January 2007 Archives

I was working on my project schedule for work on the train going home last night. I have an incredible amount of work that needs to be done over the next few months. I couldn’t help but wonder if this is going to put a cramp in my race schedule as well.

For the most part I planned on running four days a week for the better part of the year, with peak weeks hitting around 80K/50M. This really is not a lot considering I want to run several 50K, a 50-mile, and perhaps a 100K race this year.

The worst problem that I foresee at this point is the external forces that are mentally distracting me from my training/racing. These include increased workload, my wife’s continuing search for a new job, and the need to complete various household projects when warm weather arrives. I am also hoping that we can take a vacation to visit my folks and kids in New York in the autumn, but this on hold for the moment.

So as race season quickly approaches I realize I am carrying far too much baggage, so I am concentrating on keeping an open mind and remaining flexible. I will concentrating on trying to make the best of each workout session and hopefully will at least maintain my current fitness level.

I will try to keep up with my blogging, but many of you know how hard that is sometimes. The next month or two will be especially challenging as I fight to meet several project deadlines. If you don’t hear from me as much, rest assured that I am lurking in the background, I’m totally addicted to reading your blogs and will continue to do so even if I can always leave a comment.

So tonight I want to run at least a 16K/10M run. I will probably move my long run from Saturday morning to Friday after work, my wife has plans for this fit old body of mine on Saturday (keep your mind out the gutter, she means helping with the Spring cleaning ;-)

Last night I an hour late coming home from work, so the sun had already crawled behind the trees for a rest. The weather was much friendlier compared to the past weekend, 7C/45F, the snow was gone, the wind was still – I wasted no time suiting up and running out the door.

I was fresh and well rested from a week of tapering for a 50K race that ended up as a 25K long run. I quickly picked up the pace to around 5:15/K (8:27/M), but despite the creeping darkness kept picking up the pace as I completed my loop. I finished the first 10K in 50:53 (5:05/K or 8:11/M average pace), slowed down a bit to get through a muddy stretch, then sprinted ahead completing a kilometer of asphalt in 4:40 (7:31/M). I then slowed down a bit and took the last ~2K at a relatively leisurely pace. My average pace for the 14K/8.7M run: 5:10/K (8:20/M), quite acceptable for this old grandpa!

My next major race is a marathon on March 11th, I want to try to get in at least three 20+ mile long runs before the race. The marathon course is flat and run on mostly asphalt roads so my training will reflect this. I am really not setting any specific goals for the marathon, if the weather is good I'll shoot for a PR, if not than I'll just do the best I can.

This morning we had fresh snow and a bitter north wind, so I settled for a 25K run. It was slippery, cold, and downright miserable, so I had took my time and tried not to break anything.

So I guess my first race for 2007 will be a marathon on March 11, I hope the weather is friendlier.

Have a nice weekend.

I take a train, then streetcar (tram), to work every morning and have been doing this for a few years. It gives me time to think, to write my blog, and to meet interesting people. I have been talking the last several weeks with one young lady, Sandra, who lives in Blankenloch which is the next town down from where I live (about 5K). We got on the subject of running (gee I wonder how that happened ;-) and it turns out she used to run regularly 3 times a week up until a couple years ago when her she couldn’t find anyone to run with anymore. I had all I could do to contain myself from inviting her for a run, but decided I should wait until the weather improves at least. I did tell her about my running club and that we run Wednesdays and Saturdays and left it at that. My gut feeling is that all she needs is a gentle push and she will catch the fever :-) In any case there will be lots of mornings in the future where I can encourage her. Running is contagious, encourage those around you!

So a little weather update: Tonight there is an 80% chance of snow, but how much is anyone’s guess. Early tomorrow morning it is supposed to be -3C/25F and is supposed to warm up to around 3C/37F by the afternoon. So tonight I will pack for my race and then wait until early tomorrow morning to make a final decision on whether to drive or not. I have a good feeling, I think it will be a ‘go’.

My race goals in order of priority:

1. To have fun.
2. To finish (not a given considering the drastic change in temperatures in the last two weeks)
3. To finish under 6-hours (having a good day goal).
4. To finish under 5-1/2 hours (race of my life goal).

By the time I got home last night the nice white fluffy snow on the bike trails and forest ways had been pounded into a mash of slosh, mud and ice by hundreds of feet, sleds and vehicles. I also arrived home an hour later than normal due to train delays, so this mess had started to freeze. But I didn’t let these less-then-ideal conditions stop me from getting in a training run.

