9th NE2KC

[Yankeerunner]

This morning the 9th Annual Newburyport Erg 2 Kilometer Championship was held.

It was anywhere from minus-12 degrees F in Maine where some participants came from to a high of maybe 4 degrees in Newburyport, but hey, it's winter, and besides the streets were clear. Seventeen hardy souls and their fans showed up at the Yankee Runner store in Newburyport's downtown section and racing commenced at 9:00am.

The old and infirm started things off with Frank Knight (66Hwt) winning the first heat in 7:22.3, followed by Paul Geoghegan (55lwt) in 7:26.3, Jim Keating (64H) in 7:40.5, and Rick Bayko (Grand Poobah of the NE2KC) rowing a 1-legged 8:23.8 (64lwt). One leg? Sure. When you can't use both legs due to something stupid you can just put a roller skate on the bad leg and carry on. The rules say that one cannot modify an erg for competition but they doesn't say anything about modifying the body on it.

Will Haskell (45lwt) drove down from Maine and made the trip worthwhile in winning the second heat in a solid sub-7 of 6:57.9. The former Tackhammer winner kept up a high stroke rate throughout and won handily. Matt Talas (45Hwt) of the Hard Nock's Gym made a valiant effort to row his first sub-7 but ran out of gas, but not before scoring a new PB of 7:05.1. Afterwards he huddled with Fred Dickie, another husky dude who has competed here before, and may be heading to Manchester, NH three weeks from now to try a 1000m race which might suit his strength-over-endurance attributes better. Chad Goss (49Hwt) rounded out the heat with 7:13.0 as he flogs himself back into shape.

The youngest dudes to show took over the ergs for the third heat with Jeff Barry (43HWT) stroking 7:09.5 before his adoring fans and Jason Zagami (31lwt) doing 7:38.6. Jason will be hosting a race on February 5th in Boston at Solid Body Fitness.

Women? Did somebody say Women? Yes, we not only had women, but had the biggest heat in NE2KC history when five (count 'em 5) women lined up . Lisa Doucett (56lwt) led the way with a solid 8:18.1 to prepare her for another shot at a CRASH-Bs medal to go along with last year's hardware. For her effort she garnered the Bridge Street Toys Mini-Sledge for the fastest time of the day for the women. Newcomer Anne Hird (52lwt), new to the erg but a distance running star going back over 30 years, drove up from Rhode Isand and had a good 8:32.9 in second. Yvette Knight (66) won her 5th Ice Scraper award in five tries with her 9:07.1, Mary Van Beuren (54lwt) from Vermont was 4th in 9:14.4, and Chris Geoghegan (54) 5th in 9:29.0.

By 10:30am everyone but the big boys had rowed and it was their turn. Lining up were three-time Sledgehammer winner Paul Flack (55Hwt) in lane 1, defending Sledgehammer winner Rick Martin (56Hwt) in lane2, and two-time Tackhammer winner Mike Van Beuren (59lwt) in lane 3. Flack took control early and won convincingly in 6:46.6. Martin shook off multiple injuries to make a serious step back to top fitness with 6:54.0 in second, and Van Beuren followed a single second later in 6:55.0 to become the first 3-time winner of the Bridge Street Toys Tackhammer for the fastest lightweight time of the day.

Prizes were awarded, the kind of great socializing that only occurs after a shared athletic experience took place, and some headed out to Newburyport eateries before heading home. Thanks, as usual but no less sincerely, to Ken Taylor and Dan Edson for helping to organize, to Paul Flack and his Bridge Street Toys company for the hammers, the Institution for Savings Bank for the Ice Scraper awards, and to Bert Bourgois, Rick Martin, Paul Flack, and Matt Talas via Hard Nock's Gym for lugging their ergs to the store and letting us use them. It's always a great day and a group effort. I hope that we'll all be around for the 10th Annual in 2013.

Here are some of the photos shot by Dan Edson:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... c77387f98b

Rick Bayko,
Grand Poobah of the NE2KC

[mikvan52]

I'll always remember this as the "Year of the Leg"

Great photos of you, you hard-ass mother.

Thanks for all the work you've done top make this the best race of it's kind!

[PaulG]

Rick: I still think you deserve a promotion to Exalted Grand Poobah. Another great competition.

Paul

[chgoss]

Great fun Rick as always!

thanks!

[dennish]

EGP, I like it, it suits you. Thanks, lots of fine old faces there. Almost makes me want to get after it again, almost. I did throw down a 7:02 here at altitude last week on a bet with my training mate. Not bad considering 1000m at a time is the most I erg these days. Now the bike is another story, coach is trying to kill me there. Anyway. Great on you for keeping the flame. I haven't talked to most of the old timers in awhile. Graham is enjoying eveything as always, Mike is such a stud, no telling what mountains he's conquering, David is thinking of moving in the not to distanct future and I haven't heard from Mary since she went to Peru. Luann pops up every so often. You got anything? take care, be safe. live well, live strong. dennis

[Bob S.]

EGP, I like it, it suits you. Thanks, lots of fine old faces there. Almost makes me want to get after it again, almost. I did throw down a 7:02 here at altitude last week on a bet with my training mate. Not bad considering 1000m at a time is the most I erg these days.dennis

Hi Dennis,

I figure that you are in the 60-64 category by now and I assume that you are still LWT, especially since you are biking a lot. 7:02? Wow! Why didn't you rank it? It is almost 6 seconds under the best time so far recorded this season for LWT M 60-64. At sea level you could probably still do 6:50 or better.

Bob S.

[mikvan52]

EGP, I like it, it suits you. Thanks, lots of fine old faces there. Almost makes me want to get after it again, almost. I did throw down a 7:02 here at altitude last week on a bet with my training mate. Not bad considering 1000m at a time is the most I erg these days.dennis

Hi Dennis,

I figure that you are in the 60-64 category by now and I assume that you are still LWT, especially since you are biking a lot. 7:02? Wow! Why didn't you rank it? It is almost 6 seconds under the best time so far recorded this season for LWT M 60-64. At sea level you could probably still do 6:50 or better.

Bob S.

Better than that, come down the mountain to airport and have C2 airmail you to Boston to grab a hammer!

[dennish]

well thanks guys but I have an agreement with my bike coach that I will only erg a limited amount as cross training. Yes more a lightweight now than ever, inching toward 150. I hadn't even thought of posting a score up on the rankings, we were just having a pissing match about how good we used to be, which is why I even checked into see how things went at NE2KC and who got to take home the much coveted ice scrappers. And theres also the fact that I felt like shit for at least a day after doing something so completely foolish. And nobody tells coach, got that. take care, be safe. live well, live strong. d

[Bob S.]

well thanks guys but I have an agreement with my bike coach that I will only erg a limited amount as cross training. Yes more a lightweight now than ever, inching toward 150. I hadn't even thought of posting a score up on the rankings, we were just having a pissing match about how good we used to be, which is why I even checked into see how things went at NE2KC and who got to take home the much coveted ice scrappers. And theres also the fact that I felt like shit for at least a day after doing something so completely foolish. And nobody tells coach, got that. take care, be safe. live well, live strong. d

Sheesh, Dennis. How much biking can you do in the middle of the Rockies in January? Has anyone invented a ski-bike?

Bob S.

[Yankeerunner]

Results of the NE2KC, alphabetically by first name:

1. Anne Hird 52lwt 8:32.9
2. Chad Goss 49H 7:13.0
3. Chris Geoghegan 54 9:29.0
4. Frank Knight 66H 7:22.3
5. Jason Zagami 31lwt 7:38.6
6. Jeff Barry 43H 7:09.5
7. Jim Keating 64H 7:40.5
8. Lisa Doucett 56lwt 8:18.1 (Bridge Street Toys Mini-Sledge award)
9. Mary Van Beuren 54lwt 9:14.4
10. Matt Talas 45H 7:05.1
11. Mike Van Beuren 59lwt 6:55.0 (Bridge Street Toys Tackhammer award)
12. Paul Flack 55H 6:46.6 (PaulS Sledgehammer award)
13. Paul Geoghegan 55lwt 7:26.3
14. Rick Bayko 64lwt 8:23.8
15. Rick Martin 56H 6:54.0
16. Will Haskell 45lwt 6:57.9
17. Yvette Knight 66 9:07.1

Here are some photos from Matt Talas's camera:

https://picasaweb.google.com/mjtalas/9t ... directlink

[Yankeerunner]

And some videos from Matt:


Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxaicoCUy2I (1-legged rowing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI-B9-13fKA (Finish of the Big Boys heat)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZwOBSiuZvo (The 'die' portion of a fly&die sub-7 attempt)

[Bob S.]

Sheesh, Dennis. How much biking can you do in the middle of the Rockies in January? Has anyone invented a ski-bike?

Bob S.

Reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VILWkqlQLWk

If that had been done in winter, they would have had to change the words to "snowdrifts keep bogging down my wheels."

Bob S.

[Yankeerunner]

Dennis,

I haven't heard much from the group in a while but then I haven't been around much myself. Occasionally is see stuff on facebook about Mary, Joan VB and Hislop.

I had a good year of running in 2010, including fulfilling a 50-year dream to run the legendary route from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens taken by Pheidippides 2,500 years ago. My first running marathon in 23 years. I paid for it dearly in 2011 (although it was worth it). In succession I pulled my right calf, then my left calf and finally in May I tore a meniscus in the right knee. That put the kibosh on both running and erging. Out of boredom I bought a used bike in August and began cycling the 8+ miles to and from work. Within two weeks I crashed and nearly killed myself. Luckily I came out of it with merely a broken right fibula (two fractures near the ankle) and multiple gouges and contusions. A month later I crashed again and hit a metal traffic light pole with my head at 20mph and probably would have killed myself in the one too if not for the helmet that I was inspired to buy after the first crash. I survived that one with a nearly broken left shoulder, nearly concussed noggin, and multiple gouges, road rash, abrasions and contusions.

A day after the second crash my doctors put my right leg in a cast to keep me from damaging myself further and try to heal the broken fibula, and also scheduled an operation to fix the meniscus. Thus the bionic 1-legged erg race yesterday. To be fair to the doctors I didn't go to see them until after the second crash. So my cycling isn't going as well as yours.

Today, 38 days after being surgically altered, I had a follow up visit and got the go ahead to carefully start using the right leg again. After seeing the doc I paper-clipped a stop onto the erg rail to keep my slide short and not fully compress the knee and did a sub-8:20 2K. With any kind of luck I should regain full flexibility before CRASH-Bs. I've optimistically entered 7:40 as my seeding time, and after the year I had in 2011 will be satisfied if I can get there by then. Growing old is not for sissies.

[Yankeerunner]

Sheesh, Dennis. How much biking can you do in the middle of the Rockies in January? Has anyone invented a ski-bike?

Bob S.

Reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VILWkqlQLWk

If that had been done in winter, they would have had to change the words to "snowdrifts keep bogging down my wheels."

Bob S.

That whole movie was enjoyable to watch Bob. It's been a bout 40 years since I saw it when it made the round of the theaters. It might be time to borrow it from the library and watch it again.

[dennish]

Bob and Bakes, First Bob, Oh yeah the beat goes on, snow, cold, wind or not. Right now I'm in the base building phase, which usually includes a couple of hard days a week (10 to 12 minute LT intervals), some sprinting and lots of base/tempo inbetween. Lots of this done on the trainer or spinning, and when it gets even close to ridable its pile on the gear, and head out. My rule of thumb is it has to be at least 38 at ride time with the promise of not getting colder during the ride and it also has to be dry and calm. During this phase of prep for the spring/summer races its a total of about 14-15 hours a week in the saddle plus weights and cross training with every fourth week being a tad lighter. On Fridays, with the coach's reluctant OK, I get together with the guy I've erged with for years and do a 12 by 1on/1off throw down. Last week was a PR of an average 290 watts for the 12 of them. And Rick, Jesus man you're a walking triage. Maybe you best just lay down for a several months and see if you can heal up. Then again I hear you on the dream of running the original marathon. Bucket lists are most excellent. And on further recollection I do remember an embarassing blunder into some sort of cement post on the eve of BIRC, so maybe its more a way of life with you. Good luck to all at Boston. d