Sweeps Week

Every competitive runner eventually learns that winning a race isn’t as much about them, as it is about who shows up.  Unless you are the world record holder someone faster than you can always toe the line.  Some might see this as fatalistic, or dis-empowering but I see it as freeing.  Instead of worrying about things you can’t control you get to focus on the things you can, namely running your own race.

But it is still nice to win a race and it is better still when your team sweeps the top 3 spots.  Even better than that?  What if your men’s and women’s team sweep the top 3 spots of their respective races on the same weekend?  That is pretty damn sweet no matter who else toed the line.

Friday was the debut of the Roadkill Racing women’s team.  Ashlie Roberts, Erin Mahoney and Lisa Perks were the first women to line up wearing their new Roadkill singlets at the Emergency Nurses 5k at Monroe Community College (Drew Caffrey was there too but I’ll get to that later.)

I have no idea what was going on to the right but it must have been pretty funny.
I have no idea what was going on to the right but it must have been pretty funny.

It was a small first year event, but it was well organized and the weather could not have been better.  I have a feeling the other runners were a bit intimated by the Roadkill ladies in their blood red singlets.  Ashlie, Erin and Lisa wasted no time separating themselves from the rest of the women in the field.

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Drew Caffrey was at the race representing the Roadkill men, and while he stated before the race his only goal was no to get hurt (he’s running Boston in a week) I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be able to resist going for the win.

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Sure enough when the leaders came into view he was right behind the leader, and as they rounded the corner with 100 meters to go he sprinted past Kevin Scheehan to take first place in 18:01.

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It wasn’t long before the ladies arrived, all of them finishing in the top 10 overall.

Ashlie finishing 1st in 22:33
Ashlie finishing 1st in 22:33
Lisa finishing 2nd in 22:46
Lisa finishing 2nd in 22:46
Erin finishing 3rd in 23:27
Erin finishing 3rd in 23:27

Taking a break from her own running to cheer on the team

Taking a break from her own running to cheer on the team

 Nurse’s 5k Results Here

Saturday it was the time for some of the Roadkill men to take to the track.  Dave, Kenny and I raced the 10000 meters at the Naz Roc City Classic.  For reasons I do not fully understand in road races we say 5k or 10k but on the track it’s 5000 meters or 10000 meters.  Whether you call it a 10k or 10000 meters when you do it on the track you have to run 25 laps.  This is not nearly as fun as it might sound.

aYes those are 4 women next to me at the start.  The meet has 76 men doing the 1500 and 26 in the 5000, but only 8 in the 10000 so they put the 4 Naz women in with us.

cRunning 25 laps can get a bit confusing.  At some point in the race I lost track of who I was passing and who I was lapping.  This caused me to move into 3rd place without even realizing it sometime during the last mile.

b

I’m really glad I decided to run this race, but I don’t think I’ll be jumping into any track races longer than 5000 meters again.  It is a mental grind as much as it is a physical one.  One that Kenny fully embraced.  He broke from the small lead pack early and challenged the track record of 32:25 missing it by a mere 3 seconds!  Dave, who was suffering from some lower leg issues in the middle part of the race took second place, closing with an impressive last mile.

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I finished in 3rd place completing the Roadkill sweep with a 43 second PR 33:49. All in all it was a hell of weekend for Roadkill Racing.

Naz Results Here

I’m so proud of all my teammates and I’m thankful for Ashlie taking charge and putting our women’s team together.  There is something oddly sexy about seeing my wife in Roadkill singlet, even if she hates the fact is says Beer & Glory on the front.

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Bonus footage of Hazel warming up. Look at that focus!

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