Memorial Day

Since it's Memorial Day, I figured I'd post some stories related to the U.S. armed forces' efforts in running/cycling:

1. Boston Marathon Comes to Iraq
2. Army Lieutenant Breaks World Record in Marathon, Wearing Full Battle Rattle
3. Maine Soldiers Run 21 Marathons in 21 Days
4. 250 Soldiers in Iraq Ran Marathon for SPECIAL KIDS
5. Cyclists Refuse to Leave Teammate Behind

Happy Memorial Day everyone, and thank you to all those who have served. #20

5/29-30 Race Reports

Four words to describe the weekend - TAF is the BEST!!! Looks like we carried the momentum from yesterday's awesome series of performances through today. So, to recap Woodlake, we had 1 age group win (Rita) and 2 age group 2nd places (Nicole and Keith), and a age group 3rd place (Tim). Our training buddies also raced well in the du, grabbing a 1st female overall (Brooke) and 1st age group (Tristan). And, since they just posted the results today, I will add to that entry (seriously, we rocked)! Oh, and Bri and Kari (another one of our training friends) were on the team that placed 3rd at the Doughman competition yesterday!

At XTERRA, TAF Racing turned in some more awesome performances. Battling through the lake weed, Dave and I swam well (ranked 2nd and 3rd in the team competition). Next up, Sam and Nicole expertly navigated some tricky trails in the mountain bike section (I think Sam was ranked either 2nd or 3rd in the team competition). And for the final leg of the relay, Sean and Keith ran some blazing fast times (ranked 2nd and 1st in the team competition... and I believe Keith may have had the fastest split of the day). However, the award for the most awesome dismount ever seen goes to Nicole... and somehow her and Keith managed an 11sec T2 transition!!! Team TAF #1 (Dave, Sean, and Sam) were 2nd in the team competition, and Team TAF Wahooo (Meghan, Nicole, and Keith) were 5th. And thank you Tristan for coming out and cheering and taking some awesome pictures!

Also heard that John Crews (TAF Elite) defended his title in the Vermont City Marathon and Gavin Coombs (TAF Elite) ran a PR. CONGRATS everyone... that was an eventful weekend!!! Hope everyone has a good holiday tomorrow and a great rest of the week! #20

The Woodlake Report

I have three words to describe it... TOTAL TAF DOMINATION!!! Despite the somewhat chaotic swim, hilly bike, and muddy run, TAF Racing rocked. We had teammates in both the triathlon (results) and duathlon (results).

• Tim raced well, finishing 4th overall and 3rd in his age group. He ranked 3rd overall on the run.
• In his first triathlon ever, Keith placed 2nd in his age group. He ranked 6th overall on the swim and 4th overall on the bike.
• Rita, in her 2010 triathlon debut, placed 1st in her age group. In her age group, she ranked 2nd on both the swim and the bike, and 1st on the run.
• Nicole, racing for the second weekend in a row, placed 2nd in her age group. In her age group, she was 1st in the swim.
• Our training partner Brooke Lord was the 1st female in the duathlon.
• Tristan Dyer (NC State Tri team) was 1st in his age group. He was 4th overall on the first run.
• Suffice to say, I finished the tri, and was happy for that.

CONGRATS!!! Seriously, everyone raced REALLY REALLY WELL and it was great to see everyone out there cheering. We had fun, and I think many of us will be returning next year. Oh, and I just heard from Kirby that he was 2nd overall in the White Squirrel Festival 10k... so WAHOOO. Have a great rest of the weekend and good luck to those racing XTERRA tomorrow! #20

The Last Weekend in May

Or as Nicole would say, "the weekend of tri's". TAF Racing is headed to Woodlake on Saturday for a Tri/Du, and then to XTERRA Smith Lake on Sunday for an off-road triathlon (relay-style). Should be exciting... GOOD LUCK EVERYONE. Also, the TAF Fall Half Marathon Training program kicks off this Saturday... come on out and help out!!! #20

However, our efforts will not compare to Jacques Fox, who holds the record for the most Ironman Races completed in one year - 14!!! And, in the spirit of off-road, multi-sport racing... I think we need to work on our Liquid Mountaineering skills (Nicole sent me this the other day... it is absurdly AWESOME)!

