Miner Leaguers

A really good time had by all today at the Miner Falls 4k race in Nashua, N.H. Great course, really nice trail, and a tremendous showing by the E-Streeters, taking 5 of the top 14 slots. Andrew did especially well, taking second place overall. Carlos performed well in the warm-ups, but was conspicuously absent when the starting gun went off (although his name was yelled, much to the distraction of the starter.)

Here's a quick batch of pics from the a.m. outing. First up, A-Game and Domi-Nate stretching out:
C-Note and Uncanny wrap up a warm-up

The pre-race line-up:

Barry is finished.

So's Pat.

And Domi-Nate finishes strong as well.

Sub-4, first in his age group, has his pick of swag. (As did all of us. We all came away prize-winners at this one.)

There's an interesting 10 mile race at this same location next Sunday morning, with three options: doing the entire 10, pairing up and doing 5 miles each, or coming up with four people to do four 2.5 mile legs. Who's in?

Running Fourth on the Fifth

Hot as h-e-c-k in Chelmsford this morning for the annual John Carson two-mile road race down North Road. As seen below, the E-Streeters were well represented in our red, white and blue (and green and grey) gear. Ready for the day to celebrate our country's independence!

Sean's shirt in no way reflected his later need for a medical tent.

Andrew can't hear the love (but the cheering sections were definitely out in force - thanks Jackie, Jill, Finn, Anne, Ann Marie and Kayla!)

Proof that Shea beat her dad, no matter what the standings say!

And finally, post-race - thankfully it was Andrew, not Barry who went sans shirt. And yes, that's Barry's tongue hanging out in exhaustion.

A Bear of a Run

The weather was great, the course was terrific, the cause inspirational, the company.......not so much.

But the Bear 5K 2010 was an overwhelming success on the trails of the Great Brook State Park in Carlisle this weekend, to benefit autism research. The event, in its second year, has evolved into a tremendous family event, with runners and walkers of all sizes and ages joining the ranks.

And of course, there's always the chili and Yoohoo waiting at race's end to sweeten the pot.

Congrats go out to Stephen "Petey" Peterson for pulling together another fun off-road excursion, even if this blog writer got shut out from this year's raffle gifts. Guess I'll just have to bask in the glow of winning those X-Terra sneakers at the Rivah a couple of years back, even if they didn't make them in my size.

Nice work by all the families involved. And thanks especially to Andrew, sidelined with a cartilage issue in his big toe, for taking the award-winning pics to complement the blog entry.

And for the record, the E-Streeters were well represented, especially by all of our new members, who are much better looking than us by a long mile.

Also, can anyone explain why nearly all of us wore numbers sponsored by X-Terra, a trail-racing sneaker, except for Scott who was sponsored by Fig Newton?!?

A photo round-up from the morning:

Proof positive you don't have to run the race to wear the tee-shirt:

The real Kenny family runners revealed:

Not sure if she's yelling at me or her brother:On their second and third bowls of chili, before most runners have even had their first:

He can't help himself, he HAS to compete: She-Streeters and a Grey Wolf cub and Wife.

It might keep him from running, but torn cartilage won't keep Andrew from the chili:

What Happens on the Vineyard.....

......Makes it onto the blog.
So, some observations of a bachelor party, 2010, a la Martha's Vineyard:

• It's traditional to hear someone yelling Carlooooooooos at the end of a 62 mile bike ride.
• Sometimes, playing drums 43 years can score you some pretty good gigs. Especially if you embrace anonymous volunteerism.
• The Rising isn't that easy to find in the sunlight.
• Hamburgers and hot dogs taste good even if you don't ride a bike.
• Hockey overtime victories can sometimes be misconstrued for rude drivers.
• Scott got a seven on that hole.
• Carlos is a big boy, he knows how to swim, so it doesn't make sense to worry about him needlessly.
• Scott parred the last two holes.
• People besides Scott use Pinnacle golf balls.
• Rule #1: Cardio.
• Stop signs on the Vineyard don't really mean stop.
• Neither do speed limit warnings.
• Running on the beach sounds like a good idea at the time.
• Barry's breakfast burrito is hot so be careful handling it.
• Andrew (on his first bachelor party outing) knows the hours of Back Door Donuts better than anyone.
• Karen, the June Bride, doesn't realize the importance of soup to some people.

Other than that, here's a quick recap of the weekend that was, with compromising photos left out to be used for later purposes.

What 62 miles look like:

Fashion questions, not statements:

Chariots of Fire

We don't need no stinkin' map.....

A Sign of Lacrosse

The warm weather's here, and so is lacrosse season.

Things started out with a bang, with Heather Cinco Ocho scoring the team's first goal of the season, in front of her adoring fans, some of whom are pictured below. Alas, the momentum was not to last as the team ran into juggernauts in Westford and Acton-Boxboro.

But she looks great out there on the field, doesn't she?

He Took It In Tewksbury

So, at the suggestion of Scott, who had earmarked a nice 5K in Tewksbury, Andrew and I showed up, hearing that both John and Petey would be among the competitors that day. Alas, between better lures in Groton, a hamstring problem, and a tough outing for an E Streeter on Saturday, the competition was not to be found.
For Andrew, though, there was a bigger challenge awaiting him: the opportunity to run well and steal one from beneath the noses of the Tewksbury track team, as the race was being run on their home turf. Me, I was just along for the ride, testing the feet for the first time since Boston.
At the end of the day, Andrew ended up in 5th place, yes, in front of the entire Tewksbury team, as was his friend, Johannah, who captured top place on the women's side. The old man didn't do too badly either, finishing 31st.
And as for the pics below, that's Andrew accepting his medal as well as enjoying a cheeseburger donut from Donna's Donuts in Tewksbury. Believe me, do not knock it until you have tried it. And we figure Andrew earned the indulgence after doing so well in the race.