http://www.roadkillers.com/index.htmlNews and notes from training & racing with the RoadkillersenJeremy DavidsonCopyright 2009 Lake Monroe Roadkillers2011-01-09T08:43:21-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:13:07 -0400Jeremy DavidsonMarathons5K and 10KTraining2011-01-09T08:43:21-05:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/ff50a644ad8162449aabf4fcabcb2b7a-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/ff50a644ad8162449aabf4fcabcb2b7a-15.html#unique-entry-id-15The people have spoken! Yes, the tradition of democracy is alive with the Roadkillers. We recently voted on our favorite races and best performances of 2010 - and the results are in! Without further ado, here’s our choices for the best of 2010.

(note: we’ve listed the top three vote-getters, and the % of the vote they received)

Male Race Performance of the Year:
1. Jim Masters, 1:27:49 at the OUC Half-Marathon. Did we mention Jim is 58 years old? (58%)
2. Jeremy Davidson, 2:54:43 at the Jacksonville Bank Marathon (23%)
3. Jim Masters, 18:24 at the Run Around the Pines 5K (15%)

Female Race Performance of the Year:
1. Cija Werblo, 3:15:40 at the Jacksonville Bank Marathon (61%)
T2. Cija Werblo, 1:04:04 - 1st place female at the Paul DeBruyn 15K (15%)
T2. Lady Roadkillers, 27:33:50 in the Ragnar Relay (15%)

Masters Runner of the Year:
1. Jim Masters (46%)
2. Daniel McCarthy (23%)
3. Mike Baron (15%)

Male Runner of the Year:
1. Daniel McCarthy (38%)
2. Jeremy Davidson (23%)
3. Bob Darrow (15%)

Female Runner of the Year:
1. Cija Werblo (61%)
2. April Darrow (23%)
3. Karen Norton (15%)

Roadkiller Rookie of the Year:
1. Cija Werblo (61%)
2. Mike Magner (38%)

Best 5K Race:
1. Run for Africa 5K, Winter Springs (33%)
T2. Seasons 52 Park Avenue 5.2 K, Winter Park (16%)
T2. House of Hope Run Around the Pines 5K, Winter Park (16%)

Best Middle Distance Race:
1. Thanksgiving 10-miler, DeLand (38%)
T2. Miracle MIles 15K, Orlando (23%)
T2. U Can Finish 5-miler, Orlando (23%)

Best Long Distance Race:
1. Boston Marathon, Boston, Mass. (30%)
T2. Paul DeBruyn 30K & 15K, New Smyrna Beach (23%)
T2. Jacksonville Bank Marathon & Half-Marathon, Jacksonville (23%)

Favorite Roadkiller Training Run:
T1. Tuesday Night at Seminole Wekiva Trail in Lake Mary (30%)
T1. Thursday Night at The Hills in DeLand (30%)
T1. Saturday Morning Long Runs (30%)]]>Jeremy DavidsonMarathons5K and 10KLake Run2010-01-15T09:08:00-05:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/a741506c931aa3b67b9b6ef6e58d9c86-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/a741506c931aa3b67b9b6ef6e58d9c86-12.html#unique-entry-id-12By September 2009, the Lake Monroe Roadkillers were focused on two things: the multitude of local races that lay ahead in the next few months - and winter marathon training!

We still battled the Florida heat at this time of the year, but our group pushed through and ran well. “Man Pants” Danny Fritz returned to his cross country roots, winning his age group at the Mike Gibson XC Rally on Labor Day weekend. The Sept. 12 Autumn Rock N Run 5K proved to be a competitive race - the first time since March that the Roadkillers failed to win at least one age group in a 5K race.

At the end of the month, another Roadkiller staple - the Miracle Miles 15K - drew several of our runners. “Young” Daniel McCarthy showed his long distance form by winning the Masters Division in 56:54, while the rest of our crew recorded times under 1:10.

