New Meaning for “Pit Stop” for Lawyer Landau!
Most interstate travelers equate the term “pit stop” with stopping on the highway for gas, food, bathrooms or just to switch drivers. But not multistate lawyer and multisport athlete Doug Landau. For lawyer Landau, a “pit stop” may involve a training session, visit to a gym or even a race on the way to wherever he is going.
Typical of Doug Landau’s traveling, luck and experience, he scored another top finish while driving through Delaware recently. The Herndon, Virginia trial counsel was on his way to see his mother in New Jersey, and then continued on to meetings in Connecticut. However, as sometimes is the case, he got stuck in I-95 traffic just South of Wilmington, Delaware. Always equipped with a “Plan B,” and sometimes a “Plan C,” he knew that he could visit his mother either before she left for dinner, join her for supper, desserts or even just for a short time. However, the traffic was impassible, due to a horrific wreck on Northbound Interstate I-95. After sitting for some time on the Beltway, prior to the Baltimore Tunnel and then in Delaware, it became evident that Landau wold not make supper with his mom. He recalled that in Delaware there are weeknight races in the spring and summer. During his gas and bathroom pit stop, he quickly checked the race site and found out that indeed, the company “Races to Run” in Delaware had an event that night, on the way, just off I-95!
Luckily for Landau, his GPS indicated he would arrive at the race venue at 6:08 p.m. for a 6:30 race and registration was available on site! The parochial school where the race was to be held was less than a mile off of I -95. Landau had plenty of time to register, warm up, and stretch, which is not always the case. Landau has done several “Races to Run” events over the years, and they are top quality, fully staffed competitive events. Their running events are often staged at venues that are very close to the interstate. In other words, they are very quick and easy “pit stops” for lawyer Landau!
Landau had planned on breaking up the trip with sprint intervals, however the 5K gave him a solid training session. While Landau has the ability to train every day, and the drive to be disciplined in his athletics, pushing himself 90 or 95% each work out is very hard. Therefore, he was happy to “train through” the race in Delaware.
At this parochial school campus, Landau enjoyed warming up on the grass fields, taking on the hills of the park, and the lovely evening weather. With the last miles all uphill, he finished in just over 7 minutes per miles, finishing 19th out of 482 finishers. For official results click here.
Once it finished he was able to do a cool down jog, change into dry clothes, and then jump back in the car and head to his mother’s home. Electing to stay there and then continue on to Connecticut for meetings in Litchfield County the next day, he was able to get a full night’s sleep. Lawyer Landau again raced on Saturday in Connecticut, and then returned to Virginia on Monday after another visit with family. There were no “racing pit stops” on the trip back to Virginia!