Rowdy with a Very Good Chance of Meatballs

Great day running a 3.5 mile XC race along the Andover Country Club. Andrew, John and I were the trio representing the E-Streeters today, and we did the team proud. While I wasn't first across the finish line, I WAS the first getting a plate at the unparalleled feedbag afterwards.

In its 31st year, this race cannot be beat, both for the price ($20 registration comes complete with running gloves) the course, along the rolling and rolling golf course hills, and the pasta dinner waiting for you at race's end. Results were posted with minutes of the race's end, plenty of beer and beverages on tap, and a banner day of weather make this one of the don't-miss races of the running calendar.

This year's race featured an added bonus, as John ran with his electronic goomah, which collected GPS coordinates all along the course. Here's a satellite view of the course:
Andrew, waiting for the start, but thinking about the pasta dinner

Sizing up his competition, he knows he can easily out-eat these posers

Here's John, sidestepping goose poop, but dressed to hunt them

Thumb's up for knowing where the camera is always located

About the only time John can be found in the center of a golf course fairway:

And of course, the obligatory finish line line-up

And as promised, here's Andrew at the main event, giving instructions to his servers, who nearly let the meatballs touch his salad

One side note, beware of toppled chairs, their legs can cause significant problems for men carrying platefuls of food, as John (who is occasionally mistaken for Barry) can deftly attest to.

Return of the Turkeys

Great time had by all at this morning's Thanks4giving race in Lowell to benefit Alternative House. As you can see from the group shot, the E Streeters were well represented, grabbing not only top places in the 5K and 10K legs, but apple pies as well!

Here's Scott, refusing to get girled

Carlos, with the thumbs up, or perhaps jumping rope

Taking it in stride

Beating the walkers

The scientist, all smiles

If Scott isn't going to get girled, Tommy sure isn't either

This is the photo of Barry that we COULD use on a family blog

Father daughter tandem

And the father-son combo

Some folks would be content with getting one pie

Once again, thankful that everyone is here for another year of healthy racing, good times and family fun at E Streeter race outings. Thanks, too, to the support team families that come out for all of the races to cheer us in!

Dashing Monsters

A bit late, but we can't let the monster efforts of all seven of our teams go unnoticed in this year's Monster Dash duathlon! A combination of E-Streeters and Middlesex Community College's extended family, we threw seven teams into the mix at the Lowell Elks, with three of the teams coming away with prize-placing finishes!

A terrific family event, thanks in great part to all of our supporters, dogs and all!

Here's the motley crew, pre-race:

Father and son zombies:And yes, zombies can run fast (and scarily)Gina heads for the finish (of lap one)

Spider-Man breaks the cardinal rule of super-heroing, taking off her mask in public

Pumpkin-Man, sans pumpkin (and even on crutches, Heather is there to cheer)
A herculean effort by a beer bottle
Marc stops traffic wherever he goes Donna still finds the energy to give the thumb's up:

Some of our loudest supporters:

Brady ready to take on the big dog

And the scary aftermath: