Ray-a 5K PR speaks volumes about your FM training!!  NICE.  Have a great race tomorrow.

4 miles yesterday afternoon & 4.5 this morning. Real easy to work up a sweat in this humidity!  A nice change. Have to catch early shuttle in morning so only 2 runs in the warmth. Actually warmer weather predicted for this next week so should be able to get outside more.

Forgot to mention. I ran /walked 2.5 mi yesterday - in the rain. Yuk, why does it always rain when I can go out?

Rest and ice the knee today (iced it yesterday too). Plan for another outing tomorrow.

Ray... how old are you, over 55 or under?!    Congrats on a heckuva run, wow!

Not home yet, so still on phone.  DW needs to hit a few spots on the way home...

So, AZ she did come and didn't run, but did chauffer duty.  YES! BQ!

NHRich - 55-59 AG, so BQ time was 3:40 - so, almost 6 minutes under and a PR by just over 19 minutes.

RR to come...

WAY TO GO, RAY!!!

Really looking forward to the RR, but I think it's safe to say, even without reading it, you ran an awesome race! Congrats on the BQ!

Been a busy week.  Looks like everyone is running well.  I'll catch some of the individual comments later.

Quick RR from this past weekend:

Ran the 12K's of Christmas, which is part of the Reindeer Fun Run day in Aberdeen, NC. Last year, the 5k was my first race ever. This year, the 12k is my first race of any distance over 5k. Was a little rainy before the race, but it stopped before the starting gun sounded. Road was wet the entire race, though. I was shooting for 1:11 or better (9:30 pace). But I didn't even take my gps out on the course.  Decided to just treat it like a gump run. Race was limited to 450 runners, and sold out the week before (the 5k had about 1,500). Several of the Freaky Fast gang that I run speed work with on Wednesdays were running.

I figure my early pace, first couple miles, was around 9:45. I didn't want to go out too fast. At the water station at mile 2, I grabbed a drink and picked up the pace a bit. Around mile 5, a 20 something girl caught up to me, running with her dog. The dog was a mixed breed, maybe some lab and boxer, slender and fast. You could tell he wanted to go faster than her. I ran along with them for about a mile. Between mile 6 and 7, we heard a train whistle. I was surprised. The race director is a friend, and I had previously had a conversation with him and asked about the railroad cooperating for race day. He said they were stopping all train traffic that morning. Unfortunately, something happened, and this particular train did not get the message. So yes, we stood there at the gate for about 1:15 waiting for the train to pass. No big deal, though. Actually, I needed the rest.

Topping the last hill into town for the finish, I saw the huge crowd around the finish line. With about 250 yard to go, one of the personal trainers from the fitness studio I'm working with (she ran the 5k earlier) yelled at me from the side. She stepped out on the edge of the street and ran it in with me, encouraging me to finish strong. I work out with her often, and I'm used to her yelling at me . It did spur me on to an all-out sprint to the finish. Crossed in 1:09:34 (9:20 pace). Considering I took 6 weeks off for the Achilles injury just a few months ago, I'm pleased with that result. Now I'll start looking at races for next year.

OH, I am still going strong with the Holiday Streak. Now at day 11 of 35. December mileage total is at 30, with a goal of 105.

Run safe!

Ray and Fletch - Congrats on your races, those are excellent times!

Az - Have a safe trip and enjoy the warmer temps in Texas.

The weekend ended up much busier than expected.  12yo granddaughter stayed over with us too.  Didn't get out on Saturday for the planned 8 miles, but got in 7.5 on Sunday morning before church.  Strength training in the weight room today.

