USATF-NJ 8K X-C Championship

What a great day! First of all, it isn't supposed to be sunny and in the high 60's on Halloween. With the breeze today, the race weather was still downright hot. I could have used a water stop during this 8K X-C race, where water stops are unheard of. There was some great racing today dispite the warm weather. Roger Price ran a super race, at 29:19 = 5:54/mile and 84.6% PLP. 59 year-old Rich Myers's 31:11 @ 82.4% is outstanding also, and has to have Bill Hagman thinking of some new training plans for next year.

Our 40's "A" team was 2nd behind old Running Company again. Doug Fitzhenry, Roger Price, Sergio Cano, Carl Rocker, and John Kane doing the scoring. Predicting the 5th scorer remains a wildcard going into these races for me, seeing closeness of Kane, Fiorilla, Ferinden, and myself. The race distance, goodday/badday syndrome can tip the balance between us grunts. Ferinden is not as fit as he would like to be right now, Fiorilla is running better and better on a comeback this year, and Kane has been consistently the strongest in all but the longest races. Plus there were a two scorers for our "B" team that penetrated the "A" team's non-scorers: Rich Myers and John Taylor. And there was also John Papp, with possibly a day to be happy about - but he didn't get onto a team because I did not see him there until the starting line. So, by the way, there is a new rule: IF YOU DON'T PRE-ENTER, YOU HAVE TO FIND ME TO GET YOU ONTO A TEAM!

The point I am trying to make here is that our 40's Men have great depth, but sometime lack the big scorers up front that Running Company has. It will be great when Mark Zamek's hamstring gets better and Marc Gigure's comes back from his bum knee, and Mike Ferinden does his usual early-season magic, that is true; but also so many of us can improve next year and push us up to the next level. The continuing improvements of Kane, Fiorilla, Papp, and hopefully me will feed the team well. Fitzhenry, Cano, Rocker and Price are always strong; thanks for that, you guys! Running Company will have some great competition next year when we are all healthy and show up ready to rock & roll!