16 Sep
Posted by mfpreyer as Misc, Reach The Beach, Run, Sports, Training
All this running is great and all, but, without getting too personal, it’s not without its maladies- muscle soreness, joint swelling, tendinitis, you name it. I went into this weekend’s Reach The Beach Relay with some pretty serious battle wounds, namely 4 blisters on my feet in all the wrong places– the back of both heals and underneath each of my big toes. I will be honest and admit these are not from training; they were all my reward for the awful transition from flips flops and Birk’s to the dreaded dress shoe. Ugh.
Knowing that 2 days of running would put those blisters through the paces, I invested in a box of Dr. Scholl’s Blister Treatment Pads in hopes of protecting the now open blisters from getting rubbed raw and terrorizing my every step. While the box promises they will stay in place for up to a week and goes on and on about how you are going to have to soak with water water to remove, I can assure you these suckers can barely hang on for three miles, let alone a few hours!
In all fairness, while they were in place, they definitely provided a much needed cushion between the open wound and my sock, making it much easier to run than if there was nothing there at all. Further, I know it’s not totally fair to put these things up to such a challenge as a 208 mile over night relay race as a product review, but seriously. At almost $1 per pad, they should stay on for at least a few miles. Unfortunately, for all they promise-
* Helps heal and prevent blisters
* Stays comfortably in place
* Thin and flexible to conform to the heel and other areas of the foot
* Sterilized for safe use on open blisters
* Nearly invisible
* Water-resistant
I think they only thing they succeed at is being sterile, which while in an overnight endurance race (read: no shower) is very useful in treating wounds.
So, the search continues for a comfortable blister treatment. Until then, I guess it’s back to a sterile pad and moleskin for me.
Go Dukes!
16 Sep
Posted by Graham as Adventure, Reach The Beach, Run, Sports
356 teams competed in the 10th annual Reach the Beach relay race held this past weekend in New Hampshire. The official results are in and I’m happy to report that the Dukes of Flatbush had an impressive showing in their innagural race. We ran 209.5 miles in 28 hours, 49 minutes and 50 seconds, a 8:16 pace. We placed 43rd out of 167 teams in the Mixed Open Division, and were 129th overall.
Big props to the team that brought it home this year: Birch, Fayth, Laura, Sean, Christina, Steph, Kevin, Jennifer, Jon, Kristin, yours truly and the indefatigable team leader, Chad. Additional posts will follow that document the amazing stories that happened along the way, but it was an epic journey and I couldn’t have been happier to share it with my fellow Dukes. We killed it.
Word has come down that team Dukes of Flatbush have finished the Reach The Beach relay. Unofficial finish time is 6:10pm ET. That is over 28 hours of running. INSANE!!!
Seems that all members are in solid shape and are ready for a night of rest and relaxation. Good luck winding down tonight and hopefully everyone’s belly survives the night after consuming an unimaginable number of GU’s.
Yours truly is now signing off and ready for a nap and then prepare my trip back to the East Coast for the celebration party next weekend.
This is a quick update as we get near the finish. Just had a call from team captain Chad and team Dukes of Flatbush is cruising along. ETA of Kevin crossing the finish is approx 6:10pm ET.
The team is running like pros and while delirious from lack of sleep, seem composed and super strong and will power through to the finish.
Stay Tuned……..
I now understand what the scholars who tried to interpret the Dead Sea Scrolls felt like as I try to decode the previous text messages from the Dukes of Flatbush team as they near the beach area and come to the home legs of Reach The Beach.
For you reading pleasure, here are some snippets of what I have been able to decode thus far:
I think the notes above really say it all
The latest update is more of a digest, but it is winner and is coming to you from Reach The Beach team captain – The New Guy
It all started (well, at least the second group of legs started) when Van Flatbush roused at 2:30a after a brief nap. A couple bowls of Cheerios later, we were on the road as the fog briefly lifted to reveal a gorgeous moon rising over the Hampshire hills.
