, from there you get bussed to the start in Holgate. Everything was well organized and we got to the start with 30 minutes to kill. A little stretching and multiple bathrooms stops took care of the excess time.

Eric and I headed out together at the start and ran the first two miles at the 7:45 pace but he by mile 3 he was pushing t a bit. I didn't want any part of a faster pace at mile 3 so I let him go. I was clicking off the 7:45's and to my surprise I saw Eric at mile 6 struggling. He said he just did an 8:30 mile 5 so I knew he was in trouble. Way too may miles to be suffering at mile 6. I hung with him for a bit, but continued to run my race. I passed the house my brother built 10 years ago which was a source of inspiration today. It is a wonderful house on the bay, but he never really got to enjoy it, passing away less than 2 years after it was completed. At the halfway point I felt pretty good and thought maybe I should pick it up a bit. I did run faster but not by much. At this point I knew I wanted to run 2:20 or slightly better.

I hit the 13 mile mark at 1:40:25 and just wanted to stay strong for the final 5 miles. It was getting a bit hot and I kept drinking water at each stop. I didn't pass many folks but you can see some were struggling the final few miles. There was some walking and others were trying to work out cramps. The Barnegat lighthouse was the finish and you really don't see Old Barney until the final turn into the park. It was a nice sight when I did finally see it and I also saw the clock at 2:19:48. I thought it would be great to go sub 2:20 but the clock ticks quickly when the legs are heavy. I guess I had to cover about 75 yards when I noticed the clock, but couldn't get my legs to move quickly.

As soon as I stopped running my legs were cramped and I needed to walk a lot. In 15 minutes I felt much better. A quick massage and I was feeling 100% better. Meanwhile Eric struggled to finish in 2:50 which was nowhere near the time he thought he would run. This was his longest race of his career so I am sure he just misjudged how fast he could go for this distance.

The folks that put this race on do a wonderful job with many volunteers helping out. The bus ride back to the Church was tough as we hand to cram into the small seats. At the Community Center we were fed sandwiches and pasta as well as many sweet desserts.

I think the worst part of the day was the 90 minute ride back home. My lower body was sore and uncomfortable in the car.

Race #45 - Army Ten Miler - 1:11:17

2009-10-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

The Army Ten Miler was as advertised in terms of size, organization and inspiration. The weather was perfect, the course historic and the crowds extremely supportive. I ran with Dale, my brother-in-law, who was running his 6th race with me this year. Dale and I have been running races together for over 25 years since we met as future brother in laws back in 1984. Dale has been running a lot this year and I think has turned back the clock with some of his fastest times in years. He just finished the Air Force 1/2 marathon two weeks ago and since he is an Air Force guy, he was in his own element there. I am not sure if he felt comfortable amongst the Army guys today, but I think he enjoyed it. Dale ran a very good 1:19:40.

My wife Ro accompanied me as well as Dale's wife (Ro's sister) Joanne who was celebrating her birthday. We made it a birthday weekend for Jo and weekend away for Ro and I. Leigh was home taking care of my son Michael.

We met up on Friday night at the hotel bar then proceeded to go to dinner. Friday was going to be the later night out since the race was on Sunday. We went for Spanish food and a few beers and met up with one of Joanne's old friends who works in Washington DC.

Saturday was spent picking up the race numbers and t-shirts and some sightseeing. We took in the Smithsonian and did lots of walking. I don't think that was a great idea because by the time we got back to our rooms, we were beat. We had Italian food at Philomena's in the Georgetown section then a drink by the Potomac. Unfortunately while having that drink, my wife and I received a call that our dog of almost 9 years, Blaze, had died suddenly of a heart attack. It was crushing blow and certainly put a damper on the rest of the evening and took all my enthusiasm for race day. Although her death was sudden it wasn't unexpected. She was diagnosed with an enlarged heart about 5 weeks ago and the doc said it could be any day or 6 months. Blaze was my running partner and a wonderful dog and will be missed.

The following morning we got up at 5am, got a cup of coffee, stretched and walked to the start which was near the Pentagon. I was assigned the second wave while Dale was in the third wave. With 30,000 runners those waves were pretty far apart. Paratroopers jumped from lanes and landed perfectly at the start and there was a copter flyover.

I got off to a good start and planned on running 7:15's for all of the race unless I felt good at the end, then I would run 7's. I felt okay early but my legs never got loose which I attribute to too much walking the day before. I hit just about every split between 7:05 and 7:20. Time was good but I wanted to feel a little better running that speed and did not.

This is another race that I would do again. The folks that put on this race did an excellent job from race expo to post race party. There were lots of teams competing from many of the army bases across the country.

Next up for me is the LBI 18 on Sunday. I will take this one at 7:45 pace.

Thanks to all who have donated and please join me at one of the remaining races.

Race #44 - Sugar Free 5K - Wilmington, DE - 20:35

2009-09-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Normally I wouldn't travel 90 minutes each way to run a little 5K, but since it was for a good cause, and I also got to see my daughter Leigh Ann. Leigh has been running since she started her second year at UDel and she requested I run this race with her. Bob's 50@50 is all about raising money for JDRF and this race was sponsored by many of the companies devoted to finding a cure. For those of you who don't know, Leigh was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was seven and has been dealing with it for the last 12 years. One way to keep it under control is to exercise which is another important factor for the 50@50.

The race started at 9am so it meant another early wake-up for me so the alarm was set at 5am which gave me about an hour for a shower, coffee and some food. I would get to Leigh's dorm at 7:45 and then we headed over to Wilmington which was 15 minutes away. When we arrived, we picked up our number and t-shirt and then took the customary 50@50 banner picture.

All of the vendor tables had to something to do with diabetes products or diabetes related issues. Leigh and I met John Schlee who worked for Medtronic which is the company we use for all of Leigh's pump supplies. John was also a runner and ran the race in a time of 22:56. John filled Leigh in about the latest updates on the line of Medtronics products.

The weather was perfect except for a slight breeze. The course took us out of the Christiana Care Center onto the roads then into Rochford park, which has a nice size hill. The other race I ran in Delaware in March also ran through the park so I knew I was dealing with that hill again. I pushed the pace and made an effort not to let anyone pass me as I tried to keep the leaders in sight. My plan was to run hard then double back to finish with Leigh. She was hoping to break 30 minutes and just missed by 4 seconds. She had to tie her shoes during the race so I guess she did not double knot them.

She was surprised that she came in first in her age group, but usually the 19 year olds are sleeping on a Saturday morning so sometimes you just need to show up. I knew I had a good chance to finish in the top 3 because the field was so small. I ran a good time so I was happy either way.

Afterwards Leigh and I headed back to Main street in Newark to grab breakfast at the The Post House. After filling up on pancakes and eggs, I said goodbye to Leigh and head back home. I will be back in Delaware in two weeks for parent weekend. I may sneak in another race if I can work it into our schedule.

Next up is the Army Ten Miler in Washington DC. I am meeting up with Brad Hunt and Dale Hoth. I have run a lot of good races this year but I think the ATM might be the best.

It is never to late to get in shape. Stop procrastinating, get out there.

Race #43 - Philadelphia Distance Classic - 1:34:05

2009-09-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

I made a rookie mistake today. I used new Asics that only had 7 miles on them and then tried to run 13.1. My old Brooks were wearing thin so I have been meaning to see the guys at The Running Company in Princeton, but was just to busy. I also decided to switch back to Asics which I used for many years. I was able to buy them just 5 days before the race and thought 2 days of running in them would break them in. Wrong!!!!!!!!

I have run this race the last 3 years and really enjoy it, but don't like the early wake-up. Race starts at 7:45 so it means I have to be on the road by 5:30 because with over 10,000 runners, you need to get in your corral early. John Liptak was doing the driving so he picked up Ken White and I at 5:30. We got into Philly at 6:40 which gave us about an hour to get ready. After a quick change into our running gear and a not so quick bathroom stop we headed over to the start.

John and I were planning on running together at a 7:15 pace and Ken was planning on running a 1:50. John and I were in corral #2 so we got going only 45 seconds after the elites. The initial pace seemed quick but John thought is was 7:45, but I knew it was quicker. Our plan was to go out in 7:30's for the first 2 miles and then gradually get to 7:15's. We hit the first mile in 7:08 and continued at sub 7:10's for the first 5 miles. It was faster than we wanted to go, but my legs and breathing was fine. My only issues was my feet, which were hurting because of the new shoes. It felt like I was developing blisters on the bottoms of both of my feet, but I knew it wasn't. The pain was under the balls of my big toes on both feet and I tried flexing while running to rid me of the discomfort. It seemed to go away for a bit, but hurt like an SOB the last 2 miles.

John and I ran together for about 9 miles but he pulled away and I had no answer. We held a the sub 7:10 pace for most of the race but when he pulled away I think I was running 7:20's for the last 3 miles. My time of 1:34:05 was the second fastest 1/2 marathon, second only to the 1:31 I ran in Virginia earlier this year.

John finished with a 1:33:20 and Ken with a 1:51:01. It was a perfect day for running. The temps were in the 50's at the start and by the finish the sun was shining and the ice foot bath felt great. My feet were fine after I took the shoes off so I am still not sure what the problem was.

We headed over to Jim's Steaks on South Street (which is where all the hippies meet) for our post race feast of Cheesesteak sandwiches. The steaks were average. I like Tony Luke's better.

Next up for me is a run in Delaware with my daughter Leigh. It is a race which benefits diabetes so I will make the 90 minutes to see and run with Leigh.

Reduce health care expenses, exercise 15 minutes per day.

Race #42 - Jimmy D 5K

2009-09-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

The Jimmy D 5K is only 5 years old but this race gets a huge turnout, mainly because its a tribute to Fire Chief Jimmy D'heron and the hard work of his daughter Erin. Mr D'heron died fighting a fire five years ago and his daughter Erin works tirelessly to honor his memory. I never met the fire chief but he must have been a great man by the turnout of runners and volunteers.

It was a perfect day for a morning run, with temps in the high 60's. This was a huge change from my last few races which have been in heat and humidity of the summer. Most folks the last few days have been a little down because summer is coming to an end but I bet most runners don't mind. We get to run again in the cooler weather.

Today I ran 20:04 and was able to keep a good pace for the 3.1 miles. If it wasn't for me snapping a few pics along the course and the last hill, I would have gone sub 20. My first mile was 6:21 and I hit mile 2 in 12:50. I was happy with the time and now look forward to the fall running season. This course has sneaky hills and a quick finish on the track which I like because I also feel I have some speed left at the end and use the track as motivation.

