spin / second sole multisport team

This is that dangerous time of year in Cleveland when you imagine spring to be right around the corner.  But be careful, because it’s not even close.  These few days of sun and warmth are just teasers, designed to crush hopes.  We must be patient.  It’s important to remember this, so when it snows next week, we’re not all caught outside in Bermuda shorts with our tears freezing to our cheeks.

Even if Cleveland Spring is a flighty mistress, the racing season is getting well and truly fired up.

This weekend, SSSMST athletes were testing fitness across the region, from Lorain to Buffalo and several places in between.  Read on for race reports from Jim (who was VERY HAPPY), Aaron (who was not), Kevin, Marty, Andy, and Mike.

Aaron Rood did the Youngstown Half Marathon, two months after the birth of his second child. His report was succinct, and I think we can all relate.

I suck- my piss poor training the last months set my back about 10 years of fitness. Today I ran the 1/2 three minutes slower then the back half of my marathon PR

Jim, on the other hand, was very pleased with his first test of 2010, throwing down a scorching 8k PR of 27:43.

This is a race I have done about 10 times in my life and it was my best performance both on this course and anything at the distance. VERY HAPPY.

Marty was at the Catch a Leprechaun 15k in Lorain. Our resident Mr. Miyagi uses his age wisdom to mete out his effort to take 2nd overall in 1:01:45.

Another race season has started. Twenty five degrees at the start with beautiful sunny skies made for a rather fine morning with an elevated heart rate. Early pacing made the latter miles not so grueling.

Andy and Mike Schaefer participated in a very fun new event: the Winter Biathlon at Chapin Forest.

Plenty of snow, bright sun, and 60 pre-registered racers made for a very, very fun event at Chapin on Saturday. The course was a 1.5k loop, skied three times. After each lap, you had to shoot at five targets with a paintball gun provided by the race. First standing, then kneeling, then prone. Each hit got you a ten second time bonus. Hitting targets was very hard– I hit 6 of 15, and Mike got 7. The start was rolling, and because Schaefer started first, he was done before I started.

He skied behind me on the first and third lap, which was great coaching. I really enjoyed his help. Mike– if I swore at you or mumbled phrases under my breath, I didn’t mean it. It was the hypoxia speaking.

Mike ended up winning overall, and I was tenth. This event– like all of the Lake Metroparks events– was well organized, well run, very cheap, and an enormous amount of fun.

Brian Stern was out cheering and taking photos; I’ll post them as soon as I can.

Filed under: 2010 | Tagged: cornwell, cross-country skiing, krol, lamastra, mason, perfect weather all weekend right?, results rehash, rood, running, schaefer |