Danvers 5k

ninja fast

What a year. What a night. I had my doubts. It’s cold, it’s snowing, it’s New Years Eve. Three very good reasons NOT to run. Nature took care of my New Years plans, I would be ringing it in on the working end of  a Plow Truck. I made it a point to be at Cody’s though, just in case anyone showed up, if nothing else it allowed me the opportunity to take a break and have a pint, as well as feed my need for a little social interaction. 

Time Check 6:40pm. T.R. Ramsdell walks in. Not exactly dressed to run, but does state, if no one shows up I will run, to keep the tradition alive. Time Check 6:50pm. Enter Kevin Whitehead dressed head to toe in all black. Which in this rare occasion is actually a good choice of attire. High contrast, ya Know? Kevin has now officially saved the D5K streak. Not to be outdone though. Kevin Counihan walks through the door and immediately starts emanating bellows of steam. Apparently he ran here, I guess we might have to make the course longer this year, perhaps the “D10K” may need to be initiated. 

As tradition serves we started the run promptly at 7ish. 7:09pm. 

As T.R. and I work on the important topics, like bar jokes, and war stories, in walks Frank Lanzillo. He wasn’t dressed to run, but he did bring in some canned goods to donate to the food bank. Good Form Frank. So total we had 4 D5K regulars, 2 who ran, and 2 who cheered.

I want to thank everyone who makes this run what it is. I wish you all a very safe and happy 2009.

Run Fast….

It Rained…We Ran.

Where does the time go? I don’t really know, I blink it’s here, blink again…poof, it’s a week later. 

I can’t speak for every minute of time, but I do know where on average 30 minutes are spent every Week. To be a little more descript I know where 24 people spent between 18:24 to 36:20 minutes and seconds of there time on a rainy Wednesday night. They spent it running. Running in the dark, cold, rain…why? For FUN of course?! 

Apparently the conditions were just right for James DeLucca who came in first overall with a personal record time of: 18:25. I suppose adverse conditions can be a motivator in some situations. 

There were a few other PR’s this evening. Greg Lynch threw down a 23:04, and Jim Barry came in with a 23:25. Where were these PR’s in the early Fall when it was still light out, and a crisp running temp.? One of the best parts ( as well as sometimes frustrating parts ) of running is that you can not predict or control how good you will run. You really don’t know how it’s going to go until you start running. You can feel like a million bucks when start and finish feeling like a Nickel. The converse is also there as well. Or maybe it’s just me…drawing on ALL my experience in the world of competitive running.

This weeks field consisted of all D5K Regulars, with the exception of one new runner. Eric Knight chose this gift from nature of a night to stretch his legs on our course. When he turned the corner at the gas station I swear for a moment I heard The Rocky Soundtrack a little bit. That or maybe it was someones ringtone, who can say. Eric trucked threw the rain finishing with a 36:20.

Annie Rose Willis almost managed to sneak out of the accolades. Or…I was just saving her for last. Annie finished first for or female contingency this evening with a 20:07. Waving to her many fans that habitate the downtown area cigar shops, or video production studios in South Korea. That’s quite a range.

In closing: If you are one the people like me who have dedicated a DVD player that only plays the movie 300, then you will get the reference on the D5K picture this week. For you OTHER not so fortunate people the sign is also used in reference to the fact that it was rainy tonight and I am sure a little slippery.

I’m out.

smear on the love.

  Trust me when I say you guys have issues. We had 28 runners, which felt like one runner for every degree of temperature it was outside. I guess somewhere deep inside of me, far away from my numb appenditures, I admire the devotion you all show towards running. I guess adverse conditions can add to the accomplishment of the action being taken. I mean seriously sunny and eighty is sooo boring. 

That being said, it was a good evening for running, COLD can be a great motivator. A first overall win and a personal record for James DeLucca with a time of 18:32, proves that statement to be true. 

Crystal Anthony was our first female Popsicle finisher this evening, with a respectable 18:36. 

We had only one newbie this evening. Dan Tamroz figured now that it was zero degrees out, that it would be  a perfect time to run a poultry 3.1 miles. Coming in with a 26:17, good form. 

A note to all, next week marks the first anniversary of the {Danvers 5K Fun Run} I know that it falls on the eve of Thanksgiving, and there could be some scheduling conflicts due to family and friend obligations. So whether you make or not, I would like to show my thanks to all of you for helping make this little run what it is. ” The greatest contribution to running since Vaseline” Smear it on! You earned it.

Thank You,

The D5K Family.

A little extra tidbit: we as whole have run around 6,500 miles in our first year. Basically out to California and back. That’s about 2,100 laps around the course. Not a bad start.

What a nice night for a run. The temperature was just right. As is evident by the 8 Personal Records that were set this evening. We had a comfortable crowd consisting of 33 runners, with 4 first timers sprinkled in there for good measure.

With daylight savings in full affect, it is safe to say that we will being running in the dark for the next few months. So wear something reflective, or wear a light, or carry a torch, whichever you prefer. 

I am feeling a little preoccupied today, with little spark for creative thinking. Perhaps the gloomy rain has dampened my flame a tad. So I shall move swiftly into the result highlights.

Personal Records:

David Long-         18:19.

James DeLucca-   18:38.

Matt Adams-        20:46.

T.R. Ramsdell-      20:48.

Kevin Collins-       22:42.

Kerry Phelan-       23:30.

Mark Jones-         23:57.

Christina Nawn-   25:03.

First Timers:

Mark ???-              18:57.

Kerry Phelan-        23:30.

Peter Lueke-         23:33.

John Seccareccio- 28:46.

Enjoy some of these run pictures, and we will see you next week.

Anyway, lets flashback to Wednesday evening, as I recall it was a bit…dare I say chilly. 31 eager runners waiting in the cold, dressed like it was warm. Comforted only by the warm lonnnnnnng winded breaths of our fearless pontificator Liam Brady. “GO” says the guy with timer, and we embark on yet another course record setting evening.

Among the ranks of our faithful regulars, were 3 First Timers, and 2 Personal Records, one of which happens to be the new female course record. They are as follows:

First Timers:

Tom Keith.        24:37

Kelley Tobyne.  28:14

Naomi Gray.      29:02

Personal Records:

Joseph Miles.        20:22

Crystal Anthony.  18:18. New Female Course Record.

Special thanks to Sean Cody for doing a magnanimous job handing out the Popsicle sticks, and of course putting a roof over our heads, and cold pints in our hands.