Chug-along-chica!

Congrats on the tempo mile Lybi, isn't that a great feeling... My friends can not figure out why I run and if they could only feel that feeling just once they would be hooked for life. Good job and keep up the awesome work!

Wow Lybi! I'm really impressed! Great Job!

And I like the Choo Choo story. I can picture someone running like that. His cheeks were probably getting all puffy and then hollow. haha. Anyway, that was my laugh for the day. Thanks.

Great job Lybi, if we ever meet in a 5k with your improvement Im betting on you. Maybe you should run Saint George for fun (just kidding) - have a great time there

Regarding the Choo Choo and various sounds that runners make.....while running various marathons over the years it's been interesting, especially during the last few miles, to hear/see the variety of strange things runners do when they're struggling to try to overcome the 'bonk' factor. I've seen runners running with their eyes closed (OK so I've done this myself on occasion), heard them muttering all kinds of bizarre mantras (i.e. "I am fast, I am strong, I am wonderful..." or in one case I was with a guy who was mostly quiet but every so often would shout "ONE!!" and then go back to quiet for another 20 seconds or so). Some people will count ("1,2,3..." - I've actually tried this on a few occasions of pain, it maybe even helped for about a minute). One guy I was with for a while distracted himself by singing at the top of his lungs. He was NOT a good singer and I was pretty dang happy (is that cruel of me?) when he finally crashed and burned and started walking and I could leave him and his voice behind. Then there are people that stick with good ol'fashioned moaning and groaning and other various sounds of agony. Some of the sounds are down right scary if not borderline obscene. I guess to each their own. I confess there have been times when I've hit the wall where I would have tried ANYTHING to make the pain go away.

My story: At mile 23+ of a marathon I heard someone near me singing all kinds of stupid songs. After tolerating several (that I don't remember) and slowing down and speeding up to get away from them, I took a good hard look at the person singing the Oscar Meyer Weiner song (over and over). They had no number and looked awefully fresh! I realized they were a bandit "running someone in." I thought, this is MY marathon so... When they started the next song, the Toy's R Us song, I said "Will you please shut up?!?!?" I really meant to ask them to be quiet, but it came out another as shut up. At least I said please...

Yeah, and they shut up immediately.

Tom you made me laugh out loud! That is too funny. Especially the guy who shouts "One!" at random intervals and the singer. Ho boy!

Michael--I saw a guy at the race who looked a lot like your picture. He passed me at 1.5 miles and I was thinking "Yup, that's about where Michael would pass me. Bye, Michael."

Kristina and Clay--thanks for noticing. I am all excited, and it's really fun to get feedback.

Lulu - so YOU were the one who told me to shut up!! OK just kidding, I wasn't the bandit and I applaud your efforts in shutting the guy up. Among my running buddies we have a rule that anything seemingly rude, angry or obnoxious said after mile 20 of a marathon doesn't really count and all is forgiven in this case. Kind of like the stuff my wife says during labor.

Wow! I'm sick for a week and out of town for 4 days and look at you!!!! Absolutely great job on your race, chiquita!!!! I'm so happy for you. It took me forever to read all your comments - you're quite the popular girl. Who can blame them, though. I haven't even gone running yet today and I've already read your race report and most of this week and last week. ha! I kept wanting to leave something in St. George this weekend just so you and James could find it - but I couldn't think of what or where. So . . just know that I was there a week before you and wishing you well! lol

HA hahahahahahha! I am getting such a kick out of you guys--laughing out loud and everything. Lulu, you are one spunky chica, and I applaud you! Can't be expected to listen to commercials on mile 23. I'm sure I would've done the same thing (without the please maybe!)

Glad you liked the tempo mile! I told you you would!

Tom, I have that rule too. We call it Runner's Privilege. It also extends to "what is talked about on the run cannot be repeated by the listeners." I've heard some great stories running with judges and lawyers. I just can't tell you about them...

Excellent job on the tempo run!! you are doing great!

When I'm doing my long runs in marathon training, I sing (TO MYSELF) "I Know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly." Remember that song? I had forgotten it until marathon training! Also, 99 Bottles of Beer (or pop, if you prefer) on the Wall, but that one is kinda boring.

Shauna,

Training runs are to totally different animal. Sasha sings Bingo, I sing "blown away" with Springsteen's "My Oklahoma Home" and to other songs on my Ipod. I'll have to remember the Lady who swallowed the fly. I sing it to my daughter periodically so I'll sing it on a training run with her in the stroller! Love it!

Lybi - congratulations on going sub-8:00!

Lybi- that's just plain AMAZING!!! I'm so excitted for you! I would just once like to see how that feels like!

Great tempo run! I need more of those. Loved reading everyone's stories about funny sounds runners make. At Peach Days recently I had to run to speed up and crank the IPOD to get away from an elderly guy who was making a horrible groaning sound everytime he'd breath out- thought he might kill over- but I did see him smiling at the finish. I still hear that sound in my nightmares!

Lybi, congrads on the tempo mile. the only way to run fast is to run fast. Da!

I think that BQ may be closer than you think with the progress you are making.

Non-runners just do not realize how difficult it is to run an 8 minute mile, tough barrier to break. One question, you may have forgotten, have you been cashing in your commando points for runner high moments? If not, you have a bank full of points to use.

Speaking of which, at least 50% of the barrier to running a marathon at a given pace is in not being able to run even one mile at that pace. To BQ, you need 8:25 per mile, so speed-wise you already have a decent buffer. My predictor says if you get your 5 K down to 22:48 (7:20 pace), and train at 60 miles a week (if you train at 60 miles a week, your 5 K will come down quite a bit from your current time), you'll qualify.

Speaking of which, at least 50% of the barrier to running a marathon at a given pace is in not being able to run even one mile at that pace. To BQ, you need 8:25 per mile, so speed-wise you already have a decent buffer. My predictor says if you get your 5 K down to 22:48 (7:20 pace), and train at 60 miles a week (if you train at 60 miles a week, your 5 K will come down quite a bit from your current time), you'll qualify.

Ok, this is funny. I just coded up a trap for the duplicate comment, and decided to test it right here. But I forgot to copy it from my development system to the production server. So the test failed, that is why there are two identical comments. Second time around it passed, I got a Duplicate comment error as I was supposed to.

Thank you so much everyone, for the encouragement and for making me giggle all day. What a great thread--my favorite ever!

BTW, great job on the tempo run. It's nice to change up the pace some! Keep it up. The reason why you have such great threads is because you have great posts that get people chatting!

Wow! I think I added seventeen years to my life. Lybi, Tom, and Lulu thanks! It felt great to laugh. I read your stories out loud to my husband. He got a kick out of them, too.

Congratulations, Lybi, on a sub-8 mile!

Being the only person who actually knew you when you were 17, I have to say "Way to go, Idaho!" No, we aren't from Idaho, but nothing rhymes with New Mexico. Speaking of spit flying everywhere, do you remember the time you fell asleep on my shoulder and drooled on me? I probably could run with you at any time (other than you are faster than me now) and not be bothered if you did start chewing the air the spitting. Well done on improving!

Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeee! I'm going to take the 5th on whether or not I ever actually ACCIDENTALLY drooled on you. Your word against mine, but I do recall you gluing an Oreo to my forehead in a fit of spontaneity. Plus there was the time you practically FORCED me to go through that drive-through backwards and nearly crash into everything.

This is Shae, my long time best friend who was the victim (if not the accomplice) of most of my mild acts of vandalism growing up.