Having followed the trials and tribulations of the HWFMR team for a while now, I have finally gotten around to making a membership application.

While I drive a 996TT-S, I can assure yuou it is almost always driven slowly. The joys of a powerful manual car are something to behold in gridlocked London traffic.

While I live in the UK, I am Australian, and I was finally pushed into applying by a recent event at Bedford Racetrack North of London. After testing the Formula Palmer Audi open wheeled racecar, I was struggling and finding the car stalling into low speed corners on the donwchange. While my lap times were Ok, these included 1-2 engine restarts per lap and so I returned to the pits annoyed and dismayed with the car.

After complaining vehemently as to the poor performance of the vehicle and the waste of time I endured on the track I received many apologies from the organisers and a promise to look into it. What I had not factored into my complaints was that the car had full telemetry which was duly downloaded and analysed. As others gathered to see how badly the car behaved, I indicated the hairpins and you could see the revs drop to 0 on several occasions.

Unfortunately, as well as the engine revs, speed, G-forces etc, you could also see in the gear position indicator. This showed that rather than the quick and racey heel toe 4th-3rd-2nd changes I was trying for I had been consistently changing up from 4th to 3rd to 4th rather than into 2nd - and had thus caused the engine to stall 7 times. Needless to say, I am unlikely to be called up for that series but I think I deserve some admiration for consistency and blindly ignoring what was going on around me....

This has firmly convinced me that fast cars are not for me on the track. Next season I have full intentions of racing a 924 in the UK series. I commit to remaining slow and doing my best to uphold the beliefs and traditions of the team. I humbly submit my membership application and commit to sending as much facsimile alchohol as US and UK regulatory authorities will allow.

Jason.

PS - while hijacking another thread did cross my mind, the search tool seemed too hard and I decided to do my own

 

I think the team will be excited to expand its UK field. Certainly appear well qualified! ;->

 

I really need to be a member. Not only am I slow in a car, but I run marathons and really say "hey, wait for me!"

Does that make me HWFMR Double Slow?

 

Gents, as the team's registar, I thank you for your applications. Jason, you certainly have my vote ,although I'm not sure about the bit that your lap times "were Ok" Its a no-no doing well you know!

George that avatar of yours does not inspire slowness , seeing though you are from Houston and building a 944 you have my vote

Since you have Bill's vote hopefully our leader the Big T himself will read this and give you his blessing so you can formally join the slow club!
Now we got to find you jobs to do. What do you guys want to do?

 

The large green one is in route to the western parts of the US and may not see this thread for a couple of days.

 

Perhaps I should switch it to one of me "running" the Houston Marathon. I think I was passed by a kid with two broken legs.

Hmmm..... I need to start the Hey Wait For Me Racing road running team.

Speaking of which, are there any shirts made up? I'd like to give one to my coach who at one time qualified for the Boston Marathon but is now very clearly a part of the HWFMR squad.

 

Heh... I cannot even pass that kid Starting a running team? I think its too much work! Ha ha

Yes T/Shirts were made and are very popular. They came in two lengths one for the pit lane in short sleeve and the other one long sleeve so we can proudly wear our team colours even on the coldest of days or at a DE. Mike did them, i think we ar ready for another run! I certainly need mine replaced as I have wore them so much!

 

Geo, I can join you on the running team. 27 Marathons 3:07 to 3:11 to 3:16 to 3:27 to 3:41... do you see a pattern here? I ran a 10 mile race two months ago and a girl running ahead of me answered her cell phone! If she is not winded we are running way too slow. Running with the group of women was not a bad thing. We all can't be up front. How boring would that be.

 

Holy cats Bill, you're Ayrton Senna to me! I've only completed two marathons (and a half) so far, one run, one walk, and my PR is 5:52. I'm not worthy to even change your shoes for you.

However, I do see the pattern and I think we do need a running team and of course you can join me (but you'll have to wait for me ). I want to get one of the t-shirts for my coach that says "The older I get, the faster I was."

I was supposed to do Rochester and Marine Corps this year, but sadly two back to back stress fractures have put my training back to square one. I also missed the Little Rock Maraton that I was training for when I got the first stress fracture. I walked the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage this year with zero training though. Ran/walked the last 6 miles.

