Adam Lenz 1st age group 1:29, Paul Lenz 3rd age group 1:20, Roy Miller 5th age group 1:24, Dan Deckler 9th age group 1:53 and relay Team Henry, Scott 2nd 1:28

2nd place age group……Xterra Regional Championship, Oak Mountain State Park Pelham, Alabama

Last night was the Ride of Silence at LifeCenter plus. Ride of Silence is a national movement to increase awareness of cars sharing the road with bikes and to pay respect to bikers killed by automobiles. This was the first year for the local event.

Jerry, Carlo, Stacy and I all road. Jimmy was there at the start with a few Eddy’s bike techs providing last minute bike maintenance. Micky was also there riding and supporting the event. Stacy did a great job organizing and leading the event. The ride was 10 mile course at a 10 mph – 12 mph pace on the roads bordering Stow and Hudson. Many riders from the Akron Bike Club participated. A moment of silence was observed for the 2 local bike riders killed last year and all other bike riders killed nationally.

The ride ended at LifeCenter plus with refreshments and raffle prizes donated by Eddy’s Bike Shop and LifeCenter plus.

I finished 4th overall with a time of 34:48 for the 1.5 mile kayak and 2.5 mile race.

I missed 3rd place by just a few seconds and first by 1:44 seconds. Not bad considering I wasn’t sure I could even run with a torn calf muscle. With two good legs I probably win the race.
Below is my review

The Sweat Now Wine Later race held at Gervasi Winery is a 1.5 mile kayak followed by a 2.5 mile run. There is a run or walk only option if kayaking is not your thing. I am not sure if this event is a festival of wine and food that starts with a race or a race that ends in a wine and food festival but either way this race is a big hit! The short fast course, beautiful grounds of Gervasi Winery and promise of excellent food and wine at the finish makes this race a local favorite. The race is ideal for multi sport beginners, recreational competitors, and serious athletes looking to test their skill and speed. The kayak leg is in a shallow winding creek. All participants must use kayak equipment that is provided eliminating any individual equipment advantages. The water depth in the creek was not ideal averaging 12 inches or less in most areas of the course. In several spots the water depth was too low and participants had to exit their kayaks and drag them to deeper water. The run course is flat, fast, and scenic as it makes its way back to the finish line at Gervasi. Run Canton Inc and the Canton Park and Recreation Department did an outstanding job organizing the race. Race participants received tech shirts, custom finisher medals that double as wine stoppers, and a voucher for food or wine at Gervasi. The only thing that could improve this race is to offer more awards and an awards ceremony. Only the top three male and female finishers receive awards in the mail. Age group awards would be nice at this race. This is an excellent short race that provides great value, fun and a beautiful race venue. I have no doubt this race will continue to sell out for many years.

Arkansas Xterra off road Triathlon 5-1-2016
USAT National Championship- world Qualifier,De Gray’s Lake

4TH PLACE AGE GROUP

I ran my first half marathon of the year this past Saturday in Kent., I actually ran about a half-mile extra by accident through Towner’s woods, plus stopped at every rest stop to drink water and chat with the friendly people…however I still managed sub two hours…!  My time was 1:57:56.

It was called On My Own Two Feet Half Marathon and Duathlon. I love that 100 percent of the proceeds went to the local battered women’s shelter

Henry, Emily 2nd team relay (DU), Paul Dowd 2nd age group (DU), Steve Z. 2nd age group (DU)

Grand River Canoe & Kayak Race 2016 Geneva Ohio.

I finished 10th out of 106 in the 14′ and under solo kayak division. I placed 3rd in the 40-49 age division. I would have finished first or second in my age division but I missed my line on the final bend of the river and got hung up on the rocks. I missed second by nine seconds and first by about a minute and a half. My finish time was 1:40:44.

Race Review For Grand River Canoe and Kayak Race

347 participants competed in tough conditions to take on the 8.5 mile canoe and kayak race. It was a cold 39 degrees, a little windy and the water was very shallow making this year’s race very challenging. The water depth was listed at 2′-2.5′ but many areas were even lower. The 8.5 mile course was a maze of exposed and hidden rocks. You were either on your line, or hung up on a rock. The course conditions benefited local paddlers and skilled technical paddlers with the ability to read the river. To find safe passage paddlers assessed current breaks, ground slopes, exposed rock, water flow, up river boats, and even wading fly fishermen. Very few competitors dared risking the hulls of their composite racing boats. Must chose heavier molded plastic boats that were slower but more suitable for the conditions. The finish times were all much slower than last year when the river was a foot higher and running much faster. Lake Metro Parks does a very nice job organizing races and events. The race was chip timed with live results that were available on mobile devices and from a computer results station set up at the finish

Race Review – Boston 2016

The Boston weather forecast was very good – about 58F and light-moderate headwinds of 10-15 mph. When Brigitte (my daughter, running her 4th) and I (running my 8th) arrived at the Athletes Village, she reminded me that we were 26.2 miles from Boston, and that the cool temps in Boston were not what we would have in Hopkinton. It was almost 70F for wave 1, and crested a little over 70 by the time we hit Wellesley. The sun and headwinds made it really tough for everyone, and most folks (particularly the later waves) did a bigger positive split than usual because of the weather. If you look at the BAA site, the race recap starts with “Near perfect conditions greeted the 27,491 runners who lined up in Hopkinton for the 120th running of the Boston Marathon: temperatures in the low ’60s; no humidity; a gentle, cooling breeze.” Not sure which Hopkinton they were at, but in the corral I was standing in, it was far from “near perfect.” I tried to adjust the race plan to accommodate the higher temps, and overall it went very well. End result – 1:32-ish first half and 1:37-ish second half for a net time of 3:09:38, which was my best Boston ever, by over 7 minutes – very happy with the performance, and very grateful. 2817th overall, 27th in my age group, and first 55-59 finisher from Ohio.

A lot of hills, 35 mph winds 30 deg. snowing
31 st over all, 5th in age group, time 1:19:50 , pace 7:59