d
to make things extra challenging. Up Chalybes March 12, 2005 8:30 am. 28 degrees, snowing |
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The word "crazy" came up a lot this week, as the Saturday Weather Jinx
struck again. This week there weren't single digit temperatures to plague
us, but there was new snow in the air and on the ground
to make things extra challenging.
Lots of people seemed to start too fast for the conditions. Early on, it seemed easy on the down-hill, but after a little while, poor footing and sloppy conditions made the legs heavy and people tended to slow down.
One guy who seemed to go out too fast was first-timer Greg Pelican, owner of the Bethel Cycle Shop. Last week's winner, and Mark LoSacco went out with him and waited patiently for the new-bee to die off in the harsh conditions. It didn't happen, and Pelican sailed away to win by 29 seconds. Points leader Jeff Sheldon was third, another 40 seconds back.
Our Irish lass, Sinead Blevio, won for the women, finishing well ahead of her rival Kyle Knight. It is a fitting result the week before St. Patrick's Day. (Had Mark LoSacco won, we were ready to make an "error" and Eire-ize his name to be "O'Sacco." Didn't happen.
Farther back
Brian Vanderheiden had a good idea when he tried to beat the conditions by wearing a kind of tie-on cleats called "Get-A-Grips." They seemed to be working very well, as he sailed along for more than two miles well ahead of Mike Abraham and Jeff Tindell, who usually beat him. As he went up the big hill on Hemlock, though, his Get-A-Grips lost their grip, and Jeff sailed past him. Brian stopped to take them off, and Abe and Fossil both went past him.
Fossil
has a different secret for days like this. He puts six #6 3/8" hex
head sheet 
metal
screws in the bottom of each shoe. If he's careful and doesn't use
air-sole shoes, then they give a good deal of extra grip on the thinner bad
conditions. Essentially, it gives you traction until the ice is a little
bit thicker. They were why Fossil was able to be close enough to Jeff and
Abe to pass Brian when he had his troubles. It's tricks like this that
have enabled Fossil to survive since the Age of
Dinosaurs.
After the race, George Hermann was exalting that his 18th place was the highest he'd ever finished. He wanted to take the stick home, but scrooges that we are, we made him give it back. Also, George reports that Laura, recently suffering a foot injury, has been x-rayed. Now her foot glows in the dark, but at least it's not broken, and she hopes to be out pounding the roads pretty soon.
Mitten Princess Victoria Sandifer, who proves that it is possible to be talented and nice despite your parents, helped at the start and finish today. She took all of today's pictures except the ones she's in.
Other events
Wally
Jahn has announced that the proposed Half
Marathon in Danbury and through Bethel is really going to happen, and it will be on April 3.
Ryan McGorty, a senior at Shephaug Valley High School, along with Michael Hall, is organizing an April Fools Day 5k and two mile walk in Washington. Part of the April Fools joke is that the race is April 2, not April Fools Day itself. He handed out a bunch of entry forms.
The Rumor is true that Wayne Blackman, a regular on the Roxbury Injured List, and Dr. Mary Chute will tie the knot the first week in April. Paparazzi take notice!
Pete Gillen eMailed an appeal to participate in an unusual charity drive to support "microloans" in developing countries. You can read our conversation on this. I was skeptical at first, feeling it seemed too good to be true, but I checked with Oxfam America and it checks out just fine. Or you can go straight to the web site at www.povertyfighters.com. The drive ends March 31.
Pictures
At the top, Bob Lewis, Dave Harvey and Victoria Sandifer stand still before the race. Next, in the foreground, Mike Abraham tries to get his watch to work at the start, with Jeff Tindell right beside him. There are lots of other familiar faces in the background.
A little farther down, Stick Goddess Victoria Sandifer gives the finish line stick to Women's winner Sinead Blevio, as Watch Wizard Dave Harvey works the stopwatch in the background. Below that, the small but brave field leaves the finish line. The colorful guy 3rd person from the right, dressed in biking clothes, is eventual winner Greg Pelican. Along the side, next to the results, we have pictures of people in short sleeves and shorts. Those photos must either be from a long time ago or from very far away. Way down at the bottom we have Fossil in Germany, six time zones east of here, meeting another dragon. Both the Fossil and the Dragon survived the encounter, only slightly the worse for wear.
The Roxbury Races are now listed on the Internet both on RunningInTheUSA and on HiTekRacing.com
This week's results:
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Created March
12, 2005