Whole Wheat vs. Multi-Grain

The question of which of these is better has perplexed me for long enough! I have stared at the bread on the shelves, tried to determine what the 3 extra grains were in the 12-grain vs. 15-grain, how these differed from the "healthy multi-grain" bread, what exactly was added to whole wheat bread to make it "double fiber", and if all of this made one bit of difference! Arguably, I should be spending my time doing better things... but when you eat peanutbutter and jelly everyday, choice of bread matters!

Ok, so Runner's World (and other sources) told me that 100% whole wheat is the best! Multi-grain breads are typically made from enriched-wheat flour (along with other grain flours). 100% whole wheat breads, on the other hand, are made with flour from the entire grain kernel, packing more fiber and other key nutrients. Glad that mystery is solved... this will save at least 1min in the grocery store and marginally cut down on the weird looks I get. Now it's time to figure out what "natural flavors" and "raisin juice concentrate" are! #20

Hot Yoga

After hearing about hot yoga for months from Rita, Oyler, and Lisa... I finally tried it the other day... and LOVED it. I had taken a yoga class at NCSU a few years ago, and it was ok. While I saw the benefits of yoga in terms of improving flexibility and core strength, the class was slow-paced and we spent way too much time "breathing" (yeah, can you imagine me sitting still and being quiet for longer than 10sec?!?). Plus, I was always cold and the "soothing" music they played drove me nuts... felt like I was listening to a zen icecream truck or something!

While we did start the hot yoga class with breathing exercises, we quickly moved in to ~45min of standing exercises and ~45min of mat exercises. I was never cold, and I found this actually helped because (1) it is easier to stretch warm muscles and (2) it is easier to balance when you are not shivering. Another neat thing- we practiced bringing our heart rate down after a series of exercises (kind of like interval training at the track). It was the first yoga class that I actually felt like I got a workout out of, and would definitely recommend it for cross-training!

So, if you're thinking about trying hot yoga, here's a list of suggestion: (1) bring a towel to cover your yoga mat + an extra towel (you sweat a lot), (2) bring a water bottle, and (3) wear light clothing (spandex shorts are also a good idea). I would also recommend the Open Door Yoga studio (it's on W. Johnson St.) #20

Running Watches

You can seldom find a running watch anymore that just keeps time (in the present or offset by 5min in the future). Many can measure pace, heart rate, distance... allow you to track this over multiple days... upload it to your computer for analysis... the list goes on and on. While I agree that all of this information serves as a valuable training aid, functionality often comes at an increased price. I found this review that highlights some of the newer watch models and recommended "uses".

Speaking of time, I can't believe I haven't posted this yet... TAF IS MOVING to where Talbots used to be in Cameron Village!!!

And to throw in a little more traveling in the 4th dimension (maybe they need to make a DeLorean sports watch), the TAF Fall Half Marathon Training Program kicks off tomorrow night (informational meeting at 6PM in the Cameron Village Library). Encourage your friends to sign up!!! #20

Looks like you have a case of the...

I hate Mondays. Guessing most people do. Google gave me an idea on Friday (they had a free Pacman game)... ENJOY!!! #20

• Swimming (read the description, it's absurd)
• Road Biking (closest I could find, and I like the Super Mario Brother's theme music), Mountain Biking, and Unicycling (not as this comes as a surprise, I should definitely stick with 2 wheels)
• Track & Field (watch out, you can false start)
• Triathlon (I LOVE the back story)

5/22-23 Race Reports

TAF Racing added a few more ticks to its "win" column on Sat.:

• Dave Meyer was 3rd OA in the Run for Young Life 5K. Results
  
• Jennifer Hannen was the 2nd female OA in the Running of the Green 5K. Results
• Lisa Howell was the 2nd female OA (and won the 40-54 AG) at the Ashe County Spring Celebration 5K.
• Nicole Lewis and James Lavin competed in the Over the Mountain Tri. James was 5th in his age group (Results), killing all three portions of the tri (2nd on the swim and 4th on the run). Nicole was 4th in her age group (Results), and was 1st on the bike.
• Marty Gaal was 1st OA (and 1st on the swim) and Tim was 2nd in his age group (and 2nd on the run) at the Buckhorn Tri. Results
• Brad joined some fellow ultra-runners for the Falls Lake FA "Lite Version" yesterday (he ran 40.8 miles in 8:15). He said he had a great time!
  