In October, Jeremy Davidson ventured out of state to race again, at the ING Hartford Half-Marathon, where he set a new PR of 1:20. At the UCF Five-Miler, Mike “Fly T” Baron continued his effort to win his age group title in the Track Shack Grand Prix series. Baron ran 33:06 to win his age group in this challenging race. Fritz, like Davidson, ran an out-of-state race and posted a solid 1:24 finish at the Nationwide Columbus Half-Marathon.

The Roadkillers’ held their signature event - the 24-mile Lake Run - on Oct. 24. The long-distance loop starts and finishes in Deltona, on the Eastern shore of Lake Monroe. Ten of our runners took on the challenge (or at least part of it) and a good time was had by all. Except for BJ Sellers, maybe, who returned home sick with a temperature over 100 afterwards. OK, so a good time was had by most. With this major workout completed, with few casualties, the Roadkillers were on track for a great fall and winter running season.

Run for the Hill of It champion Mark Newman ran the Tower of Terror 13K at Walt Disney World later that evening, finishing the unique distance in 52:41. Also enjoying the Halloween season was April “Shortcut” Darrow, who was the first-place overall female at the Crimeline Trick or Trot 5K on Oct. 31.

As trick or treaters sorted through their previous night’s candy collections, several Roadkillers braved warm and humid conditions at the Daytona Beach Half-Marathon on Nov. 1. The race starts and finishes at Daytona International Speedway, but also features two challenging, Intercoastal bridge crossings and a sun-filled run along the World’s Most Famous Beach. With humidity near 85% and temperatures in the high 70s, conditions were uncomfortable, to say the least.

McCarthy and Baron won their respective age groups at Daytona, while Diana Hampel and Sara “Crash” Van Meter also put up good results on the women’s side.

“GPS” Jim Masters, meanwhile, continued to collect first-place awards in his age group, after running 19:30 at the Palmer College Paint the Towne 5K in Daytona Beach the following week.

Mike “T Dog” Scures thought he ran a Half-Marathon in Baldwin Park on Nov. 14, but it turned out the race organizers were a little off on their measurements. Scures set a personal record in the 14.2-mile distance, in 1:34. (Had that race been an actual Half-Marathon, we’re guessing that Scures would’ve finished around 1:27.)

On Nov. 15, a few Roadkillers faced their longest race of the season thus far, at the 36th Annual Paul de Bruyn 30K. McCarthy didn’t disappoint - placing second overall in 1:59. Newman ran 2:10 to finish second in his age group while Sara Van Meter captured the female Masters Division in 2:28. Club President Jason “Half Empty” Van Meter wasn’t far behind, with a 2:34 finish.

McCarthy then finished fourth overall at the Thanksgiving Day 10-Miler in DeLand. McCarthy’s long-distance form seemed to improve each week and he set a new 10-mile PR in 1:01. In the undercard 5K, Masters and Darrow won their respective age groups with fast pretty finishes, too.

The OUC Half-Marathon was another long distance challenge for the Roadkillers in late 2009. Masters won his age group, again, in 1:29. Newman, Baron, Scures and Sellers also ran the OUC Half and nearly finished in a pack together. Newman tried to chase down Masters and finished in 1:30, 68th overall. The other three finished two minutes later - and all within 30 seconds of each other!

April Darrow enjoyed a great finish at the Stonewood Grill Holiday Classic 5K on Dec. 12, placing first in her age group in 20:55. It was the first time she’d broken 21 minutes in a 5K in 2009 - congrats, April! Cooler temperatures and good training were helping Roadkillers achieve some impressive results as the year came to a close.

And close it did, with a large contingent of Roadkillers running the Jacksonville Bank Marathon (or Half-Marathon) on Dec. 20. We were treated to ideal running conditions in Jacksonville, with overcast skies and temperatures in the low 40’s on race day. It was a banner day for our group, with three Roadkillers setting new marathon PR’s and one qualifying for Boston (with time to spare) in his first marathon finish.