It was great to see many of my running friends today. I think there must of been about 15 of my running buddies at today's race and many wore the official Bob's 50@50 t-shirt. After the race, I took advantage of the free beer and chatted for about an hour with friends.

I want to thank all who came out today to support Erin and join me in another great race. I don't have a race scheduled for next week but it's the anniversary of 9/11 and I would love to do one.

My next big race is the Philly 1/2 on September 20th.

Keep running and feel great.

Race #41 - End of Summer Classic - Hingham, MA - 34:04

2009-08-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

I was in the Bay State for the 2nd time in the last 20 days, but this time to drop my son Bobby at his home for the next four years and not for a vacation. He is attending Boston University and Ro and headed up on Friday morning so we can get an early start for him on Saturday. Of course I found a Friday night race which I just had to run. I was hoping to get my son to run or possibly Mike Mulka who lives in Boston, but both declined. They missed out because this race was very nice with a great post race party afterwards.

The was the 2nd "End of Summer Classic" and according to the race director, it doubled in size. I predict this race will grow immensely in the coming years. I ran this race after a 7 hour drive in the rain to Quincy where we were staying for the night. My legs were certainly stiff so I needed plenty of warming up.

The race was held at Bare Cove Park and was run along the roads as well as some trails. I am not familiar with the park, but part of the course was run along the water which was very nice. There was also the Bare Cove Fire Museum near the start which was extremely cool.

positioned myself at the front of the pack, more for a picture opportunity than to get a jump on the runners. I was hoping to run sub 7's with an outside shot to got 6:45's. I wasn't sure of the course, but if it was flat I thought I could go fast, mainly because it wasn't hot or that humid. It wasn't flat, but not too hilly either.

At the front, this very fast looking young girl asked me what my pace I would be running, which flattered me, and I quickly responded, "hopefully 6:45's". She said she didn't know what pace to run, but she obviously figured it out because she won outright, beating all the men as well. Not a huge surprise, but that doesn't happen much in these races.

I hit the first mile in 6:33, but some of it was downhill which was nice, but I figured I would to tackle it on the way back. My 2nd mile was 6:50, 3rd at 6:58 then a 7:03 but I finished with a 6:45 but it was a fast downhill. There was one women in front of me that I just couldn't catch the first 4 miles and a guy behind me that was closing in on me. I was determined not to let the guy behind pass me which helped me pass the women in front. I sprinted past her in the last 100 yards finishing in 34:04. It was good enough for 5th in my age group.

The post race fare included hot dogs, pasta, watermelon, and ices. The was also a band and lots of tents handing out information on various running related items.

Ro and I didn't hang there to long because we had Bobby back in the room and we were meeting her cousins who live in Boston.

Race #40 - NYRR Half Marathon - 1:45:15

2009-08-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

All I will say is that it was hot from the start. Course was great but Central Park takes a lot out of you, especially on a hot and humid morning. Thanks to Oleg, Ray and Rosanne for getting me into the city but the two mile walk after the race to the car was terrible.

Race #39 - Falmouth 7 Mile Road Race - 48:46

2009-08-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

I know I have written in previous blogs about past races that the weather was great, but today was absolutely spectacular. This course is probably one of the best of any race I have ever run. Race time temp was about 75 with a slight breeze and the crowds wonderful. I was fortunate to be given an elite number which landed me in the first corral with all the Kenyans, Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Meb and Joan Benoit Samuelson, not to mention countless other very fast runners.

I left the Pier 7 Condos in South Yarmouth at 6:30am to catch one of the hundreds of buses to take the runners to the start in Woods Hole. I parked at John Wesley United Methodist Church about a 1/2 mile from the buses. I boarded one of the buses at 7:30 and was at the start by 8AM. It was two hours before the start so I had plenty of time to kill. I knew I would see elite runners as well as former elites, such as Shorter and Rodgers. I got myself a cup of coffee and just relaxed at the front and stalked the elites for a picture. I got to see the start of the Achilles runners and the wheelchair competitors. I made friends with other runners such as Brian who has run all 36 previous Falmouth races.

The organization was superb and with 10,000 runners, that's not easy to do.

After a fly over by the Coast Guard and Air Force, the gun was sounded and the elites were off. I was about 15 feet behind them and planned to run sub 7's for the 7 mile race. It didn't seem like a difficult task but the course is full of little hills. In fact I caught up with Bill Rodgers of Boston Marathon fame at the start and ran with him for the first 400 meters. As I sped ahead, I heard him caution me that the initial 3 miles was full of hills. I ran this race 15 yeas ago so I was well aware of the hills in the beginning and at the end. It was hilly but also in the shade because the next 4 miles was basically flat but in full sun. Not sure which I liked more.

I hit the first mile at 6:53, second mile at 6:52 but I wasn't feeling comfortable. The hills were getting to me. Mile 3 was 6:59, 4 - 6:59, 5- 7:00, 6-7:00 and mile 7 was 7:02. I felt like I was running even splits early on but thought I was going faster in the later miles. In fact, I pushed hard at mile 7 knowing I didn't have much time to give back if I wanted to go sub 49. The last 1/2 mile was rolling hills with a nice sized hill just before the finish which I hit hard but paid for the last 250 yards. I was happy with going sub 7's and knew I pushed as hard as I could. The crowds were great along the course as there was lots of water.

The post race party in a park near the finish was to notch with hot dogs, Cape Cod chips, Bear Naked snacks and other FREE goodies. Cigna was the main sponsor and they were great, handing out all kinds of stuff.

I would run this race every year if I lived nearby. Great course, great people, great sponsors and very scenic.

I now have the balance of the week to spend on Cape Cod to run and bike.

Race #38 - Prineton Free Wheelers Metric Century

2009-08-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so race #38 wasn't a race actually, but a bike ride through New Jersey. I said I was going to mix it up during my 50 @50 and I did so in July. I love bike riding, but never seem to have enough time to do so. My neighbor and friend Marshall Samtur has been riding a lot the last few months and is always asking me to join him. When he mentioned the Princeton event, I checked my scheduled and immediately said yes once I knew that date was open. I have been getting on my bike for at least 50 miles per week in July so I felt good about the ride. I just wasn't sure how far I could go. I have done these tours before but never more than 50 miles. One of my goals is to ride a century (100 miles), but never could train enough to feel confident that I could do it without much pain. When Marshall suggested the metric century, I was in. It's not a race so you do rest along the way to fuel up or get your legs back. We were also joined by Marshall's sister in law Renee and her daughter Rachel as well as his friend Tony.

I headed over to Mercer County Community College for 7am with the thoughts of starting at 7:30. Both Marshall and I had other kid events to attend later in the day. Marshall's daughter Liz is an excellent swimmer and had championships and I had to run over to my son Michael's baseball game to help coach.

We picked up our t-shirts and ride instructions and then headed out. Renee & Rachel were doing the 50 so we weren't riding with them. These rides are well organized with arrows of different colors spray painted in the streets to match up with the distance you plan on doing. This was their 29th year of putting on this race and it went off without a hitch.

We started out easy thinking we would do the first ten miles at a comfortable pace. One thing to note, I was riding my Ho Koo Hi Koo which is my Gary Fischer mountain Bike and 98% of the riders had skinny tire road bikes. My comfortable pace is about 15 MPH, but on a road bike it is easily 18-20 which makes me work harder the whole way. I bought the mountain bike to take advantage of the canal path by me as well as when I go up north in the mountains in the spring. I will need to get a road bike and Jason at Halter's in South Brunswick has been encouraging me to stop by to get fitted for a nice one. They have one great bile shop and it's in South Brunswick.

Back to the ride. We opted to do the 65 less hilly ride which was the right call. Once we got going, I felt great. Marshall was nice enough to hang with me for a while, but he loves to push it especially on the downhills. It's just so hard to keep up with him with my knobby tires. With Tony, its a fair fight for me. He had me on the flats but I was stronger on the few hills that were out there.

We stopped after mile 20 for the club's rest stop which included watermelon, bagels, nut bars and muffins. We hung around for 15 minutes to chat with other riders then headed out. After another 20 miles we were back at the same rest stop to fuel up again. The weather was turning out to be spectacular with cool temps early and plenty of sunshine later. It was turning out to be a very nice day.

The first 40 miles took us through quiet roads and lots of farms filled with shoulder high corn. The Princeton free Wheelers Club mapped out a great course. There was limited traffic and great scenery. I know we passed through Robbinsville, Allentown, Bordentown and other Burlington county towns.

By mile 40 my legs were getting a little fatigued but knowing there was only 15 miles to go motivated me to keep riding fast. The next five I lost sight of Marshall but he was kind enough to wait for me so we could ride the last 8 miles together. Tony had left early at the second rest stop but we caught up with him with about 5 miles to go. Once we hit the campus of MCCC, we sprinted back to the parking lot and our cars. Tony filed in right after us and Renee and Rachel were less than 60 seconds behind us. We finished up in less than 5 hours which I thought was good. Marshall said we averaged 16+ miles per hour. My heart rate never got above 133 and my legs felt fine.

We headed over to the nice spread of food put out by the PFW and chowed down like we hadn't eaten for weeks. Nothing like a 65 mile bike to work up an appetite. One question I asked myself, could I do another 30+ miles now? I know I can, it is a matter of how will my legs feel in those next 30 miles. I won't do unless it's a road bike. I would be crazy to do on my mountain bike. I plan on doing one or two more before the year is out but i won't count them towards my 50.

Next up for me is the Falmouth 7 mile road race in Falmouth, Cape Cod. This is one great race and I hope to run it fast. It is hilly so I won't be breaking any personal records, but I would like to average a sub 6:50 pace. I will be away on vacation the week of the race and there are great rail to trails bike paths on the Cape. I know of one that is 25 miles long so I am sure I will be on that one a few times. Bobby and Mike will be joining me for the rides.

I have 12 races to go so if you haven't joined me yet, you better take a look at my schedule of remaining races. I would love to see a few of you at these races. You know who you are.

See you on the roads.

Race #37 - NY Tri Underwear Run- 11:37

2009-07-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

I promised myself that I would do different races during my 50@50 and this was as different as they come. The distance was only 1.7 miles (not accurate) but all runners had to run in their best underwear, well not all. Some looked like they just drop their pants to run the race. I on the other hand spent a good few hours trying to figure if I should go boxers or briefs. I decided on boxers with a bike print. Since the NY tri club was the sponsor, it seem to make sense. I almost felt overdressed because some runners really went small.

I got into the city at 5pm and headed to NYSC to drop off my stuff and change for the race. No I didn't walk from the club to the park in my undies, I put my shorts over them. I figured I drop them 15 minutes before the start. I was early, but as the runners started signing in you could see this was going to be a fun evening. They were trying to break some sought of record of people in Jamaican costumes as well as the most number of people assembled in their undies. Not sure if they broke either record. It was like a costume party in your under garments.

Men wore all kinds of running gear from Speedo types, to traditional boxers. Thongs were not allowed but the ladies had all kinds of undies as well. There were complete teams of runners from the NY Tri club and the Annapolis Tri club from Maryland. Some outfits were just spectacular. The Naked Cowboy was also there but he wasn't running. Real tough to cover 1.7 miles in boots.

I ran 11:37 which was a 6:50 pace for the 1.7 miles but I am sure the course was longer. I felt like I was going at a 6:15 clip. I was on the front line at the start , mainly to get in the start photo. When the gun went off, I was actually in the lead for the first 100 yards which was surely uncharted territory for me. Some guy in tightie whities flew by me and then a few others. I think I made a tactical mistake by running fast because their were no women in the front so I wasn't able to take in the sights. The female winner passed me at about the 3/4 mile mark so I was able to get a nice look at her but that didn't last long. I finished about 12th out of 300+ runners.

I met up with Mallory and Becky Baker who are good friends with my niece and nephew in Pittsburgh. Mallory is doing the Tri on Sunday so they stopped by to watch the race and pick up the race packet for Sunday. We stopped for a beer after the race and chatted about running. Mallory is also doing the NYC & Philly 1/2 marathons so I will catch up with her then as well.

Only 13 more races to go so I need to pace myself with good runs in the future. I have one more goofy race that I hope to run which is in Boston, The Santa Speedo Run. Also runners in red Speedo but it is also in December.

Run on my friends.

Race # 36 - Ocean Grove Biathlon - 18:27

2009-07-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

I was suppose to run the Teterboro 5K with my nephew Andrew on Saturday but I called an audible and switched to the Ocean Grove Biathlon in Neptune, NJ. I am getting tired of the 5K's in NJ. They all seem the same sometimes and since I am running a bunch of races this year I wanted to mix it up a bit. I planned on doing a few multisport events during the 50@50 but wasn't sure which ones. The senator and Gerry Fennelly planned on running so I decided to do the Ocean Grove race with them.

This was a not a very big event, but a well run race put on by the Jersey Shore Running Club. It was another beautiful day at the Jersey Shore to run. I was hoping to bring my bike so i could get a few miles on it after the relatively short race. Next month I plan I riding 65 miles in the annual Princeton Free Wheelers ride so I need to get miles in. Unfortunately, the senator needed to get home early to help clean for his huge 50th birthday party.

I post registered, got my long sleeve t-shirt (strange for a summer race) and took the banner shot with Ken and Gerry. The start was about 1 mile from the finish area and the registration tables so we had to leave enough time to get there. It made for a good warm up.

My plan was to run a 12:15-12:30 2 miles and then 6-8 minutes for the swim. The swim distance was 300 hoping o get under 19:30. The swim distance is always subject because it's difficult to measure. I made it over to the Willows Swim Club twice this week just to get a feel for the distance. My two swim workouts consisted of just doing multi-laps of 100 meters totaling 800. I just needed to get the confidence that I could cover that distance without tiring.

This race was slightly different than the normal race which included a swim because the swim was after the run. In 99% of all tri's the swim is first. This meant I was going to sprint 2 miles which would had my heart rate up to 160 then i needed to get my shoes and socks off fast and sprint to the water. I was a little concerned with an elevated HR and jumping into the cold ocean.

The start went off on time and my heart rate immediately was up so I just wanted to get into a grove and start passing people. The course was out and back and back again. You got to see the leaders a couple of times on the course. The run portion finished on the boardwalk then down a few steps onto the beach where I took of the shoes and socks, put the camera down and off i went into the Atlantic. The waves were pretty big so I had to get past them before I can start swimming. Water was initially cold but once i got going, it was perfect. my direction was off a bit but it is so difficult to judge the buoys because your head is down into the water. I headed out of the water a and after a quick sprint on the beach to a finish of 18:37. I was happy with the time and the event. I finished 2nd in my age group so I was happy with the whole experience.

After the race I met Gerry Fennelly's brother, Peter Fennelly who was on the America's Cup team captained by Bill Koch in the 90's. I keep meeting interesting people at all these races.

I will add a few tri's in the remaining 14 races so I need to continue to ride and swim.

I help coach my son's baseball travel team and he had 4 games this weekend so to get in a race, and a swi/bike workout on Sunday was difficult. His baseball team won 3 of 4, which included a victory the Branchburg Championship game.

am 90% sure that my 50th race will be the Philadelphia Marathon in late November. I will start training for that in August and get the remaining 13 races in around the workouts.

Life is not a spectator sport - please get out there and enjoy the scenery.

Race #35 - Belmar 5 Mile Run - 33:38

2009-07-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, what another great day at the Jersey Shore running with over 2,500 runners. On a picture perfect day along with rather cool temps for running in July, race #35 is now history.

Bob's 50@50 provides transportation so I picked up the Senator at 6:30 to get to Belmar by 7:30. We had a quick stop at the WaWa which I am a big fan of their coffee. Ken spent much of the ride down creating his various teams for the team categories. He loves putting these teams together and usually just grabs anyone to add to his squads.

I took Friday off from running to give my legs a break after an easy run on Thursday and a hard 21 mile bike that night with Marshall Samtur. More on my biking later. We got a great parking spot and then headed to the start for bathrooms and some photos. I was immediately met there by Paul Russo who I played softball with many years ago. Paul is in great shape, does tri's and runs at a 6:15 clip for a 10K. Paul and look like we can both still patrol the outfield if I must say so myself.

Paul biked 10 miles from his beach house then paced me at a 6:40 pace for the 5 miles. I felt pretty good at the start doing a 6:38 and 6:41 first two miles respectively but struggled in miles 3 & 4 (6:44 & 6:53) but finished strong with a 6:39 final mile. Paul and I ran together for the whole race finishing in 33:38. It was nice finally catching up with him at a race. I don't run with the Senator (Ken V) because he is way to fast finishing in 31:56. Ken turns 50 very soon and is in great shape. Speaking of politicians, Governor Corzine ran today and finished in 55 minutes. I wish I would have seen him, he would have looked great in my banner picture.

I enjoy running the Belmar race because the post race party by the park is usually top notch with lots of food and vendors. The weather is usually hot which I don't like but I love running by the water.

We headed over to Bar A for our free burger and some great music. While there I met up with a few members of the Raritan Valley Road Runners who are a great bunch of folks. I wasn't drinking because I had to head to Branchburg to get to my son's Michael baseball game at 3:30. I did hang around Bar A till 1:30 for the team awards which our team came in second. I am still not sure how that works and who was on my team.

I also met up wit Rebecca Rothstein who is the architect of the website Post Race Party. It is a website where you can rate the races you run. It is a great idea to help you choose which races are the best. It will keep race directors on their toes. Put on a good race, and runners will show up.

Now for my biking. I am doing a 65 mile bike ride with the Princeton Free Wheelers on August 1st with my neighbor Marshall, who has been riding the last few months and does 50-60 miles regularly. I hope I can keep up with him, so I will be riding more in the next few weeks. I do have a goal of doing a century so this might be my incentive for next year.

15 more races to go so I will make sure the remaining runs are quality races. No fluff, just good races with good people. Check out my schedule. I don't think I will do the Teterboro 5K next week.

Life is not a spectator sport, so get out there and join me.

Milltown 5k - 20:58

2009-07-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

Race 34 was a quick one, but not one of my better races recently. Although I barely broke 21 minutes I felt like I was struggling the whole way. I haven't been running my best recently and my legs have been tired. I can't say I was happy with the time, but maybe it's time for me to do some speed work in between races.

The Milltown 5K is decently organized but not well publicized and they don't publish finishing times on any website. I do know I finished 37th out of 200+ plus runners and ran a 20:58. If you don't look at your time when you finish or have a watch you will never know your time. This race has been run for over 20 years and they still can't get those times on a website. I would have run the Cranford Firecracker 4 miler but it starts at 9:30 and I had to get down to Monmouth Beach for my son's doubleheader. One year I ran the Milltown 5k At 8am and then drove to Cranford to meet up with Vin Laudati to run the Cranford race at 9:30. It's the only time I ran two races in one day. I will try to run 3 races in one day if I can find that day where there are 3.

I ususally run the Milltown race with Ken White but he was in St Maarten with his family (not skiing) so I went solo. I met up with Michael Daigeaum who is a very fast runner and has won many races outright. He is one of the nicest guys you will meet. I also met up with Frank Calandruccio from Remax Country in Milltown. Remax was one of the sponsors of the race.

My plan was to go out in 6:30 pace and try to finish strong but that was not the case. The course was slightly changed due to some road construction so I am not even sure the course was certified. There were no mile markers so I was on my own for pace and split times. My heart rate was hovering right around 150 for most of the race. The course has a few decent hills so it is not the fastest 5K course but is not difficult. It wasn't that hot but I never do well in any summer races. I just read in Runner's World that for every 5 degree increase in temp, it could add 30 seconds to your time.

I have run a 4th of July race every year since 1993 so it has become a ritual for me. The perfect 4th for me is a race, kids baseball, BBQ and fireworks. 34 races in the books and 16 to go. The Belmar Five is next week which is always a winner. There is still time to sign up so join me. Bob's 50@50 provides transportation.

Get healthy, be happy and go for a run.

Race #33 - Pine Beach 5K - 20:30

2009-06-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

I initially had 2 races scheduled for this weekend, Save the Bay 8K on Saturday and today's Pine Beach 5K. My son Michael had a doubleheader yesterday which started at 8Am so that made me abort Saturday's race. We also had a graduation party for my older son Bobby as well.

Dale was in town so I was hoping he would join me today but he had a long ride back so he declined. Dale plays lots of hockey and runs regularly so he opted to get home to play hockey in Pittsburgh. I did have the company of The Senator, Kenny V to accompany me to the race. I thought I was tired after my long day yesterday but Ken did the annual 10 miles, 10 bar run on Saturday.

I picked up Ken at 7Am for the ride to Pine Beach. I had heard so much about this race I knew I had to add it to my list this year. I am still a little sore after Mt Washington race but took my training down a notch this week to get rested. Sally Mustang is the race director of this very popular race and did a wonderful job which broke its record by registering over 1,500 runners.

I was hoping to run a sub 21 minute 5K today and with the low humidity, I knew it would be possible. My lack of sleep would be my only undoing. The staging area was a big park adjacent to the Toms River. It was a perfect weather day and I took advantage of the free 10 minute massage before the race. Off to the start line after some stretching.