AWESOME JOB everyone and CONGRATS (congrats, congrats... wahooo)! Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend and that we can stop swimming while running/biking soon! #20

Saturaday Update

Because it's Saturday, Dave ran a 5K (Run for Young Life in Goldsboro). He was 3rd overall... YOU'RE INSANE! Also hitting the podium this morning, Jennifer was 2nd female in the Run of the Green 5K.

Also heard from Nicole and James that the Over The Mountain Tri was AWESOME. The swim was foggy, but both did really well... then they had to climb a ridiculous hill to the bike transition... the bike was really hilly, but this seemed to have no effect on their performances (Nicole was was 1st in her AG and James averaged 19.2mph)... and then they finished up well on the run. James was in the top 1/3 of his age group and Nicole did amazing. Apparently you guys were right to ignore my advice to "swim over the mountain"!!!

As Coach Sean would say, "that's all I got". Oh, and I managed not to get lost or lose my keys today... looks like it was a good Saturday all around... CONGRATS EVERYONE AND GREAT JOB!!! #20

The Weekend Outlook

James, Nicole, Bri, and Marty are competing in the Over the Mountain Triathlon this weekend (age group qualifier). Sean is running a trail 10K in Charlotte on Sat. Not sure who all is doing anything else... GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, RACE AWESOME!!! #20

The most "back of the hand" push-ups completed in 1hr is 1,940. This record was set in 2007 by Paddy Doyle. Wonder why he didn't just do normal push-ups?!?

TAF HALF MARATHON TRAINING PROGRAM KICKS OFF NEXT WEEK... ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS TO SIGN UP TO RUN A SUPER FAST TIME AT ROCK 'N ROLL VA BEACH!!!

Chia Seeds

One day, we were talking about nutrition during longer runs and trying to decide if natural sources were better than synthetic sources (wow, we are dorks). Sean had recently read something about how chia seeds were a great source of energy (just not as good as PowerBar powergels, right?!?). Later, he pulled a water bottle out of his car with what looked like dirt in it. We all eyed it skeptically when he told us it was water with ground up chia seeds, lemon juice, and honey. Only after we watched him drink some of this "dirt" mixture did we agree to try it... and, you know, it wasn't half bad. I mean the texture was a little weird (the chia seeds gel when soaked in water), kind of like orange juice with a lot of pulp in it, but it pretty much tasted like tea to me. So, I decided to look up chia seeds and found this article describing 10 benefits of adding them to your diet. Runner's World also suggested adding chia seeds to yogurt. Hmmmm, do we dare venture back to Whole Foods?!?

Personally, I favor Keith's plan of suggesting a "TAF Locopop" flavor - powerbar fruit punch endurance beverage (to replace electrolytes, and I'm guessing this is red and not purple), chia seeds (high energy funfetti), and whey protein (muscle recovery). Of course, Dave's version might include Full Throttle! #20

By the numbers...

I came across the 2010 Marathon and State of the Sport Reports (published by Running USA) the other day. Found it rather interesting... here are a few of the highlights:

• Participation in half marathons has increased 131% (hmmm... weird that this is the race distance without the decimal point) in the past decade, and the 13.1 mile distance has been the fastest growing road race since 2003.
• While females make up a larger percentage of the field in half marathons (2009: F- 57%, M- 43%), males make a larger percentage of the field in full marathons (2009: F- 41%, M- 59%)
• On average, the field is younger for half marathons (2009: under 40yrs- 61%, Master's- 39%) compared to full marathons (2009: under 40yrs- 54%, Master's- 46%).
• The median time for half marathons has increased from 2002 to 2009 (2002: F- 2:16:14, M- 1:57:45; 2009: F- 2:19:47, M- 2:00:21), but has decreased for the full marathon over the same time period (2002: F- 4:56:46, M- 4:20:01; 2009: F- 4:41:26, M- 4:13:36).
• The fastest marathon in 2009 (by median time) was Boston- 3:44:04; by comparison, the median finishing time for Steamtown was 3:55:48. Boston also featured the largest percentage of sub-4hr finishing times (69%).

