Send us news, racing results and we will try and publish
them here.
of
Nov 2006-Read Alicja's
fascinating story- running through the desert of Africa.
Alicja goes from the desert to the
freezing cold 2/25/06
Hello Friends,
After 50 minutes of flying on a small plane from the Winter Lodge on the
Finger Lake to Anchorage, I was
back to the civilization and to a medical help that I thought I did not need.
From the Best Wester Hotel, I took a taxi to the Medical Park Family Care where
I was diagnosed with a
Salmonella infection.
It was this nasty bacteria that pulled me out from the race. Not the Arctic
winter, the 40 mph wind from the
Bearing Sea, nor the -30F on the Yentna River but a little creature, a little
bug that infected my tummy
and stopped me from exploring life of the last frontier. I was fighting and
trying not to give up. I fought as
much as I could. But two nights and two days spent in a cabin without water,
toilet, with a fever and
uncontrolled sever diarrhea defeated me!
Now, I am resting in the hotel as I need to regain a strength to travel back
home.
Last Saturday, we started the race in Knik in a heavy snowfall. Quickly the icy
trail was covered with
several inches of the white fluff. It was not easy to run as our feet were
sliding in all directions.
Bikers took off using a different route which was a little longer but easier to
peddle on. I kept on the
trail that rest of runners and skiers took. I ran with Tim Hewitt and Tom
Jarding.
30 miles into the race, the Red Bull tent on Flat Horn Lake was a blessing from
the sky.
A big bonfire glow the sky and two bowls of warm jambalaya warmed our getting
cold body.
I took off all my upper clothing as all got wet in this heavy snow fall. I was
prepared for a
very cold weather and didn't think to bring something for a wet snow. It was a
good thing that I had brought
extra clothing. From that point we had another 20 miles to Luce's Lodge, the
first check point. On this stretch I got
lost for a few hours last year. I was worried that I might make the same
mistake so I kept close to Tim and Tom.
I was in front and followed the bikers trucks. We saw same snowmobile coming
from right to left in a
near distance but we still continued straight. Suddenly Tom said, "hey
guys, we are going in the
wrong direction". I replied; 'That can't be. Look at the bike trucks
and that one skier..... they can't
possibly be all going in the wrong direction". However, Tom insisted that we
should go back and check
the trail where the snowmobiles came from. Sure enough, it was the right thing
to do and we were safe
by Tom. Most of the bikers were lost and they made extra miles finally
realizing that they were on a
wrong trail. Unfortunately, this mistake caused Cloe Lanthier-Brander a case of
hypothermia and she
couldn't make it on her own to the Luce's lodge. She was saved by two doctors
who coincidentally were
traveling on a snowmobile, and they gave her a ride to the lodge. When I got to
the Luce's Lodge she was
laying down in a bad shape and Jeff, (her husband), was looking after her. They
planned to take her out
by a small plane at daybreak.
I left ahead Tom and Tim, as I needed to make an extra stop at Slim's Lodge
where they have a dryer to dry my
wet clothing. At Slim's I spent four hours as the first 2 hours were
the shivering stage and the next two were just resting time. Sandy, (the lodge
owner), dried my clothing and
I fed myself with a bowl of veggy soup. Ray Mollina was here resting too. I
left before 7PM followed by
Sandy's two dogs. They didn't want to turn back and I was worried that they
would get lost or I would've
needed to take care of them also. Finally, after several stops and
telling them it is nice that they
kept me company, but they should return home as it was dark now and the
wolves may have an open eye on them.
When I mentioned wolves, they got the hint and stopped following me.
I reached the Skwentna River and I knew only three more miles separated me from
the warm room of the
Skwentna Road House check point. I planned to sleep there for four hours, but
at night navigation is not easy.
