ACHIEVEMENT

As I ran through the infamous crossroads in Coral Bay last week and within 1/10 of a mile from the finish line and on my way to completing my 5th consecutive 8 Tuff Miles Road Race I could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of achievement for myself and all the other runners who passed this otherwise sleepy intersection on the east side of this volcanic wonder we have all come to know as St. John. The Crossroads are many in life and have to be dealt with in a host of ways in order to maintain a sense of balance and well being. Learning how to run this race properly to maximize your full potential is much trickier than other road races. We ascend 1400 vertical feet in the first 5.5 miles and peak at 999 feet and the temperatures are usually in the low 80's with typically high tropical humidity. I personally will lose 5 pounds minimal on this run in training and a little more when I race it. There are 12 water stations and it is one of the best organized races I have ever run. We  must then run back down to sea level and if you are not trained properly your Quads will hurt for days on end. Down hill running is not as easy as it appears to be, especially if you want to gain speed on your decent.  This years field was as diverse as ever and it simply amazes me how many kids, my 9 year old son included, his second one, run or walk this race. They really bring a special element to the field, right along side the Elite runners who burn up Centerline Road.

This year some old business had to be attended to. The amazing Zuber/Lilly rivalry was back on and in full swing after a hiatus last year from the previous 3 years, when 6 time course champion Jeremy Zuber did not attend the race and was living off Island, and Court Lilly found himself facing even stiffer competition in Thomas Chorney who last year not only won the race but took 3:09 minutes off of Zubers previous course record of 49:35 set in 2009. All eyes were on Jeremy, hometown hero and all around nice guy as the runners lined up this year. Ironically this year Chorny was unable to attend. That however did not deter the resolve of one Cristoher Reis who not only won this years race but beat Chorny's course record  by 26 seconds bringing it down to an amazing 46:00 flat and shaving 56 seconds off of his  2010 time that awarded him second place last year even with beating Zubers course record by 2:39 minutes ! Court Lilly finished in second place this year and it was the first time he beat his rival Zuber who finished 3rd. Congratulations Chris, that was some bar setting this year and food for thought for next years event. Last years  #3 runner was not present due to an injury and quite arguably the future Dark Horse of this event to watch out for in the coming years. Brian "Wookie"  Shonenbarger was missed also and at 26 and just coming off a 2:30 Marathon Victory looming at  6'4" and legs to his shoulders could very well be this races champion one day. He is also part of the "Cincy Posse" led up by the amazing Brad Dunlevy, an accomplished runner himself and 5 time competitor  here in the 8TM who is responsible for the emergence of this running posse coming to St. John for the last 5 years,  and taking 7 of the top 10 places in the field this year. His Love affair with one Jack Daniels seems to only enhance his running prowess as he finished 9th overall this year! Thank you Brad for keeping us locals "On our toes" and for not bringing any "Cincy Posse" runners down to St. John in my age group!!

Local runner Ruth Ann David did her magic once again and was the overall female winner with a time of 57:39, winning the race 3 out of the last 4 years as she was noticeably absent from last years race. 11 year old running prodigy Evan "Lil Pre" Jones ran an amazing 1:02:13 this year and is inching closer and closer to the "One Hour Club". He took another 4 minutes off of last years time and I use to try to use him as a pacer in our group "Tune up" runs here on St. John. Not in the last 2-3 years  however as he is well out of sight in the first few minutes of these runs. He will undoubtedly become a top 10 finisher in the next few years and will become the youngest member ever of the "One Hour Club" either next year or the following. He has a slew of College Scholarship $$$ set aside as he wins his age group every year. 8TM donates $4600 in College Scholarships every year to the winners of the 3 age groups, both male and female in the under 18 categories. I have donated to that fund on several different occasions. Anyone wanting to help with the Scholarships can contact Race director Peter Alter at the 8TM website.  Evan and 40 other kids 12 and under finished this incredibly grueling course. By the way, after the race all the kids are playing and running around and exerting tons of energy while the adults feel like they just got hit with a sledge hammer! 82 year old Yelma Pullen and two 5 year olds, Zach Edwards and Arjuna Morris also rounded out the finishers at this years 15th anniversary Run.

My personal run this year was more than I could have hoped for. Us runner are a very funny and ofttimes a whiny bunch and tend to complain about our times and training and our injuries and analyze it all WAY too much! Guilty as charged, as I felt under trained and did not do the Speedwork that is required to make us faster runners. I am often a LSD runner and just like to go out and enjoy myself and LSD will do that for me almost every time. I also realize I am getting older, but something deep down inside me keeps telling me I have not peaked yet with my times and I was made aware of that as I had a much better time than I anticipated, although not a PR (personal Record) it more than met my expectations for the day and I finished in the top 100 for the 4th year in a row and also placed in the top 3 in my age group for the 4th year in a row.  Having run the race now back to back with my son is also very special. He ran the last 2 years and both years after I finished I went back up the mountain to meet him and finish the race with him. I was called a "Showoff" at least a dozen times out loud by other races as went back up to meet him but I will take the jokes and a few serious harangues any day to have that experiences with him. Next Year I will Don a large Camera and take Pictures on the way back up and I can be called a Paparazzi instead of a showoff, the lessor of two evils or not? This race that I did on a whim 5 years ago to challenge my self  turned me into a year round full time runner the moment I crossed the finish line and I have been running an average of 5 days a week ever since. It has been transformational in my life to say the least.

What propels 1000 people to register and several hundred more to volunteer every year is really what the race is all about. Yes, I made a lot of times and rivalry's and placement here but the true nature of this unique sporting event is laid out within the realm of the community and the support so selflessly given to each years event. Achievement can not always be measured and it surely cannot always be seen in the everyday activities of all the participants and volunteers who make Race Day here so very special. It is the mixture of toil and the love of Karma Yoga that people practice either consciously or not. It is the sleepless nights long before the race that the Race committee must endure and it is the culmination of souls who share a Love for the community and the sport of running itself. The work for next years race has already begun in the physical sense and in the metaphysical sense. People are already talking about next year with great zeal and Peter Alter, the race director is making plans as you read this to insure you not only enjoy the run but walk away from it with a sense of awe and respect, respect not only for the event itself, but for yourself for participating on the many levels it take to pull this off every year. The next time you see a runner moving their body across the roads or trails remember how much it takes for that individual to enjoy a positive experience on any given race day anywhere in the world. It may takes a village to raise a child and but it also takes achievement to complete the journey, one that is much longer than 8.38 miles. Be Well All and if you are a runner, Run Free!