2014 Members 1st 5K Run for Kids

   

Stephanie, 4 years old David , and 9 years old Daniel waiting for the race to start.

 

On Saturday, September 20, 2014 Members 1st FCU at 5000 Louise Dr. Mechanicsburg, Pa., in the Rossmoyne Business Park (located in Mechanicsburg, PA, off of Rt. 15), they sponsored the 5K Run and Walk for a fund raiser for the support of the Children's Miracle Network at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. The race started at 10:00 AM.  

Daniel prepared to race the people that you see here. The 15 year old to the left of Daniel wearing Blue and White was the only one in his age group (10 to 15 years old) That beat Daniel.

 

On this video, you can see David, Stephanie, and the dog bringing up the rear of the race.  David is attempting to run a 5K because he wants to be like his brother.  However, 4 year old David at this point can only run one mile before he has to stop.  I think David is better at one mile and under races and that is what he will be train to do if he continues to want to run.  

This race did not have an age group for Daniel. Daniel, the Jamaican Flash is only 9 years old. However, last year, Daniel won this event (10 to 15 years old) and they allowed him to have the first place prize.    

 

Daniel did just about what I expected him to do. He came in 2nd in the 10 to 15 year old group. His time was 24 min. 48.47 Seconds running 3.1 Miles. Last year he ran this race The Flash ran in his usual manor, placing first with a time of 23 Minutes, 58.68 Seconds.


Last year, they did not have an age group for 8 year old Daniel so he ran in the 10 to 15 year age group and won. He placed 35th overall out of 87 people.

In placing over all, Daniel placed 27th out of 106 people of all ages.   

 

The Problems that this race showed

Daniel ran a nearly perfect race. This race was on a flat nearly leveled course. It was all street running.  This is the easiest Cross Country course that he will run all year.  The test will come when he runs more hillier races.  Daniel must prepare for his USATF 2K race on Nov. 8 at the Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia. That is a race full of hills. This is Daniel's secret in gaining the advantage in the Association and Regional races.

People say that I am never happy about Daniel's performance. That is because most people do not understand the objective of Daniel's Cross Country and Track program. If the objective is to get Daniel prepared for middle school events then I am not needed for his training. If we are preparing for Daniel to run in High school then I can just show Daniel the fundamentals of running and call it a day. If he is good in High school he may get some sort of college scholarship.

 

But that is not the goal. The goal is to make Daniel capable of making the USA Olympic Team in the year 2028. This means that we have a time schedule to meet, getting him a 3.1 Mile speed of 12 Minutes by the time he reaches 24 years old.

 

The world record for men is currently 12:37.35 and was set by Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele in 2004 in the Netherlands at Hengelo.

On a road course, the world record is currently 13:00 and was run by Sammy Kipketer in the 2009 Carlsbad 5000. Kipketer also tied his world record in the 2010 Carlsbad race.

To beat these people's records, we had to start training for it when Daniel was 4 years old. This is a 20 year program that may win him world fame in the end.

 

 

 

 

 

2014 Sasquatch 5K Trail Run

 

Kathy Derr is checking Daniel's equipment and helping Daniel with his head cold. The day before this she was supervising the Tulloch's move into their new house. As I said many times before, I always keep "Good German Stock" around because they can help with the pushing and pulling. Kathy had to step in and help lift a large freezer and put it in a truck. If I would have had her sister Linda Derr with me, Linda would have put this freezer in the truck by herself.   

On Sept. 13, 2014,  Daniel is back at the scenic Snyder Family Farm for his 4th Annual Sasquatch Preservation Trail Run. This is an entirely off-road cross-country and trail run. This property is permanently preserved by the Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County, runners enjoy the mixed terrain and elevation, through the woods, near the Codorus Creek and along mixed crops on some of York County’s best farmland. You have to keep an eye out for native birds, deer, turkeys, snakes and sasquatches (lol), all sharing this beautiful property.