McCarthy, not surprisingly, led the group with a remarkable 2:52 finish - a two-minute PR at the age of 40. Davidson trailed behind in 2:55 (also a PR) while Fritz powered home his first marathon finish in 3:07. Sara Van Meter blew away her previous marathon finishing time (3:49) with a 3:32 finish in Jacksonville. Sellers was a victim of more bad luck, suffering a leg injury that led to a 3:46 finish. That leg injury? A stress fracture that left him on crutches afterwards. That’s toughness!! Elliott Strouse had also finished his second marathon of the year, in 3:29 while Jason Van Meter completed the Half-Marathon in 1:38. Rumor has it, Jason will be running his next full marathon in February 2010. Solid stuff.

So there you have it, folks - a year in the life of the Lake Monroe Roadkillers. We train hard(ly), have tons of fun, and welcome new runners anytime. There’s great bagels after the Lake Run and some of the area’s best pizza after the Run for the Hill of It. And what’s with those nicknames?

Have a great 2010...

The Lake Monroe Roadkillers]]>Jeremy Davidson5K and 10KMarathonsBoston MarathonRun for the Hill of It2010-01-13T07:35:06-05:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/fc77daabc8525e04024e21a299c5f72a-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/fc77daabc8525e04024e21a299c5f72a-11.html#unique-entry-id-11Over the first three months of 2009, the Lake Monroe Roadkillers were off to a great start to the running year. With the marathon season mostly completed, local 5K’s and 10K’s would become the focus for most of our runners.

On April 4, Jeremy Davidson, “GPS” Jim Masters and April “Shortcut” Darrow each won hardware at the Run for SPARC 5K in beautiful Ponce Inlet. April 18 was a proud day in Roadkiller history, as our group won the Team Division championship at the Spirit of the Y 5K in Lake Mary. OK, so it’s not quite a world-class running event, but we’ll take what we can get. The team was led by Davidson’s first-place overall finish, which came after he ran off-course and re-gained the lead in the final mile. “Young” Daniel McCarthy showed flashes of the speed that would eventually provide one of his best 5K racing seasons, with a third-place overall finish. Bob “Skippy” Darrow, meanwhile, barely missed out on age group hardware and somehow, was shut out of the team awards, too. He’s vowed to get even someday...

Of course, marathon season wasn’t completely finished. Mike “Fly T” Baron represented the Roadkillers at the 113th Boston Marathon. Baron posted a solid 3:22 finish on the famous course.

Did we mention Young Daniel’s stellar 5K racing performances this year? On May 2, McCarthy won the Masters Division at the No Boundaries 5K in Altamonte Springs, in 17:44. It was the first of five sub-18:00 5K’s for McCarthy in 2009.

May 16, 2009 will be remembered by Roadkillers for years to come. At the inaugural Jim Payne Blue Ribbon 5K in historic downtown Sanford, temperatures were in the upper 80’s and the humidity was sweltering. The race began at 6:00 p.m., with a West-facing finishing stretch that had runners sprinting towards the blazing, setting sun for the final mile. Fun times.

Craig Dixon and Davidson managed to break 18:00 in the heat, while McCarthy came in seventh overall, in 18:17. Despite the uncomfortable weather, it was the largest race turnout of Roadkillers to date. Eleven members of our club raced in the 5K with six runners winning their age group!

Seven club members then raced in the Lake Mary 5K, held on May 30. McCarthy maintained his form with a 17:45 finish to win another Masters Division title. Elliott Strouse, Jim Masters, Brett Blackadar, Diana Hampel and April Darrow also won their age groups! The Roadkillers were on a roll.

Local races were becoming fewer and far between as summer settled in over Central Florida. Two Roadkillers competed in out-of-town races this month. Davidson placed second in a 10K during a visit to Northern California, and Hampel earned first-place overall female honors at a 5K on her native Long Island.

Yes, the “Summer of Speed” had arrived. Races were scarce, yet several Roadkillers dutifully ran speedwork and tempo workouts every week. By August, the hard work paid off with strong performances in the JCC “Beat the Heat” 5K in Maitland - an annual Roadkiller favorite.

The Thursday evening event was almost called off due to severe thunderstorms covering the area, but race organizers waited it out and runners were rewarded with another great race. Davidson set a 5K PR in 17:15 while McCarthy continued his hot streak with a 17:52 finish. Mike “T Dog” Scures and Strouse also braved the conditions to finish in the top 25 overall.

