Team Lucca

Last January we began our 2009 Team Lucca training. Yesterday we ran our last race of the year. It was another busy race year starting with many new runners on the team participating in the Shamrock'n, and then with what would seem, races nearly every other weekend. Culminating this past crazy busy month and a half, with Emmy in the NYC marathon, fifty plus people participating with Team Lucca in the “Run to Feed the Hungry”, the amazing Karyn and JoAnne so very successfully completing a full Iron Man in Cozumel to yesterdays California International Marathon.

So we get just a bit of a breather and begin again next month with a team breakfast at Roxy for all those interested in joining our team and in knowing what 2010 will entail.

I will post the date and time of that meeting soon.

It was thrilling yesterday to see how well our Marathoner, Becky McBride did. Completing her very first marathon in 3:53. A lot can be said for sticking with your four month game plan of training including making those grueling speed work outs happen.

Such a great job Becky. We are all so very proud of you.

Yesterday also included a sentimental moment when my friend Kelly, who shares with me the honor of being one of a handful of “women of a certain age” announced this would be her last running race. Kelly is an excellent mountain bike cyclist and will stick to that. Kelly is also Sarah’s mom. Sarah being one of the most improved runners on the team. I could tell Kelly’s decision was based on a certain amount of pride that her Sarah has now gotten so fast, she cannot keep up with her.

I remember, I had been a runner for about five years when Luke went out with a neighbor kid, Colby and ran his first mile. He came back and said it nearly did him in. Yet within 2 weeks, Luke was running the same distance his mom had run for 5 years, three miles a day, within a month he raced his first 10k, within 6 months he would do his first half Iron Man and the next year his first Full Iron Man. This year he stood on the podium multiple times, placing in and winning endurance Mountain Bike events. Luke left mom in the dust a long time ago.

I am happily amused when someone calls me their coach. To me I am not really a coach, more like the team mom. I have given away to runners on my team, on occasion, my jackets, my race numbers (don’t worry Rich, always got it official before the start), my medals, my water bottles, picked my team up before races, held their hands across the finish line, taken them shopping for proper running shoes, filled their bellies with a good breakfast after a race or good training run and hopefully given enough encouragement that their running ventures are somewhat joy filled - all little things, but mama kind of things, none the less.

Kelly, we will miss you on the running team, but I will certainly see you out there on the bike. Remember like any good mama, we only give our kids their wings, they fly all on their own. We now have a team that is flying far and flying fast.

See you all in 2010.