patriotic-AL

Al Discusses the Olympic Marathon Trials and a Sunday Race

2 Sundays from now is the NYC marathon. As part of the marathon weekend, the Olympic Team Trials for the Men's Marathon will be run on Saturday through NYC. Al will be in attendance. This promises to be an awesome event with many of the world's best marathoners in attendance.

Al will be out there yelling. "Go USA!"


This week has been a good week for me with running. I worried I might not recover well from last Sunday's race. But I feel good. I've put in about 30 miles this week. Tomorrow, I'm running a 5 mile race with the LIRRC again. I'll show up early and take a 5 mile run for warm up. Then I'll race the 5. I'll see how I feel, but I plan to run 7s. Maybe I'll push a little faster. Play it by ear.



AL UPDATE:

I ran a 34:55 for the 5 miler. So I paced out at 6:59, almost precisely what I was looking for. All my miles were about 7s, no great variation. I finished about 12th or so (yeah, yeah...not a large field and no real elite runners. And fuck you.) :)

Weekend Plans

Crossers from around the globe are once again converging at the center of the universe (the East Coast) for a weekend of racing at Granogue and Wissahickon.

Not Moveitfred.

He promised the Mrs. he would devote the entire weekend to prepping the house for the annual La Casa de Fred holiday Halloween bash next Friday (replete with spooky music, haunted environments of blood and gore, and soup) for the upwards of 500 guests or howeverthehell many people the Mrs. invited THIS YEAR.

(the white space is for you to draw your own picture)

Get this. The Mrs. flipped the freak out when Moveitfred expressed a desire to just go to some little neighborhood race in Jersey on Sunday morning. JUST Sunday morning. NOT the entire weekend in DE and PA. Holy craps.

OK, aight. So Moveitfred will stay home and mow and clean and assemble and bake (yes, Moveitfred bakes one wicked-ass apple pie, dogs). Cross On brothers and sisters.

Moveitfred understands Al is buying a new house this weekend. Here is a picture. Needs some updating, but overall a good snag in Moveitfred's mind.

Moveitfred understands Heywood is on yet another vacation. How's things in Frisco, Wood? Get to that restaurant in The Castro you like so much?

Tacky to Nasty

Heywood arrived home after a long 48 hours at work, eager to hit the trails for a few hours. The weather forecast called for a possibility of rain but if one were to look out the window you could not tell. Clear skies, crisp cool air, and the smell fall. What a glorious day it appeared to be! So Wood lubed the chain, filled the Camelbak, pumped the tires up to 42 lbs and started riding to the trailhead.

The terrain conditions started out superb. Kinda tacky from the rain Auburn received a few days prior. Heywood was able to take most turns at a pace much faster than normal. The tough technical descent, no problem. The climb along the Confluence Trail which usually requires a dab or two, aced it. So far this ride was flawless in the eyes of Woods. While approaching the top of the climb, a few small drops started to fall from the heavens but he was able to make it to the top and hit the first few double jumps before the cats and dogs came out to play.

Someone with a Doppler radar decided it would be funny to put a red colored storm cell right over the trail Heywood Jablome was riding. The trail started getting real sloppy and mud was flying all over the place. When looking down, Wood realized he had the wrong tires on. The WTB 2.55 LT is great in the hardpack but gum up pretty darn fast when things get swampy. Not the tire of choice in wet conditions. With this tire in the front, traction was very hard to come by. While attempting to ride up an off camber rock with a drop off the side when whamo! The front wheel slid off the rock and down the little drop. Wood broke his fall with his ass/hip area and came sliding to a stop. When he looked down he noticed to things:
His new Smarty SL Crank Brothers pedal had snapped.
Wood’s shin appeared to have a grapefruit mounted on it.

This disappointed Wood to no end. Shouldn’t pedals be able to take more than one big crash before breaking into a thousand pieces? Second, why was there a large fruit on his leg?

Wood managed to limp his way to the Chef’s house where Mrs. Chef gave him some counseling that will probably do no good. The Chef eased Wood’s pain with milk and cookies and things are all good.

A few of Moveitfred's favorite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Red, white, and blue USPS packages from E-Richie tied up with tape and filled with all kinds of cool shit

These are a few of Moveitfred's favorite things

Glocie Convention

Let's get this one out of the way first:

Moveitfred is an idiot.

There. Not that most of you didn't know this already, but just in case you're new to this game. And fahk, couldn't at least one of you cheapskates have thrown down a couple of bucks for some of that Gloucester venue chowder so Moveitfred could drown his sorrow?

