After a few experiments over the past few years, NYRR is instituting a seeded corral system for races beginning with the Adidas Run for the Parks on April 20th, 2008.
Now for the uninitiated, let me explain what a seeded corral system is. Runners are assigned to corrals according to their per-mile pace with faster runners in the front and slower runners in the rear. This is supposed to ease congestion at the start of the race and allow runners to not have to bob and weave their way to the front.
In concept this is a great idea and will ease the whining by so many people about the 10:00/mile people clogging up the roads. I have been known to be one of those whiners, especially on a short race and I am looking to set a PR.
In practice this is going to be real hard to enforce. Even with the new volunteer system in place to gain access to NYC Marathon, having to check the bib times of 5000+ runners and placing them in corrals is going to be one massive undertaking.
I hope the volunteers have an easy a time as these cowboys, putting runners in the corrals will be tough. Only time will tell.
For those of you that are car enthusiasts, you must know of the UK series Top Gear. It started in 1977 and has exploded to become the most watched car show in the world with an estimated 350 million worldwide viewers.
Well the “new” season began airing in the USA last night, which means we are watching slightly stale episodes (about 4 months behind), but I highly recommend you set your DVR’s for Monday nights to record Top Gear.
One of the best parts of Top Gear is the host Jeremy Clarkson, whose one liners are abusive, racist, mean and hysterical. To celebrate the new season and to give you an idea of what Clarkson is like I found a list of Top 10 Jeremy Clarkson quotes, I think you will enjoy
1. About the Porsche Cayman S: “There are many things I’d rather be doing than driving it, including waiting for Bernard Manning to come off stage in a sweaty nightclub, and then licking his back clean.”
2. “The Suzuki Wagon R should be avoided like unprotected sex with an Ethiopian transvestite.”
3. “I’m sorry, but having a DB9 on the drive and not driving it is a bit like having Keira Knightley in your bed and sleeping on the couch.”
4. “The Maserati 3500 GT. Now this for me, when I was little, was like kind of like Jordan and Cameron Diaz in a bath together playing with lots of jelly.”
5. “Much more of a hoot to drive than you might imagine. Think of it if you like, as a librarian with a G-string under her tweed pants. I do, and it helps.”
6. “Tonight, the new Viper, which is the American equivalent of a sports car… in the same way, I guess, that George Bush is the equivalent of a President.”
7. On the Lotus Elise: “This car is more fun than the entire French air force crashing into a firework factory.”
8. On the Porsche Cayenne: “Honestly, I have seen more attractive gangrenous wounds than this. It has the sex appeal of a camel with gingivitis.”
9. “Koenigsegg are saying that the CCX is more comfortable. More comfortable than what… BEING STABBED?”
10. On the Vauxhall Vectra VXR: “there is a word to describe this car: it begins with ’s’ and ends with ‘t’ and it isn’t soot.
And a few more…
Illustrating the lack of power of a Boxster: “It couldn’t pull a greased stick out of a pig’s bottom.”
“This is the Renault Espace, probably the best of the people carriers. Not that that’s much to shout about. That’s like saying ‘Ooh good I’ve got syphilis, the BEST of the sexually transmitted diseases.’”
On the Mercedes CLs55: “Braking in this car is so brutal, it would be less painful to actually hit the tree you were trying to miss.”
“Now as you can see, I lost the battle to have two engines on the back because of three very important reasons. One - weight. This is 600 Lbs and that’s the same as having a whole American sitting on the tailgate…”
“In the olden days, I always got the impression that TVR built a car, put it on sale, and then found out how it handled. Usually when one of their customers wrote to the factory complaining about how dead he was.”
“Sure it’s quiet, for a diesel. But that’s like being well-behaved… for a murderer.”
This afternoon I received an email from Lisa Klein who is the Director of Special Events for the Southern Ocean County Hospital Foundation, asking to spread the word about The Great Causeway Challenge. This event is extremely impressive and benefits a great cause, so I would encourage all of you to check out this event and donate to the cause.
