All About the Benjamins

Megan DiGregorio has one goal for this summer: to buy a bike so she can compete in her first triathlon.  She kicked off Project Buy a Bike on Sunday, winning both the 5k and the 10k at MCVETs, earning herself a cool $250.  Meanwhile, down in Columbia, Diane Heiser made out like a bandit, only need a 19:03 to win a couple hundred bones at the Remembrance Run 5k.  This was DH's second win in as many weekends, as last weekend she won the From Blue Point to BULA 5k in NY for the infinity time in a row. 

MCVETs was an unfortunate race this year as there was a small glitch that added about .2 to the race distance.  So I will spot you all at least a minute from the time you ran.  Ed Aramayo took 3rd in 16:58, while Tristram Thomas and Brennan Feldhausen filed in 4th and 5th.  Kris Simms was 8th, and then came the women's podium of Meg D, Denise Knickman and New Becky Parks.  Lillian Pinault, on her birthday, was 5th, and then came Pete Mulligan in 37th.  Jimbo Adams, in his first race in what seems like forever, came across the line in 177th.

Shortly after the 5k, the 10k gets run.  The 10k is very unkind, as it makes runners run out to the Fort on the entirely unshaded Fort Avenue, and by this point of the morning, the sun is strong and the temp is high.  Once again our ladies went 1-2-3, with Meg D taking the top spot from Denise, making her move in the last two miles, and Jackie Truncellito taking 3rd after NBP had momentarily wrestled that away from her.  NBP was 4th.  Pete also doubled, finishing 43rd, and Dan Goodman raced for the first time in a while, finishing 100th. 

Memorial Day Monday, a couple of us were in Winchester, VA, for the Loudoun Street Mile.  Much different from the Westminster Mile, this event features 4 separate races.  Women went off at 9am, and Alyssa Godesky was going up against some fierce competition from the Riadha team.  She finished 10th, though, with a 5:48.1.  Kendra Ingram ran 7:52 last year, and was hoping to do a little better - which she did, to the tune of a 33 second improvement!  She was charged up in the last 500m, I thought it was Maurice or Remus out there running!

Following the women it was a heat of kids, then a slower heat of dudes.  At 10am, the fast heat of guys went off.  This race was stacked.  The course was a net downhill, but with a 500m long incline from 350m to just beyond the half mile, it wasn't necessarily the fastest course.  Former teammate and friend of Alan Webb's, Moise Joseph, won for the third year in a row, crossing in the unreal time of 4:06 (2:05-2:01 splits).  Ben Ingram, running for Runner's Retreat, was 16th in 4:42.9, and missed winning his age division by a lean.  Brennan Feldhausen, competing for the second time in two days, managed to run a 4:53.1.  

In other Monday action, NBP ran and won the 8th Annual Run on the Green 5k in 19:18, and was interviewed by the local TV station afterwards.  Dave Berardi was 6th at the Remembrance Run 5k. 

Our Purple Drink Athlete of the Week award went to Meg D, and Jim Adams earned this week's KC Masterpiece Award, mostly for just being out there. 

Track tonight - don't forget we are still at Hopkins/Loyola track on 33rd tonight.  The workout is going to be 8x800, and for clarification, when I say "on" a particular time interval, that just means if you run 2:30 and we're doing them on 4:00, you have 90 seconds rest.  This is our first workout in REAL heat, so please remember to hydrate well throughout the day, pace yourself during the workout and know your limit.  The DBAP rule does not apply when it is this hot, nobody thinks less of you if you do fewer intervals or run a little slower. 

Also, we are timing the Charles Village 5k this Saturday morning, so if you can help, please let me know.  I've gotten a few responses so thanks!  Sunday is the Bel Air Town Run 5k for those of you looking for a race.  A week from Sunday is Survivor 7, now starting and finishing in Canton. 

Another thing I'm excited about is the influx of interest in the group over the weekend.  In the cyclical world of people moving to and from Baltimore, it looks like we finally may be picking up a few new folks at once, due to some graduations and whatnot.  On Sunday we met Vince Collins at MCVETs, and we have a couple new girls who will be coming out soon.  I will count tonight at track, but I think we are starting to have more chicks than dudes at these workouts!