OK, so post-Gloucester Moveitfred needs to cover a couple of things. First, Moveitfred feels like he knows what a Trekie convention is like now. Moveitfred couldn't turn two steps in the crowd without intruding on some other blogger's personal space. Some were balanced on 4-inch clogs to give them a more, ahem, imposing vertical presence [Litka]. Some were amped up so high on "the bean" that Moveitfred felt his hair stand on end when he got too close [Meg]. Some were clearly so deep into "the program" that they were able to score a podium finish in those huge fields of like, what, 500 racers [CTodd]. Still others were leading great packs of baby blue crossers like this little place on earth was the Promised Land [Zank]. And finally, some were decked out in such horrendous attire that Moveitfred can only say they looked like giant orange Yetis that wrought fear in Moveitfred's unstable constitution [G].

Moveitfred knows that other bloggers of renown were mixed in among the masses. Are there any crossers who do not blog? Sheesh.

Live long and prosper, Bloggers.

Moveitfred has one other issue to discuss. Where Moveitfred is from (i.e. Civilization) when a sign on the road indicates that there is a McDogalds or SubwaySubwaySubway off at the next exit, one need only pull easily off the highway for a short distance, inhale processed food of choice, and easily re-enter the highway in order to speed on one's way.

Moveitfred had the same experience on two different occasions up in the back woods of northern Mass. He spied a tempting list of confections on a highway sign only to pull off onto a vast, winding, vapid wasteland through dark, foreboding forests and then be dumped out at the end of it all into some grey, clapboard neighborhood with no indication whatsoever which way to go to get the fat fix. Moveitfred was looking for Faith with the Pink Ribbons to ask for directions.

On one off-ramp Moveitfred was able to find a McDogalds after driving about 5 miles west, only to then discover upon backtracking that there was no ramp back onto the 95 South. Talk about a fahking one-way ticket to hell--flame-lit rocky alter or not.

Now, if you've been able to hang on so far with this horrific blending of Star Trek and Hawthorne let Moveitfred simply end with a few images from an epic day. Looking forward to an early arrival and two full days next year.

Spectacular day on the water

A #1: I heard Heywood might be here.

A #2: Is that him coming around the corner?

G--Fahking track star in the sand


CTodd making everyone hurt up the hill

Kreb in the house

Robin over the boards

Zank feeling the pain of being half-way through

Bessette stretching out her lead through the sand

Alie Kenzer picking a line down the hill

Meg getting it going tight and fast


Tim Johnson chasing after rolling a tire


Powers leading the front group through the sand

renewab-AL

Wherein AL discusses his return to racing


Today was a good day for running. The morning was crisp and cool and sunny...the perfect fall day. All month I've been thinking "when can I race again?" I've been rehabbing this calf injury and hoping to see some real progress. Last week was the first week that I felt whole, and I pushed it a bit: I logged 35 miles and did some quick days. I felt I was ready for something more. I contemplated running the Staten Island 1/2 marathon, but that seemed too much considering how long my injury down time was. Instead, I chose the LIRRC 10 miler.

The course was, basically, three loops around the mostly flat Eisenhower Park. We started at 9 am with a nice light breeze and 55 degrees. I felt good from the start; it was one of those races where I had to hold myself back, not gallop ahead. I told myself I'd just run nice easy 8s. But it was just too great to be in a race again, and I felt too good. I didn't want re-injury, but 8s were too slow. So I said to myself, ok run 7:40s . That plan worked, mostly, but I kept holding myself back as I was a bit worried. But all was good...
1) 7:30
2) 7:30
3) 7:40
4) 7:46
5) 7:42
6) 7:45
7) 7:40
8) 7:40
9) 7:35
10) 7:07

Total: 1:16.02

A nice little addition to coming back and feeling strong: I placed 2nd in my age and 6th overall. (Obviously, the field did not include any elite runners and no records were set. Still nice to get the little ribbon.)

Nice to be back and I feel good.

Fred-o is up at the G-spot or G-ster (whatever the fuck it is). KICK ASS FRED!!! Say hi to Solo and all for me.

imbroi-AL-ed

Wherein Al comments on Marion Jones.

It's one thing to be a cheating cock like Big Head Barry.

It's a whole other thing to absolutely fuck your team mates like Marion Jones.

I know many of you will argue that they're all dirty, so screw 'em. But let's just sit with this a moment. Imagine for a second that you are a world class runner and you get assigned to this relay as part of the olympic team. Imagine--hard as it may be--that you are a clean, honest competitior. And imagine the 4th leg of your relay turns out to be super studette Marion Jones.