Here are some of the details for April 19th
“The Great Causeway Challenge”
and a Kids 1 Mile Fun Run, on Saturday, April 19, 2008 to benefit Pediatric Services for Southern Ocean County Hospital.
Seems like there are a lot of events to choose from and a very worthy cause, so encourage anyone in the area who wants to start their spring running season to head over to Long Beach Island (LBI) and have a good time
The Dukes of Flatbush have got to stay fit to conquer the 2008 Baja 1000. This means a lot of running, but we try and mix it up to keep our knees in good graces. I personally spend a lot of time on a bike. A few years back, I picked up a fixed gear one and have really enjoyed it. Thought I’d give the uninitiated the skinny…
A fixed gear bike has one gear. You use the same gear to go up hills, ride the flats, cruise downwhill. It also has no freewheel that means you can’t coast - if the wheels are moving,the pedals are also turning in the same direction. You can pedal a fixed gear backwards.
A fixed gear forces certain behavior from the rider:
“Riding a fixed gear on the road is excellent exercise. When you need to climb, you don’t need to think about when to change gears, because you don’t have that option. Instead, you know that you must just stand up and pedal, even though the gear is too high for maximum climbing efficiency. This makes you stronger. Really steep hills may make you get off and walk, but the hills you are able to climb, you will climb substantially faster than you would on a geared bicycle.
When you descend, you can’t coast and the gear is too low. This forces you to pedal at a faster cadence than you would choose on a multi-speed bicycle. High rpm’s force you to learn to pedal in a smooth manner–if you don’t, you will bounce up and down in the saddle.
Most cyclists coast far too much. Riding a fixed-gear bike will break this pernicious habit. Coasting breaks up your rhythm and allows your legs to stiffen up. Keeping your legs in motion keeps the muscles supple, and promotes good circulation.”
I’ve been riding mine for a few years and it produced noticeable results in a short period of time. I ride loops of Prospect Park which includes a steep, mile-long hill. At first, I could only manage one loop on this bike, standing in the saddle, huffing and puffing up the ‘widowmaker’. In a month, I could do three loops. In a few more, I could comfortably ride five. These bikes don’t let you rest, but don’t let that turn you off. You really get into a groove - very different from a typical bike.
If you haven’t checked one out, I recommend that you do. These bikes don’t have many parts so they are generally quite affordable. I splurged on a Bianchi Pista track bike that cost around $500. Note that track bikes don’t come with brakes so I added a front one. You can also find a number of these on Craig’s List.
No, I’m not talking about the 2nd album by The Fixx, but if I was, I’d say it was a significant step forward from the Fixx’s debut album, Shuttered Room, simply because the band could now craft accessible, incessantly catchy pop/rock melodies. But that’s not it - I’m talking about a serious road race held annually up in New Hampshire. I’m not sure how the Dukes of Flatbush got conned into this one, but here’s what we signed up for:
“The Reach The Beach (RTB) Relay is the longest distance running relay race in the United States. The RTB Relay will take place in picturesque New Hampshire during the start of the New England foliage season. The relay will consist of (a maximum of ) 12 person teams that will rotate through 36 transition areas as they cover the approximate 200 mile distance of the race. This means that each relay team member will run 3 legs of varying lengths and difficulty and will cover an average total distance of ~16.6 miles.”
So a 12 person relay team runs continuously for 24 hours across the state of New Hampshire. Got it. The question is, who runs the 3rd leg? 8 miles long and a climb of around 2,000 feet. I’d need to check with Congress, but that just night fit the formal definition of torture. In the movie of our lives, this is when the Director cues “Shambaugh, Stage Left”!
Call us crazy, but do count us in. If you think you’ve got the grapes, we’ll see you in New Hampshire on September 12-13.
AWOOOOOOOOOOOGAH!
20 Feb
Posted by Birch as Motorcycle, Travel, Uncategorized
Every year vintage motorcycle nuts, gear heads and assorted “enthusiasts” gather out in Ohio for the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days festival. Part carnival, part swap meet and pure good times, VMD plays host to all kinds of sweet stuff..vintage class races (on and off road), old metal beauty contests, the biggest motorcycle related swap meet you can imagine, bike and gear auctions and the sort of beer drinking and tall tale tellin’ that happens when old gear heads get together.
