USA Club XC Masters Championships

Ever since last year watching the ATC Masters team win their 2nd straight club title in Louisville Kentucky I've been waiting impatiently to turn 40 and join the Atlanta Track Club masters team  . I had my mind on helping the team win a 3 peat in Bend , Oregon . Every year the USATF moves the meet to the west then the following year to the east  . Back and forth .

 After turning 40 in October and forgoing my 40th birthday party I traveled to New Jersey with the ATC team for the USA 5k XC Masters Championships on the day of my birthday . Running my first competitive masters race . I battled a hard fought 2nd place with my teammate Kristian Blaich with another teammate Chad Newton winning the title . Other teammates finishing strong in 5th was Eric Stabb and Steve Wilcox in 16th . We easily won the team title and a great picture on USATF website . With our minds set on Bend where the big boys show up , we knew it was going to be tough . Word has it that a mountain trail runner Max King was designing the course . From what I read he didn't want it to be a grass track race and bring it back to its roots . With high altitude , cold , and hay bails , hills and lord knows what else . I knew we were going to have to bleed alittle to win that 3rd straight title .

 With weeks of training and a few injuries that left me from training as much as I wanted to December rolled around quickly . I posted a 15:50 XC 5k a few weeks earlier that left me confident for club XC . Arriving in Bend on a Thursday we had enough time to settle in check the town out and do some relaxing . A few of my teammates drove over to the course that Friday morning to preview the course . We ran three laps of the 2k loop and man you could feel the altitude plus this wasn't going to be an easy course to race on . Some sections of the course was so dangerous that the Nike Oregon Project decided to withdraw from the race . Said it was to risky . This was going to be a technical type race and had to run it smart . Nowhere to really open up your stride . Later that night a group of us were discussing what our strategy was going to be and knew that the Bowerman Athletic Club was going to be tough to beat especially in their own backyard . This side of the country is where all the elites come to train and live . Running heaven for many . I nearly had to leave the conversation due to my nerves and thinking about it . I couldn't seem to get my mind off it . My biggest fear was disappointing the team . They had high expectations of me this race . I decided my tactic was to stay behind Kristian cause he has more experience in these races and we have same fitness level . I didn't want to go out in lead like I did in Jersey . I wanted to conserve for a strong final lap . 

 I take off to bed early that night but I found myself not able to sleep . I ended up watching a movie on laptop for a few hours but still couldn't fall asleep afterwards . My heart rate was up a little higher than normal and couldn't stop thinking about how the race was going to play out . I think I ended up sleeping close to three hours . Upset when morning came around but feeling ok . 

 My teammates were Malcolm Campbell ( two time winner of this event ) , Chad Newton ( winner of several master championships ) , Kristian Blaich ( age grade winner at 47 ) , Valentin Alvarez ( traveled by car from Atlanta ) , Eric Stabb ( placed high on all Club XC races that contributed to winning title 3 out of last 4 years ) Matthew Whitis ( strong masters runner that's been here to contribute as well ) followed up with Steve Wilcox .