Fast forward a bunch of years and your medals are being stripped from you because that absolute animal that anchored your relay cheated. (Again, someone you were simply assigned to run with.) Maybe I'm simple, but I'm seeing this as plausible. And it sucks.

Li'l somethin' for Marion:

More Cool Shit

With special appearances by Heywood, Moveitfred, and Mrs. Moveitfred:

Whitmore's Day 1/Women's Field

It's all about the call-ups

Whitmore's Day 1

Random Whitmore's Pics

Have you heard this one?: These 3 Belgians walk into a bar wearing red jackets...

"Moveitfred's head tube is about this big, atmo."

Sandy, off-camber, wicked corner of death.


Here's the thing: Meg don't give a shit if the course is taped or not. She's going to kill the off-camber turns regardless.

Some riders get all the fans, atmo.

These guys run up hills.

So do these guys, but they add into the mix huge horsepower on the flats.

option-AL

Al offers a choice...

The other 2 boys have given you quite a bit of content on the Whitmore this weekend in the Hamptons. I thought I’d offer an alternative to all the cyclocross content.

First…big ups to our boy GVB who completed his first marathon!

Next…

This weekend was also the Chicago Marathon. (Al ran the Chicago in 98 in 3:20 and small change.) This great race was hit by a heat wave. And I’m sure you all know that a competitor died. (There’s been a lot said about this tragedy. Al will refrain from talking about proper training and fitness prior to such an event.)

Instead, let’s focus on the amazing first place finishes on the Men’s and Women’s side

A) Here’s what not to do……..

Adriana Pirtea (22 years old and having NEVER run a competitive marathon before) finds herself passing #2, Berhane Adere, and in first place. Adere is having problems from the heat and seems down and out. Pirtea continues to run well in the lead. Then, 1/2 mile from the end, Pirtea decides to Cadillac a bit. She's near the finish and figure that she'sblown by Adere (a seasoned competitor)...she feels she’s got the win. She takes the final turn and starts high fiving, doing the old “look at me, I’m good.” The dumb bitch never looks back. Meanwhile, Adere has gotten her shit together and is pushing her her emaciated ass through one unbelievable final push. Consequently, she dusts Pirtea just yards from the finish. Ni-ice.



B) In the Men’s side, Jaouad Gharib from Moracco and Patrick Ivuti from Kenya had the greatest finish in Chicago marathon history. This was an absolute duel over the last mile and a total photo finish. Ivuti took it by a nose.




Big shout out to the other two boys. Nice work!!!

Whitmore's Cyclocross Day 2/Elite Men

Moveitfred's daughter working the camera over the elite men's field on the log run-up.

Whitmore's Cyclocross Day 2/Elite Women

Compton and Bessette making the sandy corner that ate up Moveitfred look easy.

The WORLD CHAMP!

On October 4th, Heywood Jablome landed on the local landing strip near Fred’s house for a week of family time, sightseeing, and most importantly, racing/watching the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup held in South Hampton on Saturday and Sunday. Such an amazing experience for all who were able to attend this fabulous weekend at the races. Of all the highlights running through Wood’s head, one STICKS out further than the rest.

On Saturday, the three-time world champion Erwin Verveken took 1st place after a tremendous battle with Barry Wicks and Ryan Trebon. Marvelous race! After the awards ceremony, except for a handful of racers, the venue cleared out very quickly as if the Mets just lost their 5th straight home game. Fred and Wood were two of the few remaining because of a dinner date with none other than the talented Meg and her husband JD. But before dinner, the two had to hit the showers (not together).

When entering the locker room, it appeared they were alone except for one person in the shower. Standing next to the showers, Wood and Fred started to disrobe when the curtain was pulled back and out comes the WORLD CHAMPION ERWIN VERVECKEN dripping wet and smelling wonderfully clean, as Fred would later describe him to Wood. And for the record, Wood was not to impressed with what he saw. So with the champ drying off, Heywood jumped into an open shower stall. Apparently, Fred thought this was a wonderful opportunity to congratulate the champ on a spectacular race and thank him for flying to the USA for this race. Erwin, being very humble and polite began to ask Fred about his race. “How did you do,” and “are you pleased with the results,” Erwin said. Yes, the WORLD CHAMPION ERWIN VERVECKEN asking FRED about his race. WOW!

