New Years Resolution Run

Z, KB and I closed out the first year of STR with a strong showing at the Flint Resolution Run. With warm temperatures on a nice sunny day, Z cranked out the 8kms in less than 43 minutes! This is a really good time, congratulations Z! Especially considering the nearly 5 mile route contained a substantial hill at the start and finish. After some initial indications that I was able to earn my first place on the podium, I finished 4th in my age group with a 7:46 min/mile. Once again, KB brought home the hardware! She finished 2nd in her age group with a time of 38:38.

Congratulations to all STR members who have pushed themselves to become healthier and enjoy a more active lifestyle. May your resolutions be big and your resolve deep!

HAPPY NEW YEAR STR!

Jingle All the Way

Vinnie, Madison (the dog), and I braved the cold to represent STR in the Jingle Bell Run 10K. It was a great race with a record number of runners this year who raised over $30,000 for the Arthritis Foundation. Vinnie took home the fastest tire award with an impressive 56:48. Madison and I crossed the finish line two seconds later. This was Madison's first race. She was very excited and had plenty left in the tank at the end. Have a great Holiday Season.

A Fantastic Fantasy 5k

After our usual over indulgence in thanksgiving festivities (potatoes, pies, etc.), KB and I were fully prepared to burn a few calories at the Fantasy of Lights 5k in Howell Friday night. It seems like every year we enter this race we run in horrendous weather. But this year, we were greeted with clear skies and no wind. So, in cold temperatures we put down a great run, finishing in 25:17. KB’s 8:08 minute miles earned her 3rd place in her age group and a new PR. Thanks to Ralph and Annette for joining us and cheering us on.

Happy Turkey Day

I am proud to say that 4 STR members and Lisa (pictured wearing the green jacket) braved the cold, snow and winds to run the 25th annual Detroit Turkey Trot! Dave "The Tank" was the fastest tire of the day, Todd Z ran his second and longest race ever. Ann "Sammy"and I enjoyed the run also. A special thanks to Z's friend Lisa for coming out and running with us. The Turkey Trot is a great way to start a big day of eating. Looking forward to next year!

STR takes DC by storm!

I’m pleased to report that KB and I completed the 2007 Marine Corp Marathon. With great weather and excitement of a big race, Kim and I both felt like we would be running a good race. The race was HUGE! Over 22,000 people and tight streets throughout DC made it tight in many locations.

Starting at the Pentagon, we took it slow. Our pace slowly began to creep up until…mile 14. While our legs felt great, Kim stomach wasn’t. This developed into a full fledged “situation” by mile 17. By the time we had to run around the East Potomac Golf Course, Kim’s “situation” was really bad. But she persevered and pushed hard for one hell of a finish. Since the Marine Corp. puts on the race they like to add a 100ft hill at the very end to the finish. Personally, every stride up that hill led to cramps on the inside of my thighs. It was tough. Finally, we crossed the finish line at the Iwo Jima Memorial with an official chip time of 4:31:37. This is special race with many participants running in memory of fallen comrades. It was certainly special to Kim and me.

Thank you to everyone for their support. You guys are awesome. Aunt Kim even received a message from our nephew Carson (3 yrs old) saying he was keeping track of our progress. Sorry the text messaging didn’t perform up to expectations. Above is a picture of KB and I after the race with her mom and stepdad, Barb and Bruce Harvey. Time for a beer.

The Dynamic Duo Goes to Washington

Shawn and KB will be running in the Marine Corps Marathon on Oct 28th, 2007. They will be running 26.2 miles around the Nation's capital. The Marine Corps Marathon is known as "The People's Marathon" and is one of the best in the country. This will be Shawn's first ever marathon and KB's second. These guys have been dedicated to following their training program of the the past several months. They are ready to DOMINATE! They have ran countless miles, completed several short distance running races and placed second in their adventure race. Shawn is looking forward to bigger races in the future, and KB is looking forward to not eating GU or cliff blocks anymore. You guys will do great. Remember pain is temporary, STR is a lifetime membership.