On August 15, the Celebration of Running 5K kicked off the fall racing season in Central Florida and the next edition of the Track Shack Grand Prix series. Mike Baron won his age group - no small feat in this competitive race - and suddenly found himself in position to win his age group for the Grand Prix series. He’s still working on it...

But enough about these other, minor races. The real highlight for Roadkillers came on August 27, with our club’s premier competition: the Run for the Hill of It! The nine-mile(ish) race, held on the infamous Hill Course in DeLand, provided a real test of fitness and plenty of fun, too.

Mark Newman, who had been quietly building fitness over the summer, proved his mettle by winning the race ahead of McCarthy, local Mike Mott and “Man Pants” Danny Fritz. In his school years, Newman was a national-class track & field athlete in his native U.K., but we’re sure this is the highlight of his running career! Right, Mark? You can read more about the RFTHOI and Newman’s 2009 victory here. After the race, in keeping with Roadkiller tradition, a new club president was named over pizza and beer at Angelina’s. Jason “Half Empty” Van Meter was appointed to the high office, seceding McCarthy.

By September 2009, racing season was in full swing again, and a few Roadkillers started ramping up their training for fall and winter marathons. Stay tuned for the final installment of our 2009 recap and we’ll look back at the final months of another great year for the Roadkillers!]]>Jeremy Davidson5K and 10KMarathonsBoston Marathon2010-01-11T09:25:06-05:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/a0a509fc5fdd7bf4b4e22421e34053e5-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/a0a509fc5fdd7bf4b4e22421e34053e5-10.html#unique-entry-id-10The Lake Monroe Roadkillers were well represented at the 2010 Walt Disney World Marathon, which signaled the start of a new running year in Central Florida. We’re sure that great things are ahead for our group in 2010, but it was the 2009 season that got us here. Here’s a look back at some of the highlights we experienced in 2009...

Mike “Fly T” Baron kicked off 2009 with a remarkable performance in Disney’s Goofy Challenge; running the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon & Marathon on consecutive days. After cruising to a 1:47 finish in the half, Baron ran a 3:18 marathon the following day. His incredible performance came on the heels of his 3:21 finish at the Chicago Marathon in Oct. 2008. Great running, Mike!

At the end of January, Shawn Barkley and April “Shortcut” Darrow both qualified for the Boston Marathon by finishing the ING Miami Marathon in 3:37 and 3:43, respectively. Wade “Runner of 1” Compton finished another edition of the Ocala Marathon on Feb. 1, as “GPS” Jim Masters completed his first marathon and won his age group at the Tallahassee Marathon. By the end of the year, Masters had won his age group in 12 of 13 races he ran in 2009. Incredible.

“Psycho” Dan Stojic also qualified for Boston, at the State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon the following week. As a prelude to Stojic’s performance in that marathon, Baron visited Melbourne and ran a solid 19:55 5K the day before, his best 5K result in several years.

Meanwhile, Mike “T-Dog” Scures was busy compiling great finishes, on the way to winning his age group title in the prestigious Track Shack Grand Prix. On Feb. 21, Scures posted an 18:28 finish in the Run Around the Pines 5K, in his hometown of Winter Park.

Craig Dixon sprinted to a 1:18 finish in the Five Points of Life Half-Marathon in Gainesville, while “Young” Daniel McCarthy ran a most-impressive 3:00 at the Five Points of Life Marathon. And McCarthy wasn’t done yet. Just seven days later, McCarthy bravely paced Sara “Crash” Van Meter to her Boston-qualifying 3:49 finish at the Gasparilla Marathon in Tampa. Also running in Tampa was Jeremy Davidson, who posted a 2:56 finish. The 2009 Gasparilla Marathon would be remembered for punishing winds and heavy rain. Not ideal conditions, but the Roadkillers ran through them!

Elliott Strouse became the Roadkillers’ first race winner of the year on March 14, with a 19:14 finish at the Victoria Park 5K in DeLand. This race was also one of Jim Masters’ many age group victories. The following week at the Winter Park 10K, Scures clinched his Grand Prix championship with a 39:20 finish.