 Getting up that morning we ate breakfast and headed over to get set up and eyeball our competition . The wind was blowing pretty steady through the course with the temps starting out that morning in the high 20s .  We watched to Women's Masters race  . And from the start the ATC had three runners leading the first lap . They were declared the winning team before their third place runner finished  . The Women's masters team won their first Club title and put pressure on us men like there wasn't any more room . Warming up through the cold snow and some icy roadway , you cant help but notice the nice view .The one in the background of white snow covered mountains and the lovely looking female runners . Neck breaking and breathe taking type views . We made our way over to the start line . Debating on whether to wear gloves and beanie I decided to go with both . Andy Carr said we can just throw them aside at him if we want to take them off . I was told about all the competition I was lining up beside this morning . Master record holders , All-Americans , Olympians , etc. This field had it all . The Masters Men team had set a meet record with the most teams . Biggest field in the 16 years it started . I lined up beside Kristian and behind Chad and Malcolm . Valentin,Eric behind us with the rest of the team . Gazing up the half snow covered hill that we have to start up before we turn right onto the all terrain course , we try to play out which route to take at the start. As we lean to the start the gun suddenly fires. Running up the hill trying not to spend so much energy and adrenaline mastering the climb . I hold off and ease into a good spot not too far behind Kristian . I see Malcolm and Chad with the lead pack as soon as we turn right . Already laboring the first 1/2 mile into the stampede of the old bastards 6.2 mile true torture trail  .I was wondering if I'm gonna hold this pace . Not finishing the first lap yet . Alvarez right there with me . Back and forth we two go .I'm wondering what my first mile pace is . There was no mile markers or clocks to let us know but that doesn't really matter in this type race . Just positioning . Coming up the long stretch of the course that you can see where your competition is for a few minutes there is Andy Carr on side yelling at the top of his lungs letting each one of us know where the Bowerman Team is .I think there was 4 ahead of me and Kristian was only about 5 seconds ahead coming up the treacherous small hill that will leave you to the feeling of walking . Only a 3 second climb that will leave the quads burning and crying . You can merely reach out and touch the hill. Coming to the second lap back through some dangerous turns where there have been carnage on throughout the meet . One teammate Matthew Whittis feels like he cracked a rib from wiping out hard . Footing is also important . Just holding my pace and keeping sight of Kristian . Valentin still on my heels . Throughout the laps I've had some runners pull up beside me and do a surge but they fall back . Andy continues to yell at us and letting us know what our position is . I notice two Bowerman guys in black ahead of us by a hand full of seconds on the fourth lap . Last lap coming up and I knew I had to work a little harder to get these two guys . I overtake one with about half lap to go and I.m pulling up on Kristian when we come down to the wipeout  zone where there has been several guys losing their footing . Kristian still ahead of me and one other Bowerman guy right there with two yellow jerseys of Boston Athletic Association . I knew with about a 600 meters to go I would have to put on one heck of a kick down the hill to get Bowerman and possible catch my teammate . I think Kristian has about 5-8 seconds ahead of me . I wanted to wait till we made our final right turn down the hill we came up at the start . Once we did I took a deep breathe , said to myself Feet don't Fail me now , reached over and did a little right handed shift like I was shifting gears and took off down the hill . I passed one Bowerman teammate then one yellow jersey of BAA then the next . I can see Nancy Meck of ATC woman's masters team jumping up and down from the corner of my eye . I know I passed around four during last 200 meters . I kneeled over dry heaving .Valentin finishes about thirty seconds behind for our fifth guy followed by Eric Stabb. Finally this race is over . Pure torture . Chad finishes up with a strong finish of 5th place , Malcolm 7th, Kristian 17th just two seconds ahead of me while I got 19th , Valentin 32nd and Eric 34th . All we have to do is wait for final results to come out and see if we beat Bowerman for third club title . Over the past hour we watched the Open men's team and I ran down to that one bad spot . They came and came quickly through there like a wild herd of buffalo . The famous Alan Webb came by in second . I saw several guys lose footing and fall . The eventual winner of Opens men's race was Joe Gray , a great trail runner .Won quite a few championships. He came down to Georgia a couple years back and ran a trail championship race . I always wondered why he came to Georgia from Seattle to run a small payout race . From what I heard he ran a smart race . First lap he was around 40th place and moved his way up the field letting the track guys beat themselves up .
 Finally they are starting to put up the results knowing in the back of our heads it was going to be close between us and Bowerman . Eric glimpsed at the results as she was shuffling them through her hands before she posted them on side of the van . WE WON!! as he hollered . By one point . Bowerman team showing their true sportsmanship by congratulating us . There was some mix up with our names on results as I was running with Kristian's number and couple other of us the same but it didn't cause any mix up with placement but gave us a scare . We protested it and got it corrected later on . Results still stood and we are winners once again but first national championship for me with this team . We pushed hard to the end and it counted . Every runner we passed counted . One point . Can't get any better or closer than that . I'm sure Bowerman will try to man up and go after us again in Bethleham , Pa. This race wants me to focus more on next years race and train harder . Better my 19th position . I'm sure the course will be easier than this and maybe built for a track runners race . Today I still cant get this years race out of my head . I'm sure in a few more days the memories will fade out . Real happy to contribute to this team. But I'm ready for next year already . God Bless 

I'm not much of a writer and hope you can enjoy this blog as the way I wrote it out . This is as far as my high school education took me . 

http://www.usatf.tv/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&do=videos&video_id=101941

Reflections of Augusta 70.3

During the summer I wanted to keep my mind off running competitively the next few months before I change over into the masters category. So I decided to get back into some triathlons . I've done pretty good with two top three finishes . My big goal was Augusta 70.3 this year and to beat my 2011 time of 4:40:50

