About a week ago, runners from all over southeastern Pennsylvania came together to run the Chesco Half Marathon and 5K in scenic West Caln Township. Beyond testing themselves on a tough rolling course, the event helped to raise money for the Jacinda Miller Memorial Fund. Miller was tragically killed outside of the YMCA she worked as a fitness instructor, leaving behind two young boys.
The morning started with an emotional tribute to Miller to inspire the runners, many of who were dressed in purple. Representative Harry Lewis started the half marathon runners, and 5k runners of all ages began their race shortly after.
The energy of the event was incredible, with volunteers lining the course to cheer on the runners, and provide water and oranges for thirsty riders. So many volunteers wanted to be a part of the event, that many created their own unofficial aid stations, which may or may not have had beer. The Coatesville High School football team was out on the course, along with many of Miller’s formal students from the YMCA.
Personally, it was a special event for Scott Kingsley Photography, as we were celebrating Vee’s bachelorette party, as I had held mine the day before at the Wilmington Grand Prix the previous day. About 24 hours after the race, we said I do, and became Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley. To celebrate the bachelorette party, Vee had a Lululemon tank top that she ironed on BRIDE on, and wrote “Getting married tomorrow” on it. For me, I had a similar sign on my back letting everyone know that I was the groom and was getting married on Monday. Everyone loved it, and congratulated us all along the course.
Coming into the finish was incredible. I can’t even imagine how the runners felt after completing 13.1 challenging miles. The energy that the volunteers, friends, family, and other runners created as you ran the final 20 yards was bigger any other event I’ve attended. For a first year event, it was incredibly well run, with a great course, and a great location. I overheard one of the organizers mention that parking was getting full. While it might have been a little bit of an inconvenience for the runners, it showed how well attended the event was. Congrats to everyone involved.
After taking a year off, the Rock Lititz Bike Race and Block Party was even bigger and better for 2015. Riders from at least nine states, the District of Columbia, and the Dominican Republic lined up to race throughout the day. Riders of all levels raced the 0.8 mile four corner crit in downtown Lititz, PA, and even the kids were able to get into the action with races for various age groups. Music, food trucks, and beer kept the crowd entertained and by time the Pro/1/2 Men’s race started, the crowds were the largest they had been all day, with people standing three deep to cheer on their favorite riders
Lititz is a small town of a little over 9,000 people, and was named the “Coolest Small Town” in America by Budget Travel in 2013. Founded in 1756, it was the first community in Pennsylvania to establish a historic district. Lititz has successfully blended it’s historic roots while attracting modern businesses, including race sponsors Tait Towers, Clair Global, and Atomic Design.
The Pro men’s field saw John Minturn (CRCA/The Weather Channel/Giant Cycles) and Craig Nichols (Team Alliance Environmental) eventually succeed at creating a break off the front of the field. In time, they were joined by Guillaume Nelessen (Van Dessel Factory Team) and Michael Chauner (Atomic Energy Squad). In the closing laps, Chauner was able to leave the rest of his break away companions behind, and charged off to victory. Nelessen finished in second, with Minturn and Nichols following behind. In the bunch sprint, it was Kyle Wamsley (Team Skyline) who crossed the line in fifth.
With the 2015 road season starting soon, I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the races from the past few years. I wanted to start with the 2013 Rock Lititz Tour Criterium, since they recently announced they would be back for 2015. Instead of a two day event with a road race and time trial on Saturday, and a criterium on Sunday, the event will only be the criterium races on Sunday. Racing will start on April 26th at 11 AM with the Cat 5’s, and the last race of the day will be the Pro 1/2 men starting at 4:40 PM. Head over to Bikereg.com to check the event schedule and to register for the event.
The 2013 race closed with the 1/2/3 men’s field taking to the course. The rain that was expected had so far held off. The race saw multiple riders try to breakaway, like Joe Hydrick riding for Thru-It-All Cycling at the time. None of the breaks were successful, but a group of five riders did get off the front when a a crash in turn three split the field. The group built their lead and had plenty of time on the field when the bell rang for the last lap. During the final sprint, there was some controversy on whether the eventual winner, David Fuentes (SEAVS/Haymarket) had neglected to hold his line and clipped the front wheel of Ryan Shebelsky (Team Alliance Environmental). His teammate, Patrick Koos was able to hold off Barry Miller (Firefighters Cyclinc Association) at the line, with a second teammate, Eric Workowski, coming in next. Shebelsky was able to collect his bike and make it to the line to take fifth.
I do have to confess, I shot most of the race with my white balance incorrectly set. At the time, I didn’t think I was going to be able to process the pictures well enough to post. While I think they would have turned out better, I think I was able to salvage them pretty well, without having to resort to going black and white. You’ll be able to notice when I fixed the white balance very late in the day.
This weekend, a close friend of mine celebrated his 44th birthday. His wife put together a great party at their home, inviting a small group of close friends. As a way to class up the affair, the theme was a Black and White party. For those that don’t know, a B&W party means everyone dresses up in there formal black and whites for a fun evening. It originally started as a joke, but by time the night had come, they set up a backdrop for a photo shoot. The pictures that came out of it looked like a photo booth, and it wasn’t that hard to make. They picked out a sequin backdrop, taped some logos to it, and hung it in the living room. If you have a decent camera with a flash (preferably an external flash with diffuser), the lighting isn’t terribly important. Add some fun props on sticks, like mustaches, glasses, lips, and text bubbles to help the guests get into the party mood.
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