Iron Man V

If it's the middle of August it must be the annual Greater Philadelphia Track Club Track Pentathlon,edition number five.
Back in it's inaugural season in 2010 I won the whole enchilada 3rd in 2011 and  8th in 2012,I sat out last years event as I was just returning to running following my stint on the DL w/ my second bout of tendonitis in my right achilles but I was fully fit and ready to tackle five races in just over two and a half hours this year.

Could've done w/out getting up at 6am to catch the 7.11am R5 to Ft Washington train but getting up early goes w/ the terroritory sometimes and since I'd done my best Boy Scout impression on Saturday afternoon I discovered Starbucks was open at 6am on 34th St four blocks from the train station at 30th St......it's one thing getting up at 6am,it's another to compete over five distances between 8.30am and  12.30pm but to do either w/out my beloved cup of rosey lee...... that's just crazy talk......ps if Starbucks would like to use me as a spokesperson for Venti Zen Tea I'd be more than happy......they don't have to pay me just give me a free Zenti Zen Tea once in a while.....just putting it out there........!

Arrived at Germantown Academy just after 8am,checked in for my bib number  and dropped off my bag on the infield b4 a two mile warm up around the track and then decamped under Nick Berra's tent along w/ Peter Brady,Mark Williams and Chris Blondin who along w/ Nick I dubbed "The Four Horsemen".
First up the 3,000m I ran a bad 3,000m two years ago which set me up for a below par performance for the whole event so I was hell  bent on getting out of the blocks {so to speak} a lot better this time out.
Chris Blondin took up the challenge from the gun and while my pre race plan had been to tuck in behind the "The Four Horsemen" I must have been feeling my oates as I went w/ Chris and got ahead of Peter,Mark and Nick.......I for get when those guys went by me maybe 4 or 3 laps to go but my 9.33.3 earnt me 87.74 points on the age graded scoring table and I was in the lead......
The sprints always do me in,I'm not a sprinter and since the Track Pentathlon is a one off I don't feel the need to work on my 100m and 200m to improve them,finished a distant 4th in the 200m in 28.88 which is still a respectable time but only earnt me 77.63 points which is where I tend to lose ground overall in the event.

1,500m next an event muchmore in my wheelhouse,once again I was the caboose to the "Four Horsemen" but they pulled me to a 4.30.6 time which earnt me 89.04 points,I was third w/ two events to go behind Nick and Mark.
The 100m let me down,I don't think using blocks would make a huge difference as like the 200m I brought up the rear of the field in 4th in 14.54 and only 75.52 ponts going into the final event the 800m.
Maybe if the powers that be had put me in the same heat as the ''Four Horseman" I might've scored better in the 800m but given Peter went 2.03.08,Mark went 2.03.36,Nick went 2.05.61 and Chris went 2.07.57 it's fair to say I'd have been a ways behind them,as it was I got the next heat where for the third time this year I went gun to tape for the win in 2.12.81......not too shabby for a 5th event if I say so myself!
87.58 points for a grand total of 417.50 for fourth place and $75 which will offset the cost of a new pair of running spikes for the 2015 season so not a bad mornings work if I say so myself.

While Nick ran away w/ the event.....no pun intended w/ his score of 429.60 the next four of us were this close:
Mark Williams 419.33-Vicki Fox 419.11 Your Truly 417.50 Peter Brady 416.81.
Post awards and photographs it was a cooldown b4 retiring to the nearest waterhole for some well earnt lunch and a couple of cold beverages to celebrate our endeavours and the thoughts about coming back again next year to do it all over again......sure I'll be another year older but that just helps my age graded score which the Track Pentathlon is based on.....till edition VI.....