I got off to a good start, passing the 1st mile marker at 6:28 but it was getting a bit warm and I was feeling a bit dehydrated, partly because I exceeded my two beer limit the day before. I passed the second mile at 13:11 so I slowed a bit but that was okay. I liked the pace and my heart rate was hitting 158 which is normal for the pace I was running. I hit mile 3 at 19:58 and pushed it to the finish with a time of 20:30. My heart rate at the end was 164. I gave the race a good effort and was happy with my time.

I took advantage of a second massage which was much better than the first one and got some fluids in me. I also enjoyed the chicken sandwich by ironically, Outback Steakhouse.

I also met up with Vin Laudati who Jet-skied from his house in Toms River. We caught up on things and he offer a ride on his ride. There wasn't a second life jacket so no ride for us but that was fine. Vin got to be in the Banner pic. I need Vin to run a race with me.

Sally Mustang who organized the whole race hosted a party at her house afterwards. She had a goofy raffle at her house and I won a pair of tie-dyed bike shorts, which I modeled for the 50 plus guests. I had a few beers there then headed home for a well deserved nap.

My next race is the Milltown July 4th race then the Belmar race on July 11th. Let's get out there people. Stop putting off exercising.

RIP - ED, Farrah, Michael & Billy.

Race #32 - Mt Washington Road Race

2009-06-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

The race I have been waiting to run all year is now over. 7.6 miles of uphill running at an average of a 12% incline was a lot tougher than I imagined. I ran all the whole way except for 10 steps at the very top which was at a 22% incline. I finished in 1:43:21 which was what I was expecting although there was a chance I might be able to go in the 1:30's. I just wanted to keep moving and try not to stop. John Liptak finished in 1:42:36, Chris Kelly in 1:44:03 and Taugh finished in 1:49:48. Ken White was also with us but he skied Tuckerman's Ravine which included hiking to where the snow was. I think he had it tougher than the runners. We dropped him off at Pinkham's Notch and then headed to the auto road. More on that later.

We arrived 2 1/2 hours before the 10am start to make sure we got my van to the top with time to spare. We met up with Chris Kelly & his wife Debbie at the start area. Debbie was our official driver to the top. I met Chris on the Mt Washington website a few weeks before the race after we lost our official driver Tommy Ryan. Chris lives in Somerset and runs through South Brunswick on his longer traing runs.

Debbie did a great job as the drive up the mountain was a white knuckler because of the narrow road and the fog. After Debbie left us at 8:30 for the top we waited around nervously not really knowing what we would encounter on this run. None of us had ever really done a race like this so we had no point of reference. The Mt Washington website says that you can expect to run a time similar to your 1/2 marathon time. I ran a 1:32 in Virginia early but I knew that wasn't going to happen at this mountain. I had run 4.5 miles on a treadmill at the 12 incline and really couldn't go faster than 13:45 per mile.

The weather which has been causing havoc in the NY/NJ area was expected for this race earlier in the week but cleared out on Saturday. It turned out to be a perfect day to run, although we had some clouds to run through and visibility was limited at the top but it was a whole lot better than what was happening at the US Open. In fact it was hot at the start and we didn't need all our change of clothes at the top since in was in the mid 50's.

The start was at the beginning of the toll road and ran slightly downhill for a 100 yards and then flatten out for another 200 yards and then the fun began. John, Taugh and I all started together and ran that way for the first mile. We thought we would hang together for the first 3 miles and let our fitness levels sought it out from there. I pulled back a bit to run with Taugh so John ran ahead of us. Just before we approached mile 2 Taugh began to walk a bit so I moved ahead of him. We were not competing against each other but against the mountain. Once I realized that Taugh was not going to be able to catch up, I just focused on my run. I really didn't start feeling good until mile 3 and felt like at the pace I was running it would be no problem. I passed the halfway point in 48:56 and felt strong and it was nice psychological boost to pass that marker. A runner who was walking told me the 2nd half was easier than the first 3.8 miles, but he was very wrong. It never really got easier except for about 200 yards of relatively flat ground which I am sure was a 5% incline but it just felt flat.

Once I passed mile 5 I knew I was going to finish without stopping although it wasn't getting any easier. I was still running in the clouds at this point and was waiting for the clearing that the race director promised us at the top. He was right but it was at mile 6.5 and the incline seemed to be getting steeper. I passed Chris at mile 6 as he looked a bit fatigued and was walking at this point. John was getting closer to me as he was also walking. Funny thing about the walkers, some of them were walking faster than I was running which was slightly upsetting. I was not going to stop except to take an occasional picture.

The last 1.6 miles was very pretty and the views spectacular although when you looked to where you had to go, it was not encouraging. I kept my head down and forged ahead. As I got near the top, you can hear the spectators cheering which was great but I knew I had that 22% incline section to deal with ahead. The sun was out at this point and it felt good. As I approached the toughest section I tried to keep running but I had to walk for about 10 steps and then just pushed it from there. The finish was about 70 yards of flat which was welcomed.

My splits were 10:34, 12:34, 13:29, 13:40, 14:43, 14:42, 14:35 & 9:03 for the .6. My heart rate averaged 149 and peaked at 162. My heart & lungs would have let me run faster but my legs would not. I need more hill running to get better at mountain running. I might do other races but probably shorter climbs.

This was one of the races that was on my bucket list so now I can cross off. Once again I met many friendly runners who are all trying to keep it together through life.

Now just a bit on Ken White the skiing maniac. He skied Tuckerman while we ran, in looking back, probably had it worse. He had to hike 2.5 miles to the snow with his skis strapped on his backpack and also carrying his ski boots and other gear. Once to the top of the snow area, he would ski down about 700 vertical feet and then climb back up. That was one thing that was on his bucket list so now he can cross that off.

We all had a great time and look forward to the next weekend adventure.

Just a footnote to the weekend. On Friday night I met Kimi Puntillo who is the author of a new book called Great Races - Incredible Places, 100 great races around the world. I am always interested in ordinary people doing extraordinary feats. Kimi describes some of the races she has run over the years and it is an excellent book for inspiration and adventure.

Race #31 - New Hyde Park 8K

2009-06-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on my deck, shoes off, enjoying a well deserved beer after a weekend of running. Today's race was in New Hyde Park, Long Island. It was my second race on the Island, but unfortunately none of my LI friends could join me. No worries, I think I will get out here for one or two more, so if you are reading LI friends, get running.

I ran this race instead of the Princeton 10K (5 miles from my house) on the recommendation from Eve Volonakis(NHP runners' club member) who I met at the Long Beach 10 miler. It also happens to be the town where my cousin Joe and his family resides. Just some quick background on my cuz. I grew up in Brooklyn and Joe grew up in Deer Park. His dad and my mom are brother/sister. I always looked forward to visiting with them because he had a nice size yard and we would play ball the whole weekend I was there. His dad, my Uncle, was a fabulous athlete and as a kid I marveled how this old man (Early 40's) couldh still play baseball. I remember thinking I wanted to be just like that. My cousin would gather all his friends and we would play baseball all day at the local school and come back to home made pizza. I attribute all my baseball knowledge to my visits out there.

Now back to today's race. It was rather warm for a 9:15 start and I planned on taking it easy since my legs were tired from yesterday's trail run. I checked in and met two very nice women, Tania & Leslie, who were selling raffle tickets and were very interested in my 50@50. One of the women gave me $5 towards my goal of $10,000 which was extremely nice of her. When I checked in, I was greeted by "I know you" from Eve, who remembered my shirt from the other LI race. She wasn't running today, but was helping out with the race.

I hit absolutely no traffic going out so I had 90 minutes to kill before the race so I stretched, hoping to get loose for the race. I chatted with some other friendly Long Islanders and then got to the start line. I was just hoping it was a flat course. This is my last race before Mt Washington so I just wanted to make it without pulling anything.

My first mile was 7:15 which I thought might be too fast so I pulled back to a 7:25 pace for mile two. Something then happen to me during mile 3 which was run along a straightaway which was in the shade along the LIE (I think), I started passing people. My mile 3 split was 7:10 and mile four split was 6:45. My legs felt great and my HR was only at 150. I was hoping to go sub 36:00 after the first mile, but now realized I could get closer to 35:00 with a good last mile. I continued to pass runners and as I approached the finish the clock read 34:40, but the finish was on grass so I just couldn't kick it to break 35. I finished with a 35:03 which was still faster than I thought I would go today.

My cousin Joe met me after the race and then we went back to his house for breakfast. It was a great visit and was made better because there was no traffic on the way home. They just got a puppy which was absolutely adorable.I actually went straight to my son's baseball practice where I ended up throwing batting practice. My legs hate batting practice.

I have no races scheduled for next week and will try to get ready and rested for Mt Washington in two weeks.

Race #30 - Wissahickon Trail Classic

2009-06-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today's race was my first trail race of the year and it was a great one. John Liptak and I agreed to run this race about 4 weeks ago after reading about it in Running Times. It ranked it as one of the best trail races in the area. Since it was taking place in Philly, I thought it would be a great chance to try a different type of race and not have to travel far. I want my 50@50 to be very diverse and this race was very different the normal New Jersey 5K.

The race took place in Wissahickon Valley Park. I wasn't sure if it would be a flat trail race or one with hills. John and I saw a few hills near the sign up table so we knew it would just be flat. We met a very nice girl who told us she ran with her club every Thursday night in the park and we would love it.

After a flat start on soft gravel we made a turn into the woods and quickly up a steep hill that lasted for at least 1/2 mile. My thoughts immediately went to our Mt Washington race in 2 weeks so I knew not to complain. The only trouble was I think this hill was steeper than what Mt Washing would bring. I was running on my toes just to keep moving.

Once we got to the top it was a gradual downhill but over rock, logs and tree roots. Since I didn't have trail shoes, I was careful of my footing. I would pass people on the way up but they were flying by me on the way down. I was being very cautious as not to slip and get hurt. Young and old would bound their way down and 3 young girls who had to be cross country runners flew by me on the way up one hill.

We never repeated any part of the course and the hills seem always be there. There were no mile markers so I didn't know how far I ran, and where the finish was. I knew it had to be close as I checked my watch and it read 4o minutes. The second water stop was on a flat section and I started cruising by runners thinking we were almost to the finish only to hear a volunteer to say less than one mile to go.

We crossed a park road and started up a hill again and this one was the steepest yet. At one point everyone in front of me was walking and there was no room to pass. Once it leveled out, we all picked it up and then the downhill was frantic. I could sense that the experienced runners knew the finish was around the corner.