I laced up my trail shoes and gingerly set out over my 9K route, keeping a sharp eye out for patches of ice in the approaching darkness. I kept up a steady pace, definitely not setting any speed records, but at least getting in one last workout before my race on Saturday. I actually found a short white forest path that remained untarnished by human feet and destroyed it with my own - pure lust!

This morning was a crisp -7C/20F and the sidewalks and secondary roads were iced up and treacherous. My train was late again, but at least this time I made my streetcar connection to work.

Tomorrow (Friday) night it is supposed to snow again in our area, so if we get another 5-6 inches of snow than the roads may not be cleared in enough time to make to the race on Saturday. I don’t mind driving 1-1/2 hours to a race, but when this turns into a 3-4 hour marathon drive due to winter chaos then the “joy of running” experience becomes dulled by the “drudgery of logistics”. No Fun, No Run!

Call me a winter wimp if you like, but if I have to shovel snow before its time to leave on Saturday morning the 50K race will be a no-go. Plan B is a 3-hour long run on Saturday and a 10K cross-country race on Sunday.

…and has been since about 6 p.m. last night. This morning I cleared about 5 inches of the white fluffy stuff from the sidewalk in front of the house before catching my train to work. It is supposed to keep snowing throughout today and perhaps tomorrow.

Tonight I want to go for an hour run to loosen up for my race on Saturday. Actually I want to go run in the snow NOW – I feel like a little boy staring out the window waiting for his mother to allow me to go out and build a snowman. I love breaking trail on a quiet path through the woods.

So Saturday morning my 50K race starts at 10 a.m., which is good because normally I need 1-1/2 to 2 hours to drive to the race, but may require more time if the roads are bad. Generally my area of Germany is ill-prepared to deal with any quantity of snow or ice – I like to compare it to southern Georgia where I spent a couple winters in the military. I mean, when it rains these people either drive like it’s not or at a snails pace that would make a tortoise feel like a sprinter. Add a little snow and you’re talking total chaos.

I am hoping the main highway (Autobahns) will be clear, and for the rest I have good winter tires (too bad 60-70% of the other people don’t). The race organizers promise that the 5K race route will be keep clear of snow and ice - I guess with 600-800 runners tramping 10-times around the loop, it shouldn't be too hard. In any case it is going to be a VERY interesting weekend!

The week is starting out much too busy for my taste, lots of deadlines looming on the horizon at my job. My wife has vacation this week and is visiting an aunt for a few days, so I am working long days at work – too bad I don’t get paid overtime, I’d be rich!

Yesterday I left work at normal quitting time, went home, ran 9K/5.5M, then worked a few more hours on my laptop.

This morning was a brisk 2C/36F, with a teeth-chattering north wind that cut through the clothes. The weather forecast is calling for a lot of snow today and tomorrow, but so far I haven’t seen any – maybe it will pass us by.

The sudden change from spring temperatures to almost frostbite is really beating me to death mentally as I try to get focused for my race on Saturday. I tend to meticulously plan every detail for race day in advance, but with this rapid weather change, even making it to the race is not certain. So excuse me while I go check the weather report again and freak out…

I’ve been a terrible blogger lately, I do apologize, but my job has been requiring more time lately and blogging got squeezed out. I’ll try to catch up to your activities ASAP.

On Saturday morning I went for a 21K/13M medium distance run at around marathon pace. It was a good run other than being a little stiffer than normal. I think I skimped a bit on the stretching the last time I ran.

Yesterday (Sunday) I decided to head to the pool for some long neglected laps. It was almost a month since the last time I went, so at the end of my 1000 meters I was feeling it in my shoulders. On the positive side the swimming loosened up my legs quite nicely.

So this coming Saturday (Jan. 27) is my first 50K race for the year, well hopefully. The weather forecast is quite disturbing - the 16C/61F temperatures that we enjoyed last week will be replaced with sub-freezing temperatures and a good chance of snow. If we do indeed get the snow that is predicted then I may end up staying home, as our region of Germany is not prepared to keep the roads clean – it almost always ends up in chaos! But this is winter and I have a plan B programmed in, namely a 50K in March.

In any case I will be keeping a careful watch on the weather forecast this week and continue my tapering in anticipation of a race on Saturday. If it doesn’t work out then it is back to training as usual, my first marathon is coming up on March 11th.

