Hermits

This comes from my Aunt Kathy at the request of Steve Olafsen. Kathy has made these cookies for SLU Alumni All Starz for the past 4 years and it has become something that we all look forward to in the last couple legs of the race.



Hermits
1/4 cup shortening or a little more
11/2 cup sugar
1/4cup molasses
2 tbsp water
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp b soda
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts (opt)
2 eggs beaten (with 1 tblsp reserverved for brushing top)
3 cups flour

mix shortening and sugar ,add molasses and water add beaten eggs(-1 tbsp)
add flour soda and spices
fold in raisins and nuts
divide dough into 4 parts roll in hand into logs and place on greased cookie sheet
flatten with brush dipped in egg wash slightly
bake 350 about 15 min till tops are golden to brn
cut on bias

Papa Pollock (P1) ((Pollock the Elder) Reports

This is my first blog post (and maybe last)

It was a honor and fun to be part of the SLUAllStarz team this weekend. Just some random thoughts on the adventure now that I've gotten my sleep deprived body back to some kind of normal...

One of the first things I realized is that I needed to improve my vocab, specially the superlatives. It is a sad day when every other word is "awesome". Boring!!!

As we started collecting on Friday it soon became apparent that this was going to be a great time and great experience. It was not lost on me that our start group was the last wave to go off and only had five teams. It was a precursor to the All-Star status that we enjoy along the race course but made for some lonely miles in the early going.

My hat is off to the logistic of the organizers. Liz, Sammy and Hogan did a fantastic job with getting us everything we needed. During the preparation, racing and post race it was -- duh -- awesome! I couldn't have asked for better van-mates Hogan, Fares, AB, Lawton and Ralph. Fares managed to not kill me as I rambled all the way to Clifton Park.

It was fun to mix racing and the spirit of running on so many levels. One of the things that were explained to me was that we were in it together. The "we" I came to learn was everyone that was running, not just the SLU teams. I loved it! As we drove along early in the course and I was in the passenger seat, AB yelled to roll down the windows. I learn my first rule, we cheer for everyone because "you never know when it will help" somebody along a little. It didn't really hit home to me how unique that was until I was doing my first leg and some vans just drove by while others shouted words of encouragement. We cheered the entire way (except the dreaded "quite zones").

For me the toughest part was expectations that I've built for myself and being out of my comfort zone. I was lucky however when I was feeling out of sorts and wandering about aimlessly the other teammates would help me get back on track.

As I sit here tonight with my quads totally trashed, I get a smile on my face thinking about the last 40 hours. Yep, it's crazy but it's a fun kind of crazy. ...and the only way I can deal with my feelings of loss is to Google RTB and put next year's race on the calendar.

Cheers to all, Papa Pollock

Is anyone else still sore?

Great photos everyone. This team photo above is from Sammy. I am still waiting to see more photos from Van 1.

My soreness was nothing that a couple days of trail work couldn't scare away.

all done. results are in.

Article on Cool Running about RTB 2007- Link Here

Results Link

OVERALL REACH THE BEACH RESULTS
REACH THE BEACH RELAY 2008
HAMPTON, NH
09/12-13/2008
Place Team Name............Div/Tot..Div...........Final......Pace
1 New Balance Boston........1/166....Mixed Open....21:29:34 6:10
2 Hello Kitty Ac............1/52.....Men's Open....21:35:54 6:12
3 Front Runners Mission Men.2/52.....Men's Open....22:01:30 6:19
4 Da Fools..................1/19.....Ultra Men's...22:29:29 6:27
5 The Ninjas................3/52.....Men's Open....23:02:16 6:36
6 Slu Alumni Allstarz.......2/166....Mixed Open....23:15:01 6:40
7 Mine Falls Milers.........1/18.....Men's Masters.23:15:58 6:40
8 The Free Radicals.........2/18.....Men's Masters.23:32:33 6:45
9 Frny......................2/19.....Ultra Men's...24:01:46 6:53
10 Citycoach................3/166....Mixed Open....24:02:24 6:54
20 The New Slu..............7/166....Mixed Open....25:07:09..7:12


Team Cheer Friday 3:45pm


Check out more of Liz's Photos

AM Photos

aaahhhh

Papa Pollock just dropped me off after a lovely drive from Manchester. I got the scoop on lots of cool things-the guys from Once A Runner, the crazy Kraneks who coach @ Toga, Matt Centrowitz! We did even get to touch upon the SLU days or Peace Corps! My parents think I broke myself b/c I'm crawling down the stairs. But Janet still wants in next year, she loves the tattoos ABarr and I created, I hope they never wash off. Love you and miss you all already way to be awesome SAINTS:)

Done!

Unofficial time 23:15:15. Waiting for results and NewSLU. We are frollicking in the ocean and I am eating clam chowder as I blog. Check back.

UPDATED: New SLU finished 20th in 25:07:09. All-Starz 6th overall, 2nd in the Mixed Open Division (to overall winners Team New Balance Boston (read: ringers), who beat Hello Kitty AC by 6 minutes and 20 seconds in a race that came down to the wire).

Spankies!

Liz just donned Tora's SLU jersey top and has the lo-jack on her ankle. (She opted against also borrowing the spankies that complete the uni, which Tora ran in.)

Norris in the old candy-cane jersey and thigh-spit shorts also was in old school uni.

Look for us at the beach.

These pretzels are making me thirsty

Van 1 done

All finished up with our third runs. Everyone was looking great out there! Just picked up some coldies and hanging out at A Barr place waiting for the rest of the team to run by. see you at the beach! It's actually nice weather for it this time too!

stir it up!

Morning time. Lawton had to break out the classic Rasta Pasta 94 shirt for the last run. New SLU kids were frightened for sure.

Starting the 3rd Set

We made it to Bear Brook State Park - a place that normally is a dark, rainy refugee camp for vans - in a totally new perspective. The sun is out, it's finally warming up, the fog/haze is burning off, and there aren't so many vans you can't even troll through looking for parking at 5 m.p.h.

Today we found it sunny, Liz handed off to Lawton about 7:40 a.m. - about 22 minutes behind our projected time, not bad given previous years. For his last leg, a 9.3 mile uphill monster, Lawton is wearing a '94 Rasta Pasta tshirt with the sleeves cut off and a "Powerbar" logo ironed onto the front.

The sun's shining on the Saints today.

That was NOT nice & easy...

Hogan: I said no hills. Um, 300 feet-2 mile descent, 250 foot-2 mile ascent, then a steep rolly 2.5 miles. Ugh. Managed 47:07 for 7.1 miles. Handed off to Tora around 6:20 a.m.

In other news, I ran into daylight, which made the finish even worse, as you could see the long, gradual uphill from a mile out. Kinda wish I'd still been in the dark for that, but I crushed about 14 or so pieces of low hanging fruit. The Front Runners (who had a male team that started at 4 p.m., but have a bunch of teams) are still hanging around (overlapping some of them at Transition Areas, but we should still be ahead of their 4pm team...

17 down 4 to go

Well for me at least. Glad to have the worst over. My hip was en fuego first run and most of the second. Wish i listened to my PT and did all my drills, paying for it now. It was helpful thinking what he said about keeping the motion under control though. Mind was definitely wandering that last run. Kept seeing frogs with the headlamp and thinking about when Graham-bo nailed a frog with his tee shot when we were golfing in college. that poor sucker didnt know what hit him. very different than the slow gradual pain of that run i was experiencing. That and my brain kept thinking every red-ish light i saw was the finish. Stop lights. Brake lights. Runners blinking lights ahead of me. No such luck! Good times. At least the last run is short so hopefully i can open it up and do some damage on that one!

Z's and Ziti

OH MY GOD! I luv the Olafsens! Liz finished our 12th leg and then we made tracks into the woods of Center Sandwich to the Olafsens where a crockpot full of ziti, couches and beds, and the potential for hot showers (even if we choose to just sleep). Mmmm.

...And we beat Pollock and the New SLU rest van here, so we got first crack at the ziti.

New SLU Caught!

Norris caught Liz K right at the end of Leg 8. I had been hoping he wouldn't close the whole gap and I'd get to finish the deed, but I made my new mission to open enough gap so Pollock couldn't catch Tora on the next leg. I finished my hillier-than-expected 10k leg in 41 flat. He's SO not catching her.
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We also picked up Tracey O (Tora's mom) who is taking Heather's spot, so we're a full dozen now.

Attitash

our van has all finished first runs. Mine felt a lot worse than i'd like. Overall we're doing well though. Saw a guy doing the monkey poo shuffle. Totally busted him on it. Dementia slowly setting in as simple calculations are challenging. A Barr was also blatantly talking out loud to Fares...even though she was out of the van running and couldn't hear. Hopefully nap-time helps!

Starting Leg 6

Starting leg six. New SLU exchanged (Lloyd to Jim Hall) at 6:32 and the All Starz handed off (Lee to Amy F.) at 6:56ish, about 3 min behind New Balance Boston. Rolling on down to the van2van exchange at Attitash Ski Area.

Recall that the All-Starz and NBN started a half hour after New SLU.