A quick hairpin turn and a sprint to the finish. John ran a 50:12 and for much of the race was about 3 minutes ahead of me, as I lost him at one of the hills and since much of the race was single track there was no catching him. John loves the trails and is much faster on those courses. I think I want to run a few more and longer ones. I like the pace and the solitude. I finished up in 53:25 which I thought was okay since I really don't have anything to compare it to.

The race committee did a great job and it will be a race I put on my yearly schedule. John and I took a detour for some Philly Cheesesteaks at Dallesandros which hit the spot.

Legs are a bit tired but I am looking forward to my 5 miler tomorrow in New Hyde park.

Race 29 - Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon

2009-05-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day for a long run, but unfortunately I did not run as well as I would have liked. I love the Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon and so do 9,000+ other runners, but not the non runners in the best borough in NYC. Traffic was a nightmare for those not partaking in the race. Too bad, get out of your cars and run.

The course this year was reversed from previous years. The last few years the race started on the boardwalk of Coney Island and finished in Prospect Park. This year we started in Prospect Park, did two loops, and then ran down Ocean Parkway to Coney Island. I liked the finish at the beach, but I hate the two loops in the park because you have to run the big hill twice. I ran with Frank and Emmy in the park and was feeling just okay. I was hoping by the time I got to Ocean Parkway, I would feel good. No such luck, I struggle down the Parkway. See my splits and Heart Rate.

We were able to park in Keyspan Park and that's where the post race party was held which was somewhat convienient. The NYRR supplied shuttle buses to the start but they were unreliable so a bunch of us took the F train.

I am not sure why I did not run well, but it wasn't the warm temps. It was 65 degrees and the park was shaded and much of Ocean Parkway was also in the shade. I am guessing it has been all the racing I have been doing. I still ran a 1:40:57 but I was thinking I could go 1:35 and I was hurting at the end. I had no kick. It was a bit disappointing so I may have to pull back my racing schedule until I get my legs back.

I met up with Frank Colella and Emmy Stocker, two runners that John Liptak and I met at the Manhattan 1/2 marathon in January. John and I needed someone to take our photo and we asked Frank who was with Emmy at the time. Emmy asked me then what 50@50 meant and when I told her she was impressed, but quickly added that she had done two 50 milers and a century when she turned 50. Since then we have get in touch via facebook and our blogs. Both Frank & Emmy run 50 milers and 100 milers regularly. In fact Emmy ran a 1:38:23 today and that was after running a 100 mile race last weekend. She is incredible. Frank alos did a 100 miler last week. Check out his blog, Run Dangerously and Emmy's blog is Running Around Conneticut. They are linked from my blog.

Frank & Emmy are encouraging me to run a 50K or 50 miler this year which I am giving considerable thought. They tell me I would just have to take in slowly. I am torn between running a marathon with hopes of qualifying for Boston or running a 50K as a symbolic ending to my 50 @ 50.

I am falling asleep as I write this. My day started at 4:40am and then I rushed back to NJ to coach my son's baseball team then played in a baseball game for the coaches. I need a good night's sleep.

mile 1 - 8:42 124 - started slowly due to the crowd

Mile 2 - 7:35 141

mile 3 - 7:28 137

mile 4 - 7:08 138

mile 5 - 7:47 142

mile 6 - 7:37 141

mile 7 - 7:29 132

mile 8 - 7:33 138

mile 9 - 8:07 135 Struggle with my gu at the water station

mile 10 - 7:53 135

mile 11 - 7:53 133

mile 12 - 7:51 136

mile 13 - 7:51 138

Race 28 - North Brunswick Memorial Day 5K

2009-05-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

I almost had to forgo today's race because my son's baseball team reached the finals of the Readington tournament. Since I am one of the coaches and I had already missed 2 out of 4 games this weekend, I didn't want to miss the championship game. Game was at noon so I had time to run and coach. They got beat 12-0 and played terribly in the field but it was still nice to watch and Michael was the starting pitcher. Unfortunately, he was treated like Johan Santana, with little defense and zero run support. No big deal because they played well for most of the weekend.

I am not sure if I ever ran 3 races in a row, so I wasn't sure what to expect today. Not only was it 3 in a row but 4 out of 7 and 7 out of 10 days with a race. Today's race was 10 minutes away which makes it a no brainer, plus it is also the first leg of the Brunswick Cup series. Four races in the the Brunswicks, prizes to any runner who runs 3 out of 4, and a champion crowned who runs the lowest cumulative time in 3 out of 4 races. The course was changed this year to keep the runners just on the path, unlike last year where we started on grass, ran on the trail, back to the grass. Unless it is advertised as a trail run, runners like to run on one surface only and especially stay of the grass. Grass tends to be uneven and holes seem to pop up out of nowhere.

My legs felt surprising good despite the 10 miler yesterday so I figured to go at a 80% clip today. I ran into Erin Varga who is the race director of the Jimmy D 5K in New Brunswick which is the 2nd leg of the Brunswick Cup. Also in attendance was Renne Levin, a former BC winner and Bobbi Binder who holds the distinction of being the first entry into the Run with the Vikings 5K which I am the race director. I also ran into Eric Davis who ran a February race with me and coaches the Hyland Park HS track team.

My first mile was 6:45 which I thought was about right and I felt surprisingly good despite the muggy conditions. I figured at that pace I would be able to go sub 21 which would have been good since it was my third race. The split at mile 2 didn't appear for awhile and when I hit it at 14:15, I thought it was strange since I was still running well. I finished up with a 22:28 which was a lot slower for the effort I put out. Afterwards a bunch of us thought the second mile was long which is a usual runners response when their times is not to their liking. Oh well, it still was a great weekend of running and meeting friends and making new friends.

I split right after the race to head to Readington and my son's baseball game. I am taking a few days off to prepare myself for Saturday's Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon.

Race 27 - Long Beach 10 Miler

2009-05-25T13:34:00.001-07:00

This is my second of 3 races in a row this memorial day weekend and the longest drive of the three. What is making this run special is we are visiting with my wife's cousins afterwards whom we haven't seen in years. Dale is also running with me and doing a back to back races for the first time in a long time. Ro and Joanne (Ro's sister) will be walking 4 miles of the course as we run. The race starts at the community center in Long Beach, runs along the boardwalk for the first 5 miles, then hits the streets for the final 5.

My plan all along was to run hard at Saturday's Spring Lake race and go easier and push Dale a bit. That is exactly what I did although but we missed Dale's targeted time by about 60 seconds. It was still a great effort by him and I was hurting a bit towards the end. He finished in 1:23:02 and I ran 1:22:48.

This race started at 8am so we had a 4:45am wake up and a 90 minute drive to the start and since it was so early we encountered no traffic and made it with time to spare. We were a little rushed in the bathroom department since there was only one available for the runners.

Just as we were heading back to the car to prepare for the start I noticed Tara Costa from the hit cable show, The Biggest Loser. I have watched the show occasionally and was impressed with the amount of weight these people have lost. Tara was one of the four finalist and although she did not win, she lost 155 pounds, which is incredible. She was running late so I took a quick picture and let her get registered. I figured I would see her on the course and at the finish.

Since I was going at a slightly slower pace my heart rate was only pushing 130, I become very chatty during the run. All encouraging of course, and said hi to every cop and volunteer who was working the course as well as the residents cheering us on.

The post race party included water, Gatorade and Suzie Q's, hot dogs and bananas. Tara finished in 1:30:08 and afterwards I gave her a Bob's 50@50 t-shirt. She was impressed with my endeavor and said she should run a race for every pound she lost. Even I wouldn't do that! She was nice enough to take some photos and she was greeted by many of the runners offering words of praise for her efforts. She looked ecstatic as many runners do after running a race. I hope to see her at another race in the future.

I also was talking to a woman named Eve who was a member of the New Hyde Park Road Runners to find out if the race that they organize on June 7th was worth the trip. She said yes, so I guess I will make that my 2nd Long Island race of the year. I have couisins there so I will visit with them afterwards as well.

The Long Beach Runners Club put on a great event and I would definitely come back to run another one of their events.

Race 27 - Spring Lake Five

2009-05-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Today was Race 26 - The Spring Lake Five, one of the best races in the country and certainly the premier race in New Jersey. This race attracts over 9,000 runners and is well organized with plenty of food and drink afterwards. You also get a free burger or hot dog at Bar A where the post race party continues.

My brother in law Dale came in for this race and we were meeting up with the Senator, Jerry Fennelly, Jack Frost, Dennis Laker, Anthony Merola, and a few others (see banner pics). The weather cooperated and gave us a rather cool morning with a touch of fog. The start is always somewhat of a fiasco because of the crowd size but this year they were using the chip to alleviate the crowding at the finish. It also gives you a more accurate time and won't penalize you for the crossing the starting line late.

My plan today was to run hard and take tomorrow's 10 miler easier. I wanted to be in the first few rows at the start but was tardy (bathroom stop) so I paid the price in the form of a 7:15 first mile. I thought I would be able to run a sub 33 or very close to it but after that slow start, I knew it would be very difficult. I was laying catch up the whole race running a 6:30 2nd mile and a 6:34 3rd mile, 6:44 4th mile and I finished with a 6:30 for a 33:35. This a tough race to score well unless you are right up front, but I was still happy with the time. It was my fastest Spring Lake time in years. Ken "Senator" Vercammen finished with a 31:30 earning him a Spring Lake coffee mug for finishing in the 100. Dale ran a 39:54 while Frosty ran a 56:34.

I love the post race massage and even did a pre race stretch as well. After a few banner pics by race we headed over to Bar A. There we met Rebecca who created a website call postraceparty.com where runners can go to leave comments about races and rate them. She gave us a beer cozie and I gave her one of Bob's 50@50 official t-shirts. I love the idea because I think good races should be rewarded and poorly run events need to improve. With money tight for all, the runners can now be smart with their entries. I will get the word out to my runners and talk up her site.

After the game I headed home, showered and then made my way to Readington to help coach my son's travel baseball team. They took both games today.

Race 25 - Wall Street Run

2009-05-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

I am officially halfway home with my races during this 50@50 after completing the 28th annual Wall Street Run. This was my 16th time I have run this race and although its way to crowded, I love it. This race used to be in September and the Rat Race was in May but I guess it became too difficult to run both races in lower Manhattan during rush hour so they cancelled the Rate race and moved the Wall Street Run. The race was cancelled in 2001 because of 9/11, but in 2002 they ran it and it was extremely emotional for me and others.