To track the Duo click on http://www.marinemarathon.com/Results/remote_runner_tracking.htm

STRs version of the Dream Cruise

Congratulations to Vinnie, Dave, Ralph, Annette and Mac for cruising to a great finish in the Kar's Nuts Marathon Team Relay during the 2007 Detroit Marathon today. Results have yet to be posted but it is safe to say STR dominated. The team finished the 26.2 miles in less than 4 hours (3:56:57 chip time)! Great job STRs! Results can be found at: http://www.detroitmarathon.com/merchandise/results.html

STR Takes on DET

Spare Tire Racing's first ever relay team will be running 26.2 miles over bridges, through a tunnel, around an island, and even to another country as they participate in the 30th running of the Detroit Marathon. Vinnie will be leading us off. After months of training, he is ready to take on the longest leg which will take him over the bridge into Canada where he will be handing off to Dave "The Tank". David will running the under water mile as he makes his way back to the states through the tunnel. Then it is the Dominator's turn. He will throw down the hammer before handing off the baton to his wife. During the fourth leg, Annette "The Boss" will run around Belle Isle. The fifth and final leg will be run by "The Canadian". Mac will be taking STR to the finish line. This will be Mac's second time crossing a Marathon finish line this month. Last weekend, he tested the limits of duck tape in Chicago during record breaking temperatures. On October, 21 come out and cheer on STR. The race starts at 7:15, we are hoping to cross the finish line by lunch time!

Spare Tire is Getting BIGGER!

I am excited to welcome the two newest members of Spare Tire Racing. Ann"I still have not thought of a nickname" from Birmingham and Allison "Millser" from L-town. We are looking forward to racing and training with you ladies sometime soon.

Big Mac takes on the Windy City

I am very proud to say Mac "The Canadian" will be representing Spare Tire Racing at the 30th running of the Chicago Marathon. Mac has run several longer distance races this year, but this will be Mac's first ever marathon. He will be joining the other 44,999 runners during their 26.2 mile journey around Chicago. Good luck Mac. Just don't forget your duck tape.

Normally, when a woman is referred to as a “fast girl”, it isn’t a compliment! During yesterdays Capital City River Run Half Marathon, KB took it as a great compliment when someone said just that in response to seeing I RUN LIKE A GIRL printed on the back of her shirt as she passed him. KB represented STR well yesterday while completing her first half-marathon in 1:54:25 (8:45min/mile). For her effort she was rewarded with finishing in the top quarter of her age group. Congratulations to KB!

STR rolls on…now, gaining speed with every race!

Detroit Zoo Run

Congratulations on great race to all the STR racers, pictured above, who lit up the course on the Detroit Zoo Run this morning. Race results are now available (click here). It was great to see everyone out enjoying the beautiful weather. A special thanks needs to be handed out to Ralph and Annette for getting up early to set up the tent and hosting a great post-race barbeque. What a day! STR ROLLS ON...

STR keeps on rolling and rolling

I am proud to announce that two members of STR have set new personal bests for their longest runs! Todd "Z" made it 3 miles during his training run to prepare for his first running race ever! Vinnie kept on pushing and made the entire 8 mile loop at Kensington to get ready for his first ever 10K race next week. Nice work guys. Thank you to everyone who came out for STR's first group training run! We are just getting started! See you at the Zoo.

STR Training Run

Saturday, September 8th STR will be hosting a training run at Kensington Metro Park at 10am. We are meeting in the parking lot of the east boat launch. Look for the new STR blue tent! Kensington has a wonderful 8 mile paved loop that goes around the lake. You don't have to run the whole 8 miles. The trail is marked every .25 mile. Run as far as you like and turn around if you do not want to go all the way around. Everyone is welcome, even dogs (but they must be on a 6 foot leash). Bottle water will be provided. There is a $4 daily fee to get into the park.

Come and run, walk or bike with STR. Bring the family and enjoy the day. For more information about Kensington Park you can go to http://www.metroparks.com/parks/pk_kensington.php

Two turds roll down hill…

Ok, Spare Tire Racers, it’s time to get real. Have you ever had a training run, or a race for that matter, go from good to really bad? Well let me share my latest training torture.

For Kimmy B and I, Saturday is our long run day. We are in the heart of a marathon training schedule and today’s run required an 18 mile effort. When we started, we felt fairly strong. Perhaps our legs were a little tired from another week of running 30+ miles but when we start our long runs our legs are usually a little heavy. Well, about halfway through the run we both were feeling it. Our legs were already a little sore and Kimmy B’s back was starting to tighten up. Last week, we felt fine at this point! How could this be?

After 15 miles and our third Gu each, we both were exhausted. The 3mile route we usually finish with kick our butts! At one point Kimmy B thought she was going to “leave it all on the course” and I was really struggling with the hills. Overall, we both went from Strong Runners to Two Turds rolling home! What happened?

Now I know there are all sorts of physiological reasons that might explain why our nice run went south. Our nutrition wasn’t right, our training schedule was too intense, not enough sleep…and on and on. I’m sure we will have plenty of those types of discussions in the future. But for now, I want to hear about your run, bike or swim that turned from good to bad. Give it to me! We can’t be the only ones who have finished a run feeling like two turds!

Spare Tire Rolls on at the Crim

Dave "The Tank" and Mac "The Canadian" (not pictured) had an impressive showing at the Crim. Both runners were able to keep up an impressive pace through the 10 mile course as they battled the heat, humidity and hills. Dave finished a 1:25:56 and Mac only a few minutes behind, crossing the line at 1:28:4 6. Nice work guys! Mac has his eye set on the Chicago Marathon in early October. Both Dave and Mac will be on the Spare Tire Detroit Free Press Marathon relay team.

Spare Tire Feature Race

Come and join Spare Tire Racing in their first feature race. The LaSalle Bank Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo will take place on September 16, 2007. There will be a 5k, 10k and fun walk. Events will begin at 8am. There will be a post-race party after the race at the zoo and a post-post-race party at the Dominator's and "The Boss"'s place for STR members and family. For more info and to register, clink on the link for the Detroit Zoo Run under upcoming events. Hope to see you all there!

Dave "The Tank" takes on the Crim

I am proud to say Dave "The Tank" will be representing STR in the 31st running of the Crim. This will be Dave's first race wearing the STR jersey. The Crim is one of the most famous 10 mile races in the country. Have a great race, Dave. Enjoy the hills!

Dynamic Duo Brings STR 2nd Place!

When Kim and I entered the 2007 Summer Quest Adventure Race we had two goals: 1) complete the race, and 2) avoid swamps. Well, we did far better at achieving one of those goals than the other!

Since we are adventure race (AR) rookies (my second race, Kim’s first), we were a little intimidated when we arrived at the check-in and there were 200+ contestants, all looking very serious!

The start to the race set the tone for the day, a quick romp through NASTY waist deep, mucky, swamp water to the first check point on an island in Stony Creek Lake. From there, we had a full-on open water swim. If you ever wondered what it is like swimming in your shoes and pants…it sucks!

After we were thoroughly soaked we grabbed our paddles and headed to the. During the transition, one of the photographers approached Kim to say he loved her STR jersey, to which Kim responded “It’s a revolution!” Amazingly, we quickly found a nice rhythm paddling over a mile to the first check point (CP). At CP’s, Kim would take care of getting the passport punched and I would turn the canoe around. By the time I was done turning the canoe around she’d return and we were off for the next CP. After 3 miles of canoeing we began to separate ourselves from the majority of the pack, which was very surprising to us.

Next up, mountain biking. We rode two-track, single track, roads and grass for 14 miles collecting 8 CP’s. While on our bikes we passed through a gear check, requiring we show them our bike pump and medical kit. The riding was tough but we made good time and avoided crashing.

We took a break from the bike for the orienteering portion of the race, commonly called the O-course. At the bike drop, we again had a gear check, this time matches/lighter and emergency blanket. Good thing Kim ran to the store the night before our race at 11:30pm to get that second emergency blanket! Here is where we really made some great decisions that helped our time immensely. Upon arriving to the start of the O-course we were given a more detailed map showing the 10 CP’s we would have to collect. We matched this up with a separate map that was provided at the pre-race briefing showing trails in the area, transferred the info to one map and decided on the most efficient route to collect all the points. Although this took some time (less than 5min) it was a huge help when trying to navigate on the run. At one CP, it required walking/swimming through thick black muck that was covered with floating swamp grass. Later, we made our way from one CP to another by walking down Stony Creek for a ¼ mile. This creek is not a nice open creek with clear flowing water; it is overgrown with nettles, clogged with driftwood and filled with more of that nasty muck! Once we cleared all the CP’s on the O-course, we hopped back on our bikes for a quick ride to the finish.

After completing the race and turning in our completed passport, we were amazed to learn we finished 2nd in our division (Co-ed)! While watching many of the other racers finish behind us it slowly began to set in just how well we did! We were truly surprised and elated!
STR rolls on! It’s a revolution!

Ps. Final results will be posted at www.infiterrasports.com/ar_rr.htm

Dynamic Duo Debut

The Dynamic Duo ( Shawn "The Ice Dog" and Kimmy B from KB orienteering supplies) will be representing Spare Tire in the 2007 Summer Quest Sprint Adventure Race. Kimmy B will be putting on the STR jersey for the first time. The 4-6 hour race takes place at Stoney Creek metro park on August 18th. The Dynamic Duo will have to trail run and orienteer 4-7 miles, Canoe 3-5 miles and mountain bike 10-15 miles. The course will be no easy task, but the Dynamic Duo are in great shape with months of marathon training under their belts. I just hope their marriage survives the canoe leg of the race. Best of luck to you guys. Have a great race. We can't wait for the post race report.

Ironman USA 2007

As the alarm went off at 4:45 am on the morning of July 22nd, I knew the day was finally here. It was race day! I gathered up my stuff, grabbed my wet suit and headed out to meet my friends from Blink Multisports in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza. The lobby of the hotel overlooked Mirror Lake. You could see the swim buoys and the fog lifting off the lake. The sun was rising, the town was coming alive with the nervous energy of over 2000 triathletes from 49 states and 26 countries, the excitement of the 3500 volunteers, and the countless number of fans already lining the streets, even my parents were up and it was only 5am. I headed down to the transition area to make the final preparations on my bike, drop off my special needs bags and then to the body marking station to get my race numbers. As I made my way down to the lake with the STR Ironfans, the nervousness began to build. Was I ready,was my new leg strong enough, could I really go from not being able to run to Ironman in 7 months, did I have what it takes to make it through 140.6 miles in the Adirondack mountains? Well, ready or not, I was going to find out soon. I squeezed into my wetsuit, said goodbye to my family and friends, and made my way to the swim start. I did a little warm-up to make sure everything was good to go, then I just floated in the lake, trying to take it all in, thinking of all the people I met and listening to their stories, like the guy who lost over 160 lbs and changed his life around on the way to becoming an Ironman. I also thought of my journey, losing 30+ lbs, going from hoping to make it through the first 5k race just over 6 months ago to being able to compete in an Ironman. I also thought of the many firsts I accomplished like finishing my first adventure race, first 1/2 Ironman and first 1st place trophy in the big kids division, and the creation of Spare Tire Racing. What a journey it has been. The one minute warning was given, everyone was getting ready, 3..2...boom.... The once quiet mountain lake turned white, filled with arms and legs hurling into the air. An Ironman swim start is one of those things in the world that you just have to experience to believe. The over 2,000 athletes were on their way. I definitely experienced my fair share of kicks to the face and arms to the head. I was in the middle of the main pack and made it out of the water in 1:18. Then it was about a half a mile (up hill) to the transition area. I put on my bike gear and headed out of the tent. I grabbed my bike (with fully inflated tires, that is one of the 100 things you worry about the night before when you are trying to sleep) from a volunteer and headed out for the 112 mile bike course. There is about 10 feet of flat ground, a turn, then a small but steep hill and a quick turn. I heard the sound of someone hitting the metal barricade. As I made my way down the small hill, there he was trying to fix a flat tire and the crowd was putting the barricade back up. It was the first of several crashes I would see on the bike. Lucky for me, I was able to stay upright. The bike and the run courses are known to be one of the hardest of the Ironman courses in the world. You start going up hill a few miles from town. What goes up must come down. Around the 7 mile mark you come to a point on the course which is known as the decent. It is about a 6 mile section where you will hit speeds close to 50 mph. It gives you a