With the NCAA basketball and hockey tournaments taking center stage this weekend i figured what better time to throw together my own bracket! Each night as I head downstairs to write my blog, I walk past all of my medals and bib numbers that are hanging on the wall. It brings a smile to my face each and every time that I walk downstairs and reminds me of all the great races that I have entered.
I had to cut the field down to 16, that does mean some races were left off the bracket. It was tough picking just sixteen races but a bracket with 26 teams would have been weird. Looking at the Final Four it looks boring with the top four teams making it but trust me all of the races could have made it. The second round matchup between the NYC Marathon and RI Duatholon festival was the game of the tournament. Both races mean a lot to me and they both fought hard but only one team could win and at the final buzzer the NYC Marathon came out as the winner.
The winners were not just decided by how big the race was. A lot went in to picking each winner. (Wow I'm a loser!!) I took in to account, scenery, participants, performance, blood sugar, diabetes management, and meaning of the race. Below I will breakdown the Final Four Matchup's. I have added a poll to each match, feel free to vote or leave a comment about why a certain race should win. The finals will be announced tomorrow and the winner will be announced on Monday!!
I had to cut the field down to 16, that does mean some races were left off the bracket. It was tough picking just sixteen races but a bracket with 26 teams would have been weird. Looking at the Final Four it looks boring with the top four teams making it but trust me all of the races could have made it. The second round matchup between the NYC Marathon and RI Duatholon festival was the game of the tournament. Both races mean a lot to me and they both fought hard but only one team could win and at the final buzzer the NYC Marathon came out as the winner.
The winners were not just decided by how big the race was. A lot went in to picking each winner. (Wow I'm a loser!!) I took in to account, scenery, participants, performance, blood sugar, diabetes management, and meaning of the race. Below I will breakdown the Final Four Matchup's. I have added a poll to each match, feel free to vote or leave a comment about why a certain race should win. The finals will be announced tomorrow and the winner will be announced on Monday!!
1)NYC MARATHON VS 4)TGC MEMORIAL 5k
NYC Marathon- This was a once in a lifetime race, I dream of completing the four major marathons. NYC will always hold a special place in my heart. From seeing the joy in my families face as I finished (the respect I got from my brother for finishing was amazing, I think he now understands why I race the way I do.) to how well I managed my diabetes the race was one of the best. I didn't race that well, in fact it is one of the worse races time wise that I have ever run. With that said it was one of the greatest days of my life and is number one for a reason.
TGC Memorial 5k- This race has been run for just two years but holds a very special place in my heart. It is a beautiful and challenging course. With a good size turn out for a family race it has the size to be competitive yet is small enough to know a majority of the people running. This race has gotten a little higher ranking and has gotten farther than many think it should but a race that remembers one of my good friends is always going to be a race that I love. Not to mention that I have raced Toms brothers each year at the race, I'm currently 1-1 but will be looking to avenge last years loss to Jimmy when this race is run this year.
TGC Memorial 5k- This race has been run for just two years but holds a very special place in my heart. It is a beautiful and challenging course. With a good size turn out for a family race it has the size to be competitive yet is small enough to know a majority of the people running. This race has gotten a little higher ranking and has gotten farther than many think it should but a race that remembers one of my good friends is always going to be a race that I love. Not to mention that I have raced Toms brothers each year at the race, I'm currently 1-1 but will be looking to avenge last years loss to Jimmy when this race is run this year.
2) Bike MS Ride 2009 vs 3) Narragansett Blessing of the Fleet
Bike MS Ride 2009- In 2009 I had just gotten my road bike and this was my first ever ride. All fundraising rides are for fun, unless you are very competitive and find other riders that are just competitive as you. As I was warming up before the ride I another rider came up to me and asked why I was riding. After explaining that I just started riding and needed a way to judge how I could ride he asked if I was interested in racing, I answered yes thinking he would know of some local races that were coming up. That wasn't the case he said when the ride starts be at the front, me and about twenty other guys are going to race. It would be a 75 mile race on a course that was very hilly, I would go on to win by over five minutes and the rest is history. Without this ride (race) I don't know where I would be as a cyclist, the race gave me a confidence that I never had before.
Narragansett Blessing of the Fleet- This was my first big running race, I was training for the NYC marathon and this was my first race over five miles. Until this race I didn't know how to run over five miles or if I could even handle a ten mile race. Blood sugar wise this was one of my best races ever, I felt great and everything went perfectly. I actually paced myself correctly and had a great kick as finished the race. With a large group running and a lot of spectators the adrenaline was at an all time high!! This was the first race that a crowd was present at the finish and hearing the cheers gave me a little extra, nothing was better until the final mile of the NYC marathon.
Narragansett Blessing of the Fleet- This was my first big running race, I was training for the NYC marathon and this was my first race over five miles. Until this race I didn't know how to run over five miles or if I could even handle a ten mile race. Blood sugar wise this was one of my best races ever, I felt great and everything went perfectly. I actually paced myself correctly and had a great kick as finished the race. With a large group running and a lot of spectators the adrenaline was at an all time high!! This was the first race that a crowd was present at the finish and hearing the cheers gave me a little extra, nothing was better until the final mile of the NYC marathon.
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