I saw good tracks of the bikers and a skier and footprints of Tom and Tim who
passed me while I was at
Slim's, but all these tracks disappeared. I did remember that I had to make a
left turn to the
Skwentna, but it was not there. I was going back and forward on the few miles
stretch. It was dark and cold
and crunchy snow and I couldn't find the Skwentna check point!
One snowmobile trail took me to the area with a few log cabins. I knocked on
each of them. One had a
snowmobile in front. That was an excellent sign for me. While I was knocking,
I was calling.....'don't
shout...I am lost....I am looking for the Skwentna Road House". A older scronny
man, who didnt understand
my accent came out and gave me the directions, I was so thankful for him doing
giving me those directions
that I almost gave him a hug, but I held back my emotions. I didn't know that
there were two entrances
to the Skwentna: one from the Skwentna River and one from the leg of the river.
This year we came from the
side that I was not familiar and the tracks of my friends vanished under a
snowmobile which had probably
passed not long ago. I was very unhappy entering the Skwentna.Why they didn't
put a sign that this is the way
to the check point, was beyond me. From 10:30PM until 2:45AM I was searching
for this lodge!
Tom and Tim were already rested and ready to leave. I needed to rest a little.
Ray Mollina was getting
ready but he said he will wait for me. I sat down on the couch and set my watch
for one hour.
It rung immediately! With Ray we left the lodge at 4:30AM.
Of course biking can be very easy when the snow is well packed.Soon Ray vanished
in the darkness.
A few miles away I found him sleeping in the middle of the trail and telling me
that we are probably on the
wrong trail! I replied; 'Impossible, we always take the first trail to the
right'. For the next several
hours we were not sure if we were on the right or wrong trail as the GPS is good
for a direct line but
not for a zigzagging trail. Finally, we realized that we are on the wrong trail
and we will continue as it
is pointless to go back. We should reach the Historic Iditarod Trail,
(not in use now by the dog races) and
we should get above the Shallow Lake Lodge were we planned to stop for a hot
meal. We moved like two
turtles on this zigzagging up and down narrow trail. We even lost
our faith that we'ed ever reach the
Historic trail when God sent us two snowmobiles and they delivered us the good
news; we are not lost, we
were on the right trail, and to Shallow Lake is another five miles. Yippy!
At Shallow Lake lodge, it wasn't the official check point but most races stop
her for a hot meal. I ate
two eggs, bacon, and a pancake. At 1:15PM I left the lodge with Ray sleeping
inside.
Now I got two more dogs that followed me. I had to do the same exercise as with
the previous dogs at Slim's.
Finally, these dogs stopped following me, although one of them I liked very much
and I wouldn't have
minded to adopt him. Shortly after, I saw a wolf running on the path in front
of me. He ran, turned his
head back, ran more, again turned his head back, then he got off the trail to
the right but there was to
much snow so he ran more in front of me and finally he turned left and
disappeared behind the trees. Seeing
him I wasn't afraid, and still when I think I am not afraid, it seemed so
natural....he was the part of
Alaskan nature.
With my speed level down to zero, it took me a long time to get to the Finger
Lake. With the sun going
down, the wind started piking up and soon blew in a full speed of 40 mph,
blowing the snow across the
swamps and filling up the trail. Now the walking was down to strolling, several
bad steps and I was in the
snow up to my waist. When I saw the lights of the airstrip runway on the Finger
Lake, I knew it was fine.
I reached the lodge a few minutes before 9PM, on Monday. I ate rice with beans
and salsa. With Tom
(who came shortly after), we decided to sleep for four hours and hit the trail
again.
We claimed our drop off bags (the 2nd is in Rohn), and went to the cabin.
In the cabin was Alan Tilling and JRajko Podgornik who pulled out from the race
due to Achilles problem
(Alan), and knee problem (Rajko). After two hours of sleeping I woke up with an
urge to vomit. (I woke up
all of them as I couldn't open the stupid door). Then one hour later I started a
shivering and uncontrolled
diarrhea.