break from pedaling but it is not what I call relaxing. On the second loop, my contact flew out of my eye as a result of the cross wind and the 47 mph I was traveling, lucky for me it stuck to my sunglasses. I grabbed it and put it in my mouth for safe keeping until the bottom of the hill. After a quick stop and several poor attempts of putting my contact in with my Gu, Gatorade and sweaty fingers, I was off again. The course was filled with hills, rivers and mountains, one of the most beautiful bike rides I have been on. I was feeling pretty good until about mile 95 when a muscle on the inside of my right leg decided to seize up. This was not good. I had almost 20 more miles which where the most challenging and the marathon left to go. I stopped, stretched it out, tried to hydrate as much as I could and kept on moving. I took the rest of the bike slower, trying to leave some for the run. 7 hours and 13 minutes later I was off the bike. I made it through the 2.4 mile swim and the 112 mile bike, now all that was left was the 26.2 mile run. Great! I hobbled out of town with my new STR jersey, said goodbye to my family and friends. My legs felt pretty good, but I could feel like they were going to start to cramp soon. I made it to the first aid station and grabbed some water and Gatorade. I slowed down because I got that "leave it all on the course feeling" and knew that would not be good because I still had 6-7 hours left. The crowd was amazing, they gave you the energy to keep on going and everyone loved the new Spare Tire Racing jersey. I spent the next 25 miles running and walking, trying to get the right amount of hydration and nutrition so I could make it through the marathon. I had the chance to talk to my friends from Blink and wished them well on their final lap, but I had one more lap to go. The sun was setting, the temperature was dropping, but my spirits were up, I knew I was going to make it. I had the chance to talk to other athletes, shared stories, encouraged each other as we made our way back into town. There truly is an Ironman family. It is an amazing experience to be around so many people who are out there achieving their goals and dreams. It was about 9:30 when I made it back into town where the crowds were gathered, I had about 2.5 miles. I passed the 25 mile marker around 9:45. I thought maybe I could break the 15 hour mark. I was thinking the same thing a couple of hours ago, but now it was for real. I was still able to run, I decided to go for it. I just had to go to the turn around and it was mostly down hill from there. Well, I think someone put out an extra few cones because I felt like I never was going to get to there. And then there it was! I was figuring it was going to be about 3/4 of a mile to the finish and I had about 7 minutes. I was not sure about my math skills at that point. I had been on vacation for a week and had also went 140 miles. I ran. I don't know why, but I wanted to break that 15 hour mark. There it was. I entered the Olympic speed skating 400 meter oval, and had 200 meters to go. I decided to put the hammer down the last 100 meters. Then, I was about to hear those words... after a year of rehab, 7 months of training programs, countless hours of training, time, effort, money, sacrifices, not sleeping in, not being able to walk down the stairs sometimes, eating my body weight in Gu, and Gatorade. It was all going to be worth it. At 14:58:03 I crossed that finish line, and heard ..."you are an Ironman." I want to thank my family, friends, co-workers, patients, my dog and running partner, Madison, and especially my wife, Annette, for with out you guys it would not have been possible. Ironman is a special thing, for those 2,000 athletes on July 22nd and anyone who has ever crossed the finish line and heard those words "...you are an Ironman" knows what I am talking about. For those who have not made that journey it is difficult to put in words. For me it was to do something I never thought in a million years I could do, but I did not listen to the hundreds of excuses, and I tried and I did it!

Anything truly is possible.

Good Luck Dominator!

This weekend, KB and I will join Annette (aka - The Boss) and Ralph’s parents in Lake Placid to watch The Dominator compete in his second Ironman. As many of you know, starting Sunday at 7am he will attempt to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. While these numbers are impressive, the fact that Ralph is even competing in this event is possibly even more preposterous.