Yesterday Hurricane Kyrill wrecked havoc as it swept through Europe, leaving at least 20 dead in its aftermath. News services were doing a good job all day of scaring the daylights out of the good citizens in my area, half of the people at my wife’s work went home early. What most people in my area apparently didn’t consider is that we rarely get the severity of any storm that passes through.

Anyway, I got home a little later than normal because my wife and I had to stop at the bank to sign some paperwork. Outside was quite windy, but there were no trees flying through the air or anything, so I said to my wife that I was going for a run. Her only response was “Stay out of the woods” and later as I opened the door to leave: “Remember me” which is her way of saying “Remember that I am home worrying about you, so keep the run short and if you do something dumb like run in the forest and a tree falls on you and you don’t die instantly then I will kill you for making me worry so much!”

Anyway, I decided to run a couple loops around the neighboring fields which would keep me out of the forest. The wind blew the whole time, with sudden gusts that felt like a slap on the back. However the only stretch that was out of the ordinary was a 5 minute parts where I was running directly into the wind. When the gusts of wind would come along it felt like all of the air was being sucked out of my lungs. Other then that I had the wind pushing from behind or against the side, in other words, no problem.

It was kind of strange not to see anyone else out, usually I pass dozens of people walking their dogs, walking, running, whatever – I didn’t see a sole. What would these people do if a real storm came along…

I ran for just over an hour, probably around 11K/7M, and felt good enough afterward to have run a few more loops. But alas my wife’s words, “Remember” me” kept ringing in my ears so I headed back to home base. Have a nice weekend!

Last night for the second night in a row I didn’t run, instead I stayed at work a little longer to finish up a couple things, then started on my pile of accumulated tasks at home. This at least left me with a feeling that I accomplished something. My wife was surfing the Internet looking for job prospects when I got home. She seemed pretty frustrated and not in the mood to talk about it, so I gave her some space and took care of my odd jobs.

Tonight I want to go for about an hour run, but first we have an appointment at the bank, so it will be later on. There is also a storm warning for our area, heavy rain and winds from 60-100 MPH. The radio stations are already advising people to stay out of the forests until after the storm, too much risk from falling trees and branches. I may end up having to do loops around the field tonight – that ought to be interesting with high winds. At least it is warmer this morning, 13C/56F.

My workload at work seems to be picking up again, lots of project deadlines looming on the horizon, glad I’m tapering = running less the next week or two, because work is taking a bear share my time. I just hope I can keep my head together so I can concentrate on the 50K coming up in 11 days.

I got home later than normal last night, but quietly slipped out for a quick 9K/5.5M run before dinner. It was only 6C/43F compared to 17C/63F that we had the day before on Sunday. I at least had a chance to work off the stress from the day. Tonight I may do a little weight training, but first I have to take care of a few errands for my wife.

I’m feeling a bit stressed out this week. Work is busy, my wife’s job search has been unsuccessful, my work is bugging me for vacation schedule for this year and I have no idea if/when we go to New York like we planned on, and lots of other little things. I am trying to work through these issues, but sometimes it just isn’t so easy. I remain optimistic, but my sleep has suffered lately, the weather doesn’t help – it is bouncing around like a rubber ball.

Nothing to do but face the wind and go through it, up ahead the sky will clear and life will sail more smoothly. Have a good week!

Yesterday we had another beautiful morning, 12C/54F, sunny, warm and spring-like. This was only topped by an even more beautiful afternoon with the temperature peaking at 17C/63F. I held out until about mid-afternoon, when my wife went upstairs to study her Business English. I quickly suited up and headed out the door for a recovery run. I eased my way over the field ways and forest path’s covering about 9K/5.5M at a comfortable pace. I passed dozens of people out for a stroll, no great surprise with this weather. I was a little stiff at the beginning of the run, but after the first mile or so I started loosing up and enjoyed the rest of the run.

This morning at 6:00 it was 0C/32F and all the neighbors car windows were frosted up, who unplugged the heater, crazy weather anyway.

Have a great week!

This morning I was up around 5:30 and out the door by around 6:00 a.m. for my long run. It was already 12C/54F, so I decided that I would repeat last weekend’s run in reverse but using the run/walk strategy that I want to use for my 50K race in two weeks.

The reverse direction meant that I would do the roughly 21K/13M asphalt/concrete first, then finish off the approx. 36K/22M route on dirt/gravel trails. My strategy was to run 30 minutes, then walk 3 minutes for the entire distance. So this is exactly what I did, almost to the second!

