Update for 8 Tuff Miles October 21, 2009

   It’s been a long time since I’ve taken the time to up-date everyone on the news and latest happening of the 8 Tuff Miles Road Race and believe there is plenty to up-date you about. Let me start by welcoming back the local distributor of Gatorade and Aqua Fina water, the West Indies Corp. and announce a big thank you to them and all the employees there that help make this race a success each year. Next on the list of returning sponsors is, The United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. This department will once again help get the word out that the 14th Annual 8 Tuff Miles race will be happening as usual, the last Saturday of February. The St. John Hardware Store is on board and I will tell you more about a very important donation they have made a little farther into this up-date. Storage-On-Site has also committed to the donation of storage units. With the growth of 8 Tuff Miles we couldn’t do it without the use of staging areas which are of course storage units from Storage –On- Site. As I am informed by the powers to be that a sponsor is returning to 8 Tuff Miles I will pass on the information rite here. Stay tuned as many of our sponsors often return each year. Thank you to all sponsors and thank you for the goodness you bring to the community.

  My biggest announcement so far this year would have to be the use of D tags for our timing. For those of you who run a few races each year you have most likely seen this form of timing somewhere and for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about I will now explain in 50 words or less. When you receive your bib number this year there will be a 7 inch strip fixed to your bib number. Inside that strip there is a UHF antenna. Leave the strip on your bib number until the morning of the race. While you are getting dressed on the morning of February 27th that is when you pull off this strip and fit it to one of your shoe laces. See the “You Tube” video entitled “Chrono Track D- Tag Instructional”. This video is 1:15 long and worth watching. If you do it wrong your time will not be recorded so watch the video and do it correctly and you will be a happy racer on race day. We will still have the Top 100 Corral set up at the starting line area for those who finished in the top 100 of the last race. This corral will guarantee you are surrounded by runners who are capable of holding a less than slow pace at the beginning. If you finished in the top 100 of the 2009 race and wish not to be in the corral that’s OK. Some runners like to start off slow and progress as the race goes on. None the less those who finished in the top 100 last year will be wearing the bib number that corresponded with their finish of 2009. Example: Jeremy Zuber finished first and therefore he will wear # 1 and so forth and so on.

  If you think this Chrono Track isn’t cheap you couldn’t be more right. It’s costing me plenty but we are hopeful it will work without any hitches and the stress level will drop dramatically for all those involved with the organizing responsibilities. As a registered entry it will be your responsibility to ensure you have properly fastened your D Tag to your shoe’s lace and cross both the start and finish line mats.

   Once again this year we will be offering the $4,600.00 in college scholarships to the winners of the three youngest age groups. If you haven’t looked at the page offering information about the college scholarships please do. At the home page of this website you will also see something about a, “Doll House’’. Click on that and read up on how we will be raising a large potion of the money needed to fund these scholarships this year.  I think you will find it to be a good and worthwhile effort. Please help me spread the word regarding the doll house. There is a limited amount of time to make this happen so your help and assistance is appreciated. That means you.

  I have been once again blessed with the legs to carry me from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay the pass three Sunday mornings and hope to keep this workout up for the next 16 weeks. There has been a noticeable drop in the humidity here the past couple of days. I am looking forward to next Sunday’s run and hoping the humidity stays away. For those who are curious my times have been 1:26, 1:28 & 1:27. I know,…. I have a lot of work to do!

 One final note, back around Labor Day Weekend I got a call from Barbie Barry the Athletic Director from the Gifft Hill School here on St. John asking if I would coach the cross country team this year. After thinking about it a few days I answered yes and we are now half way through the season with 30 points accumulated by Evan Jones. The rest of the team is improving each week and I am finding the whole experience rewarding. Rewarding is an understatement. If anyone out there reading this has free time on there hands and would like to feel better about them selves I strongly advise coaching a team of any type. It’s not at all about the money. Lay down the law to them on the first day and teach them what ever you know in the best way you know how. One more thing, make it fun!

  I’ll have more to report as the weeks pass by, look around the website, if you have questions email me and trust me when I say it’s time to put the Doritos down and start training.

Peter