Strawberries are...

1. Delicious and nutritious (just like PowerBar PowerGels)
2. Are TAF Racing Red (Crayola... take note)
3. IN SEASON NOW!!!

The "Strawberry Plan"
Breakfast - combine with cereal to increase iron absorption or oatmeal to lower cholesterol
Lunch - peanutbutter and strawberry jelly... because it is the "best runner's food on the planet"
Dinner - I hate / am too impatient to cook... and you don't need to cook strawberries... perfect!!!
Snack - strawberries & cream locopops or a smoothie

Random Fact - Santa & Exercise

I came across this article the other day, and it was too ridiculous not to post... "Santa promotes obesity, drink-driving, speeding and a general unhealthy lifestyle". REALLY?!? And even though it's not Friday (aka random record day), the largest gathering of Santa Claus' totaled 12,965 and was set in 2007 in Northern Ireland. Have a wonderful Monday! #20

5/15-16 Weekend Race Reports

TAF Racing is the BEST!!!

• Dave Meyer was 3rd overall (1st Master's / age group) in the Fun Run for Charities 10k... AWESOME! Results
• David Kirby was 3rd in his age group (14th overall) at the Capital City Marathon (Seattle, WA)... NICE JOB! Results
• Andrea was 3rd in her age group at the Inside Out Sports Half Marathon and 10k (10K Results), and Brad ran the half one week after PRing in the full (Half Marathon Results)... WAHOOO!
• John Royal was 2nd overall (ranked 1st on the run) in the Lake Kristi Tri, and Perry Bossman was 18th overall... CONGRATS! Results

Seriously Dave, Kirby, and Brad... do y'all race like every weekend?!? AWESOME JOB guys! Enjoy what's left of the weekend, and CONGRATS! #20

Another Eventful Saturday

Dave Meyer did AWESOME in the Run for Charities 10k, placing 3rd overall and 1st in Master's / Age Group.

I discovered / learned two important things this morning:

1. Blackberry Gu is really good... but probably not worth losing your car key over (thank you Nicole, Mrs. Lewis, and members of the Thorns n' Roses cycling group for helping me unlock my car / find my key)
2. It is a really stupid idea to keep your spare key and valet key on the same ring in your glove box

But, ehhhh, normal is boring... right?!? Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend and good luck to anyone racing tomorrow! #20

Weekend Racing - May 15/16

On Saturday, we have a few teammates headed to the Fun Run for Charities in Rocky Mount. And, one week after setting a PR in the marathon, Brad Smythe is running the Inside Out Sports Half Marathon on Sunday (this is the last race of the Second Empire - Spring Series). Andrea and some of their relatives are running in the 10K... not sure if anyone else was planning on running in one of these races also. GOOD LUCK to everyone, and have FUN. As usual, let us know how it went... and if you're not competing, CHEER loudly!!! #20

And, since it's Friday, it's time for another random record - the longest duration for balancing on one foot is 76hrs and 40min. This record is held by Arulanantham Suresh Joachim, and was set in 1997 at Vihara Maha Devi Park Open Air Stadium, Sri Lanka. Wonder what he thought about for 3+ days... and what finally made him lose his balance?!?