March 14 was also the date for the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, one of the nation’s premier distance running events. Dixon and McCarthy both finished the race in under an hour. Other Roadkillers completing the 9.3-mile race were “Man Pants” Danny Fritz, “Psycho” Dan and Martine McCarthy.

Diana Hampel had joined the group in the spring, and was the first overall female in the March 21 Be a Trailblazer 5K in Lake Mary. On March 28, Strouse finished the ING Georgia Marathon in 3:36.

Roadkillers were running strong as the season continued and temperatures began to rise. The “Summer of Speed” was ahead, but our runners were already showing plenty of speed in local races.

To be continued...
]]>Jeremy DavidsonMarathons5K and 10K2009-10-20T09:19:31-04:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/7e7d2396253eaef8cbfc434839cae908-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/7e7d2396253eaef8cbfc434839cae908-9.html#unique-entry-id-9Scanning the results from this years' UCF Five-Miler, I was reminded of an important characteristic of the Lake Monroe Roadkillers: our group ranges in age from 21 to 55+. Our training goals and race performances are just as diverse. We run together as much as possible, but inevitable separations occur when we toe the line for races.

But it's easy to wonder: all things equal, who's the best runner?

Thanks to the World Association of Veteran Athletes (WAVA), there is a tool to measure this. WAVA's age-grading formula measures running performances without bias for age or gender. The formula levels the playing field, to demonstrate which performances are better than others, across age groups and genders. It's based on a runners' theoretical performance in their prime running years (20's or early 30's) and shown as a percentage of that prime performance. For example, a 55 year-old male runner with a 21:45 5K, has an age-graded performance of 69.6%. It's the equivalent of an 18:38 5K for a male in his prime running years.

Without further ado... we analyzed the results of 90 Roadkiller performances from January - October and calculated the average age-graded result for each runner. Jim Masters, 57, of Longwood, Fla., and Mike Scures, 53, of Winter Park, Fla. top the list.

Top 10 Roadkillers
Name, Average Age-Graded Performance:

1. Jim Masters, 75.94%
2. Mike Scures, 75.80%
3. Daniel McCarthy, 74.41%
4. Mike Baron, 73.53%
5. Jeremy Davidson, 72.52%
6. Diana Hampel, 70.57%
7. Danny Fritz, 68.48%
8. April Darrow, 67.32%
9. Elliott Strouse, 66.90%
10. Wade Compton, 63.09%

To put these results in perspective, consider Masters' performance at the No Boundaries 5K, held May 2 in Altamonte Springs, Fla. Masters ran a 19:26 to win the Masters Division at this race. It was the equivalent of a 16:22 5K, for a male runner in his prime years. An excellent performance.

Other highlights:

Mike Scures running a 39:20 at the CNL Bank Winter Park 10K. It was the equivalent of a 34:45 10K, for a male runner in his prime.

Daniel McCarthy's 56:45 at the Miracle Miles 15K - the equivalent of a 54:53 result for a male runner in his prime.

Last but not least, the best age-graded marathon performance goes to Mike Baron, 55 years young. He placed 5th in his age group at the 2009 Walt Disney World Marathon in 3:18. Baron's marathon was the equivalent of a 2:53 marathon for a younger runner in his prime. By the way, his absolutely great result at Disney was part of the Goofy Challege - he'd finished the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon the day before!!

Great running by all.

A few notes: We only analyzed the results of Roadkillers who'd run at least four races this year. There are several versions of the WAVA age-graded results calculator online. The calculator we used can be found here, courtesy of the Heartbreak Hill Striders.
]]>Jeremy DavidsonLake RunLong RunsTrainingMarathons2009-10-16T10:49:39-04:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/5022305bd6a7cd6c4a9caae9d1e5fc8d-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/5022305bd6a7cd6c4a9caae9d1e5fc8d-8.html#unique-entry-id-8Mark your running calender: Saturday, Oct. 24.