Other racers came, rested and left but I was kept by this unfriendly Salmonella
that doesn't have even a
slight idea how much time I spent on preparation of this race, how much money I
spent on this race.
How many people I betrayed because I didn't finish and they donated money to the
Alzheimer's Memory4Life fund raiser.
I apologize to all whom I betrayed. At the end I feel betrayed too.....
Would I do this again? I can tell you now, I am
bringing my sled home but not my poles, so it is 50:50for now.
Big hug to all of you. As always, I tried my best.
Alicja
Olga's request to aid
a good cause
Hi Everyone, here comes
Olg's request, let's save the Avalon... please read
below...
Olga,
I have had the opportunity to be in Catalina Island and climb the Avalon,
not as you'll be doing it, by foot, but on in the Tour bus. It's a
beautifulplacee, I wouldn't mind to rest forever with all the buffalosup
there. I take my " cap" for you!! You go girl. I'm positive you'll have all
the successin this race that you deserve because you're capable of it.
As for myself, I'm coming out of a painful injure and long one, , so I
decided to celebrate i with a big challenge,going to JFK without being
running since the Pioneer September the 5th. Yes, I finish under 13 hours
I'm very happy, as if I had finished my first race ever... whichmeans...
I'M BACK!!!
Keep in touchh.
Lucimar
OK, guys, I don't do it often. In fact I never do it, I even never sign up
for kids' stupid school candy distribution, but here it goes. I am running
this next race on January 14th on Catalina island in CA, and it's a benefit
race. What it means is that besides paying my entry fee (what I did) and
getting all the tickets/accommodation, I need to collect pledges for the
Island's school and hospital system. You can check out the website at
www.avalon50.com. I jumped into
it before I read about it (as well as goes a
lot on fire roads - duh!). But I want to do it right. So as they say, no
amount is small amount. You can do whatever cents per mile (it's a 50 miler)
or just any sum, or nothing at all - that's fine by me. You can write a
check to Avalon Lion Club or give me cash with a name written on a piece of
paper. Whatever works. It would be great of I could put it all together by
December 1st.
My address is :
16276 SW 104th Ave
Tigard, OR 97224
You don't have to respond, that's the easier way.
Hoe ya'll doing well. It's winter time!
Thanks a bunch, and again, it's not a cry for help, but something I am
trying and see if it works. It's a huge list, so if 5 of you respond - I
feel like I fulfill someones dream:)
Olga
way to go Debbie
Just
so you know, Deborah Lydia Redding ran the Nifty-50 Miler in Newport, Rhode
Island on October 22,
finishing in 10 hours, 10 minutes. In spite of the poor weather, she did a
great job!
Next up for her, the JFK 50 in Maryland on Nov. 19.
================================================
Read an article about a "young" 70 year old Ultra Runner !
================================
==============================
Phil McCarthy-Wasatch 100
I am writing this story on behalf of Phil McCarthy, my brother on his
experiences in the Western States 100.
The terrain for this race is not only spectacular, but formidable.
Beginning with a steep climb, the course looks like
an EKG reading the rest of the way. The weather was warm at the start,
and the runners had an excellent day to run.
I was amazed at the mood the runners, jovial, fun-loving, almost
relishing the challenge that lay before them.
The event was incredibly well organized, and to this day I am still in
awe of the logistics it took to run such a successful event.
Phil had a very good race, finishing in under 24 hours at 23:37. He
actually out ran his escort runner who he picked
up at the 70 mile mark. She is an experienced marathon and trail runner,
and when we picked her up at the 85 mile mark,
she told us that she just could not keep up the pace and was afraid she
would slow Phil down.
Phil was well prepared for the event, and other than the sore and stiff
muscles/ feet, finished the race in good shape
================================
Sometimes elite runners have a bad day like the rest of us!
