PR’s, Tower defended, the BLESSING, Big numbers
So Randall came over Friday evening for a weekend visit. Last year he came over around the same time as well. We had a holiday party last year that we originally said we were going to repeat this year, but didn’t. He also helped us last year with working the Shootout 5K. Well this year he was planning to help AND run it.
He got held up at work and showed up later than planned. It actually didn’t work out badly since Ali and I had a bunch of shit to take care of anyway after work. We had pizza and hung out. Of course I brought the 360 out to show Randall some of what it could do.
On Saturday morning we drove separately to the race, I had to get there earlier because I was technically the club lead for the race. Ali and Randall showed up maybe 45 minutes after I did. Just like last year the staff of the Shootout had done most of the prep, having an awesome registration area set up for the race. Even though it was still pitch dark out we had plenty of light from the brilliant stadium light that was suspended from a crane high above the ground. It was pretty awesome.
Despite the organized registration area, the last 30 minutes leading up to the start was pretty hectic. The two people we had checking in pre-registered runners was not enough and we wound up with a very long line at that spot. Eventually some other people jumped in to help. I was scurrying around making sure not only the timing system was up and running but that everything else was cool as well. With about 10 minutes to go before the start I told Ali and Randall I would take over the registrations so they could get loose. Of course right on cue, as soon as they got up I was handed about a dozen entry forms. We had a nice bump in participation this year. Last year we had around 500 runners, this year we wound up with 611 registered.
The race started and I took my spot at the timing table. The first runner came across in less than 16 minutes, almost a full minute ahead of the second place finisher. I kept my eyes open for Randall and Ali. I was shocked when I saw Randall come across just under the 26 minute mark. He had just set a PR on Thanksgiving for a 5K of something like 28:30. He lopped another few minutes off of that in the span of three weeks, that is pretty incredible. Ali was smoking fast as well, setting herself a new PR of 27:13, more than a minute better than her old mark which was set like 4 years ago, wow. I congratulated both of them for their awesome efforts.
Post race there were a couple snafu’s. Evidently the food layout was pretty sparse and what was there wasn’t enough as by the time late finishers came up it was all gone. Also gym memberships were handed out as the big prize for the top finishers. A gym membership is a very hit and miss prize with a lot more miss than hit. Yea a one year gym membership is worth a good chunk of change but it only worth something if you can actually use it which the vast majority can’t. They will either already have their own gym membership or they are not geographically located close enough to use it. For example the race winner was from out of town and won such a membership. Luckily they had some extra bottles of wine that we wound up handing out to many of the gym membership winners instead.
Randall and I were out of there before 9am. Ali stayed and was running extra mileage with Christy and Michelle. Once we got home I started the long post race process. When Ali got back both her and Randall retired to take naps while I continued to toil. I had a lot of stuff to get updated.
On top of the updating I have been loaded down with the added responsibility of running the new store I created for the club. The store has been successful for the runners, allowing them to register for our races and pay with a credit card with no surcharge. It has been unsuccessful for me as far as my personal sanity goes.
Having the added responsibility of making sure the runners credit card transaction is handled correctly has been a real pain in the ass. When I came up with the idea of doing the store I didn’t think it would be quite as laborious as it has turned out. The store is going to be like my personal Randy Moss, I plan to get out from under it soon and instead recommend the club use another race registration web site with lower fees. I just don’t want this hassle, I am feeling pretty used up and burned out.
Saturday night we went out for my birthday dinner although my birthday actually isn’t until Thursday. Of course we went to Carraba’s again. I found out a way to make Ali laugh uncontrollably. Next time you see her, do this.
When we got back home we fired up the Xbox and continued playing a game we started earlier, South Park Tower Defense. My love of tower defense games and South Park is well documented. Putting those two things together was a win/win for me. We played till midnight. Get it on Xbox Live, it was only 400 points ($5).
On Sunday I was feeling pretty blah. Randall accompanied me to Home Depot. I wanted to get additional material to cover the garden to protect it from more ultra-cold weather that rolls in tonight. I was unsure of exactly what I wanted to get but wound up with a 20′ x 30′ blue tarp. My thought process was i could wrap my existing supply of frost cloth around the fence perimeter of the garden and then secure the blue tarp on top of it all.
Well that plan in retrospect, was stupid. Randall was outside helping me test my theory. Things were complicated by strong winds that made attaching anything very difficult. Finally we got the fence covered in a combination of pond underlayment and old comforters. Then we unpacked the tarp.
Well trying to manipulate a 600 square foot tarp in 20 mph winds was a joke. We looked like a stadium grounds crew. Eventually we drug the tarp on top of the garden but it wound up doing more damage than good. The wind smashed down on the tarp, jamming it onto the plants below, damaging quite a few of them. I was pissed off and told Randall to help me pull it off. This turned into a lengthy fiasco. For some reason I though it would be easier to do it that way but the truth was I was better off just slapping the underlayment on top of the plants as I always have, f it. It just annoys me to waste that time, money and effort.
Randall headed out around half time of the second football game. He said he had a good time. He is heading out to San Diego for a couple weeks which should be fun.
Again the Eagles didn’t play until late which I hate. Luckily I liked the outcome of the game, beating the hated Cowboys. DeSean Jackson had a MONSTER game which benefited me twice, once as a hardcore Eagles fan and secondly as a fantasy football owner who has him on my team.
This is the first week of playoffs in my league. I limped in with a 5-8 record, just barely making the playoffs. My shitty record meant I got to play the number one team in the league. I had already assumed I would lose, badly. Well Jackson’s efforts raked me in 47 huge points and as long as Ray Rice doesn’t have the rushing performance of the decade tonight, my victory should be a lock. It’s a huge upset if I pull this off. You can only imagine how much I am enjoying it.
I’m home for three days doing remote training, hope to regain some sanity during that time. It feels a bit elusive right now.