On the road

Started about half hour ago. Lawton is cruising along now and i'm up next for 9

a short quiz

From Thrifty yesterday. So what do you choose? ... If you said Option 3 you are correct. Be glad you're not one of my students or I'd make you show why.

Go Team.

Ralph showing off our new St. Lawrence felt banner. Jenny and I were inspired at Brewer Bookstore last weekend and found this awesome Scarlet and Brown banner.

Hey Amy- I'm pretty sure that the 11 person team is us!!! but luckily Tora's Mom Tracy has stepped up to the challenge.

Jon French is an animal!

Sorry to hear about the 11 person team, but if anyone can run 6 legs it's Jon French! I know it, I've seen it up close-the kid can do anything(unlike Andy Dana I think he can even do butterfly without drowning)! Jenny's in the background thankful for her plane ticket to Ohio, Jenny loves races so much:) Anyway-Jon French can still probably average 5:05's for 6 legs!

HAPPY RACE DAY!

Burlington Van checking in. Ralph, Erik and John Ostler (on the young SLU team) arrived in BTV safe and sound last night... I'm still not sure what time they arrived. Thanks to my Bro for letting folks take over his apt. This morning have to pick up the rental van and pack up all the team food. Here is a run down on the food- Bananas, clementines, pears, barrel of pretzels, bagels w/pb and cream cheese, fig newtons, chocolate, gorp, fruit and nut trail mix and plenty of Gatorade.

And on the way to Cannon we will pick up Anna (on the young SLU team) in Waterbury.


My friend Matt wants everyone to "remember: don't stop until the finish line".

I tried to find the video of Migonis from last year, but I am sad to report that I can't find it. Maybe we could do a reenactment later today. Instead I have a couple photos of Egypt.



That's me in the orange shirt- running in a dry riverbed northeast of Ciaro in June. One of the hottest runs I have ever done. 4pm in June= HOT.

Breakin' It Down!

I'm sitting on a couch in the Real World Allston House. I did some nice stencil work on the vans - well the two we have. (About the third... Yea-ah...)

Now we're sitting here, with no internets and no spreadsheet, trying to re-game the New SLU roster for a team of 11, but every now and then, French puts down the pen and calls someone else who could potentially fill their 12th spot (it's 11 p.m. The night before the race, which is a work day)...

Flying labs and sad garbage hounds

I left my poor, pathetic garbage hound at the vet for his second kennel experience of his 9 long years and could hear him crying all the way out in the parking lot. Maybe Janet was right and I should have just put him to sleep, but who would protect me on my morning runs and be the man in my life? Jenny got me safely to Littleton, NH where we greeted by a tiny flying yellow lab-flying around in circles like a spaceship! I wrote where we were b/c she told me, not b/c I know. Most of the time I'm not sure where I am-VT, NH, ME they all have moose and we didn't hit any! We didn't have to rock out to 10 years worth of Shania Twain's Greatest Hits to stay awake either-so that was a plus. It's hard to believe it's RTB without Dwyer, but I'll call her 37 times tomorrow if I can get my phone back to normal-whatever normal is when you've been dropped on your head every day of you life. LYLAFamily I'll be at Cannon around 7:30 tomorrow morning just to be sure I'm on time. I'm somebody's mother for Christ's sake, I am capable of getting most places on time-especially with my twin sister ABarr at the other end of the state!
PS Who was the first one at 100 on 100?

just set up my phone...

just set up my phone... Really excited to see everyone and ROCK this race!

Piece! of! Monkey! Poop!

So I took off, flew, and touched down (actually ahead of schedule) at Logan airport on September 11th. Now I've got a little down time while waiting for Hogan's (only slightly) delayed flight from LGA to reflect on just what I've accomplished today, and what I managed to forget.

1) My EZ-Pass - oh well, will have to stop for tolls on 93, not THAT big of a pain.

2) Oh sh*t! No? Did I? Yes! I don't believe this. I forgot the team shirts for the other half of the team. G*ddamnit! No fixing that. Complete meltdown.

gotta love Cville

So we were dealing with some team personnel issues this morning and I was running late for the airport...thankfully I was flying out of lovely Cville (CHO) and managed to show up 20 minutes before my flight and still catch it.

Sounds like Tracey O is stepping onto the team so big thanks to her!!

Just crushed a burrito in LaGuardia and now onto Boston.

getting ready

Lee sent this pic a little while ago. As if we wouldn't believe he'd have his gear ready to go... ;)



It should be a good reminder of what I need to bring...when I get around to packing in a mad dash before my flight tomorrow that is. Oh and Amy, you be glad to know I'm bringing some fresh DS Trainers!

Have a good trip out everyone!

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