The first 2 ½ hours were in the dark, but I had my blinking armband on, to let cyclists and hunters lurking in the forest know that I was there. I also had my headlamp with me, but I only switched it on a couple times when I saw a bicycle coming or crossed a road.

When I took my walk break around the two hour point I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and had another one at around three hours. I only carried water in my CamelBak this time rather than sports drink. Somehow the combination of food and water worked really well with my stomach, I was pleased that I decided to try this.

The run went well up to almost the 3 hour point, I was maintaining almost a constant 6:00/K (9:39/M) running pace and pretty constant walking pace up to this point. But somewhere around the 3 hour point I could feel myself slowing down, so I broke out my MP3 player as a distraction. I think this helped me maintain a reasonable pace for at least another half hour. As I wound my way over the familiar trails during the last 20 minutes nothing more helped other than gutting it out, but I stuck with it and rounded the last corner after 3:50:00, for roughly a 35-36K (22M) run.

Now, almost two hours later my legs are tight and sore, but I had no trouble with cramps or nausea. My wife is baking some lasagna, so I think I’m going to feel much better really soon ;-)

So now I can start my tapering for the 50K on January 27th! Have a nice weekend.

I had intended on going swimming last night on the way home from work. I even rode the streetcar into the middle of Karlsruhe so I could catch the connecting streetcar to the swimming pool. But as I got off the first street car I noticed my wife waiting for her streetcar home. She was looking white as a ghost and when I asked about it she said she was feeling sick. I decided my swimming would have to wait until another night and rode with the poor girl home. She almost immediately collapsed on the couch and stayed there the rest of the night. This morning she was feeling a 100% better and thinks that it was something she ate for lunch that was giving her trouble.

I ended up taking advantage of the warm weather and spent a couple hours cleaning up my shed, which has been badly neglected since I started running. Does this count as cross-training ;-)

Tomorrow (Saturday) morning I want to get up early and go for about a 3 hour run - nice easy pace with a 3 minute walk break every 5K, which is how I want to run the 50K in two weeks.

Last night it was an incredible 16C/61F as I ran the 4K/2.5M to the trailhead to run with my running club. The warm weather sparked me to run with the faster group, we took off around the 11K/7M loop at a healthy trot, in the dark by the way, the people refuse to use flashlights! I fell in with Walter, who ran the same 50-miler as I did last year. It turns out that he finished 10 minutes in front of me! I mentioned that I didn’t recall seeing him afterwards and he said he left shortly after he finished because he was afraid if he sat down he wouldn’t be able to get up again – somehow I could relate ;-) Anyway we may end up running together this year, although he has much more ambitious time goals than I do. If I can increase my speed and endurance before June I may try to keep up with him – we’ll see.

We completed the 11K loop in 58:53, not quite as fast as the 56 minutes that it usually takes us in the summer, but better than the 66-68 minutes that the slower group requires this time of year. We only had one casualty, Walter tripped over a branch and ate some mud, more an injury to the pride then anything else. Running fast in the dark through the middle of the woods is definitely adventurous, even on logging trails.

As I jogged the 4K back home the slight wind that was blowing turned into seemingly gale force as I headed across the fields. Luckily I made it before the rain came down, that would have been a very wet experience. Speaking of wet experiences, I want to stop to the swimming pool tonight after work, its been almost a month since I did any laps. Have a nice day!

This morning at 6 a.m. it was a balmy 13C/55F, and temperatures up to 17C/63F are predicted, this is Winter, right?

Nothing new with training, last night I worked later and also had some other things to do at home, so decided to take a rest night. Tonight I plan on running with my running club, the first time this year, I look forward to seeing (well as good as you can in the dark) the group again. Tomorrow I want to head back to the swimming pool for some laps, another first for this year, I guess I've been aqua-slacking ;-)

When I got home from work yesterday it was drizzling rain outside and I came up with an entire list of excuses not to go for my recovery run. But my wife said she would be late from work, so it was the ideal time to go for a run. I mechanically suited up, warmed up and slipped out the door. It was a pleasant 12C/54F, the birds were singing – hey wait this is the middle of January, what’s up with that!

Anyway I started out at a slow pace, just trying to enjoy the warmer air and gentle, misty rain that was falling. I fell into my groove and put it on cruise control, circling around my 16K/10M route at about a 6:00/K (9:39/M) pace. I could almost feel the frustrations from my disappointing long run on Saturday and life's challenges melt away as I made my way around. The rain stopped and the clouds blew away, leaving a clear sky off to one side which provided enough light to run without a headlamp. My thoughts changed to positive things and I just started thanking the Lord for what we do have and that I can enjoy the running experience – some people don’t have what we have and can’t run like I was.

