ELLT Complete

13 triathlons, 63 total stages, and an impressive collection of overall winners

Countdown to ELLT 2021: contenders

among the returning champions, Danno, JP, Eric Shimp, Mike Graf, Leo, Owen, and Travis are in contention for the 2021 overall, which will be back to an individual winner this year. Among the other racers, we have….

Chris Heffernan and Gus – an unlikely golfing twosome and a highly unlikely podium twosome, too, but who the hell know what might happen. Get drafted on to the right teams and anything is possible. Chris has some mad hoops skillz and Gus rides a bike like he skis, which is pretty damn good, so…..who knows

Greg Golden – rocking the Green Jacket. Riding a Pelaton now. Watched some hoops this year. Going to be a threat. Going to be a golf captain. Wicked dark horse. One of those 11-2 odds that kills.

Travis – the Danno of the yutes

could have picked the picture of Fes on a mountain bike. Or the video where he hits a perfect shot off a Mike Graf pick (Team Hickory). Or multiple climbing pictures. Or Fes facing off against William in basketball. But this picture says it all – Big Daddy’s mother’s clubs and pure respect. Heart and soul. Every year.

Hadj – so, lets talk about who has been the best evah at any one event, so much so they stand above. Rock climbing – Danno has been better, but the gap narrowed over the years (sorry, Danno, not about you, about Ben H and Ben M and Gundrum); golf – the Grey Ghost and Amit never faced off, but no one else else ever came close; mountain biking – Danno and Chris Roy have always been close to each other. Leo came close. So did Marshall, Lapham, and Jason Madden; and basketball – among the gold medals winners, we have Ben Moeling, Steve Ball, and a random Triton soccer player who filled in last minute. JP and Eric Shimp have won often. Hadj destroyed the field. He was the Grey Ghost, the Amit of hoops. Look at that picture – not even an Army stopped him. That said, we’re talking overall….all comes down to the draft.

Drew Lapham – so close before, bringing mad skillz at climbing, golf, and mountain biking – a huge upset threat

Mitchell Roy – few ELLT racers have stepped up unexpectedly like Mitchell did in hoops in 2018 (?…maybe 2017, need to consult The Book). Absolutely carried his team on his back for the win. This year? High expectations, as always!

who are we kidding? If not a previous champion, we all know Chris Roy has it this year….unless he gets terrible drafts….

16 racers competing to be last overall ELLT champion

Countdown to ELLT 2021: Champions

From 2008 onwards- tomorrow we will look at the contenders for 2021

2008 – JP – set the bar for the athletic demands of winning the overall and for proper treatment of the trophy

2009 – The Grey Ghost – proved winning at golf could lead to winning a triathlon

2010 – Eric Shimp – proved mountain biking skills could be optional

2011 – Danno – revenge of the non-golfers

2012 – Otto – proved it takes playing through the pain

2013 – JP – his second overall

2014 – Eric Marshall (raise a glass)

2015 – Eric Lapham breaks through

2016 – Leo – medal medal medal

2017 – Danno – ties JP with two overall wins

2018 – Team Mike Graf, with Owen, Tommy, and Ossi – first year with the same teams for all four events

2019 – Team Danno, with Owen, Travis, and Eric Gundrum

2020

Countdown to ELLT 2021: let’s review the schedule

Like every year, the same but different, calm but tense, 5 events, 3 days, 20+ racers

Thursday

+ Racers arrive from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, and New York City

+ Draft starts around 8pm, maybe closer to 9pm — drafting for rock climbing only

+ Prep gear for soccer and rock climbing, complain about the teams, brag about past triathlons

Friday

+ 0715 – depart for Dunks and soccer

+ 0800-0930 – soccer

+ 1000-1230 – rock-climbing at MetroRock in Newburyport

+ 1230-1400 (that’s 2pm for Eric Lapham) – lunch at Riverwalk and draft for for golf

(those arcade games are gone, sad to say)