Duke Steph, who was to lead the Flatbush charge, had suffered a race-ending stress injury to her right shin during her first leg.(This next section has been removed to protect the innocent, we shall accept it and move on. Nothing to see here)
The Captain got off to a smooth start and covered the 5.5 in just over 8-min miles. Jenn then took the baton for what is certainly the most difficult leg of the entire relay — 9.1 miles with a grueling uphill first 6. Jenn’s a kicker, though, and with a smile on her face she crested her last hill to the deserving sight of a rising sun through the mist, pink streams of light poking gently from behind the clouds. She’s our Van Flatbush MVP, for shizzle.
John took the torch as the day truly broke, knocking out 7.1 in just over 58 ticks, despite a strong desire to pull over and throw down seven hunnie for a sweet motor boat with 80 horses in the rear…would look mighty sweet in the Shelter Island waters…
Kristin threw down a speedy 5.5 in 44, gaining on other teams left and right. The New Guy then came back with a take-no-prisoners promise, laying down a straight 10k in 51:44 despite only a brief reprieve from the unexpected 5.5 pickup.
Kevin brought us home for this set, storming a number of hills on a 7.1 in a low 56:00. He had earned the home stretch on his leg, cruising down a tree-lined street over smooth blacktop for the transition back to Birch and Van Dukes.
To suggest that the Dukes are killing it on their virgin RTB outing would be an understatement on the scale of Kaiser Sose having a limp (who, incidentally, we spotted in the back of a truck just outside the township of Sandwich).
This report is coming to you live as I am on the phone with Birch and he is mumbling his way through the recap of the last few hours. I may have heard the same story 3 times in the last 10 minutes, but loving every minute of it. The Reach The Beach transition areas sound insane over the phone and again, very jealous that I am not there. Now here is our young cub reporter with another update-
Birch live and direct:
Apparently Charlie does surf, the squad is duct taped together and the The Stick is in use. One person has resorted to a marble rolling pin as their stick has evaporated due to overuse.The papier mache designs on the vans have been destroyed and the sun is starting to come up and baking the place.
The next few sentences came through garbled but I can tell you there was a story about queuing up for food and then being denied as their turn came up. A sad story but one of the harsh realities of Reach The Beach.
For all of you in the GJ fan club, I spoke to him, he is doing well and cannot wait to soak in a barrel of beer, or was it drink a barrel.
Sorry for the long pause between updates, but command center Seattle decided to re-purpose the radar system for blending margaritas and 6 hours later , here we are.
The two posts below come from Birch and Jon 9. The confidence is oozing, and the team seems to relish the night, but the spelling seems to deteriorate.
Birch writes in at 4:20am ET
Christina just came steaming in and fifi is on the course with a 4am start. I’ve een the white witch do alotta things at 4am before but I can promise you it’s never involved running except perhaps from the law or to afterhours!!!
Strong finish to christina who got a little more than she bargained for with the inky-black darkness and nh wilds on all sides…..strong stuff for a city-lady.
Temp is droping but Van Dukes is ON-ON and holding down the graveyard shift with aplomb.
Then Jon 9 comes back at 5:30am ET
Smooth transition at checkpoint two. Rain done moon shinin warmin up by the minute. 526 am sun about to come up. Super jenn 2.5 into a 9+ mostly uphill. Lookin forward to a sunrise 10K..
Well it is past midnight here in Seattle and yours truly is in trouble for jumping on the computer to update everyone, but my little commitment to keep tabs on team Dukes is nothing compared to the effort being put in by our intrepid runners.
Here are the last two notices via carrier pigeon from Birch as they are truly experiencing the New Hampshire motto of Live Free or Die
Pigeon 1 reports:
Van dukes just completed first leg of our second tour….night vision gear met deffensive reqirements. …charlie everywhere but avoided thus far. I turned in a fast 3.8 w/ sub sevens and a serious rumble in the belly jungle. Maybe the steak sammy and fries at horsefeathers was not my secret weapon after all?
Van duke logged one hour of rack time at HQ before suiting up for second shift. We should be seeing the bats soon; a savage journey to the heart of the endrance dream. What ever happened to the days when we just got a sixer to enertain ourselves on a friday night?