Read Alicja's story from England
We will see
By Alicja Barahona
I was heading off for my third extreme race within six months but I didn’t know I was heading for a disaster. Winning a 555km non-stop race through the soft dunes and hell temperatures of Tenere (the Sahara Desert in Niger) was an unprecedented success. Even the suntan hadn't faded from the Trans 555 when I started out on a new extreme challenge, a 550 km non-stop, on the famous Iditarod Trail in Alaska. This was like a cold shower after a sauna as the race took place in the middle of the Alaskan winter and it ended up with another success. I was the only female runner to finish this race.
“Never take a step back during a race” and learn the race rules so you will not be trapped in the same situation that I found myself in during my third race in England. After 85 miles of this 145 mile race down a canal, I became very cold and my stomach was not happy. I had not eaten enough and I had run out of water three times between check points. I was shivering badly and obviously hypothermic when I met my handler on the towpath. A light jacket she handed to me didn’t help at all. After 15 minutes of walking I returned with my handler to her car and there I took 2.5 hours to try and regain a comfortable temperature to restore equilibrium to my body. When I was ready to leave I was told by my handler that she pulled me from the race as I had exceeded the 40 minutes limit for resting time in the race rules! I never paid attention to this rule in the same way that I never pay attention to the cut off times in any race as I am usually at the front of the runners' pack and not at the back.
It was my fault that I didn’t study all the race rules but having a handler I should have been reminded of such a stipulation. I had a wool hat and gloves, and warm thermo shirt and tights with me. I didn’t think about wearing them as I was more concerned with keeping moving and running than preventing the onset of my hypothermia.
I still don’t understand how this happened as I didn’t think for one moment about pulling out from this race. Now, I am analyzing what went wrong! This race is history but I hope not to make the same mistake again. Pulling out from an ultra race is not the same as pulling out from a short race. It takes a lot of hours of training to be an ultra runner and the overall cost to ones body of such a race is much higher too. I feel bad and dissatisfied. I feel empty. The worst thing is that I was doing this race to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association, and now I feel as if I disappointed all my supporters. In a way it feels like I betrayed them and myself. I started a Memory4Life program and I am sure that the unsatisfactory conclusion to this race will stay with me in my memory for the rest of my life.
I had won this particular race twice before, but with this year disaster I am hungry for more ‘well done’ shouts from the English passers by. I would love to be enchanted once again by the beautiful surroundings of the Grand Union Canal towpath from Birmingham to London during another 145 miles race. Will I do it? We will see.
===============
Read tributes to Uktra Legend Johnny Kenul
Betsy Magee reports on the Extreme
workout 50/50 in Central Park
------------------------------------
Alicja conquers Alaska 350
I am back from Alaska. It was a very difficult race for me as I had a sore
throat and a cold just one day
before the race. I also had an electrolytes imbalance and I was swollen
after the first 24 hrs of the race.
Then I got an upset stomach after eating some food at one of the lodges. I
had a fever
and I just didn't want to quit as I thought about the fund raising and the
people who donated money in my
name. At 130 mile lodge, I rested the entire night and day.... but on the
following night when I felt a
little bit better I attached my sled to my waist and went again into the
darkness of the night.
I crossed the Alaskan Range at 6000 feet!
I also fell down on the ice (twice) you can just imagine how much you hurt
(butt) when you fall! I had
to move for the next two days with this discomfort.
One thing that kept me going was the hope of helping Alzheimer's patients
and those who take care of them.
The highlight of the race was the spectacular scenery of the Northern
Lights. I saw this remarkable,
unforgettable sight during the last two nights of the race.
I am very grateful to Online Satellite Communication Inc for loaning me the
Idiruim phone. After my first
swelling I called my sister-in-law in Poland and we discussed my problem.
She told me that this must be
due to the electrolytes imbalance, therefore, I stopped adding any sports
powder to my drinks and I
drank just water during the race. Without such communication I would be
worried that something else
might be wrong with my organs.