I was joined on Tuesday by a number of first timers to Bob's 50@50. Joe Nevins (21:53), Gregg Gluberman (29:21), Dave DiCamillo (24:20)Jack, Lisa Z, Linar & Fast Frankie Falanga (21:33) were all there for the run. Frank, Jack, & Joe and myself nudged our way to the front so not to get caught in the crowd of close to 5000 runners. This year they started the walkers after the runners which was a huge improvement. The weather was absolutely perfect for an evening run.

Joe and I got off to a fast start and passed the 1st mile at 6:40. Joe runs very well for a guy who concentrates more on his pecs than his running. He always starts out quickly but can't keep the pace although his finishing times are usually very good. I think I passed him midway through mile 2 but was getting winded as I finished up the 2nd mile. My goal was to go sub 20 for this 3 mile run so I had to push it in mile 3. This is a tough course to score well since it winds through the streets and you have to watch your footing all the time. I finished in 19:44 which was good for 7th in my age group and 191st out of 2,561 men.

I was hoping to do drinks afterwards, but ended up just having a beer with Lisa Z as we never all were able to meet up because of the crowd. I hit NJ tranist for the ride home. I don't miss that commute.

Race 24 - Hair of the Dog 5K

2009-05-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Race 24 was the 2nd race I was running with my dog Blaze. I take her for a run usually two days a week for about 4 miles each time. She is 8 years old and could go as long as 7 miles if I dial it back in my pace. On the mornings I don't take her she will whine for about 5 minutes and when she sees me come back, she runs crazy around my house.

Today's race was at the Silver Decoy Winery and was put together by Julie Potthoff to raise money for the tri-state Weimaraner Rescue. It was a surprisingly cool morning and very windy. which made for great conditions for Blaze. Since I ran yesterday, I planned on taking it easy and run at at Blaze's pace. This was not only a dog and master run but runners without dogs were welcome. Only problem I saw with that was a the start because the dogs were going crazy and when the gun went off they were zig zagging so the runners had to be on their toes.

Blaze and I hit the first mile at 6:46 which I thought was too fast for her. She always goes out too fast but since it was cool I let her go. We passed the second mile with a 7:40 pace which was no surprise. The slower pace helped, because we ran a 7:15 pace for the third mile finishing strong in 22:32, good for 42nd out of 620 runners which was 5th in my age group.

Post race party was full of food and even some wine tasting. Each runner received a Hair of the Dog wine glass. I would suggest that you make a day of it visiting the winery.

As I write this I am a bit exhausted, not from the running but from throwing batting practice on both Saturday & Sunday with a total of about 250 pitches. I don't have a pitch count.

By the way, I am contemplating running a marathon and a 50K in the fall. I will see how my body holds up before committing.

Looking forward to seeing all my friends at the Wall Street Run on Tuesday.

Race 23 - CASA for Kids 5K

2009-05-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

Race 23 was a well run affair, hosted by Jerry Fennelly and Randy Kirkpatrick, both who put a lot of time and effort to please the runners. I didn't get much sleep as I was out til 1:30am dancing with my old high school friends. The class of '77 all met on Staten Island to celebrate our 50th birthdays. It was nice to see many of my former baseball team mates and friends but I was worried my disco dancing would slow me down.

I ran with John Liptak and Ken Vercammen so I knew the pace would be quick from the start. I went out in 6:38 (HR 145), second mile was 6:32 (HR 154) and the last mile was 6:25 (HR 158). I knew I was slower than my two previous 5k's but was happy with the effort. I passed about 6 people during the last mile and finished with a time of 20:18. It was a bit humid but that wasn't the reason why I was slower. I believe it was the 6 days in a row of running. I should take the day before a race off.

Ken finished in 19:24 while John finished in 20:25. Ken came in 1st in his age group while I came in 2nd. I couldn't stick around for the awards because I needed to coach my boys baseball game, only to find out it was cancelled.

Just as I was leaving I ran into the first woman finisher. I congratulated her on her win but she said she hated 5Ks because she loves running ultras. This woman has 5 kids and runs 100 mile races. I keep meeting interesting people at my races.

Race # 22 - The Pelicano 5K

2009-05-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

Bob's 50@50 took to the road again this weekend with a family trip to Pittsburgh and the baptism of little Parker Hoth. Of Course I found a race to run and it included the whole family. It was a small race in Ohio Township just ten minutes from my brother in law's Dale's house. Ro and her sister were walking while Bobby. Mike and Dale would be running. One thing you need to know when running in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, there is not flat. This 5K had no flat spots, it was either uphill or downhill which for me would be good practice for my upcoming race at Mt Washington. Not sure if my family was happy with my choice of races. I ran the first mile with Dale then took off for the leaders. I knew I would be able to catch the young ones but I figured I could catch a few. I ended up finishing 13th in a time of 23:06 which was good for 2nd in my age group. This race didn't have the USATF normal age groups, but I was in the 25 and over age group so I didn't medal. I certainly don't need the plastic trophy or medal but races should have the correct age group categories. They will attract more runners, especially the core runners which are the 30 and over. Dale finished in 25th with a time of 25:42 and Bobby ran a 31:51. Michael walked with the ladies for the first two miles then ran the last mile. The rain held off and was a cool morning so perfect for running.

One odd note, the course took us through a gas station which i though was strange. Only time I saw that was when i ran off course in Pt. Pleasant at a race.

Mat gets busy for me in the next few weeks with at least 6 more races coming up, including Spring Lake and the Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon.

Race #21 - Tails N Trails - 2.5 mile run

2009-05-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today's race was the first of at least three races I will run with my dog Blaze this year. She loves to run with me and on the days I don't take her she whines the whole time I am out running. Most of the time waking up the family.

At 2.5 miles, this will probably be the shortest race I will run during the 50@50. I wasn't planning on running a race today but Barbara Rushman alerted me that this race was taking place. Barbara is the race director of Hounds & Harriers, one of the best races in NJ. More on that later.

This was a small race with only 35 runners and their dogs participating. This race will get bigger. It takes place in Washington Crossing Park and all on grass and trails so it is not a fast track. I was not planning on going all out because of Blaze. I am sure she can't handle a sub 6:30 pace. There were no mile markers so I wasn't sure how fast we were going but we were comfortably in 3rd place. The course was two laps, the first one being slightly longer than the second one. As we were heading towards the second lap, Blaze decided to just stop. I think she just wanted to smell the grass. I always listen to her, not wanting to push her if she doesn't want to go. By the time we going again, two runners and their dogs passed me and another was right behind me.

I was able to pass one of the runners and finished 4th overall about 200 yards from the leader. It was good enough for 1st overall master. Our prize was a dog bowl. I think my time was 17:45.

My next dog race is the Hair of the Dog 5K at the Silver Decoy Winery on May 17th. The 3rd doggie race will be in October, the Hounds & Harriers 3 mile run. Barbara Rushman put all her passion for dogs and running into this race and raised lots of money for St. Huberts animal shelter. She get over 140 participants and the start of the race is absolutely hilarious with every dog howling. She gives out lots of prizes and there is great goodie (doggie) bag chocked full of dog toys.

Race #20 - Rye Derby 5 Mile Run

2009-04-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

I left my house at 10:30 for a 1:45 race in Rye, NY. I was meeting up with Brad Hunt and Scott Mosenthal, aka Dr. Mo, to run the Rye Derby. I got to the Rye YMCA at 1:30 as there was loads of traffic in the Bronx. Good thing I gave myself plenty of time. Not a big fan of afternoon races but It gave me time to sleep in a bit. I knew the heat was going to be a factor today so I planned on taking it easy. I don't run well in heat so it wasn't going to make sense for me to try to break 34 minutes.

I ran with Brad and his friend Dave for most of the race. This is the second race Brad has run with me during the 50@50 and the temp extremes have been, well extreme. We ran the Midnight Run in zero degrees and now this race in 90+. The heat was starting to become a factor for many of the runners. Brad and I saw at least 5 people down on the side of the road. I have run over 450 races and never saw that in person. These people were in serious condition and as of this writing, I don't know what happened to them. Hopefully, they received some fluids then were better. Dr. Mo ran 33:15, Brad and I ran 45:10. It was a good race in a beautiful town but the heat took something away from the day. Dr. Mo said he ran this same race in the snow one year.

The highlight of the day besides hanging with the Hunt family was meeting a guy who said he was Eamon Coghlan, the Chairman of the Boards because he won so many indoor mile races. His best time was 3:49 outdoors.

Afterward the race I headed up to Armonk to meet up with Tim O'Malley. Tim and I went to St Francis College together. It was a long day but well worth it. I will be up in that area for another race before the year is out but probably in he fall.

Race #19 - Country Roads 5K - Cream Ridge, NJ

2009-04-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ran a great race today. Finished in 19:30 which was good for 5th overall and 1st in my age group. Splits of 6:16, 6:18 & 6:13. Fastest 5K in a very long time. Ro (my wife) and our friend Katie Brady joined me for race #19. After getting slightly lost we found the winery in plenty of time. We were pre-registered which always helps with picking up the numbers and shirts. This was the 4th annual race and from what the race director said, it has grown every year. This race has lots of potential because the winery is a gracious host and the course runs arounds the local farms. They gave out generous goodie bags stocked with all kinds of stuff. After taking the banner pic we visited with the many vendors who set up shop near the start. Nothing special so I left the ladies to warm up. Ro and Katie were going to walk the 5K course so that left me to go all out. I didn't think it was a hilly course so I was planning on trying to break 20 again. I did run every day this past week so I wasn't sure if my legs would be tired and respond. I think there were about 180 runners today. I positioned myself near the front and promised myself not to go out too fast. I felt like I was going easy but when I heard 6:16 for the first split I thought I was going to fade in mile two like I do at all my 5K's. Unlike the previous few 5K's, mile two was relatively flat at first so I just kept pushing. My heart rate was hitting 158 so I knew I still had a little to give. There was a long slight hill at the end of mile 2 which some guy tried to pass me on, but I was not having any of that. Mt Wash is only 2 months away and if I can't hold a little sissy hill what am I going to do in New Hampshire. When I crested the hill, the guy was not to be heard from again so I just concentrated on the 3 runners in front of me, 2 guys and 1 girl (the lead female). I started my push just at the end of mile 2 and was surprised to hear a 6:18 split but my heart rate was now 163. Hills will do that to your ticker. After passing the first guy, I was trying to encourage the second guy in front of me to push it in with me to the finish. He was running strong but seem to have no kick left. (more on that later). Just the woman in front of me which I passed with about 300 yards from the finish. All three of those runners gave me motivation to keep my pace and was surprised to hear an 18 handle at mile split 3. I think it was 18:56 which at that point made me realize I was going to be right around 19:30. My legs were spent and I was breathing pretty hard as my HR hit 169 towards the end. After drinking some water, I slowly jogged back to where Katie and Ro were in the race and walked the last mile with them. Good job by them as they went faster than the last time they walked a race with me. After cooling down we hit the wine tasting which was a nice change from other races. Bob's 50@50 is all about diversity. Like I stated earlier, the owner was a gracious host was more than happy for us to taste all the wines they produce. If you like local wines, make a stop at Cream Ridge Winery on route 539. I was surprised to see I was 5th overall which translated to first in my age group. While tasting the wines one of the guys I passed at the end came up to me to congratulate me on my finish. I was feeling good about it but when I discovered he and a bunch of other runners had biked 35 miles from Mendham to get to the race, my accomplishment of passing him at the end didn't seem so terrific. I passed a guy with 400 meters to go who biked 35 miles to the start which was much of an accomplishment. Each week it seems I meet folks who in their own right are doing great physical challenges regularly. His name was Joe Z and he has inspired me to bike to the start of at least two of my future races. I think I will start with a Princeton and North Brunswick race since they are relatively close. Anyway, time for me to prepare for race #20 tomorrow in Rye, NY. Not sure what my legs will be like but I am sure I will run hard at some point. looking forward to see Brad Hunt and Tim O'Malley.

