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.
Take a look around.

April 6th, Black Squirrel 5k…… 2nd age group time 21:10

Hartville St. Patrick’s Day Trail Run 5K

Saturday March 11th

Quail Hollow State Park

Hartville, OH

Finish Time 23:38

2nd in 41-50 age division and 16th overall.

It was a cold and windy day at Quail Hollow State Park, but that didn’t stop over 200 runners and walkers from taking on the Hartville St. Patrick’s Day Trail Run 5K. The temperature was hovering around 5 degrees with steady winds but neither were much of a factor as the trail was protected by the thick woods that surrounded it. The course itself is primarily dirt primitive trails with a few short stretches of paved trail. There are some slight elevation changes but nothing drastic. The real challenge of this course is the winding ever changing direction of the trail and the footing. Usually this course is very muddy but this year the cold temperatures froze the mud making for very uneven and hazardous footing. It was difficult to enjoy the natural beauty of the park as you had to focus on the placement of each and every footstep to avoid possible injuries and hazards. The course winds around trees, past swamp lands, and over small snow covered wooden walkways to cross creeks before tracking back to the paved parking lot for the finish. The final part of the trail was the most hazardous. I had a runner on my back shoulder heading to the last decline of the trail before heading to the paved parking lot finish. I made the decision to be conservative and not risk injury on the small hill and the runner behind me shot right down the middle of the frozen muddy section passing me and eventually beating me by 4 seconds to win my age group. I knew slowing down would allow the runner to pass me but I didn’t want to risk sitting out the entire race season with a broken ankle. This was my first trail run race. I quickly learned trail running is much different than road races. It was a great learning experience and fun event. The race was well organized. Participants received tech shirts with a cool design and winners received custom awards made of stone and tiles.
So fresh and so clean.

Gasperilla 15k Tampa FLorida, 6th age group…..194 out of 6500

SUMMER SPRINT TRI…..HURON
Time 1:16:59….1st age group

Frostbite 5K Prediction Run

February 4th 2017
Munroe Falls Metro Park
Munroe Falls, Ohio

Finish time 23:24
Predicted time 23:58
Seconds off predicted time 34

Finish place 35 out of 97
Once again this race presented by the Summit Athletic Running Club lived up to its namesake. The temperature at the start of the race was 14 degrees. Little to no wind and lots of sunshine made up for the cold temperatures. This is a unique running event where runners win by finishing closest to their predicted finish times. Speed has nothing to do with winning. The course is 2 laps around the Munroe Fall Metro Park lake all on the service roads. It is a nice scenic run with some small rolling hills and flats. Nothing to extreme but enough elevation change to make things interesting. This was my third year competing in this event For the second year in a row I was faster than my predicted time. I believe I was the 8th overall runner to finish. I am perfectly fine being faster than I am predictable. All participants received blue and red candy striped arm warmers that Where’s Waldo and Dr. Seuss would really appreciate. The arm warmers were nice quality but I would have personally preferred a more neutral color. Every runner received a prize from the “Prize Table” that mostly included race incentives from previous Summit Athletic Running Club events. There was plenty of food and hot chocolate after the race to keep everyone warm while results were calculated. Participation was a little lower than the last 2 years. Hopefully next year’s race will be bigger and better than ever!.

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