Laura layin down the beats on da streets as we speakz.
DOFB makin it look mean; over’n'out!
Pigeon 2 reports two hours later:
So a note about horrible. Gj is half way into what can only be described as a seething, smoke belching mean motherfuckin collection of runner-consuming hills. 7 miles of hell; the spines of a dragon is the only explination.
We shall name this leg Fanfir – consumer of dreams and hope. God speed johnson. Oof.
As nightfall starts to settle over The Granite State, the Dukes of Flatbush team sends in this report from Jon 9.
Rain starting to pick up. Just in time for my leg! Hopscotching every mile to keep an eye on Jenn. Exactly how many creepy cemetaries are there in NH??
Each post is like a dagger in my heart that I am here in Seattle and not NH.
Birch reports:
Fayth on target and totally kitted out with flashing vest, headlamp and all manner of sexy-tron action. Not slowing her down though—she’ motoring. The end of her leg marks the van transition and where our van-o (van Duke) will hand off running duties to the earstwhile and (hopefully) well rested Van Flatbush.
Weather is overcast b ut an excellent operating temperature. Comraderie is equally awesome…300+ teams, so nearly 600 white rental vans all decked out with wild shit painted on them, stuff like giant flip-flops wired to them …..duudes in cow suits, women in fake moustaches and tuxedo shirts…… Cats and dogs living in harmony. Sweet swet beautiful anarchy.
Photo transmition incomming after van transition. By the wat – christina smooooked her leg!
The updates are really making me jealous as I sit here in the command center. I wish I was out there with the team mowing down hills but like the rest of you I am a casual observer and along for a ride.
This time we have two updates from Dukes of Flatbush Chad and then Birch:
Van Flatbush reporting from Chocorua HQ. Team members enjoying brief reprieve from van travel, resting and fueling legs, eagerly anticipating rendezvous with Van Dukes (in approx two hours) and our first leg. The running gods are shining on us for this one, kids. At 10:45p tonight our team captain will pickup the baton less than a mile and a half from HQ, allowing much-needed mid night rest and recharge for the entire contingent. The Dukes will kill it out there!
Laura pulled into TA 2 dead on her predicted 9 mile pace and looking like she had more in the tank….leg two complete and the van stink is commin on like a pro squad……laura finished at 3:40 and now sean about to steam into ta 3 and make the handoff to gj. For record – sean is scalded-dog fast..
The reports are flying in. Here is a report from Leg 1 runner – Birch
First leg completed in 53 minutes…7.8 miles. Laura almost at halfway point of her 8 mile second leg. Weathered has cleared a bit…not raining and good.
This effin rules. More laughs, suffering and fart jokes to follow
Allright folks, Reach The Beach relay has begun with Leg 1. Here is the report from the start
Birch off and running at an amazing start line. Chilly and light drizzle but spirits are high and overall vibe super cool (ed. note: Hippies). Van Dukes en route to first checkpoint.
Ladies and Gentlemen, sitting in here in the command center in Seattle WA, I am going to update all the folks following at home on the
adventures of The Dukes of Flatbush they compete in the Reach The Beach relay. I will just be a conduit for the posts as they fly in to the command center via all means of communication, so please bear with me as updates may come at uneven intervals as they destroy the roads of New Hampshire.
Our first missive is from Chad, the new guy as our team from NYC travels in a van that I believe is pictured on the right
Dukes converging on Chocorua from all points. The Portland, ME contingent reports successful pick-up of 12 pax van, currently employing evasive ‘loose moose’ measures in the hampshire countryside. Meanwhile, the NYC contingent is packed shoulder to shoulder in a 15 pax trolley that has more vibrating action than a quarters bed in an hourly roadside motel. Are we running coal fired under the hood or is it the consequence of four different tread patterns on our radials? We may have to detour to our Goodyear friends over at New Hampshire Int’l Raceway for a mount and balance. Heh, heh. Mount and balance.
Subscribe to this site's RSS feed.
DOFB