Just two women were lucky to finish this rac Gail Koepf on skis (Fairbanks,
Alaska) and myself on foot
(White Plains, NY). It took me 7 and half days to complete the 350 miles
Iditarod trail from Knik to
McGrath. It was the whitest and wildest 350 miles!
Best regards,
Alicja
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Byrons speech from the Grand Prix Awards Brunch- Feb 6,2005
Lucimar cross trains for Ultra's-read
her story here
Lucimar was definitely prepared for the
ever-changing weather here in the Berkshires. She came with plenty of
warm clothes for layering so she bundled up for the 0 degree
temperatures with snowshoes strapped to her feet. It soon was warm
enough that she took her mittens off, something I don’t know how she
could do, especially going downhill where she fell down a couple times.
Having never been on snowshoes or having skied, the downhill is very
intimidating. At times the trail is very, very steep and off camber
making it hard for one to walk down without catching the front of the
snowshoes and doing a nice face plant! Ski poles definitely helped her
negotiate the downhill which she was “deathly afraid of”. I informed her
she could go down on her butt (she definitely did this a couple of times
during the race the next day.)
The day of the race, Luci (as my friend Marilyn started to call her) was nervous. Not really knowing what to expect in the foot of new snow out on the course that had fallen in the previous 10 hours. Front-racers had to break trail. For those who are not up “in the front pack” the trail was packed for an easier effort. Today would be a long 4 miles of snowshoeing for all in the race. One hour and fourteen minutes after the start whistle had blown, Luci finished her first snowshoe race with a big smile on her face. Fulfilling her dream of the challenge she set for herself one month before. I think she was surprised that she was not in last place (in the past couple days more than once she had told me she would be at the end).
Luci set a goal for herself and “went for it” with all the passion anyone could imagine. Great job and keep up your “spirit”.
Beth Herder
Director-Curly’s Record Run
Anyone interested in trying this can check this
site http://www.runwmac.com .
Lucimar Araujo
=============-----------
A Run with Alicja
It’s not true that ultrarunners hibernate during the winter months - although most are probably a little sluggish.
No so our superstar Alicja Barahona. She’s is ramping up for the Alaska 350 mile trek, in late February.
So I got an invitation to join her in the Rockefeller Park (Sleepy Hollow, Westchester) to do an “easy 5 - 6 hours” run this past Sunday. Yeah right, 5 – 6 hours, sure!!!
I invited several runners to join me for the trip and the run. The response was not overwhelming.
However, we managed to put together a group of four runners; Alicja, Lucimar Araujo, Grant McKeown and me.
The park is lovely with nice restrooms and seemingly infinite number of different loops, nice hills, a lake,
some abutting farms with cows and calves, deer, ducks and quite a few other runners. It really is lovely area for running.
After about 4.5 hours of nice running we convinced ourselves that it was close enough to the 5 -6 .
The suggestion to go to a warm nearby diner was quickly agreed upon. As we all know, one of the real joys of running
is the post-run eating and socializing. After the hot coffee and nice meals, Alicja proposed that we go back to do the second part of the run.
Yeah right – no takers this time, just some nervous laughter.
PS. Alicja has extended an invitation to BUS/GLIRC runners who are interested in joining her for a 4+ hour run
at a 9 to 11 minute pace. Contact her at fit4running@yahoo.com
Ojars
Eustratia reports:
Congrats to Sam Soccoli and John Geesler!
Frank Dolen reports on the Bridge Run
Update
from Alicja
Hello,
I would like to share good news with you. I won
the Trans 555 in Niger! Lots to tell as it was a
very extreme race with temp 110 and soft sand all the
time. I am not sure how long it took me as I dont
know what day it is today. I finished yesterday in 6
days and the next guy came several hours after me.
Greetings to all runners from the dunes of the Niger,
>> > Alicja
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
====================
BOB SWEENEY IS 100 MILE NATIONAL CHAMP
In a stunning win September 11th Bob Sweeney took the AUA
100 mile
national championship at Olander Park, Sylvania, Ohio.