After Heywood was entirely clean, he stepped out of the shower to witness something offensive to the point nausea. As Erwin and Fred were wrapping up the conversion still stripped down to the BONE, Erwin stuck out his hand for a shake. “Friends don’t shake, they hug!” said Fred as he spread his arms apart. With Erwin being from Europe, this didn’t bother him one bit. They approached one another for the hug, body parts freely dangling about. While holding this long embrace, their meat swords where battling it out below the belt. This is the most disgusting gesture Wood has ever seen. Fuck those Europeans are just as strange as the New Yorkers. YUCK!

Heywood retreated to the toilet area to puck his guts out.

Wood waited until all parties were dressed before he said a peep.

Heywood sez:

ATMO!

Whitmore's Day 1/Katie Compton

Freakin' Katie Compton Show in the Elite Women's race. HUGE engine.

Whitmore's Day 1/Elite Men

Ripping it up the logs:

Systems Mostly A Go

The plucky Heywood Jablome enjoyed an arousing flight here into LGA surrounded by the entire DePaul Women's Soccer Team. Moveitfred had trouble spotting Wood at baggage claim until he stared deep into the clutter of matching Blue Demoness sweats and saw Heywood parked in the middle, dialoging it up with several of the fleet-footed lasses.

After pulling Woody away from the giggling throng Moveitfred was able to fight the traffic back out here to the hitherlands and get settled in for the night.

This morning Heywood assembled the rad, single-speed, Steve Wrecks ghetto cross, and then Moveitfred took his guest out to Cathedral Pines for some cross-specific schooling out in the fields and deep, dark woods.

Wood managed to fahk up the rear hoop a bit on some of the challenging Long Island singletrack, but luckily Moveitfred was able to work a deal at the local shop and get Heywood back in business for the race in the a.m.

PS--Woody's gonna be cinching down the rear hub on the single-speed with a sketchy Ultegra quickie-release. Please send up a prayer tonight to your favorite Deity of Great Power for Wood.

Two days, two new bikes for the Heywood Jablome Household.


Heywood’s new Cross bike. Actually, old steel frame that he took to Steve Rex in Sacramento to weld apparatus for cantilever brakes. All other parts new were found lying around the bike shop. Will ride for first time this weekend at Fred’s place in Long Island.

Wife’s new Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3. 18 lbs with pedals. Sweet rig for the lady.

Race

Last weekend Heywood and his race partner Chitwood participated in an adventure race at Lake Tahoe called Big Blue Adventure. For this 6 – 12 hour race, 57 teams entered. Teams could consist of 2-4 persons or solo if one desired. The weather forecast the night before called for shitty weather with continued shitty weather throughout the day.

While making the drive to Lake Tahoe from Casa de Wood in God’s Country, Chitwood looked out the window and said “not sure how it is going to rain if there is not a cloud in the sky. I can see all the stars Heywood.” Yeah. This was at 5:00 am. The two arrived in Tahoe City and staged there bikes next to the kayak in the transition area and then returned to the start/finish line. Morning temps were pushing the very low 40’s at best when the duo was getting dressed. At 7:00 am, 30 minutes prior to the race start, the organizers handed out to each team the map with all the instructions and coordinates for all the checkpoints that must be reached by each team. Team dumbass (that’s wood’s team) mapped the route they decided to take and was civilly waiting the final five minutes before start time when the weather came ragging down in the form of hail. CRAP! With a shot from a bad 44, the race was on.

First was the run to the kayak in the hail. Then Kayak was supposed to be 8-10 miles to two CP and back to the transition area. This did not work out the way everyone expected. Team Dumbass was almost all the way to CP 1 when the lighting starting striking all around. At this point, the US Coastguard stepped in and turned everyone around. Maybe the idea was to out paddle the storm. This was turning out to be a magnificent Noreaster.

Next, the two jumped on the bike and peddled to the orienteering course. After finding all the orienteering markers even though some where misplaced, they continued trying to locate the remaining 4 checkpoints scattered across the mountains of Lake Tahoe. All this was done while snow, rain, or hail continued to fall from the cloudless sky. Heywood felt like he was training for a cyclocross race on the east coast.

After finding the last CP, the only obstacle that remained was a 1200 foot decent while atop their bikes. As they were screaming down the trail, a large black bear ran directly in front of Chitwood. Chitwood then looked back at Heywood and yelled “BEAR!” While looking back at Heywood for comfort and protection, Chitwood steered his mountain bike right of the side of the trail. This caused a catastrophic crashed that Wood thought would somehow end with Chitwood dying and being eaten by the bear. Amazingly, Chitwood was OK and the two raced to the finish line with no further complications.

Results:
13 of 57 overall
3 of 17 for 2 man teams.
Over 9 hours of frozen misery and fun.