Every year VMD chooses a particular brand of old sweetness to highlight. This year triumph takes the cake and the whole scene is sure to be bursting with awesome old Bonnies, thruxtons and toothless Britts ‘ carying on about the superiority of British combustion power and insisting that Lucas wasn’t The prince of Darkness. Needless to say I’ve been itching to gussy up the Superbad and get out to VMD for years. This year presents an almost to-good-to-pass-up opportunity to ogle the beautiful old Triumphs while showing what wiped the slate clear and issued in the era of awesome Japanese performance engineering and reliability. Heh.
Sadly, I recon I’ll have to pass with all that Baja prep requires; maybe next year.
On my long flight back from Delhi, I had to look through Skymall magazine, for the latest innovations in bird feeders and dog beds. While looking through the pages I actually found something interesting from Hammacher Schlemmer that I may purchase, see for yourself
I would normally try and be witty and write a description of the product, but I think it is almost impossible to beat Skymall when it comes to product descriptions so here you go:
The barbecue starter that ignites charcoal in 60 seconds without requiring the use of lighter fluid, allowing you to start grilling in five minutes. Similar to the heat-focusing technology used in paint-stripping hot-air guns, the charcoal starter emits hot air at 1,290° F, providing a constant, precise flow of heat from the tip of the unit. Simply plug the device into a standard wall outlet, place the metal tip into the charcoal and hold down the button. When the charcoal sparks, remove the tip from the coals, but continue to point the unit at the charcoal for sixty seconds. Also ideal for lighting a wood-burning fireplace, the device has a cool-touch handle and an integrated stand.
Retail Price is $79.95 and does include an integrated stand.
There are three ways to get into the New York Marathon. Be a world class runner, enter and win a number through the lottery or complete 9 qualifying NYRR races to gain entry for the next year. Well, that last part just got a little bit harder…
“NYRR members as of January 31, 2008, can qualify for guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon 2009 by meeting the following criteria:
• Members must complete nine (9) qualifying NYRR races within 2008.
• Members must volunteer for one (1) NYRR race in 2008 (registration for volunteers begins March 1, 2008).”
What do you think about having to volunteer?
19 Feb
Posted by Graham as Baja 1000, Gadgets, Misc, Motorcycle, Travel
The more you learn about the Baja 1000, the more trouble you’re in. Although we have signed up for Honda / JCR Pit Services during the race, we’ll pre-run the course for 3-4 days leading up to the race without any outside help. That will involve a purpose-built race bike that will be used solely for pre-running along with one or two support vehicles. Although there won’t be as much time pressure, we’ll be out in the middle of the desert with limited access to supplies. One thing I’ve been concerned about is our access to fuel or water. And we’re talking about fuel for multiple vehicles and water for a decent size support staff. We’ve been tossing around the idea of mounting a fuel drum to the top of the roof rack, but I came across a less costly option, albeit one with limited capacity. These can holders mount to a roof rack and accept standard 5 gallon Wedco gas and water cans. Might be the ticket…
Well I have made it back to NYC after a grueling 14 hour flight from Delhi direct to Newark Airport. The flight path goes from Delhi north over Moscow and then over the North Pole and then south past Ottowa, Toronto and then to Newark. Someone on the flight was scared going over the North Pole as they felt it was not as safe as flying over water. Yes, read that again and that what was said. This is also a person who clapped furiously when we landed. It takes all types.
Wanted to share some more photos from Delhi. Although this was a business trip I think I was still able to get some great shots as there is just so much going on in India. You never know what is going to happen when you go somewhere. One night I went to a party where 2 or 3 of the top Bollywood actors performed and then another night I went to dinner and Steven Segal walked in and sat at the table next to us.
Why does this always happen to me????
