alabama master

Night run while the girls were at play practice. Last long run before marathon. Ran from The Church of the Performing Arts down town over to the bike path out to Pt Mallard, got on the River City 10K course for 2.5 then headed back downtown and did 2 loops of the Old Decatur 5K course. Ran first 9 in 1:08:15, 2nd 9 in 1:04:19.  2:12:34/7:22.

Afternoon tempo run thru neighborhood and oak lea with montclair and montevallo hills as well. 45:45/6:56.

The Frosty Freeze lived up to it's name this year. 32 degrees or colder at the start and it never really warmed up. I got a 5K warm up in w/Eric during which we saw Donald Bowman who would be my main competition for top Master. Eric had asked me to pace him to a sub 18, so we went out at a comfortable 5:37 1st mile. I had Donald in my site at all times and as we went up a small hill at 1 3/4 mile I could se I was gaining on him. Eric had dropped back a little by then but still was on a PR pace. I pulled up on Donalds shoulder at about the 2 1/2 mile mark and we ran together shortly and then past the lead back and forth a few times. I was able to get a small lead on him as we crested the last hill before the 3 mile mark, but when the course flattened out he put on a kick that I couldn't match and beat me by 2 seconds. I was still happy with my time, and a 1st place age group win. Splits: 5:37, 5:44, 5:37, :38. Eric Finished 9th in 18:12 a big PR for him. We are both in good shape to run a fast marathon next Saturday.

easy taper run

Great run, my 5th Rocket City and favorite marathon experience to date. Boston 2007 was great, but running sub 3 in my home state combined with a well run event, the cameraderie of friends and fellow runners, and most importantly having my family there with me made this race one that I will always remember. Looking forward to number 6 next year.

A 12 hour work day the day after a marathon is not condusive to muscle recovery... so afterwards I got out for and easy 3 thru the neighborhood. Legs were predictably sore. I was in the mid 50's at 8:30pm, perfect for a plod around the house. I felt much better when I was done than I did before. 24:02/8:01

Night run thru neighborhood and oak lea. Still pretty damp out from all the rain over the last two days, but the temps have been tolerable. 49 degrees when I went out and the rain had stopped. 35:04/7:01

I had very little soreness Monday but had a busy off day, plus Lily recuperating from a stomache bug tha kept her out of school, so no run. The only soreness I have now is a small touch of shin splints on right leg. I was dealing with minor plantar fac. in my left foot only since the half marathon and came to the conclusion it was caused by racing in my DS Trainers that my orthotics didn't fit into. I also ran a 10K in them and knew I had to have something new for the marathon. Asics Gel Ohana Racers did the trick, they are even lighter than the DS's and my orthotics fit in them perfectly, but alas the shoe has been discontinued. Hopefully it's replacement will work well for me. 5K race this weekend.

We haven't seen the sun in North Alabama for the last 12 days and it's been raining almost all of those days as well. Thankfully the rain took a break this moring and the family went over to Huntsville to run a 5K and 1 mile fun run.

This was my last chance to PR in a 5K this year, and with it being one week after a sub 3 marathon I probably had my sights sets too high. I have recovered remarkably well with still just a touch of right leg shin splints. I went in in 5:30 and felt pretty good, the first mile was mostly downhill. I went through 2 miles at 11:10 still feeling good. I was running by myself and was the only master up front, so I had no one to chase for the top masters place. The race starts and finishes in the same place so we had to ascend pretty much the last 3/4 mile and that took its toll on my tireing legs. My 3 mile split was 16:59 (fading) and the last .1 mile was uphill. Knowing I couldn't run that in 34 seconds, I just put my head down and pushed on through and finished with a 17:44. 6th overall, 1st Master.

Kelly ran well, 26:38, just a little off her PR. We all ran in the 1 mile fun run with Avy going out like lightning while carrying a teddy bear and wearing antlers, she faded at the half and Lily and Camille caught up to her. Lily also handed her antlers off to me and Camille made it through half the race with a blinking red nose over her nose. I made her take it off when her breathing turned into wheezing. I looked like a pack mule by the time I finished. This was a fun event and they raised a lot of money for Blount Hospitality House, the local Ronald McDondald House.

Now begins the training for Mountain Mist, see you on the trails.

So Eric got this idea that we should do a crazy long run during Christmas week. We had both recovered well form the marathon on the 13th so in Christmas Eve day we set off from his house in SE Decatur at 6:12am with the plan to run to the Fleet Feet store in Huntsville; 39+ miles away.

The Fagerman Bros. and Larry Dickerson joined us for the first 13.1 out of Decatur and through the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge to Mooresville. This route added mileage but kept us off busy state highways with no shoulder.

We kept a steady, comfortable 7 mile/hr pace with breaks for aid and nature. Running out of Mooresville to Madison we made good eastward progress but were more exposesed to a SE wind running on an accces road along I565. My right shin started to give me problems about 19 miles into the run, getting tighter and tighter so I had no flex in my ankle, making running very painful. I did manage to hold out until 26.5 to get my ultra in (4:15), but the last two miles were all walking. Thankfully one of Eric's co-workers had come out to give us an aid stop and I gladly accepted a ride and called Kelly to pick me up early. Eric on the other hand was still moving strongly and getting faster. Kelly and I met him over at Fleet Feet at 12:12pm. Nearly 40 miles in 6 hours and he looked like he could've kept going. His endurace amazes me.

I will do this run again in the future and finish it.

I hope everyone has a joyous holiday season.

I'm doing the RICE thing to rehab my shin. My co-workers had my at work birthday party today and gifted me "The Stick". It came in handy to massage my shin. I might run a race in Wisconsin on the 31st, if the weather cooperates.

In Wisconsin.

Woke up to 3 inches of snow and 10 degree temps with a good wind as well. I had planned to head over to Fond du Lac and run a 5K this afternoon, but self preservation and a still mending shin says it not a good idea.

I've lived in Alabama for 16 years now, Wisconsin is a nice place to visit but I couldn't live here anymore. I do not miss snow and freezing temps.

1339.06 miles in 2008       111.58 avg per month