. With my family there this go around minus little Callie it gave me more motivation to perform great in front of them . I've trained more for this one than I have in 2011 . The swim started out great . Bettering my time by 1:30 but my transitions were crap . I took too long . My bike was same of 2:38 . I wanted to go faster but I was afraid of burning out soon . I eased up last 10 miles of bike leg . With a better bike and equipment there's no doubt I can go sub 2:30 on that course . Soon as I come to the stop of dismount a guy round housed kicked me in my chest as soon as he dismounted off his bike . Luckily I wasn't 5ft tall or I would had been sporting around Augusta streets with bloody mouth . After taking eternity in transition I hit my first mile in 5:00 . Not sure if the mile marker was correct , but I did feel like I was heading for disaster so I slowed to a 5:45 2 mile which was still faster than planned . After I think mile 4 I was feeling it . I thought I was about to throw in the towel and jog it in . But soon as I got some water in me instead of the sugar drinks I've been taking I started to feel better and was hitting 6:20 miles . I finished slower than I wanted on the run with a 1:25 run leg . I was second fastest in my age group on the run . Some guy ran 1:21 . That's what my goal was . I come across the finish with a 4:38:16 . Nearly a 2:30 PR. Great day but there's room for improvement if I am planning on qualifying for Worlds 70.3 in the near future . Now time to focus on running my tail off next couple of years and see what I can do throughout the country with me turning 40. Hope not to disappoint . 

Two marathons

Today I woke up at 4:15 am and traveled to Atlanta for my second marathon in two weeks . Previously I haven't ran a marathon in 8 years and about to run two in two weeks . I wanted to see if I can recover fast enough for a second marathon and see how well these AdvoCare supplements work . Past two weeks I've been loading up on post workout recovery drinks and nighttime recovery . After my first marathon in Albany I was back up and running in two days and legs was nearly 100% . I couldn't really do anything really long cause I wanted to rest up for Publix Marathon and I knew the course was gonna be a killer . We started out at 5:25 first mile and knew I had to ease up to 5:45 pace . My plan was 5:50 due to the hills . I went out through first half in 1:15:30ish and was a little too fast for my goal of 2:34 . Then the hills hit hard around 18 on up . Every corner I turn there the hills kept going up and up . I was cussing those streets . They really beat my legs up . I slowed to a 6:30 pace and managed a 7:00 mile once due to the fact I slowed to hurl bit all was good after 24 where I picked up to a 6:20 pace . I just wanted to finish . Didn't really care about the time cause I knew 2:34 was not happening . Plus I ran solo nearly the whole thing and that sucks . . Finished with a 2:37:43 and was content with that after a marathon two weeks ago and the monster hills that left me crying inside . My good friend Malcolm Campbell won in 2:26 at the age of 42 . I always try to compare myself to that guy but dang he is tough. I can't seem to hold a candle next to him . He is really excited that I'll be joining their ATC masters team at the end of the year and so am I . Now it's time for a break and slow down for awhile until 40 comes around . I don't wanna start getting burned out early before that . The past year I've reconnected with my desire to really compete again at a so called higher level . I think it's the fact that I'm about to turn 40 . I know what I need to do is turn in some high mileage . Higher than what I've been running lately . 70 miles a week is about all I was doing in preparation of the marathon and I like to reach 90+ next go around . Thanks to the help of my mother in law watching our youngest daughter I'm able to train at what i do now . If I'm going to at least make an impression at 40 I need to get those weeks up . Until then I'm gonna enjoy me some turkey hunting and hopefully have my truck painted by next month . My other hobbies I enjoy .