In the early hours of the morning, the Lake Monroe Roadkillers will embark on their namesake training event: a 24-mile run through Deltona and Sanford, all the way around Lake Monroe. Several runners are in the peak of their training schedules for the Space Coast Marathon (Nov. 29), Jacksonville Marathon (Dec. 20), Walt Disney World Marathon (Jan. 10) or the Houston Marathon (Jan. 17). The Lake Run will be a major test of marathon fitness, for those planning to run 26.2 this winter.

Read more about the Lake Run here. Good luck to our runners - and special thanks to those who'll help by driving the support vehicle. (Yes, we have a support vehicle and provide our own water stops for this run. We're not completely crazy!!)]]>Jeremy DavidsonTrainingMarathonsLake Run2009-09-07T12:26:01-04:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/e1c87a7dcf51c2b3cff5ae6e50e6ad86-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/e1c87a7dcf51c2b3cff5ae6e50e6ad86-6.html#unique-entry-id-6With the arrival of Labor Day, the selection of Jason "Half Empty" Van Meter as our new club President, shorter daylight hours and cooler temperatures, the fall running season has arrived.

For several Roadkillers, this means marathon training time! The Space Coast Marathon, Jacksonville Marathon, Houston Marathon and the Walt Disney World Marathon have all been targeted by our runners for winter races. Long runs are getting longer and miles are adding up for the hearty souls who will attempt these races in the next few months. No word yet on a date for the Lake Run, however...

If you're like Michael "T Dog" Scures or Shawn (still awaiting official nickname) Barkley, you'll avoid running marathons like, well, most reasonable people. But don't think we'll let you off the hook that easy. Browse our calendar of local running events and you'll find nearly 30 races between now and the end of the year. Many of these races count toward the prestigious Track Shack Grand Prix Series, which has also been a staple of the Roadkillers' fall running schedule.

See you the roads!
]]>Jeremy DavidsonRun for the Hill of It2009-08-28T10:18:49-04:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/b6bedbf1550a8e46623c5a4caa7bf72a-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/b6bedbf1550a8e46623c5a4caa7bf72a-5.html#unique-entry-id-5The 2009 Run for the Hill of It went into the record books Thursday night, August 27, with Mark Newman capturing the Piston Trophy.

Newman, coming off an injury that derailed his 2009 Walt Disney World Marathon attempt in January, ran 1:07 over the hilly nine-mile course to win the event. Newman ran within one minute of his predicted race time, coming from the sixth-seeded position to win the race ahead of Daniel McCarthy and local runner Mike Mott. See complete race results and rules here.

"The British Invasion is complete," joked Newman after the race, in between mouthfuls of pizza and cookies at Angelina's. As the race winner, Newman got to select the next club president and he promptly installed Jason Van Meter into office. Van Meter was regrettably absent from the proceedings, which probably had something to do with getting elected!

Danny Fritz placed fourth, impressively running 10 seconds faster than his predicted finishing time and out-kicking Jeremy Davidson at the finish. Diana Hampel was the first woman to cross the finish line, placing ninth overall. In the veterans (masters? old guys?) category, kudos to trophy namesake Paul "Piston" Hextall for placing seventh with a 1:25:30 effort.

Temperature at the race start was a mild 83 degrees, with 71% humidity.

2009 Run for the Hill of It Photos
]]>Jeremy DavidsonRun for the Hill of It2009-07-28T13:53:09-04:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/1bf12803636db6798afcd6580560725b-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/1bf12803636db6798afcd6580560725b-4.html#unique-entry-id-4The 2009 edition of the "Run for the Hill of It," a Roadkiller tradition, will be held on Thursday, Aug. 27.

What's that, you say, you've never heard of this race? OK, I guess we can't blame you. It's pretty unofficial, as far as official races go. No bib numbers, no mile markers, no crowds, no sponsors, no fanfare. But any Roadkiller will tell you, it's one of the biggest dates on our calendar. Why? Bragging rights of course. And Pizza.

Seriously folks, it's a fun get-together and a great fitness challenge as everyone heads into fall marathon training or the 2009-10 Track Shack Grand Prix. We'll have to check with our club president, but we think it also marks the official ending to the "Summer of Speed." The race course is nine miles and you can read more about it here and here.