His winning time of 13:05:28 was the fastest American 100 miler in 13
years. Bob led from start to finish and was never challenged. the
second-placer was more than one hour behind.
This win caps a terrific year for Bob but was not a surprise to those
who know a little of Bob's accomplishments. High on the list are his
numerous Sybil wins and the Sybil course record. He has several
international appearances with the U.S. national team and a world-class
sub-7 hour performance at 100 km.
Bob says this year he's done more quality, less miles and lots of hill
work. One happy result on the way to the 100 mile championship was a
strong performance in the famous Mt. Washington "Race to the Clouds" on
June 19. The race covers the last 7.6 miles of the road to the summit
of Mt. Washington (6,288') and represents a hideous combination of
length and steepness. I must add that the weather too is a factor,
being famous for contrasting conditions between warmth at the start
and, by degrees, ice, winds and snow near the summit. The first 400
yards from the start is relatively flat but thereafter the course is
unrelievedly steep. Start to finish the course rises 4,723' and the
grade varies between 10-20%, averaging out at 11.5%.
The weather this year was cold, wet and windy -- but not exceptionally
so. Despite, or because, of its unusual character, the race attracts a
highly eclectic, but very competitive entry, of hill-running
specialists, marathoners and ultra people. Bob was very satisfied with
his 14th place in 1:09, running a whisker over 9 minutes per mile.
No thanks, many would say to Mt. Washington. Around the NY area the
Jan Peek 10K in August is a good test for anyone: hot weather and a
cruel hill. Bob won by 3 minutes this year in 34:20. A month earlier
Bob achieved a new 5Km PR going sub 16 at the North County News race.
Bob wondered about his new-found leg speed. Perhaps a marathon PR
(sub 2:30) was in the cards.
Somehow, marathon thoughts morphed into the 100 miler. The site of the
race was Olander Park in Sylvania, Ohio (near Toledo apparently).
The race started at 10 a.m. Saturday. Bob's win in 13:05 brought him
to the finish one hour before the second runner. It also made him the
only runner to finish on the same day!
The 1.09 mile track around the park was about 50% shaded. This was
helpful given heat which lingered in the low 80's through much of the
daylight hours. Despite a checkered record in warm conditions, Bob ran
steadily from start to finish and was never challenged.
Bob's first 50 miles was about 35 minutes faster than his second. His
pace -- stunning to a middle-of-the-pack runner -- averaged out to
7:51 per mile. His marathon times are meaningful to many. He ran the
first 26.2 in 3:11, continued steadily for 47.6 miles and finished off
with a 3:40 for the last 26.2. What a great day's work!
This has been a very good year for Bob. And limited miles and easy
running are probably in the cards for a while. His fast twitch and slow
twitch fibers have had a good workout. Perhaps its time for the fast
twitchers to do their stuff again.
David Farquhar
=================================
8/14/2004Congratulations
to Rudy and Juan-who finished 1 and 2 in the
Around the Lake Wakefield 24 hour ultra run!
Rudi set the new course record, completing 133.6 miles and
Juan completed a not to shabby 105.2 miles!
=========================================
Hi Larry
and Vinny--
>
> I participated in the Wild by Nature Greenbelt Run this past Sunday and
wanted to express my heartfelt thanks for such a great run! It was my first
ultra and an amazing experience. I loved every minute, hour and mile of it.
It was well-organized, and I wanted to thank all the volunteers and
organizers--could you please pass this on to anyone involved so they know
how much their work is appreciated? Please also pass it on to the folks at
Wild by Nature. I shop there often and will continue to do so because of
their support for events like this.
>
> What I loved about this run was the trail experience--I saw big herds of
deer, including some antlered bucks, in Connetquot, saw several red-tailed
hawks and a lot of black swallowtail butterflies, found a rare orchid
growing right on the trail, and loved the views and the varied terrain and
the chance to see parts of the Island I've never visited before. I've always
wanted to walk or run from one shore of the Island to the other and this was
the perfect route.