Jersey Shore Relay Marathon

2009-04-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

Race #18 was a blast. Perfect weather, great friends, new friends and first place in the master's divison for team Bob's 50@50. Taugh Lynch, Ken White, John Liptak and Dale Hoth joined me as we ran 26.2 miles up the Jersey shoreline as a team, on an absolutely perfect day for running. We just missed breaking 3 hours, finishing in a very respectable 3:03:15, 26th overall, out of 450 teams. This was my first relay and won't be my last. Taugh ran the first leg (5.75M), John the 2nd (6.75M), Dale was our middle guy (4.25m), I ran the fourth leg (6.2M) and Ken was our anchor guy (4M).

Our day started with pick ups of Ken White, John Liptak and the Senator, Ken Vercammen. The Senator wasn't on our team but he needed a ride becuase he knew he was going to partake in the festivities afterwards. After checking in at 8:30, we headed over to the 7-ll for some prerace food but we quickly became aware of the barking ice. Some dog was barking in a yard that sounded like it was coming from the outside ice container. Our start time was 9:45 which was the fastest group. The goal of race director Bob Both was to have all the teams finish up at about the same time. My van was acting as the official race vehicle for the relay so we got Taugh over to the start with plenty of time to take photos and meet people. Once Taugh was on his way, we headed over to the 1st transition area to get Liptak set up. Taugh arrived in 40:30 which was very fast for the distance on the instructions. We later found out that it was about 1/2 mile shorter than original stated. His time was still excellent and gave John a perfect hand off. John took off for his 6+ miles not knowing that his leg was 1/2 mile longer. He ran a great leg and gave Dale another perfect hand off with the baton. Dale was all pumped up about the race and was determined to run his best time for he 4 miles. Now here is where it got just a bit sloppy. Dale ran great, but I was having a Flomax moment at transition #3 and was in the john when Dale showed up with the baton. I came out of the bathroom to my teammates screaming that Dale had run past me and I needed to catch up. I take full responsibility for that screw up. Once I caught up to the baton, I was running with guilt trying to make up for any lost time. My heart rate was nearing 160, partly because I had messed up and also because I had kicked it into gear to catch the baton. I finally settled in, but it took until I was 18 minutes into the run. I was passing people, but I really started my catching up about halfway into my run. I passed the Super Sophs (HS girls dressed like crime fighters), and another team that was in our age group (Spirit of Essex) although I think they started 15 minutes ahead of us. My leg was mostly on the boardwalk of Sea Girt, Spring Lake, & Belmar which needless to say was crowded because of the spectacular weather. On your left, Bob's 50 @ 50 coming through, and good job was what I was saying as I passed people. Ken got my hand off without a hitch and he took off like a shot determined to finish strong. The finish was on the Asbury Park boardwalk which was crowded with runners and other people out enjoying the day.

The post race party was in the convention hall where free beer and pasta was handed out. Unfortunately they ran out of beer rather quickly. We waited around for the happy results then headed over to the Wonder Bar for a few more drinks. We made friends with other runners and they wanted to know about Bob's 50@50. They all liked the concept and although they said they were approaching 5o, they looked more like they were a lot younger. They were serious runners and enjoyed the day and the fact that the Senator was still shirtless. We hung around until about 4:30 then called it a day. Our faces red from sun and legs tired from run and another great day for Bob's 50@50.

Two races next weekend. Less talking and more running please.

The Bunny Run 5K - Jamestown, RI

2009-04-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

My son and I left Boston at 10am for Jamestown, Rhode Island to run the Bunny Run which was to be race #17. We were in Boston visiting BU as my son narrows his choice for his home for the next 4 years. Next week he is off to GW in DC. Boston is a great running city and they were preparing for the Boston Marathon next week. As we were leaving Boston, it was raining lightly, but as we driving south it was coming down a lot harder. We arrived in Jamestown about 1 hour before the race and realized it was going to be a wet one. I noticed the race tent which was threatening to blow away so I headed over to pick up my race number and t-shirts. The tent was also doubling as the post race food table which consisted of 6 bananas & a box of clementines. The woman under the tent told me they weren't using numbers because there were only about 40 runners and they knew everyone in the race. She also said that if they needed to use numbers, they would write in on our hands which they did. I was number 8. I am not sure there were 40 runners in the race. The rain was still coming down at the start and continued throughout the race and with the wind and cold (40 degrees) it wasn't going to be pleasant run. My son was not happy with me, but he is a trooper. I was planning on running the race at his pace and started that way, but when I noticed we were in 2nd & 3rd after 1/4 mile, I told him I would try to catch the guy in front of us. I never did. He was too strong on the hills on a surprisingly hilly course. The finish was along the water into to wind with the rain pelting your face. My second place finish was good for $50 which is the first time I actually won money at a race. It was also my highest finish in a race, but it was no where near my best time for a 5K. Bobby finished in 6th in a time of 25:20. My splits were 6:31 (HR 145), 7:19 (HR 155) & 6:45 (HR 152) finishing in 21:10. We headed back to the car to change and then to the Narragansett Cafe for some post race chili. We didn't stick around too long because we were planning to stop in New Haven for Frank Pepe's pizza. It was still raining and the line at Frank's was 25 deep. I was not waiting so we headed to another place in New Haven which wasn't to far away, Modern Apizza. I can't believe that Frank's could be better because the white clam pie at Modern's was excellent.

This race has a lot of potential to be a great race. It is set a beautiful location and race director Pamela Rodgers did a great job despite the horrible weather. I hope this race is on the New England schedule next year.

Mt Washington training

2009-04-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today I started to train again for the 7.6 mile run up Mt Washington in June. I took a break from the training until I knew I was officially accepted to the race. Taugh and I were meeting weekly at the NYSC on Wall Street in January and February to train, but I stopped when I took the job at Jersey Mortgage in NJ was no longer traveling into NYC. We would warm up for a mile then crank up the treadmill to an incline of 11.5 and run at a 13:30 pace building up to 4 miles. Sweat just pours off you when you are on that treadmill plodding along. He hasn't missed a week so I have a lot of catching up to do.

Today I warmed up for 1 mile at a 10:30 pace then moved the incline to 5 and kept the pace the same for the next mile. I did mile three at a 7 incline and mile 4 at a 9 incline all at 10:30 pace. I did the next 1/2 mile at 11.5 incline but had to move the speed to a 13:30 pace. I wore my heart rate monitor with interesting results.

Mile 1 - avg HR 92

Mile 2 - avg HR 118

Mile 3 - avg HR 129

Mile 4 - avg HR 137

Mile 4.5 - avg 125

last 1/2 avg 116

To put it perspective, when I ran the the 1/2 marathon in Virginia 2 weeks ago and set a personal best, my average HR was about 148 at a consistent 7 minute pace. When I went sub 2o in a 5k last week, my average HR was 157 and I was running a pace of 6:25. It's too early to say but it looks like my HR won't be the issue at Mt Washington, but my legs. I will be doing a hill workout once a week now, hopefully building back up to at least 4 miles at 11.5 incline. I figure if I can do 4 miles, I should be able to do 7.6 miles. If I am wrong, it will be a very painful June 20th.

New Hope-Solebury Spirit 5K

2009-04-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

I write this entry as I sit as a passenger in my daughter's Honda Civic as she drives herself back to UDel. I wanted to drive but she insisted, saying it was her car, plus I had to listen to her music. Oh, well, now I can blog about today's race while she drives.

I usually get up three hours before a race, one hour at home to eat, have a cup of coffee and get my stuff together. The next hour is usually for traveling, and I like to get to a race 1 hour before the start time. I spent the first hour making scones for the family. I like to leave them something while I am running although most times I am back before they are up. They all said thumbs up on the scones although I was told they looked more like cookies. I try.

It was too bad that I couldn't get anyone to run with me today because it was a great day for a run, a nice course, and the organizers did a great job with the post race refreshments. I will try to make this race again next year. This race is the second of 7 races in a the Bucks 5K Series, sponsored by Panera's. All the races are held in the Bucks County area (different towns) so I will try to run at least one more in the series.

The race organizers had two physical therapists from Hall Family Chiropractic stretching out runners before and after the race. I took advantage and had the guy work on might right leg which was bothering me after throwing batting practice to my boys' baseball team. I felt good afterwards, but still felt a little sluggish during my warm up before the race. I ran 7 miles yesterday with the RVRR so I knew I wasn't going to be totally fresh and knew it would be a long shot to break 20 minutes again. I also knew the course was hilly which was another factor. I know, excuses excuses. Although I didn't think I was running fast I hit the 1st mile in 6:27 (HR 142) which was great but as soon as I hit that mile marker, the rolling hills began and would continue to the finish (see chart). My second mile split was 6:42 (HR 156) and my third was 6:50 (HR 158) finishing with a 20:45. It was another finish on the track which I am not sure I like but it does make it easier for the organizers. Post race was held in the school's cafeteria which had a nice assortment of goodies. The Planet Smoothie girls were there (Shannon & Melanie) handing out banana/strawberry drinks. Shannon told me she had a website grumpymoms.com which cater to moms that are stressed. Check it out. It looks good.

I ran into Gerry Fennelly who was there handing out race apps for a race he organizes on May 16th which benefits CASA kids. Gerry does a great job with races so that is one I would check out.