Albany Marathon

Finally I've gotten a marathon in after all the training throughout the summer , fall and winter . New York Marathon was suppose to be the main one for me but we all know what the outcome of that was . My wife and three girls came with me to watch me run which I'm very thankful for cause without them I wouldn't be as strong as I am today . I want to let my girls see what hard work can do if you put your mind to it and I want to impress them in any way possible . It was very cold and windy that morning so Julie and the kids dropped me off at the start and they decided to go back to hotel and watch me finish due to the weather .
I did a half mile warmup and tried to stay warm as much as possible .Took in my O2 Gold and muscle fuel which I was afraid I was gonna forget about. We line up and I'm ready to start running just because I'm tired of shaking to death . I think I burned over 100 calories from shivering . Finally the cannon goes off and three Kenyans and some other guy take off in front . I stayed about 50 yards behind them coming to the first mile . They went out in 5:30 while I came through in 5:43 . Felt easy . I thought the lead pack was gonna take off but they slowed to figure each other out and it took me nearly 8 miles to pull in beside them . I could have easily pulled in with them earlier but I wanted to stay patient . . One fella name Chris kept running on the shoulder of the road everytime there was an opportunity . I asked him after the race if he was nursing an injury or just saving his feet . He said yes he was saving his feet for the final miles . I figured running on grass would slow ya some but he took second overall with a 2:21:38.
Throughout the race I started taking in gels and fluids every chance I could . As we hit the halfway in just under 1:15:00 all 4 guys took off leaving me running solo . I think they dropped a 5:00 pace the second half . I had a feeling they was gonna do that .They looked too comfortable early on . So I'm running by myself in which I was afraid of . Coming up on mile 17 a grabbed a bottle of muscle fuel I set aside on the course that morning . I put a paper bag over it so no one would tamper with it . Still hitting 5:45 miles and all of the sudden I need to take a quick break for the port-a-John . :30 gone there and I got back going and near 20 I saw one of the Kenyans in sight . Well I figured he knew he wasn't in for the money so he slowed and took it in easy . Right when I was about to pass him at 22 I had to stop and vomit all the water I took in . I was feeling ruff between miles 20-22 and I had to get that stuff out of me . That knocked me off about :45 . My goal that day was either sub 2:30 or at least break the old age group state record of 2:32:18 .
I passed the fella and knew my 2:30 was out the door and I started to slow to 6:20 miles the remainder but was feeling rather good . My last mile coming in was close to 5:55 . Even though I've only ran 6 marathons prior that was the best I've felt coming in to the finish . I finished pretty strong with a 2:32:58 .l Forty seconds from state record . Only of I didn't take in those liquids . I should have known since it wasn't a warm day but fear from previous marathons of energy depletion . But best part of day is my girls yelling "Go Daddy !!" at the finish . i was looking for them as I was coming and couldn't but could hear them . I know I'm capable of a 2:28 or better . I just gotta put in the miles , train and race a little smarter . That's my goal for Boston14 .

Gracie's Run

For the past few days Gracie been bugging me alittle about going running . So today I told her I was gonna take her running up the dirt rd. but it was gonna be almost dark before I can take her if momma doesn't come home anytime soon . She got upset about that and was afraid she wasn't gonna run any . Well my niece's mom showed up early to pick her up . The reason why we couldn't go . So Gracie was happy and we headed out the door with Emma on her bike to ride along beside us . Our goal was to see how far she could go without stopping and mark that spot and beat it the next time we run . I was expecting Gracie to run nearly half mile and stop like she was doing last year . Well half mile came and she was still going . Then a mile . I was really surprised and she wasn't laboring hard and talking to me like we was on a long run together . She made it 1.5 miles and really think she could have made it longer if it wasn't for it getting dark . We had to hurry back home . We walked and jogged some the way back . Now we have a starting point , I can't wait till our next run together . Really proud of her effort . Hope it was our first of many miles together .

Today's 20

Today's 20 miler I believe has put me in a funk . I woke up this morning with my three girls and had to spend alittle time with them before I dropped them off at grandma's before my long run . Everyday it's been the same routine . Wake up to get girls ready for school , go back to bed , wake back up with Callie, get her ready for grandma's , go run , get ready for work . Same routine over and over and over . My heart wasn't in for a long run today. I wanted to do 22 but was running short on time so had to cut it to 20 . My legs wasn't feeling it plus my heart wasn't also. I just didn't wanna be out there . I got to many things piling up to do at home . I need to start on my 77 ford , finish my workout room , stuff around the yard and mainly of all spend a little more time with my girls . Running has seem to become more like a job instead of a hobby . Once that thought starts settling in then its no longer enjoyable . I think what I need to do is get this marathon out of the way and take some time off . Not sure how long but enough to start to realize how much it's important to me . I have a big year ahead of me next year and want to make sure my head is in the correct place before I start that journey . Don't get me wrong I love running and racing put my life doesn't need to revolve around my running . It should be the other way around .