Last year, The Dominator underwent major knee surgery. He was not able to put any weight on his leg until the end of spring 2006. Finally in June he ditched the crutches for a cane. By fall 2006, he was only running a mile or two. Then he underwent a second surgery around Thanksgiving. With the surgeries behind him, he started running less than 7 months ago. His first race was a 5km race during the super bowl weekend in negative temperatures. Since then he has followed a 50+ page training manual which made him bike more than 2,000 miles and run 300-400 miles. And boy has the training worked! In less than a year, Ralph has gone from not walking and a leg full of pins, to completing triathlons at the Olympic and a ½ Ironman distances. Next up, the Lake Placid Ironman!

So join me in congratulating Ralph on a miraculous recovery and wishing him well on his quest for yet another Ironman! It is time to DOMINATE! Good luck Ralph!

STR Attracts Big-Small, Young-Old

With the summer racing season heating up, STR is attracting young and old! Or should I say more experienced? Xan, pictured with The Ice Dog, is clearly focused on crawling before worrying about any PR. But have no doubt, he is infected with STR enthusiasm.

Pat McElmurry (Father of The Ice Dog) also joined the team with 100% STR pride. Pat has previously completed the Dino-Dash and Mackinaw Bridge Walk and looks forward to possibly dominating these events again this fall.

So join the STR team and get that spare tire moving! Racing shirts will be ordered soon- contact the dominator for more info.

Jordan River Trail - DOMINATED

Saturday, while the Dominator was resting for the Motor City Tri, KB and I paid a visit to the Jordan River Trail (JRT) in northern lower Michigan. The JRT is a beautiful trail which meanders in and out of the Jordan River valley for 18.5 miles. If you follow the trail counter clockwise from Dead Man’s Hill Overlook (appropriately named), as we did, the trail immediately descends over 400’ to the Jordan River, follows the northern bank of the river to the Pinney Bridge campground 8 miles later and returns to the start following high ridges which yield great views of the valley.

Once, while on an overnight trip to the JRT, I was passed early in the morning by a day hiker who intended to hike the whole trail in a day. This brief encounter planted a seed inside me that I thought it would be “fun” to see how long it would take to run the entire trail. So, this weekend we set out to run the entire trail with only one goal, to finish. It only took me 15 minutes before I tripped on a root and fell. It was a quick reminder that this trail was not intended for running but rather a cautious hiker. The other half of the Dynamic Duo, KB, stayed upright a little longer, making it 60 minutes until she took to the air like superwoman and skidded to a halt in mid-flight form. Fortunately, neither of us was hurt and these were the only incidents of the day. We were elated to reach the Pinney Bridge CG in good form after only 1:40 of running. After a 20 minute break, in which we topped off our Camelbaks, we found the last 10 miles to be particularly challenging with very difficult hills and tired legs. We managed to finish the loop exhausted and sore in 4 hours 32 minutes.

Motor City Tri

It was a great day for racing on Belle Isle. The sun was out, the winds were light, even the river was pretty nice. I was in the first wave of the day, and made it out of the water in 30 minutes. The water was clear and 69 degrees. The current was a little tricky for a first timer. I have even more respect for the salmon after swimming up stream. The bike course was mostly flat and unlike most Michigan's rodes, it was smooth. The Olympic distance made four laps around the island for a total of 23 miles. I felt pretty comfortable on the bike and was able to average 20.6 mph. The bike course became some what crowded with all 600 athletes from the Olympic and sprint race and all the other people enjoying the day. After T2, it was on to the run. I tried to maintain a steady pace, and worked on keeping the Gatorade, water and gels on the inside. It was a slow and steady 6.6 mile run to the finish line. I was able to finish with a PR of 2:47. It was good enough for 5th in the big kids division. Sorry, no trophy this time. The motor city tri was a well put on race. The course was great even the river was better than expected. There were many first timers and elite athletes in both the sprint and Olympic distance. I would also like to thank my wife for all her support and cheering.