So I have 16 races in the books and next up is a run in Rhode Island as I travel back from Boston with my son. He is in the process of finalizing his plans for a college. It's down to Boston U and George Washington. Of course I found a race to run which takes place on Saturday.

Remember, less talking, more running.

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 5K

2009-03-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 5K was race #15 and was the last race of the first quarter (wall street lingo) of Bob's 50 @ 50. At this pace, I will run 60 races but won't, but it does give me a little room for rest during the summer months if I want.

This was the inaugural for this race and drew close to 250 runners which is a great number for a first time race and this was with an overcast rainy morning.

Briana Jackucewicz, along with Morgan Clark, Nicole Lupo, Courtney Joline, Travey Vill and Chelsea Hancock were the co-race directors. They are all seniors at Colt's Neck High School and put this race on as a Service Learning Project which is a requirement for all seniors. Their goal besides putting on a great race was to raise awareness within the community the importance of safe driving where kids are playing.

I ran with Taugh Lynch today. He ran a solid 21:39 and was first in his age group and I ran a 19:58 which was good for 2nd in my age group and 20th overall. I was extremely happy to break 20 minutes again but wasn't sure if I could do it today. I ran an 8 mile training run yesterday so I was happy my legs responded. My splits were 6:24 (HR 150), 6:35 (HR 161), 6:18 (HR 164) and I really pushed it the last mile. I am thinking I can go 19:25 before the years is out.

Next week I have another 5K in New Hope. I don't mind running the 5K's but like the longer distances. They don't put me in oxygen debt as much.

I have only 5 races scheduled for April, but one is my first relay which I am looking forward to. Taugh, Dale Hoth, John Liptak and Ken White will be joining me at the Jersey Shore relay marathon.

Only One Hill

2009-03-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

John Liptak, Taugh Lynch & I found out this afternoon that we were accepted into the Mt Washington Road Race. We had to enter a lottery to see if we would get in. I think this is a bit of - be careful what you wish for, because now we have to seriously train for this race. For those of you not familiar with this event, it is a 7.6 mile run up the toll road of the highest point in the northeast with an average of an 11.5 incline. As race director Bob Teschek would say, "it's only one hill".This will be my signature race during Bob's 50 @ 50 and I thank John and Taugh for coming along for the ride. Taugh and I tossed around the idea of running this race about 5 years ago but decided against it. Now that we are 5 years older it seemed to make sense now. Not sure why. John loves running trail races and last year he ran the Bear Mountain trail run so this wasn't too much of a stretch for him. This race always intrigued me because I have always wanted to hike Mt Washington and I love running, so I figured to just combine the two. Taugh and I have been training in hopes that we would get accepted. We would meet at the NYSC gym on Wall street, crank up the treadmill to an incline of 11.5 and just start running. Our speed is only 4.5 so we are just plodding along but you really can't go any faster unless you want your heart to pop out of your chest. So the hard work begins and I just have to stay injury free. Take a look at some of the pics from past years.

Shamrock 1/2 Marathon

2009-03-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

My third 1/2 marathon of the year turned out to be my best time ever at the distance. I ran a chip time of 1:31:33 on an absolutely perfect day for a race. I beat my best time by almost 4 minutes while finishing 6th in my age group out of 201. I was determined to run 7's the whole way hoping to hold that pace till the finish. After starting out with a 7:37 first mile, I ran right around 6:55's for most of the race except for the last mile where I pushed it for a 6:46 for an average pace of just shy of 7. (see splits below) There were close to 6,000 runners for the half marathon and once again it finished up on the boardwalk. I didn't partake in the beers this time around because I was heading home shortly after the race. Amy Frostick who is the race coordinator for the Shamrock Sportsfest weekend did a great job. It was a runner's dream with all the different races and the venue was perfect. Virginia Beach was not crowded so it was easy to get around and all the businesses catered to the runners. I would recommend this race weekend to anyone who loves running.

Today was race #14 and it was the sixth state I have run in this year. (NY, NJ, LA, PA, DE, VA) If all goes well, I will be in a few more before the year is out. On my way home I stopped by the University of Delaware to have lunch with my daughter Leigh. Next week I am running a 5K in Colt's Neck, NJ. Please consider joining me.

splits & heart rate

1 - 7:37 (133) 9 - 6:58 (147)

2 - 7:01 (147) 10 - 7:07 (146)

3 - 6:52 (148) 11 - 6:51 (146)

4 - 6:55 (147) 12 - 7:00 (147)

5 - 7:01 (148) 13 - 6:46 (152)

6 - 6:55 (149) .1 - .45 (158)

7 - 6:57 (148)

8 - 6:58 (148)

Shamrock 8K - Virginia Beach

2009-03-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

I was up at 6:15am to get ready for the first of two races this weekend. The 8am start was no problem since my hotel was just a few blocks away. I ran easy (39:06) but I was dying to kick it into gear, but knew I needed to save myself for tomorrow's 1/2. Over 7,000 runners finished the 8K and the start was packed with excited runners. Many of them dressed in green. The post race party was on the beach under a huge tent where you could find the Irish Stew, Yuengling and the band. I couldn't believe I was drinking beer before 9am but by 10am I had 4 Yuenglings. The band was excellent and I met up with the RVRR runners. Mike Dixon, Kyle Spencer, Mike Anis, Bill Hulbert, Lianne Price & Brandis Kemp. Each runner received a few drink tickets which allowed you to get a free beer. The runners who weren't interested in drinking that early dropped their tickets on our table. When they did that, the RVRR gave them a group hug. We met many folks as they dropped their tickets off. Everyone was having a great time. This is a race that you need to do if you feel like traveling. Great atmosphere and great people. The Irish Stew was great as well. I will try to get some rest tonight, but only if I don't try to keep up with the rest of the RVRR runners.

Shamrock Expo

2009-03-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

I made it to VA Beach in 6 hours today, arriving at 6pm. I headed over to the expo at the convention center at 7:30 to pick up my numbers to both races. It was crowded but very orderly and the T-shirts are top notch. They also lots of vendors there offering everything from runners jewelry to GU. I tried and bought a can of Verve which promises to replace what I lose after running. Dan was a very effective sales woman. We will see. Grabbed a bite at Murphy's Bar, then headed to the Ocean Sands.

Virginia is for Runners- Races #13 & 14

2009-03-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to races 13 & 14 this weekend in Virginia. Virginia Beach is hosting a huge race weekend dubbed the Shamrock Sportsfest which includes a 5 mile, 1/2 marathon and full marathon. I am doing the 5 mile run on Saturday then the 1/2 marathon on Sunday. My family was suppose to join me but my older son has his baseball fantasy draft and Michael has a Sunday soccer game so alone I go. I am hooking up with a few Raritan Valley Road Runner club members when down there and I'll make some new friends as well. I plan to run the 5 mile race easy and go hard on Sunday. Weather looks to be perfect for both days.

Kelly's Logan House 5K

2009-03-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

I hit double digits in races today with #10 in Wilmington Delaware. The 10th annual Kelly's Logan House 5K enjoyed perfect weather for a run. It had to be at least 70 degrees and the sun was out which was a nice switch from this past Monday. This was the first race the whole family would be participating including one of Leigh's friends (Kathy) from the University of Delaware. Bobby and I ran, Leigh and Kathy ran/walked and Michael and Ro walked the course. Bobby finished with a time of 26:46 and I ran a 20:31 while the rest of the group was over 35 minutes. I thought Delaware was flat so I was in for a real surprise when after a slight downhill start, we began to climb a 600 meter hill. It didn't end there as we had more hills to deal with in Rockford Park. I think we finally started downhill at the 1 3/4 mile mark. The fast downhill finish was nice. I placed 2nd in my age group and was about 20 seconds behind the first 50 year old guy. He passed me on the second climb at mile 1 and I thought I might catch him on the flat or downhill portion but i was wrong. The post race party was held at Kelly's which included pizza, pretzels and a free beer. The awards took a while as the guy in charge was doing his stand up act with every runner. He was funny, but we wanted to get going. I had a great time running with the family look forward to another race with them soon. Next up is a pair of St Patty's runs next weekend. Come join me, I am sure there will be beer afterwards and lots of stories.

Morristown St. Patty's 5K

2009-03-16T05:42:00.001-07:00

19:53 - Under 20 for a 5K for the first time in years. I ran solo today as I couldn't persuade anyone to join me. That's ok, there will be a big crowd tomorrow at the KDM 3 mile run in Sea Bright. Over 1200 runners showed up for this race. I planned to go hard from the start, but I heard about this hill at mile 2 so I was thinking maybe I should pull back. After going thru the first mile in 6:24, I thought, just keep pushing. When I hit this hill, I felt like I wasn't even moving, but I was passing people. Mile 3 was all downhill so that made up for mile two. I didn't finish in the top ten in my age group of 50-59 which is amazing. Hey folks, people are out there keeping in shape. Maybe you should also. Invest in yourself.

Keith D McHeffey 3 Mile Run

2009-03-15T13:41:00.001-07:00

This is my first post to my new Blog. Today was race 12, Keith D McHeffey 3 mile run in Sea Bright, NJ. I have been doing this race for the last 8 years. I consider it the unofficial start of the Jersey Shore racing season. Bob's 50 @ 50 had the biggest turnout of runners to date. Taugh Lynch was there with his wife Durie along with Ceceilia the youngest of their six children. Taugh pushed Ceceilia in the jogging stroller through the crowd. Taugh is one of my closest running friends going back to our Bankers Trust days. Brennan Davis, Jim Dengler (24:55), his wife Anne (25:02)and daughter MaryKate (24:55) were also there. Brennan & Jim I know from my Securities Lending days. The "Total Package", Tom Ryan (28:24) was also there. Tommy and I worked together at BT and DB. Senator" Ken Vercammen also joined me although he didn't run due to a nagging hamstring injury, but he did bike to the start from his home in South Brunswick. My two special friends Katie (45:36) & Sean Brady (32:55) joined me as well. Our daughters are best friends and it was great to see them enjoy the day. Weather was supposed to be 57 and sunny but we saw none of that today. Although there was no wind, it remained chilly. It was perfect for running but not for drinking at the outdoor patio at the Mad Hatter which was down the road from the finish. I (26:35) paced Durie who was hoping to break 24 minutes but we finished just north of 26 minutes. Once again this course wasn't accurate, but it wasn't about racing today, more about getting together. Well, 12 races down and only 38 to go. My body is holding up well and I am looking forward to another double next weekend in Virginia Beach. I am hoping to meet up with some runners from the Raritan Valley Road Runners Club. It should be fun. Until next time, get out there and get that heart pumping.