Coach John Boyle is the reigning RFTHOI champion. He laid out the course several years ago, so we'll give him the advantage if he decides to defend his title. Danny Fritz says he "owns" this course and President Daniel McCarthy is 100% healthy after an injury-plagued 2008 season. On the women's side, April Darrow does the race seeding, so we'll say good things about her, of course. She'll be challenged by newcomer Diana Hampel, or Shawn Rudd if she breaks her vow to avoid racing before the 2010 Boston Marathon. Sara Van Meter might pick up a few pointers from her husband, Jason, a former RFTHOI champion.

That's all for now, but remember to mark your running calendar for Thursday, Aug. 27!]]>Jeremy Davidson5K and 10K2009-05-17T11:39:34-04:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/29293119509e66f89d81fe647e184935-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/29293119509e66f89d81fe647e184935-3.html#unique-entry-id-3Eleven Roadkillers laced up their shoes for the Jim Payne Blue Ribbon 5K Run for the Kids, last Saturday evening in 80 degree temperatures. The race was held in historic downtown Sanford, Fla.

Weather was the story of the race on a sweltering, sunny evening. The race was advertised as a "sunset" run. I guess they were referring to the sun sitting low in the sky - directly in your face - as you completed the final mile heading directly Westward. Despite the warm temperatures, Roadlkiller results were impressive. Six Roadkillers placed first in their age group, including three who placed in the top 10 overall. Danny Fritz gave us all a 1:00 minute allowance for the heat, which means we probably all just PR'd in cooler weather.

The "Summer of Speed" continues for many Roadkillers, at the May 30 Lake Mary 5K.

]]>Jeremy DavidsonTraining2009-05-08T14:31:03-04:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/c8eabb683c939c90ad5d56d13c9d9121-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/c8eabb683c939c90ad5d56d13c9d9121-2.html#unique-entry-id-2According to Bob "Skippy" Darrow, last Thursday's training run in Lake Mary registered as the hottest run EVER. It was officially noted in the Roadkiller annals after being recorded off the temperature display on Bob's dashboard. Now, where are those annals, again?

Seriously, it was 93 degrees at the start as five intrepid Roadkillers set out on Thursday's usual eight-mile loop. For the "varsity" runners, represented by "Young" Daniel McCarthy and Jeremy Davidson, a tempo run was on the schedule so a tempo run it was. Maybe it was the 6:05 mile spilts before the water stop, but somehow these two managed to complete the course in under 55 minutes. The hottest run of the year turned out to be one of the best training runs of the year. Go figure. Our take is that Daniel is peaking, big time, in this weather while Jeremy's hanging on, trying not to hospitalize himself again. Quite a combination. Now we just need Craig, Danny, Tom or Chris to return and tear our legs off.

Coming up... several Roadkillers are planning to race in the Jim Payne Blue Ribbon 5K run, May 16 in Sanford, FL. This is an evening race with a 6:00 p.m. start time. Here's hoping the recent hot weather training pays off. ... A return to the Hill Course in DeLand is overdue, so look for the Roadkillers to tackle this course on an upcoming Thursday evening, instead of the Lake Mary loop. Most likely after the May 16 5K. And yes, we will be having Pizza afterwards!
]]>Jeremy DavidsonBoston MarathonMarathons2009-04-22T16:23:21-04:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/ed65092fa9fd667aca4b3b9ec753a988-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/ed65092fa9fd667aca4b3b9ec753a988-1.html#unique-entry-id-1by Mike "Fly T" Baron

Left for Boston on Saturday morning. Took Jet Blue non-stop up there; flight was 2 hours 40 min. I did see another runner at baggage claim that was basically freaking out because they lost his checked bag that had his shoes, shorts and other running gear. As most of us know if you check in a bag plan on them losing it, so take your shoes shorts and other ‘must have’ stuff with you on the plane. Took a cab to the Marriott Copley, fare was $18. I have stayed at the Marriott before, it is close to everything you need to get to for the marathon. Packet pickup and Expo are a 10 min walk away to the Hynes Convention Center, the finish line is 5 minute walk and the Boston Commons is 15 minute walk to get on the bus to go to Hopkinton. (NOTE: room rate is $259.00 through marathon tours. They are taking reservations right now for 2010. You have to send them one nights deposit but if you have to cancel before Feb 5 they refund your deposit minus $20 handling fee. This hotel fills up fast so if you are planning on going you need to make your reservation soon.)

