Mikes first marathon…time 4:52

Sweat Now Wine Later

Gervasi Vineyard Canton, Ohio

May 6th

2 mile kayak and 2.5 mile run

Finish Time 17:48

12th Male Overall

18th Overall

Sweat Now Wine Later is a short fun race held at Gervasi Vineyard. This year’s race was especially short due to the cancellation of the kayak leg because of high fast water conditions. The race was changed to a short 2.5 mile run. The weather was cool mid 40’s and raining but that didn’t stop 300 dedicated wine lovers from getting to the grapes at the finish line! The run course is fast and flat all on crushed gravel trails leading back to Gervasi. This was a tough race for me as I have been dealing with a significant calf injury. I was determined however to compete and make it to the finish line. I started off strong and was at a 7:30 mile pace for the first 10 minutes of the run and then suddenly my calf completely strained and I was forced to walk. I did manage to run the last 200 meters into the finish shoot for a strong finish. It unfortunately wasn’t enough as I missed placing (top 10 males and 10 females) by 20 seconds. I can’t say enough about the job that Lisa and Steve at RunCanton do with organizing races. They always have great race swag! This race gave every participant a sweet tech shirt, $10 voucher for wine or food at Gervasi, and a finisher medal that doubles as a wine stopper. I recommend everyone head to runcanton.com and register for one of there events! You won’t be sorry! If you want to compete in next year’s Sweat Now Wine Later race you better register early as this year’s race sold out fast!

Grand River Canoe and Kayak Race

April 29th
Geneva, Ohio
8.5 Mile Kayak Race

Finish Time 1:32:07

10th Overall

2nd In Age Division.

This was my third year in a row competing in this race on the Grand River. For the third straight year I finished 2nd in my age group competing in the 14′ foot and under kayak class. The race was postponed a week due to high water levels from heavy rains the weeks leading up to the race. By the time the new race date came the water was down to 2.5 feet. Water levels were much better than last year but still a little low in many areas frequently creating rock hazards. I got hung up on mile two on some rocks and it cost me about a minute of time to recover. This proved to be a costly mistake as I found out later I missed first place in my age group by 5 seconds. Several competitive kayakers took their chances on the rocks with their fast composite boats ultimately sacrificing the hulls of their boats to the river gods. They had fast finish times but weren’t exactly pleased with the amount of damage the river rocks had done to their expensive fast kayaks. I stuck with my molded slower plastic kayak more suited for the conditions. The weather was mid 50’s and raining which isn’t exactly ideal for a kayak race. The Grand River is a beautiful scenic river with amazing views of the cliff walls high above the valley. The highlight of my race was when a bald eagle flew about 20 feet above my head as it made flight down the river searching for a meal. Lake Metro Parks always does a nice job organizing this race.

Nordonia Duathlon: 2.5 Mile Run / 10 Mile Bike / 2.5 Mile Run – This was a very well run event by Champ racing. The running course was nice and flat with one short but steep hill to get the heart going. Bike course was comprised of flats will some gentle rollers and one nice climb. Very small number of participants but some very strong local athletes leading the pack. I placed 18th out of 35 with a finish time of 1:16.21.

Hinckley “Buzzard” Duathlon 4-30-2017

The Hinckley race is one of my favorites. It’s close to home, a great hilly loop, and this year the weather was perfect! I first did this race in 2004, and have done it almost a dozen times since then.

The first 5 k run starts out at the Lake parking lot, which means you are at the bottom of a steep hill. I tried to keep leaders in sight, but the top 10 slowly pulled away from me as we passed mile 2. I knew a few would be doing run only, so kept pushing, ended first run with a 20.48- a decent run, but well off my past races times. I had a fast transition, hit the bike and felt solid. They made a course change- we did 2- 7 mile laps, going up Ledge rd. (“The wall”) I guess its 14-15 % grade. I was able to pass a few people there, one interesting “Team Euphoria” rider had music blasting on his bike you could hear from ½ a mile away. I passed him on the wall- but could slowly hear the music catching me on the flats. He passed me and pulled away-whatever helps you get through I guess. Rest of bike went ok, with only a few people passing me – a couple were relay teams (hate the relay teams!). I passed another rider in transition- hit the last run, and was totally alone. Top riders had pulled out a huge lead- people behind me were way back- so a lowly finish. Second run was 23:30, for total time of 1:31. Good enough for first in my age group- and 12th overall.
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