The Space Between

While most can agree on one thing (we're all fed up with winter), my take is a bit different. It's made you warriors, champions, ready to race. Seriously, the race results we've seen so far in 2014 have been some of the best ever in spite of the miserable weather. So pat yourself on the back, but don't rest on your laurels too long; there's work to be done yet.

Since her move to Charlottesville at the beginning of the year, Alyssa Godesky has been consistently cranking out week after week of insane volume and increased intensity. Unfortunately for multisport, ours is not a winter activity unless you want to travel. She headed to North Caroline for the Grandover Parkway Duathlon over the weekend - a 4 mile run, 20 mile bike, 4 mile run. She thinks the run may have come in around 3.95 miles, but her 24:23 first run would still equate to about a 6:10 pace, which would easily have resulted in an open 5k personal best. She was 2nd F heading into transition, but passed the leader and never looked back as she opened a big gap on the bike. She ran 25:44 for her second run and held on for a minute victory. She heads this weekend to Ironman Los Cabos for her professional triathlon debut.

Travel last week interfered with Erik T. Orberg's plans to run the National Half, and with a marathon coming up he didn't feel that the Shamrock 5k fit the plan. So he targeted the Caesar Rodney Half in Delaware and came out of it with a 5th place finish and a shiny new (6 minute) PR! But let's be honest - that PR was pretty soft because he did, after all, run a 2:39 marathon in the fall. The 1:14:22 is more representative of the athlete he's become, and bodes well for a terrific marathon in Vienna.

Emily Hurley and Julie Wolfe wanted to get in a half marathon prior to Boston, but rather than stay close to here, where the chances of it being slightly warmer were greater, they elected to head north - way north - to Syracuse. It was below 20 degrees and snowing, so you can draw your own conclusions about how psyched they were about that! Emily finished 4th in 1:27:51 and Julie, well Julie "went for a long run" and came in at 1:42:10. I figure the snow and cold weather was the physical manifestation of disappointment and tears after #3 Syracuse got upended by #11 Dayton in the 2nd round.

This week's Purple Drink Athlete of the Week went to Erik T.

So far to start this week we've already had snow (Tuesday) and high winds with temperatures well below the norm. Hopefully that will change to bring us a bit of relief by the weekend, but who knows.

OH AND IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING ABOUT THE ANSWER TO THE POLL:

I WAS in a Classical Languages Honor Society (I took Latin)
I DID attend band camp (in 8th grade)
I HAVE been given detention (5th or 6th grade, it was bullshit)
but

I have NEVER been on a gymnastics team