Still Friday

+ 5:15pm to finish – golf at Cape Ann Golf Course, Essex, MA (note: enough time between lunch and the first tee time to return to Adams Lane, have a beer, put on a proper shirt – Chris Heffernan – and pick up the necessaries on the way to golf)

Dinner – Adams Lane and draft for mountain biking

Saturday

+ 0730 – depart for mountain biking, Dunks en route

+ 0800 – group ride while the course gets marked

+ 0930-finish – time trial

Still Saturday

+ 1230- 1400 — lunch at Ipswich Brewery and draft for basketball

+ 3pm – finish — 3v3 hoops

After hoops – feast, closing ceremonies, and the end of ELLT

Countdown to ELLT 2021: PUP list

not “puppy,” but physically unable to play list

Too much training before tomorrow, when training always starts, has led to a few ELLT racers finding themselves on the PUP list. Knife accident, too.

Let’s review

+ Steve Schukraft – out, shoulder injury suffered while training for mountain biking

+ Chris Doyle – out, foot injury suffered while training for mountain biking

+ Jason Madden – no rock climbing or golf, due to an oblique issue suffered while training for mountain biking (ok, that last part isn’t true and he is going to mountain bike)

+ Thomas Marshall – likely out for most events due to a knife accident suffered while….cutting onions….and while training for mountain biking (last part not at all true)

+ Steve Ball – out for everything except antiquing, injured at baggage claim at Logan Airport (not yet happened, but expected)

Like the guy says in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, “can everyone stop getting shot!”

Two days and a wake-up. Stay healthy.

Countdown to ELLT 2021: let’s talk about free agents

Last year, new rules, more zen.

In previous years, captains drafted a team for all four events, which could be tricky since not every racer could compete in every event, because of logistics, health, voodoo, whatever reasons.

For 2021, every stage has a new draft, new captains, new draft order.

And some stages might have 21 or 22 racers, which creates challenges for five 4-man teams.

So we’ll have free agents.

From the moment the draft ends until the start of the next stage, free agents will be free to chose which team they want to be on.

An extra climber to break a tie-break in rock climbing? An extra drive-off-the-tee in golf? And extra rider to get across the line faster in mountain biking? One more body to absorb punishment in hoops? Yes.

Who can be free agents? Racers not competing for the overall. By my last count, we have 19 racer in contention for the overall. And 22, maybe 23, racers showing up a various stages.

When will we know? Before the draft, once we know how many racers. If we get to 23, that’s maybe a sixth team and we will work it out. Age balancing will come into play. Maybe other factors, too. Most events will be five teams, with one or two free agents who can decide last minute who they’re playing for.

When we’re ready to draft, 5 captains will have a field of 15 to chose from. They’ll take 10 and I will assign the final 5. And one, or two, or depending on the circumstances maybe even three racers will have the ensuing hours to decide just who they want to race for, who they want to be teammates with, which clydesdale they want to be hitched to.

Countdown to ELLT 2021: lessons learned

From the first ELLT in 2008, we had The Book, which followed the form and format of the preparation and logistics of a CODEL and over the years, we’ve added some lessons learned, or at least ideas for the next year’s triathlon. A few choices selections as we prepare for the final running of the triathlon (in reverse chronlogical order as I go through The Book):

+ “tape right heel against blisters” – apparently my soccer cleats don’t fit so perfectly, but also good advice for everyone

+ “10 second bonus for a bike circa 2000; 20 second bonus for a bike circa 1990s” – seems like a good idea, since some racers have to do the time trial on 1996 Treks and the second-to-last time in 2018 was 39 minutes and 24 seconds — 39 minute time trial! May bring this idea to 2021.

+ “RV next year travel to each site” – also 2018 and I love love love this idea. But we don’t have an RV. And having watched The Tour religiously for decades, I think we really would need an RV for every 5 racers. Maybe when the boys take over the ELLT.

+ “leave early to play more soccer” – 2016 – cannot understand this notation except that I see Eric Lapham had Owen Lovell and Steve Ball on his team, so I can only imagine I wanted to see more of this torture.