I returned home with satisfyingly tired legs and a renewed mind, is there really anything better than this?

This afternoon my fever was gone and I became restless as the sun came out and the temperature shot up to 12C/54F. I decided to go for a short recovery run. I stepped outside into some of the most beautiful weather that we have had for a long time. I started off at what seemed quite slow, but finished the first kilometer in almost exactly 6 minutes (9:39/M pace). People were out everywhere walking, running, Nordic walking, my pace increased, I finished the second kilometer in 5:05 (8:11/M). I decided to keep up the pace as long as I could and run my 9K/5.6M loop that I use frequently when tapering/recovering.

After my lousy long run yesterday I expected to burnout about halfway around, but I must have been running on adrenalin today, because I cruised! I ended up with an average pace of 5:15/K (8:27/M) for the approx. 9K run, quite good (for me) the day after a long run.

I spent some time today thinking about my long run yesterday. I was quite surprised how quickly I seemed to fall apart after a certain point (roughly 25K/16M). I was quick to blame this on my feeling poorly most of the week. But somehow this is too easy, why didn’t I feel bad before this? I know that my mental toughness is not up to par – a result of different issues going on in my and especially my wife’s life in the moment. Did I simply give up yesterday? This is a scary question for me, am I losing my edge (or my mind)?

I know from experience that when my mind is preoccupied with worries of everyday life that my performance deteriorates. On the other side I know that it is only a phase and when the issues are taken care of the racing will get better. With all this in mind I am going to approach the 50K in three weeks cautiously and just try to enjoy the race without setting any real goals. Have a nice week!

Yesterday morning I was up at 6:30 and out the door by 7:15 for my planned 3 ½ hour long run. I quickly fell into a 6:00/K (9:39/M) pace as it gradually became light outside. First I ran the first half of my familiar 14K route, then crossed over to the Graben Running Club trails. After about two hours of running (mostly gravel paths) I turned onto the asphalt bike path that would take me toward the city of Karlsruhe (south). At this point I was feeling good and still maintaining my pace.

After about 2 ½ hours I started feeling kind of weak, so took a quick walk break to munch on a sports bar that I had with me. I started up again but after another 10 minutes I was feeling worse than before. I trudged on hoping it would get better, but after a few minutes again felt nauseous, so took another walk break. I guessed the flu symptoms that I had been fighting all week hadn’t left me completely. Anyway, by this time I knew something wasn’t right so thought about my options, I was in a section of forest where there was no direct route home. I was at least an hour’s run from home no matter which way I went, and that at a steady run.

As it was raining lightly and was slightly windy I kept moving, trying to run 10, walk 2 (minutes). I eventually reached a canal that I normally pass on this route and remembered that there was a streetcar (Tram) stop farther down the canal somewhere. As I was starting to get really cold by this time I decided to follow the path along the canal until I reached the Tram stop and ride the rest of the way home. About 30 minutes later I finally reached the Tram stop, just in time to see it drive away. As yesterday was a holiday in Germany I knew the next Tram wasn’t going to show up for another 40 minutes. I was still around 8K from home, and was freezing to death, so I ended up calling my wife who picked me up about 15 minutes later.

I ended up running (or walking) for 3 hours and 40 minutes, with probably half of the last 40 minutes in particular being walking. When I got home it turns out I had some fever, which didn’t surprise me by this time. After a good tongue lashing from my wife, I took a hot bath, ate a little and took a nap. Today, after finally having a good night’s sleep, the fever is about gone and I feel better than I have all week.

I am thankful that I had my cell phone with me yesterday and that it was a warmer day (9C/48F). I only wished I had taken my lousy feeling all week to heart and not have been so ambitious. In any case I survived and am going to try to take it a little easier this week. With my 50K three weeks away I have to make sure I am well rested and healthy.

Last night I was feeling a little better when I got home so decided to run my scheduled 14K/8.7M training run. It was a warm 9C/48F, but rainy and windy as I started out. I made it about halfway around my loop before it got dark enough to warrant turning my headlamp on. Just as I reached up to flip it on I tripped on a root and landed in the mud, hopefully no one was looking ;-)

I decelerated a little but managed to find another root a couple minutes later, what’s up with that – I rarely trip and fall. In any case I completed the 14K run with an average pace of 5:34/K (8:58/M), which is not bad considering the rain and darkness (and eating mud).