Cross-Training - Swimming

Running is fun, but you can't run all the time, at least for very long. I came across some of these articles when I was looking for ways to cross-train and not go insane (I was basically restricted to swimming for 2 weeks... laps just get boring day after day). Figured I'd post them:

• Wet Equity - swimming, pool-running, and stretching recommendations (I thought this article was cool because they combine all three into a series of workouts)
  
• Different Strokes - swimming and pool-running technique
  
• Mixed Blessing - exercise bike, weight lifting, swimming, and "alternative running" recommendations
  
• Why Not Tri - training basics for beginning triathletes (the first 4 or so pages are dedicated to swimming and cycling)
  

Oh, and make sure to remember to drink water when you swim! This may seem obvious (ok, it is), but I always forget and then wonder why I'm dying of thirst the rest of the day. #20

Science & Running - Energy Harvesting

I came across this article the other day that talks about placing a small "generator" in shoes to power small electronic devices. Basically (and I'm only bothering with this explanation because we have a disproportionate number of people in engineering and other science-related disciplines on the team), they stick a piezoelectric crystal in the sole of the shoe. When the wearer walks/runs, they deform the crystal, which generates a voltage. This, in turn, can be used to power small electronics. I just think "energy harvesting" is a cool concept, and it is the latest and greatest way to reduce the weight/bulk of batteries for all of the sensors used in the wearable monitoring systems used for training (like the heart rate sensor). And, for all of you who might disagree with my definition of "cool", I'll leave you with this... imagine the potential for shake weights!!! #20

... and yes, for all of you engineers, I did choose the word potential on purpose!

Multi-Sport Racing Terminology

Ok, I'm used to running where "race naming convention" is simple. Other than the steeplechase, I can't think of many events that are named something more creative than the distance of the race itself. So, I was utterly confused last year when I started running with the team because y'all did stuff other than just run... I just wasn't sure what! I had heard of triathlons before, but as for the rest of the "athlons"... I don't know if anyone else finds all of these naming conventions confusing (and can't find races because you use the wrong prefix). So, here's what I've been able to figure out (and feel free to correct me):

• Biathlon: usually refers to the winter sport event that involves cross-country skiing and rifle shooting (although it technically can refer to any event comprised of two sports).
• Duathlon: run-bike-run events
• Aquathon: swim-run events (aquathlon: run-swim-run events... although I don't know if this "addition of the letter 'l' convention" is strictly followed; biathle: run-swim "training" race)
• Aqua-Velo: swim-bike events
• Triathlon: swim-bike-run events
• Modern Pentathlon: pistol shooting, fencing, swimming (200m), show jumping, and cross country run (3K)

Just thought I'd throw that last one in for the shear absurdity of it all. Seriously, (1) who ever thought of that combination and (2) when has fencing been considered a "modern" sport?!? #20

Brad PR's at Lake Wobegon "Trail" Marathon!

A quick addition to the weekend race rundown. Brad set a 10 minute PR! (that's crazy) in finishing 5th place overall at the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon in 2:55:57. Congrats Brad!

A new form of cross-training?!?

Laughercise: repetitious "mirthful laughter" that causes the body to respond in a way similar to moderate physical exercise. Laughercise enhances your mood, decreases stress hormones, enhances immune activity, lowers bad cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, and raises good cholesterol (HDL).

And no, I didn't make that up! Apparently, the notion that laughter has health benefits was first proposed by Norman Cousins in the 70s. This most recent work was conducted by Dr. Berk's group at Loma Linda University. Who would have guessed that my claim that I never had to do a sit-up because laughing was enough of a core workout might actually have some scientific credence?!? Have a good day everyone... and laugh a little! #20

5/8-9 Race Reports

Goooooooooo TAF!!! Here's the recap of another awesome weekend:

• Brad was 1st in his age group (5th overall) at the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon. He ran a 2:55:57, which was a 10min PR (and BQ)... AMAZING!!! Results
• Dave Meyer was 1st in his age group (4th overall) at the Wake Forest Rotary 5K... CONGRATS. Results
  
• Nicole Lewis competed in the White Lake Half this weekend. She was the 33rd woman out of the water and did an AWESOME job for her first half ironman! Results
• Lisa Howell was 1st in her age group at the Nags Head Woods 5K... WAHOOO! Results
  
• Marty and Bri Gaal swam in the Hurricane Man Pass-A-Grille Challenge (2.4 mile open water swim). Both finished in under 1hr and Marty placed in the top 10 "old guys".
  