I know I have an inner Kenyan (a slow inner Kenyan), but it will have to wait to get out until I'm sure I won't develop another stress fracture. My immediate goal (besides remaining healthy and losing weight) is to get within the 4:30 group so the bulk of the crowd is still there when I come through. What a rush!

Well, anybody else for the HWFMR running team?

 

BTW, I just saw you're in MD. Are you perchance doing Marine Corps? My wife and I are signed up, but she's nursing an ITB problem she developed when she PR'd in Little Rock. We're right on the bubble regarding being able to train up. We're hoping we can both stay healthy as we train up. If you're going to be at Marine Corps I'd love to meet up. But of course, we'll be with the waddlers at the back saying "Hey, wait for me!"

 

I have traded marathons for Porsche enduro racing. To race marathons you need 70 training miles a week plus two nights of speed work. I did that for years. Now I run for fun probably 30-45 miles a week and if I miss a run who cares. Strictly fun. The stress fractures are from not running enough hills and without orthotics. If you are training in hills and use custom CF orthotics but still get stress fractures switch to cycling. The Marine Corps Marathon I only ran once. I found all those boot 2nd Lt's very irritating (they don't even shave yet... my corps going to hell..)

 

You're a penguin (reference John Bingham, who I incidentally met in Anchorage) like me! OK, so you're a Super Penguin.

I never liked running. My wife walked her first marathon which happened to be a 4 lap course. I took a lawn chair, a cooler, and a book to be her "pit crew" and fan club like she is when I race. Well, I found out I like the marathoning community. In a world where all too often people are beating down other people, marathoners build each other up. It was something I wanted to be a part of, so despite being a rather flabby 260 lbs, I decided on that day to run (not walk) a marathon. When I told my wife she told me she'd run if I'd run (and she hated running more than I did).

We do it strictly for fun and the personal challenge. Well, and to raise money for the Luekemia and Lymphoma Society. You can learn a lot about yourself during a marathon.

Right now I running with over the counter CF inserts at the recommendation of a local leading podiatrist who is a runner (several time qualifier for Boston) and a triathelete. But, it looks like I'm going to go back for the Rx orthotics (although he said he's been doing a lot of "temporary" orthotics for people with great results). As for hills, sadly, in Houston the only hills are freeway overpasses and land fills (I'm not kidding). I think I'll have to plan once a month or so to train about an hour north of here in the state park and run the hills there. I'm going to do a 50k trail run there in December anyway.

Thanks for the insight. I really appreciate it. I'm trying to soak up as much as I can about running. I've been doing it for about a year and a half, but injuries have prevented getting the results I'd like (I took 3 months off for shin splnts last year).

 

5 miles in the hills is more benefit than 10 miles on the flats. I spend a great deal of time in flat south Florida. Run the stairwells at the parking garages. Ft Lauderdale airport parking is my favorite because the guards try to chase you. Run the parking garages and golf courses have a gently rolling terrain but "heads up".

Have carbon fiber orthotics cast for "you", not over the counter stuff. Cut out the junk miles and run more tempo and hills. Marathons are easy and fun if you don't spend much tiime on the course. Speed is your friend.

You are welcome to stay at Camp Walczak if do the Marine Corps. I am about an hour and 15 from the start.

 

Thanks Bill. I've been contemplating the Rx orthotics for a while. I think it's time I go get some made - especially with my weight (I'm not 260 anymore, but I'm not that much lighter yet). Thankfully I have the cardio-vascular handled pretty well, especially considering my size. Fuel continues to be a problem for me as well.

I'll have to figure out where I can run hills. One problem I have is my wife is a coach and I'm a mentor for Team in Training, so we do all our long runs in the same general area which has virtually no hills. I'll figure out a way to include them in my training though.

I may take you up on your offer for Marine Corps. We're tentative at the moment. We both just started running again and we've been pretty concerned about our injuries. So far so good.

 

I know one who will support the HWFM Running Team. She has done 2 or 3 per year for a total of 24 and an Ironman. We trade off roles....she is the pit poopsie (one of her marathon buddies is an old SCCA Nationals champ...his term for grid girls) at my track and I am the sherpa at her's. Next week is a half ironman in Racine, WI.

Anyone coming to Chicago for the marathon? Heard only 300 spots left (40,000 limit!).