>
> Since this was my first ultra, I just wanted to finish. A second goal was
to enjoy the run and finish happy. My longest run this season was only 10
miles, so I knew that I would be walking a large portion of the route. I
walked most of the first 20 miles, then switched to running. It was a great
choice-- I finished fresh and happy and feeling like I could have run many
more miles. I'll definitely be back for more ultraruns!
>
> Thank you again for this wonderful run!
>
> Kelly "Grace" Winters
Bridge Run-July 11, 2004
The Bridge Run was put on by BUS (Broadway
Ultra Society) on Sunday July 11,2004.
The temperature was around 87 degrees but with low humidity.
As this was the first 50k race that I had attempted in over 5 years, you can
imagine how nervous and apprehensive
I was- would I be able to finish? Would I be in agony after hitting the wall for
the first time in years?
Overall the course was beautiful-crossing over the George Washington Bride
provided a once in a lifetime
panoramic view
of the Hudson Crossing!
Running down the west side of Manhattan made one truly appreciate how
magnificent Manhattan is
and it should be experienced
by all runners!
As for the event itself, once can not ask for a better race- great scenery, a
relaxed and friendly atmosphere,
a truly well marked course,
where even I could not get lost (and that is saying a lot).
The aid stations were well stocked and the volunteers all seemed to be veteran
Ultra Runners-
who rather than saying
"you look great", knew exactly what to say and to tell you what you needed to do
to survive!
I can not say enough nice things about the Race Organizers, volunteers and most
important of all-to the fellow
Ultra Runners-who encourage everyone, and show concern for all their fellow runners.
There may
be elite and super star runners-but you would
never know it- everyone talks too and encourages each other!
As it turned out, I finished in a respectable 6 hrs and 2 minutes (respectable
for me anyway ) and felt strong
until about the 28 mile mark.
The Triboro Bridge at mile 28 was definitely a challenge-it seemed to climb
forever!
My personal thanks to Greg and his lovely daughter, and to Helma and Al for
putting up with my whining,
and for all the encouragement they supplied, when it was needed!
I would highly recommend this race to every Ultra Runner!
Brds Larry
sSome news from Alicja June
04
have just finished the Ground Union Canal Race in
the UK (May 29) and I am pleased to tell you that I
was 6th overall and i won the Lady's event again. For
most of the race I thought I was going to be 2nd and
beat my last year's time but 145 miles is a long way
and things can go wrong - as they did for me in the
last 12 miles where it took me 5 hours to complete
(the 12 miles distance). I hobbled to the finish line
with terrible blisters! I attach a picture which shows
me on the trail and from the finish line with a great
medal and magnificent trophy.
On May 1st in Toronto I won 100km with time of 9:29!
Two big races in one month!
Alicja Barahona 333k across India-fascinating reading!
We are back from San Diego where the weather was good.
The USA Track & Field 2003 24 Huor National Championship was run
It stared Sat 18 10AM, with 81 runners, with some of the best in the country.
It was a bit hot in the morning.
The race track is in La Jolla (University of California ) a very nice area.
The scoring done with computerized chip.First time for me, as we were going
around
a large screen ( like a TV ) was giving us name, loops count, miles, Km., pace,
and Div.pl., age.
Myself, and Emma had some problem but we overcome them and finish ok.
I took the gold 70-74 with 86 miles,Emma took her gold 65-69 with 75.81,
and she also took 9th. O>A> in the women's ( an other nice medal ).
Broadway member Ed Dodd was there Did 100.44
The volunteers & the peoples was really great,cheering us to the finish.
Sam Soccoli Emma Blascovich
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Caumsett feedback!
Hi
Vinny,
you don't have the luck of the Irish,but then again the rain was better than ice
& snow.
GREAT JOB SAM Many thanks to all the volunteers
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