"Ask not what your team can do for you, but what you can do for your team."
-Ian Adamson

Thursday, December 31, 2009

How long is winter again?

Todd and I just returned from a quick 3.5 mile or so New Year's Eve run. In temperatures just above freezing. And it was raining.

I just want to say, give me cold, wet and raining over the treadmill any day of the year.

Oh, and come on Springtime.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Introducing the 2010 Madness Mid-Winter Motivational Series

With all of the cold weather and the total lack of races in January, we've decided to organize a couple of 5K races of our own. The 2010 Madness Mid-Winter Motivational Series will include two 5K races in January, and maybe another one or two in February. Everyone is welcome to come out and run with us, there will be no race fees, and they will be timed events. We will also provide after race refreshments.

The first race will be held on January 10, 2010 at the Blackwater Creek Trail. The race will start at 10 am.

The second race will be held on January 17, 2010 at Peaks View Park. The race will start at 10 am.

I expect all members of the East Coast Madness race team to be at both races, but I also hope to see some other friends and family there. I think that this will be a good opportunity to keep everyone motivated during these hard-to-train-in winter months. Spring will be here soon, and before we know it race season will be in full swing. Lets work together to stay motivated and keep training. Call Alexis or Todd if you have any questions.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Jingle Bell Fun Run- CANCELLED

That means I have one pair of elf ears, two sets of posable antler headbands, and two light-up reindeer headbands but no awards for most spirit. That means 8-16 inches of impending snow. It also means we will have to do something most dreadful this weekend.

Use the treadmill.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Winter Time Training Blues

I know that it's hard to stay motivated, and to keep training when the weather is cold and nasty. This always helps me maintain my focus whenever I get into a slump and don't feel like getting out to train.





I'd like to get a couple of really good team training sessions in over the Christmas Break when everyone is going to be in town. I'm actually up for training whenever we can find some time. Alexis, Erin, and I started exploring some of the bike trails at Blackwater Creek last weekend, and I'd like to get everybody out there together once or twice before Spring Semester starts up again.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

30th Annual Peaks Of Otter Christmas Classic

Being our first race in inclement weather (it rained and snowed), most of the team was a little discouraged by their times, however I had read early that morning that running any course in the rain makes you 50% more hardcore than running the same course on a different day in normal weather. So keeping our hardcoreness in mind here are the results for our last race of 2009.

Jordan
36:04
12th in age group (18-24)
258/322

Alexis
26:44
5th in age group (25-29)
138/322

Erin
29:51
9th in age group (30-34)
196/322

Tyler
36:04
26th in age group (18-24)
259/322

Todd
23:15
7th in age group (35-39)
73/322

Our only other organized run left this year (other than weekend group training sessions) is next Saturday's Jingle Bell Fun Run at Riverside Runners here in town (their Christmas Party to speak of). Prizes will be awarded for best holiday spirit. I was thinking of going as an Elf but I figured the tights would be a little too cold for me and the elf shoes not the best for running, any ideas?

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Genesis House Turkey Trot 5K Results

It is the unanimous opinion of the entire East Coast Madness team that this was a fairly tough 5K course. I wouldn't say that it was extremely difficult, but the hills proved to be moderately challenging. We've got to start training better for hills.

Todd:
22:58
8th in Age Group (35-39 male)
104 out of 896 (Overall)
Alexis:
27:50
7th in Age Group (25-29 female)
341 out of 896 (Overall)

Erin:
29:07
12th in Age Group (30-34 female)
411 out of 896 (Overall)

Jordan:
39:45
49th in Age Group (15-19 female)
783 out of 896 (Overall)

Tyler:
39:45
36th in Age Group (20-24 male)
782 out of 896 (Overall)

Monday, November 23, 2009

Great Training Day

We went out to the Blackwater Creek Trails on Sunday with Tyler and Jordan, both of whom are seriously considering joining the East Coast Madness team. I ran the 10 mile loop, and everybody else did the 7 mile trail. We ran into Eddie out there, who knocked out 5 1/2 miles. The weather was beautiful (especially for this late into November), and everybody had a good time, and I think a good workout. I know that I did!

We haven't pinned down the next team training date yet, it may be this weekend, but with the Holidays and out of town guests it's hard to say. I know that everyone will keep working individually until we get something together.

This spring I want to start working on some multi-discipline team training sessions, and I think that the Blackwater Creek Trails would be ideal for a team trail run (10 miles with gear) followed by a longer bike run (maybe 15 miles). We also need to start looking for a spot to do some flat-water paddling.

If any of you have suggestions for new training locations I'd love to hear them.

See you all at the race on Thursday, remember: "Train hard, race easy."

New Balance - Girls On The Run 5K results!

Let me just say that this was a really fun race. There must have been a couple of hundred elementary school kids running. Alexis and I decided to run together, we're working on the teamwork thing. Both Alexis and Erin finished with new personal best times, showing marked improvement.

Alexis - 25:15

Todd - 25:16

Erin - 27:15

The race was timed, but other than that no rankings were available, but we're pretty sure that Alexis finished 12th out of about 300 runners.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Welcome To East Coast Madness

It's now official, we are running as a satellite team of Madness Adventure Racing, a sponsored race group based out of Arizona. Madness runs four or five teams out of Arizona, one in Utah, and now us here in Virginia. We hope to be growing our East Coast numbers soon.

Madness was formed with the primary goal of running Adventure Races, but the members out west also run Marathons, Half-Marathons, Triathlons, Mountain Bike races, 10K, and 5K races. Pretty much anything that keeps them moving, and that's what our goal here is as well. Madness is a not-for-profit incorporated organization whose primary function is to bring racers together as a team, and get them racing.

Training is of the utmost importance to any race team, and we are no exception. The Madness motto is "Train Hard, Race Easy" and thats a philosophy that we in the new east coast team heartily embrace. Training as a team helps to build a strong cooperative attitude, as well as strong racers. Training as a team gives us the opportunity to push each other harder than we would push ourselves alone. Training as a team gives us the strength to push ourselves beyond our personal limitations, and drives us to work harder, because we're working for the team.

Racing is what we are all about. The East Coast Madness team is dedicated to running as many races as we can handle. Our goal is to become a competitive Co-Ed Adventure Racing team, but along the way we're planning on running as many different races as we can. So far we've run in three street races, and one trail race, but our race schedule is quickly filling and becoming more varied.

We invite you to keep up with us here on this blog, but also to come out and train and race with us when you can. If you're interested in joining us you can contact us through this blog.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Apple Valley 5k Results





Todd: 23:12
35 out of 172
5th in age division 30-39

Alexis: 29:59
97 out of 172

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Run For Their Lives Official Results

Todd : 24:15
Overall : 36th/439
Age group 0-99 Male : 30 out of 140 to finish
7:49 mile average
6th male in 30-39 to finish


Jordan : 29:48
Overall : 122/439
Age group 0-99 Female : 58 out of 299 to finish
9:37 mile average


Alexis : 29:48
Overall: 123/439
Age group 0-99 Female : 59/299
9:37 mile average


Erin : 32:41
Overall : 189/439
Age group 0-99 female : 105/299
10:33 mile average

Results Page

Monday, September 28, 2009

Virginia 10 Miler Official Results

Todd: (10 miler) 1:36:07
622nd/925
30-34 male group 55 out of 61


Alexis: (4 miler)45:45
562nd/713
25-29 age group 30 out of 36