TarBaby Part 4

The course record was 31:36 and the more and more I got to thinking the more confident I had faith in myself . The following year David Matherne showed up again and I beat him once more . I had a good year that year but wasn't all into it . But I recall the following year I just got engaged to my girlfriend Julie which I met at the Farmers and Merchants bank . Same bank which puts on the race . Ever since I settled down my times have been improving . I gotten in deep on learning how and when to train. Putting in tempo runs and longer intervals into my routine . The year 2000 I ran the TarBaby solo and won again in a time of 32:35 . Dad kept hounding me about that record telling me he'd give me $300 if I broke it . I wasn't wanting any money . Doing it for any other reason would make the effort worthless . 2001 comes around and I've been running great . With my first child on the way , getting married , and new career it was turning out to be a great year . Some sub 15:00 5k's in my book and sub 31:00 10k's . But racing on this course can get yeah. It has it all . The 3 H's . Heat , Hills , and Humidity . And did I mention hills . The fastest miles on this course is 1 and 5 . Mile 1 you had to come back up to the finish .  Others are nothing hills . Not rolling but just long hills . I marked the course every 1/2 mile to know where I had to be if I wanted to break this record. Just to break down the course in 1/2 splits .  I knew how fast to start off due to the fast first mile and challenging second mile with two hills in the mix . A few days before , dad and I came up with this idea to record the entire race . An idea I got from running in the Charles Harris 10k where the recorded the race from the back of a truck and the runners was able to watch the race on TV during the awards presentation . We got with the race director and lead pace car and they said it was ok .
That morning there was no one I recognized that would give me any competition so I had to do it alone . My brother was also running great the past few years . He has been running low 17 5k's . Nervous as always and I do my race day prayer from the script Hebrew 12:1 . Look it up if you don't know . We start out with dad in front on back of the truck and I go through the first mile in 4:53 due the fast mile . I didn't want to go out 4:45 mile like I have done in previous years  . I need a 5:05 pace to break record .Second mile 10:03 after the double hills and then mile 3 in 15:08 , mile 4 in 20:21 then I pass the Church St with the crowd roaring . Everyone knew what I was going for . I believe my mom was he loudest of them all . Mile 5 I hit 25:26. Right on pace . Then the last hill I had to hammer this thing . It's a monster of a climb . Nearly 400 meter climb . I hit 6 in 30:34 and I have slowed alittle but I needed a kick to break the record. I threw down the hammer and floored it with my signature kick .I've won a quit a bit of races with my kick. I take my kick with a lot of pride and arrogant with . I was one of the fastest guys in school in short events when we would race against each other in school for fun .  Once I crossed the finish line it was over . 31:26 !!!!. I but on a :52 second 1/4 mile. Tears from my eyes come out . My pregnant Julie waiting on me at the finish shoot . I try to hug her but she hardly wants any part of it due to the sweat coming from me . She is not a big fan of sweat . Then I go to dad after he gets out of the truck from recording me and give him a hug cause I know how much he wanted me to get that record . Along with my mom . Still today she tells me how much she is proud of me . It's was one of the best races I've ever ran and most rememberable one . As we sit back and wait for the second runner to come in ,  guess who shows up in second place. No one other than my brother Ken . He had been battling for second  with another runner name Rob Blaszkiewicz . He finished in 36:20. We went 1 and 2. A great day for the Black family . And we got it all on tape .
  I tried the next year to break my record again but at mile 6 I stopped and hurled I was on pace but that dang last hill got me . In 2005 Michael Greene came up and handed my butt . He is a real great runner but I wasn't prepared . I ran a crappy race . I wouldn't say I would have beaten him but if I was in great shape like 2001 it would have been a great race.  Some years I've gotten injured and I've won it a few more times . I've had everyone from my aunts to friends I've never seen throughout the year come watch me run .I can remember on my grandmother came once before she past away . Today I can recall what she said to me one day " You might have some skinny legs but they sure get you around fast ". I'll continue to run it as long as I can walk .
Hopefully my hard work and desire will be pass on to my kids in which I have three girls now . Now they run the 1mile fun run every year at the Tar Baby. Just a few good words. What good are goals and you dont tryto achieve them . Always believe in yourself no matter what the situation . It's not how many time you fall , it's how many times you get back up . Hope you enjoyed this and can get a little bit of understanding my background . God Bless and see you on the roads