+ “Bring Green Jacket and make winner wear it at dinner” – what the hell?! Why have we not done this?? Amit Sharma won in 2016, when I wrote this and it kills me that we had 3 more ELLTs without making the golf winner wear the green jacket that evening. And maybe on the way to mountain biking. And on the sidelines during basketball.

+ “never let Steve Ball and (Chris) Doyle ride together.” – yeah. One of the ELLT truism. Like “training starts tomorrow”

+ “Goals: Lapham, 4, JP, 4, Leo 2, Madden, 2, Schukraft 1, Patrick 1….” Lapham….4 goals. Tell me again how much Lapham hates soccer?

+ “FILL THE TIKI TORCHES”

+ “Big Daddy bee it” – raise a glass, make a toast

+ “Next year: Make Maureen a copy of the schedules” – 2010, which means I messed that up in 2008 and 2009 and had to write a note in 2010. Now, having fully understood the role of The Commissioner, she knows every wrinkle moment action need outcome.

+ “lock the door and do not let the little kids trash the basement” – well, yeah, they’re not so litte anymore

+ “scones” – she made them in 2008, which meant for the next few years, racers expected them until they learned to shut the hell up about asking for scones

+ “outdoor showers?” – after 2008, the very first year we knew this was a good idea

+ “all athletes bring their own towels” – yeah, the laundry load accumulates

+ “all athletes in downstairs bathroom” – Steve Ball?

and what most certainly be Gary’s influence, from 2008, “no dark + stormies night before racing”

Countdown to ELLT 2021: townies

Twelve townies and four in-betweeners for this final East Luray Liars Triathlon, including returning champions Danno, Leo, Owen, and Eric Lapham. Long-time racer and always just missing the top spot Chris Roy will be returning, along with basketball legend Mitchell Roy. Helping set the course for mountain biking will be Jason Madden and we know Travis has been training on the bikes. Gus returns and will captain a golf team. Drew Lapham, Thomas Marshall, and Ben Hall will lower the average age. Nick Garber and Chris Heffernan will bring family ties to the competition. And, of course, the incomparable Gary will lead us all.

Among the Roadies, only Steve Ball won’t be eligible for the overall trophy as he’s going to miss rock climbing. Among the Townies, Eric Lapham will miss the first day, Nick can’t ride (physically can’t turn to the left. No, Steve Ball, you don’t have that same problem). And Gary will be golfing maybe and mountain biking definitely, but out for the other stages.

Will a townie win it all this year? Depends on the drafts, depends entirely on the drafts.

Countdown to ELLT 2021: soccer

doesn’t count. still highly competitive. Roadies* v Townies*

A week from today. Friday morning. 8am start. 30 minutes halves. No guest goalies, so a couple racers get to rest in the net.

Tentative teams, subject to change before The Book is final:

Blue: JP, Greg Golden, Steve Ball, Eric Shimp, Chris Doyle, Mike Graf, Hadj, Leo, Chris Roy, Mitchell, and Patrick

White: Danno, Gus, Travis, Jason, Thomas, Drew Lapham, Owen, Nick, Chris Heffernan, Ben Hall, and Gary

Countdown to ELLT 2021: Roadies

Seven racers coming from outside the Greater Newbury Area. Three racers from nothern Virginia, including one time overall champion Eric Shimp, one time gold medal in basketball Steve Ball, and one time Green Jacket in golf Greg Golden. Two time overall champion JP, one time overall champion Mike Graf, and relentless Rho bandit Chris Doyle all coming from beyond the east coast. And representing the Big Apple and the Empire State will be one time basketball gold medalist Hadj.

(Yes, one time overall champion Leo lives in NYC now, but he’s not yet been there a year, so he’s not a roadie. Yes, the Roys and Chris H are coming from New Hampsire, but they’re within Greater Newbury.)

In 12 runnings of the East Luray Liars Triathlon, overall winners are evenly split between roadies and townies (who we will list tomorrow). One massive advantage for the roadies in 2021? Steve Ball doesn’t arrive until Friday, so no Thursday night Steve Ball martinis.