CIM Race Report 12/7/2014

Sacramento is just a wee bit far to drive to before the race, so made hotel reservation and finally arrived around 10PM (picked up packet earlier in the day, long story don't ask). Set alarm for 4:10AM and tried to sleep.  Only woke up 3 times during the night and managed to sleep another 5 minutes after it went off.  Got up, got ready and then went down for free breakfast, croissant, orange juice and coffee.  Back to the room wake up wife tell her we need to be at such and such address to catch bus, but then start reading Marathon program and realize the bus leaves the spot I picked at 5AM, not 5:30AM, and it's 5AM.  As we exit the hotel we notice it's foggy and 54F. We rush over and there are still 2 busses there, so we say goodbye and I board bus to start. The bus is mostly empty and I pick a seat and use my check bag as a pillow and try to sleep for the 40 minute bus rid to the start.  We get there and there are probably 100 busses already there.  Race person tells us where the start is, where the porta potties are and wishes us luck.  I need to use a porta potty, so, grab my stuff and head to where they are.  It's fairly clear at Folsom lake and the lines aren't too long.  I walk to the start and find the 3:35 area then walk back to the checkbag van and stand there shivering for the next 10 minutes.  Finally I pull off my sweatshirt and pack it in my check bag, which promptly rips - tie it up and put it on the truck.  I walk back to the 3:35 area and then realize I'm cold and start warming up by jogging a bit, I'm done.  Back to my area and start looking for the 3:35 pacers.  At 6:45 I eat my first gu. The race announcers talking about some of the pacers and gets to the 3:35 group and ourlead pacer finshed 2nd in Ultramarathon 50 mile race on Saturday!  But, he's not there yet and woman pacer, Jamie, is looking for him while talking to the group (mostly women).  Finally Tim shows up and he's like 6'4"!  He tells us the basic plan and wants to move us from the right to the left where will be able to "run" sooner.  We move to the middle of the road and they yell go! First 2 miles are spent winding through the crowd of runners who self-seeded inappropriatly.  Sometime after mile 2 we settle in to a consistent pace and the group is talking and joking a bit.  The pacers are locals and both ultra runners. One woman says this is her 9th try at BQ'ing and she's from St. Louis.  There's one from San Diego and most of the rest are from N. California. Mile 5 I take second Gu. Around mile 6 I'm staying with Jamie and asking her questions and we sort of leak out infront of the main group by 20-30 seconds and we slow down to let them catch up. At mile 10 I can't remember if I've had 3rd Gu and have to count how many are left before I realize it's time, so Gu 3 is consumed. Around mile 11, Jamie and I and woman from St. Louis are out infront again and are going to wait again, but I decide to just keep up the pace, around 8:05 mpm.  Around mile 12 I'm running with a young woman doing her first marathon and trying for a 3:35 BQ time.  We spend the next 6 or 7 miles pacing each other, trading off on using aid stations. At mile 14 I eat Gu #4.  At mile 18 Gu #5. Some where around mile 19 she drops off the pace and I'm feeling ok, so keep going. I'm starting to think that a 3:30 might be possible but need to do a couple of sub 8's but a 3:31 seems within reach. So, Next 2 miles are 8:00 and 7:57.  Someone yells "Way to go Grandpa!" and I look over and an older looking guy is running next me. I look left at him, he looks left and right and says "who's he talking about?"  We both laugh. I ask him how old he is and he says, "just shy of 60" and I say "we in the same age group".  He then says "I've been shadowing you the last 10 miles.  Figured with those shoes you won't slow down" I think "jinxed".  We hit mile 22 I eat gu #6 (all done) and it's like he has another gear and I can't catch up.  He didn't I was just starting to lose it.  At mile 23 I'm at an 8:15 mpm pace, I'm thinking hold on make sure you beat the 3:35 group.  Mile 24 I'm down to 8:30 mpm, 25 8:45.  Just after mile 25.5 the woman from St Louis catches up with me and says "come on, you're almost there we can do this!".  I'm trying but my legs and feet are toast.  Just before mile 26 Jamie goes by saying "You got this!" Right before mile 26 there's Tim saying "We're going to do this!", then we're at mile 26 and  I hear my DW, yelling "Go Ray!" - I'm running on fumes and don't have a reply. I'm trying to  stay up with Tim, I'm just a couple feet behind him like I'm attached to him with a string, we make the left turn and we can see the split for women's and men's finish. Then he stops just before the final turn to wait for more of the group and I go past and lumber in.  I grab water and space blanket and my steps are so tiny, I'm barely moving.  DW is on the other side of barrier yelling "You did it!" I try to say "Yes, I did", but I don't think anything came out.  As we're exiting there's a BQ picture opportunity and we wait for our turn.