Tonight is a rest night and tomorrow I have a 3 ½ - 4 hour long run on asphalt/concrete. This flat surfaced run will closely simulate conditions for my upcoming 50K on January 27th. My planned race pace for the 50K is 6:30/K (10:30/M), a nice easy pace to get me through the first ultra of the year. For the long run on Saturday I probably won’t run quite so slow, as it is all flat (and free of tree roots). I am hoping I can cover somewhere between 21-24 miles, but I’m not afraid to cut it back a little if I am feeling like I was early this week.

I really don’t like to train for a race without having a pretty good idea of what the race is, when and what else is/could be on the agenda after it. For 2007 my race list is all tentative until my wife finds a new job. However I DO HAVE a race list and will train for each race like I am going to run it. If most of the races get axed do to the lack of my wife’s paycheck, well at least I will have a fantastic base for whenever I start running races again. Sounds good, we’ll see how reality folds out.

So here is my race list 2007:

January 27, 2007 – Rodgau 50K – registered, will depend on the weather

March 11, 2007 – Bienwald Road Marathon (Kandel) – a go!

March 25, 2007 – Eschollbruecken 50K - will be the first to be axed if need be.

April 22, 2007 – Northern Black Forest Marathon – probably a go.
or
April 26, 2007 – Hanau-Rodenbach 100K – very unlikely (requires overnight stay).

May 17, 2007 – Westerwald Forest 50K Trail – will be axed if need be (requires overnight).
or
May 20, 2007 – Heilbronn Marathon – maybe if the 50K is a no-go.

June 23, 2007 – Fidelitas Night Run 80K/50M – most likely a go!

July 22, 2007 - Buhlertal Marathon - will be axed if need be.

September 9, 2007 – 100K Run Endingen – will be axed if need be (requires overnight stay).
or
September9, 2007 – Pirmasens Trail Marathon – maybe if 100K is a bust.

October 21, 2007 – Schwabisch Gmund 50K – will be axed if need be.

There are a couple local 10K/HM races that I may run in between, especially if the longer races don’t fit the budget. Generally speaking I will try to limit the shorter races so that I can run the longer ones. I probably should do this anyway to improve performance, but life is short.

The new year is starting out with a mountain of new tasks at work and with my wife and I both feeling like we have the flu coming on. I decided to postpone my run last night until tonight because I was not feeling the best. After a fitful sleep last night I actually considered staying home from work this morning, but I don’t have fever so I couldn’t really justify this. If I feel better by tonight I will at least get in a short run. More important is that I am fit for my long run on Saturday, I want to get in 3 ½ hours!

On January 27th is a 50K race in Rodgau, Germany, near Frankfurt. I’m signed up, but at this point I don’t know if I will make it. The race consists of ten 5K loops, 60% asphalt trails, with about half through a forest and the rest over open fields. There is a 6-hour time limit, but in past years they have kept one eye closed on this requirement.

From a training standpoint I am ready for it, but other issues are kind of damping the steam on this one. The race starts at 10:00 a.m. and is about two hours from where we live, so I would have to leave quite early. I said to my wife that she can stay home, she doesn’t need to come. But she is worried that I overdo it and can’t drive home myself. So she thinks she has to go but is worried about having to sit around in the cold for half the day. There is a sports hall where after-race festivities are being offered, but you never know how comfortable (or warm) these are.

I think the deciding factor will be the weather, if its snowy or icy the travel time will double if I can get through at all. So I am going to just keep training like it is going to happen, and if it doesn’t then I will just go for a nice long run!

Have a great week.

I finished off 2006 with a final run over my 14K/8.7M loop around my town and neighboring fields and forest on Sunday. I left my stopwatch home and just ran at a pace that felt good.

Later in the day my wife and I went bowling with a friend of ours. This was the first time in something like 14 years that we were bowling and I’d forgotten how much we enjoyed doing this. We agreed to make this at least a monthly event in the future.

Later our friend joined us for fondue and a quiet night bringing in the New Year. Our neighbors kept us entertained with fireworks and we finally called it quits about 3:30 in the morning. So the new year got off to a late start as we slept in until almost noon, almost unheard of in our house.

Tonight it’s back to training, I have to work off all the holiday calories. We are expecting milder temperatures and rain this week, but better than cold and blowing snow anyway!

So Happy New Year to everyone, I hope you all had a good running/cycling/swimming/training year and wish you lots of fun in 2007!