The 2008 Baja 1000 is going to require the Dukes of Flatbush racing team to be in top shape. Apart from weight training and a lot of riding, we tend to run a lot of road races. I don’t know about you, but it’s hard to think about a year long training regimen - it’s much easier to break it up into monthly goals. I just did a little research and came up with my 2008 Calendar:
April 26 - Brooklyn Half-Marathon, Brooklyn, NY
May 18th - Bay to Breakers 12k,San Francisco, CA
June 21 - Shelter Island 10k, Shelter Island, NY
July 13 - Montauk Point Lighthouse Sprint Triathlon & Relay, Montauk, NY
August 23 - Queens Half Marathon, Queens, NY
September 6 - NYC Hash House Harriers Red Dress Run XI, New York, NY
September 14 - Staten Island Half Marathon, Staten Island, NY
The Half-Marathons are pretty standard, but you’ve gotta get fired up about the Bay to Breakers and the Hash House Harriers Red Dress run. Both of these races require liberal doses of foolishness and skullduggery. The Hash House Harriers probably say it best - they are a drinking club with a running problem. On on!
Bay to Breakers
Hash House Harriers Red Dress Run
14 Feb
Posted by Graham as Baja 1000, Motorcycle, Travel
One of the best things about preparing to race the 2008 Baja 1000 are the people you meet along the way. I’m a member of the Baja 1000 group on Facebook and have been trading emails with an Australian team who is going down in Baja in November. Their team is called Aussie Iron Rider and is comprised of two brothers, Warren Lovelace and Adrian Lovelace. The crazy part - both of these blokes plan to solo the entire race! Warren is riding a 2005 Honda TRX 450R, Iron Man in the Sportsman ATV class. Adrian is riding a 2001 Honda XR 400R, Iron Man in the Sportsman Motorcycle class. The Dukes of Flatbush will have four riders to share the pain, so we certainly tip our hats to anyone crazy enough to go it alone. We wish them the best of luck and will see them in Mexico!
Warren Lovelace Adrian Lovelace
Today’s lousy brand of inclement weather here in NYC has most DOFB members longing for something that at least provides a modicum of the things we like best: speed, entertainment and the potential for outlandish deeds. In short - WE WANT SNOW.
With this in mind, I am most pleased to introduce you to the newest, and yet untested member of the DOFB fleet; Traditional Tactical Craft: Bombardierous Hibernous 11c. Code name: THE RAMMER.
Technical Specification:
Gross weight: 14 lbs
Dimensions: 72″L x 15¾”W.
Load Capacity: 648 lbs
Passenger Capacity: 11
Displacement: 1.375 Metric Ton (Crystalline H2O)
Operating Environment:
Weapons Array:
Fuel: Grog, pride and blatant disregard for the laws of physics
Governing Safety Standards: Camden Snow bowl Rules of Engagement, V7.4
Optional accessories:
For christ’s sake — a little snow already eh?
12 Feb
Posted by Birch as Baja 1000, Motorcycle, Travel
Another awesome training report filed by roving western duke and all around maniac Jesse:
“I have been training hard. Ate shit going about 50mph last Thursday. Another concussion, and a trip to the ER. Overall feeling good. My knee is out of commission for a while, but should be in good shape by the end of the month. I am going to have to get some of those knee braces and a good steering stabilizer.”
I couldn’t ride this past weekend so I decided to go to California for some fun that did not involve the use of my legs. I have attached some photos.
Awesome pics….damn guy is killing it! Heal that knee man - we’re commin!
This week work has brought me to New Delhi, India. I have only been here for a few days, but this place and country are just mind boggling. I have been in cities with a greater total population, but nothing compares to the density in India. The best place to see this is on the roads, if there is an empty space on the road, someone fills that space immediately. Whether it is a car, bus, truck, rickshaw, cow or person, every free spot is filled immediately. There is no personal space in New Delhi or in India, you just get used to it.
Two days into the trip and I have already made my way to Agra, where the Taj Mahal is. All I have to say about the Taj and the trip there is that it was amazing, incredible happy I did it and will never do it again.
Here are some pictures from Agra and the Taj and of course a roadblock that kept our bus from moving for awhile.
DOFB
