Murph - thanks!! we're proud of him!! Husker - Welcome! Mr. I - nice run! glad it went well for you 1.7 today. Great day for a run but my lower legs and bottom of feet were really sore and it was uncomfortable. I'm thinking it was just where I was running. I ran the grounds around my school. Some of it is a blacktop path that was laid willy nilly so it is really uneven and it is over hills. So i'm gonna get out tomorrow on a path I know is laid more even and hope it goes better. In shorts and a t-shirt in January - so crazy!!

HI GUYS! Feeling good today. Cash, WTH? Inertia, I'm out of shape, WAY overweight and desperate, want to run a marathon in five weeks, can you help me????

Maybe some cross training tomorrow but the final day of unbelievably nice weather called for a run on the mall today. Did just over 5 somewhere between easy pace and tempo. Probably qualified as junk miles (not easy enough for an easy run but not hard enough for a real tempo effort) but it felt so darn good. Has me entertaining thoughts of an 8:30 MP. Next race will probably be a half and I'll take it for a test spin. Not sure why -11 is such a big deal. Its only 80 degrees less than what I ran in today

5.25 miles today running in the new shoes they gave us at the expo for signing up for the half. New shoes gave me blisters on the outsides of both heels. I don't do race reports. My very first marathon I did one. I got IT band pain half way thru it, but limped to the finish line in a very slow time. Someone I had thought of as a friend made a remark about how she was glad that she didnt train like me. She still hasnt run anything over a 5k race. I was born in Germany. I placed an old fashioned German curse on her. Now she has a hard time breathing only when she runs. Mostly I am nice, I can be not nice when I am hurt.

wow Mr. I you really are good at this!!! That advice was the best advice i've ever received and I didn't even know i was looking for advice! hehe

Adorable puppy Shan! And yes, I think the Wii does count as cross-training somewhat. There was some report that came out that said most the games don't do a whole lot, but the bowling games burned as many calories as really bowling. Don't know how much I believe it, but hey, it's a good excuse right. I'd say go get Dance Dance Revolution. That game will make you break a sweat! I got it for my trainer for Christmas and we played it New Years and just as a warning...it is much harder when you have a drink in your hand. Running: Sunday: 14k. Good run. Didn't bring any gels or anything so ran out of steam a bit towards the end. Pace was a bit slow because I was running with a bunch of new people, so worked on cadence and form a lot. Tuesday: Ran 6k @ tempo yesterday. GREAT run. First I've been allowed to really go out and run a comfortable pace. Today: Heading out in a few minutes to run 10k. Now, the cold is the cold...not much I can change about it and usually it's not to bad...but it is -18ºC/-.4ºF outside right now...a man has limits (whimper). On the plus side, I look like frosty the snowman after the run. Which is rather entertaining is nothing else.

Not sure why -11 is such a big deal. Its only 80 degrees less than what I ran in today

I outta smack you. Heh. Cash, you bad boy. I'll smack you too while I'm at it. Bringin' my own German along, too! Heh. MrI, you're fulla crap. Funny as all get out. But fulla crap. I love it. Heh. Bugs, you get a big ol' {{{hug}}}, just cuz. You're not fat. By the way, Dave, those cumulus are pretty nice... I had a pair that I put over 700 miles on! Good snow running shoes, too. Shan, c'mon... 2.5 on the dreadmill is hardly trying! You've just gotta learn to zone out a bit and the time does go by. But I admit, sometimes it's like that last hour at work after a long day (hey, like... now??) when you check the time and it's just crawling by. I remember running along, thinkin' about stuff, and then I thought, I bet I've gone at least a mile... nope... only .35 The masters group had a thing about "books on tape" for your iPod or whatever while you ran, and someone mentioned french lesson cd's. Reminded me I have some German CD's from our last trip that we never finished. Ahem... gotta get ready to meet Cash in a few days, ya know? Different cold? Well, it is very dry... like skin-cracking/flyaway hair dry. And rarely do we have wind. Is that better? Well, I'd much rather be cold and dry than cold and wet, that's for sure. But -40 is still damn cold no matter how you slice it... Our "high" temp for Saturday is forecast for -20. Now that's cold.

Groov--Im getting adept at playing most games sitting on the couch. So I probably cant count it. Boxing is a decent workout though. However, I plan on getting this when it comes out, and it will count as cross trainiing...http://ezinearticles.com/?Wii-Fitness-With-The-Wii-Fit&id=671318. My wife wants me to get Dancing With the stars. That may provide a decent workout as well. Shan..I can never get much mileage on the dreadmill either. I once managed 8 miles on the 1/9 mile indoor track..but not the dreadmill. Groov-Sounds like some great running..what marathon are you training for? DGB, Im just trying to get a consistant 5 with a day of real cross training. Normally for me thats eliptical until it gets nice and I can get out the bike. Bugs-Good luck with your race--and please dont pass out. Erica-I cant even imagine those temps..or how I would possibly stay fit (or get fit) living in those conditions. I ran 5+ miles tonight in the neighborhood. Relatively slow, but, again, it was very good tough hill work. That should help me during my race, right? Planning on 3 tomorrow, 5 Friday, and 9 Saturday.