Spare Tire goes to the Motor City

I am pleased to represent STR in the Motor City Triathlon. The race will be held on Sunday, June 24th at 8am on Belle Isle. I will be competing in the Olympic Distance in the Clydesdale division. This is Michigan's premiere Olympic distance triathlon. I am looking forward to the shorter distance so I can really put the hammer down. I am not promising another 1st place trophy, but I will do my best and will probably leave it all on the course. All are welcome to come out to Belle Isle.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

I am pleased to report Spare Tire Racing has a 1st place trophy from the Clydesdale division in the Racing for Recovery 1/2 Ironman. The weather was nearly perfect for my first triathlon in over two years. The winds were calm for the 1.2 mile swim in Lake Erie. I made it out of the water in 42 minutes after a rough start. The bike course was mostly flat and smooth with the exception of a few miles of old Michigan road, which caused my inhaler to fly out of my jersey pocket. With an average of 18.9 miles per hour, I was off the bike in under 3 hours. Everything was going good, until the last bottle exchange when I was handed an extremely strong Gatorade bottle. It was tough going down and four hours into the race, my belly was not liking it too much. It was on to the run. The first mile was surprisingly well, which means I was excited that my legs would actually move. My legs were not the only thing moving after the first mile. That strong Gatorade decided it wanted to make a comeback. So, I had to pull up and "leave it all on the course". After that things would not be the same. Nothing was going down well, which is not good when it is 80+ degrees and you have 12 miles to go. I managed to drink a few sips of water while walking at each aid station. It was a run/walk for the next couple of hours. After a 2:23:07 1/2 marathon, I crossed the finish line with a final time of 6:10:17. It was good to be back racing again. I would like to thank Annette, "The Boss," and Madison from Brown Dog Brewing Co. for their great support.

Time to DOMINATE Racing For Recovery Half-Ironman Triathlon

After meeting with the Dominator recently I’m pleased to report he appears loose and ready for the Racing For Recovery Half-Ironman Triathlon this weekend. The race consists of a 1.2mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. The race will be 7:30am Sunday, June 10th at Sterling State Park, Monroe, Michigan. Although Ralph described the swim as typically being “full contact”, he assured me he will be thinking of his STR legion during the more than 3 hrs he will be on his bike and approximately 2 hrs running. Good luck Dominator!

“Dynamic Duo” Enters Summer Quest Adventure Race

KB and I (The Ice Dog) will be representing STR as the Dynamic Duo August 18th at the Infiterra Sports Summer Quest Adventure Race held at Stony Creek Metro Park. The race is a 4-6 hour sprint race similar to the Spring Adventure Challenge that Ralph (The Dominator) and I placed 15th out of 50 teams this spring. This race will add fixed ropes as an additional discipline. The race is for all skill levels and if anyone else is interested in forming a team more information can be found at www.infiterrasports.com. STR rolls on!

Spare Tire takes on Detroit

Spare Tire Racing will be represented in the Detroit Free Press Marathon relay team division. The team will consist of Ralph the "Dominator", Annette "The Boss", Phil "Vinnie" Biga, Dave the "tank, and "Mac" aka the Canadian. Come and cheer on the team Oct. 21st in Detroit, MI.

Adventure Race Blow Out

Thanks to all our fans out there. I just want to say it was Ralph who had the blow out. It happen just as we crossed the finish line. It was worth it as we passed a team in our division with 25 feet to go. The $50 gift card to Gazelle sports was a nice bonus too.

*Spare Tire does not recommend vomiting as a form of weight loss.

5th/3rd River Bank Run-25K

May 12, 2007

It was a beautiful day for the 30th River Bank Run. I am proud to say Shawn and I posted times under the 2:30 mark. Shawn, and his wife Kim (owner of KB Orienteering Supplies), ran a solid 2:24, and I had a PR with a 2:29. This was a great training run for both of us. Shawn is getting ready for his first marathon with his wife this fall, and I am on the road to Lake Placid for my second Ironman.

GRAAR-Spring Challenge Adventure Race

May 5th 2007

This was the race where Spare Tire Racing all began. We did not know what to expect as first time adventure racers, but we Dominated the course. We ran, well jogged, a near perfect race. There were a few control points we ran by, a few trees that were in the way on the mountain bike portion, and some questionable paddling skills. But we finished strong and "left it all on the course". Spare Tire just missed a podium finish, but one member did win an award for being the only one to puke.

Welcome

Welcome to Spare Tire Racing

Spare Tire Racing was established in 2007 by two guys who wanted to promote an activtive life style no matter what size or shape you are. Yes, it is a fat joke! But we are serious.