• Bobby Mack and John Crews (both of TAF Elite) went 1-2 in the Capital City Classic 10k (NC USATF 10k championships). Results
  

I'll link the results (when I find them) and add to this report (when I catch up with y'all). But, for now, GREAT JOB everyone and CONGRATS!!! #20

Saturday's Races

After winning the inaugural RGA nine-hole best ball tournament (2 shots over Sean, 5 shots over Kirby, and a few more over Rita) on Friday, Dave continued his winning streak at the Wake Forest Rotary 5K. Despite strictly following the race instructions "not to try and beat the train" (apparently they had someone run beneath the gates last year as a train was approaching), he was 1st in his age group (4th overall).

Bobby Mack and John Crews (both from TAF Elite) went 1-2 in the Capital City Classic this morning... AWESOME JOB!!! Bobby ran a 30:03 to defend his title, which is amazing especially given that fact that weather.com told me it was already 73 degrees at ~6AM (ok, so I might be in Boston... and a thunderstorm might have woken me up... and I might have looked online to see when it would pass so I could get a run in... and I might have typed the wrong zip code). I'll post all of the results from the weekend when I know them. #20

AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY (well... tomorrow)!!!

The Weekend Ahead

Some of our teammates and friends will be running in the Capital City Classic on Saturday (downtown Raleigh, 8:30AM); this is the USATF-NC 10K championship race. Also on Saturday, Nicole Lewis and some of our other training partners will be competing in the White Lake Half. Don't know if anyone was planning on the Philosopher's Way 7K/15K (Sat) or Catch Me If You Can 5K/10K (Sun)... but in any event, should be an exciting weekend. GOOD LUCK TO ANYONE RACING!!!

And, because I know that your day wouldn't be complete without some random piece of trivia, the Guinness World Record for pogo stick jumping is 37.18K. This record was set by Ashrita Furman, who holds the most Guinness World Records for any individual (sack racing, brick carrying, and underwater jump roping are among his other records). #20

Training/Racing in the Heat

As the temperature continues to climb, I thought it might be a good time to post something on how temperature affects running (or exercising in general). This article, which appeared in Runner's World last year, is easily may favorite on the topic. Basically, the author does two 60-min runs (different days) on a treadmill at a "comfortable pace". The only difference between the two trials is the ambient temperature - one is conducted at 53 degrees and one is conducted at 90 degrees. The author goes on to describe how easy the run felt at 53 degrees, and how awful it felt ~40 degrees warmer. Basically, as the temperature rises, dehydration becomes more of an issue. As you become dehydrated, your heart has to work harder to push blood to your legs. This reduces oxygen delivery to your muscles, fatigue sets in sooner, etc. During the 90 degree trial, the author's heart rate approached 96% of his max, his core temperature rose to 103.5 degrees (heat stroke starts at 104), he was dehydrated, and had reached his lactate threshold. The full statistics are summarized on page 4 of the article. Who knows, maybe I just like the article because I can identify with the author being his own lab rat, but I would highly recommend reading it... if nothing else, just look at the statistics at the end! Feel free to share any tips/tricks for training in the heat. #20

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican militia's unlikely victory over the French army during the Battle of Puebla, which occurred in 1862. It is observed worldwide as a day to honor Mexican heritage. So what do cycling and Cinco de May have in common? Absolutely nothing really. In 1986, Raul Alcala became the first Mexican cyclist to compete in the Tour de France. He was quite successful during the late 80's / early 90's, finishing in the top 10 in the Tour de France 3 times (presumably at the expense of French riders)!

Weird event from Tuesday night's run - a poor dog had to drag a log that was easily 5x its size while being filmed by 2 people using the webcam on their laptop

Ridge Road Run... TAF-Style

Here are a few observations from last night's run:

• Purchasing (1) lettuce and carrots or (2) two oranges can take 20+ min at Whole Foods. You should also be prepared to break up a brawl in the checkout line stemming from the all important issue of "saving a spot".
• You might be "hit on" by random "limo drivers" in the Ridgewood parking lot if you wear red compression socks. This, in turn, might cause a traffic jam when he stops to chat about NC State's basketball team.