Race morning... left the hotel at 6:30AM and walked to Boston Common. Line to get on the buses was long, about one hour wait then another hour ride to Hopkinton. Traffic was stop and go last 5 miles or so. Got to the Athlete’s Village at 8:30 and laid around until 9:30 before dropping the bags off at the buses. If you have to take a leak you better do it at the Athlete’s Village. When you walk from there to the start corrals they have fences along the whole street with police every 50 ft watching. The message is real clear “No pi**ing in the bushes next to the houses!” (They have some port o pots near the corrals but the line are long there, too).

Weather for the race was great! Temperature was 47 degrees and dew point was 36 wind was east-southeast at 16 mph. Most of the time the wind wasn’t that strong it was off to the right front and wasn’t much of a factor at all. This was probably the coolest weather I have had to run a marathon in quite awhile. I was in start corral 9. Took us about 5 min to get to the start line but once we crossed it we were running, the first mile was 8:00 and by the 2nd mile I was on pace at 7:40, being that far back in the pack wasn’t an issue at all.

The first 6 miles is all downhill and a lot of people were really flying by me on the side during this stretch. I had been warned by President Daniel not to do this because it will beat the hell out of your quads so I kept the pace at 7:40 -7:30. From mile 6 to 13 I ran pretty steady at 7:40 pace until we got to Wellesley College, had to stop and take a picture of all the girls out there. The noise they make is something, you can hear them over a half mile away.

After Wellesley at mile 15 there is a steep downhill right before you get to Newton and the start of the hills. There are 4 of them, the steepest one is at mile 17.6 right past the fire station, the tallest one, though, is Heartbreak. It isn’t as steep as the one at 17.6 but the elevation change is 15 ft more. After Heartbreak hill there are just a few small hills but nothing much at all and after mile 23 it is almost completely flat going into downtown Boston.

The wind did pickup as we got close to the city but it felt good, like getting hit with some cool A/C on a summer day. The crowd along the whole route is something. I had my name written on the side of my arm and about every min I would hear “Go Mike” really helps those last few miles when you are hurting. The last 1/3 of a mile when you turn onto Boylston Street is something else when you see the finish line and the crowd is roaring. I really don’t know how they keep it up for the whole time.

As soon as we crossed the finish line the give you the silver blankets to keep you warm because as soon as you stopped running the wind felt cold. They take the chip off your shoe and give you your finishers medal at the same time. The buses with your bags are about 2 blocks away and the walk back to the Marriott is another 4 blocks north.

The limiting factor for me was how sore the quads got from the downhill portions of the race. For next year we might want to consider having some group runs in Clermont.

The main goal for us this year is to get as many people qualified as possible for Boston 2010. As most of you know I have been running for quite a few years and this is the best 6 months of training and marathon running I have ever done. Without a strong group like this staying motivated over a long period of time is almost impossible. Also want to thank Psycho Dan Stojic for doing all those 20 mile runs in the middle of last summer with me. Those are some of the hardest miles I had to put in and as all of you know doing long runs by yourself in this Florida heat is really tough to do.

This Boston Marathon was great, but Boston 2010 will be the best ever for the Roadkillers.]]>Jeremy Davidson5K and 10K2009-04-18T18:27:47-04:00http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/08c131c6176fe27e85a987a9f472e2d5-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.roadkillers.com/page6/files/08c131c6176fe27e85a987a9f472e2d5-0.html#unique-entry-id-0
Club President "Young Daniel" McCarthy points out: "there were 235 people in the race and the Roadkillers had nine people in the top 28. The SLOWEST time at the race for a Roadkiller was a 22:32."

Good stuff. Congratulations to all. Even Skippy.

For complete team competition results, go to http://www.frontrunningsports.com/blog/spirit-of-the-y-5k-team-results.php.
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