The Sasquatch 5K is chip timed by "York Road Runners." This is NOT a race to miss, as the Sasquatch Preservation Trail Run has been featured in Runner’s World magazine’s list of America’s Top Trail Races! This is a very hard trail, even for experienced adult runners and is the hardest race on Daniel's schedule.  I asked an attorney who ran against Daniel in last week's race about the trail. It was his first time running it and found that it is one of the hardest trails he ever ran on.  

This is PRIVATE property, so no trespassing ahead of time for practice runs was permitted. Since this is an active farm, no animals were permitted. Due to the terrain, no strollers were allowed on the course.

 

LOVE THE LAND? SO DO WE!


The Sasquatch Preservation Trail Run benefits Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County, a land preservation organization dedicated to conservation of our prime agricultural and sensitive environmental landscapes.

Founded in 1990, FNLT holds over 100 conservation easements totaling over 8,000 acres of beautiful land permanently preserved. Please pay a visit at www.farmtrust.org to learn more and see photos of the preserved lands, become a member, and more. Check the Events tab in their link for pictures and results from prior Sasquatch Preservation Trail Runs, as well as our other exciting fundraising events.

 

Training for this event!

 

 

This is the town of Hershey in Derry Twp. Pa.  This is a 1/4 Mile Hill that Daniel must run up and down continuously at full speed 5 times in one practice.

 

Here is Daniel at the completion of the second run up the hill.

 

 

This is Daniel going back down the hill. Before you get the idea that he is being abused, Stephanie his mother and her running friends including Olympic Silver Medalist Hyleas Fountain had to do the same thing when they were young.   

 

Above are pictures of Daniel training on the quarter mile hill in Hershey Pennsylvania.  Here is where he will train until after the USATF Cross Country Meet in Philadelphia in November.

The 2014 Event

 

 

Darnell giving Daniel his last minute instructions and gave him his number to run in the race.

 

This is the first 7 finishers in the "17 and Under" group as well as other age groups that came across the finish line by 9:29 AM Saturday morning. Many more still have not finished by this time.


Nine year old Daniel ran this 5K in 27 Minutes, 03.59 Seconds, coming in 5th in the "17 and under" group. Last year, Daniel ran this same course in 25 Minutes, 43.04 Seconds.  Last year, the course was dry. This year, the course was wet and slippery in spots.  

 

As you can see, Daniel is running with an eleven year old instead of competing with him.

 

Updated Finishes for the entire race

 

 

Here is the final times for this completed race at 9/13/2014 11:38:47 AM.

http://www.farmtrust.org/web/?page_id=106

Look at 2014 Results

Overall
Age Groups

• Daniel finished in the 17 and Under Age Group, 5th out of 20 runners.

• Daniel Finished over all in this race, 90th out of 312 runners.    

 Kathy Derr waiting at home for the final results!

The Problems that must be worked out

 

Yes, we had problems. Most children cannot do what Daniel is doing, running a 5K (3.1 Miles), up and down a mountain. He came in 5th in his group and was beaten in this order by a 14,10,15, and 11 year olds.

You can hear me tell Daniel to pick up his pace on the video. Here is the first problem, he made friends with James Herman, an 11 year old. James came in 2 seconds ahead of Daniel. Why? because instead of competing with James, Daniel decided to take his friendship with him on the course. At the end, James sprinted to the finish line surprising Daniel. Daniel could not recover.

In any given race, you cannot let your opponent hang around like that no matter what sport you are in.

 

Adam Fodness, a 15 year old had a time of 25 Minutes, 27.25 Seconds, coming in 3rd. This is the time I thought Daniel should have had.

 

How to solve this problem!

 

I or anyone in Daniel's family cannot solve this problem. Daniel is going to have to learn what it is to compete. Kathy asked Daniel if  he still wants to run in these types of  events. He claims that he still wants to go to the Olympics and run in cross country.

 He has to learn that if he is not willing to compete, then he will not be able to go to the Olympics in the year 2028.