Guess you know you're in trouble when "real-life" is more ridiculous than anything you could make up!!! See you guys at Athens Dr. tonight. Oh, and I just thought I'd point out that a year ago (day-of-the-week-wise) was the famed "cinco de milo" workout that ended in a tornado watch and flash flood at the same location. Of note, while human speeds of 35-40mph may be possible, tornado wind speeds can exceed 300mph! Guess 1000m repeats have nothing on tornado chasing! #20

Watch out for the team in red...

There is scientific evidence to back the fact that teams that wear red win more often. And, I think that TAF Racing (i.e., the team in red) has some good supporting evidence to back up that claim. Follow-up study... do orange shorts help too?!?

Oh, and I decided to adopt the "Car Talk" model for blog topics (i.e., their weekly puzzlers have themes)... so, this entry is part of the Science & Running series. There is / soon will be a Training & Racing, Nutrition, Records, and Random Facts series (might be adding to this list too). Have a great Monday. #20

5/1-2 Race Reports

Awesome, awesome, awesome... wahooo! TAF Racing turned in some great performances:

• Brad logged the most distance at the TAF Titus Van Rijn 1-Hour Run. In total, 9 of us were crazy enough to show up (a summary of this event and full results are posted below). But, we really did have a lot of fun... WAHOOO!
  
• Kirby ran for an hour, and then 23 more this past weekend, covering a total of 62miles... seriously, I can't even contemplate that... YOU ROCK KIRBY!
  
• Laurel battled disgusting weather in PA, finishing 2nd in her age group (top 20 females) at the Pittsburgh Half Marathon... GREAT JOB! Results
  
• David Oyler and Gary Franks were 1st and 2nd in their age group at the Second Empire 5K Classic, turning in great times despite the fact that 2/3 of the course was in the blazing sun (did they purposely start this race at 2PM just to make sure it was as hot and humid as possible?!?... perhaps they should look at weather.com more closely). AWESOME! Results
  
• Tim G. finished 2nd in the Open Division (5th overall) in the Try Charleston Sprint Triathlon. For fear that he would be chased by alligators, Tim swam really fast and was 3rd out of the water in the open wave. He killed the bike (top 10 split), and chased down a runner to finish the race (top 3 split). CONGRATS! Results
  
• Marty G. finished 2nd in the Open Division of the White Lake Sprint Triathlon despite a 2min penalty for the inane "number not in front at the finish line" rule. He was officially 5th overall (but really, he was 3rd). NICE JOB! Results
• Bobby Mack (TAF Elite) finished 8th in the 5000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational, turning in a time of 13:39... that's INSANE! Results
  

What a way to start off May! Great job everyone and enjoy the week (fingers crossed for locopops on Tues)! #20

TvR 1-Hour Run

TAF Racing dominated the track at Martin Middle School this morning (yeah, there were other people there at 7AM... who would have guessed?!?). Brad logged the most distance... perhaps this was because he flew past another runner doing a 5k time trial! And, Keith totally beat the random soccer player that decided to challenge him 50+ min into the run, sprinting to finish his 32nd lap (the soccer player stopped... Keith did 3 more laps)! Dave broke out his yellow mesh shorts from the bottom of the laundry pile for the occasion... guess he needed to match the parrot-foam hat he was wearing. Barry (Rusty), Rita, Erica, Robin, and I (and everyone else too) met our distance goals, earning our black cherry sodas. However, Sean was apparently the only one of us that actually "worked hard" for the entire hour (at least according to another 5k-er, but he might have just been grateful to Sean for "letting him use the track"). We had an AWESOME time running in circles for 60min (yup, we all met our "time goal" too)... thank you for organizing this Brad. Also, we learned an important lesson - if you want to look "official", wear a hat, just preferably not a foam animal one (neon orange shorts don't help either). Okay, have a GREAT rest of the weekend everyone... and GOOD LUCK to anyone racing tomorrow. I'll post the results of the TAF TvR 1Hr run soon. #20

1. Brad: 14780 m
2. Sean: 14150 m
3. Keith: 14000 m
4. Meghan: 13400 m
5. Dave: 12800m
6. Rita: 12700 m
7. Robin: ?
8. Barry: ?
9. Erica: ?