Tim and Carolyn, I'm with you on the evening running... I feel so much better after I've been up for awhile. But fitting in a run before I go to work is just hard. But I did it today. Was up at 4:50 and out the door by 5 a.m. for 8 hilly miles that felt really really hard. I was hungry, and really missed my coffee... and thirsty by mile 4. Legs had no sproink and I had to take several 30 second walk breaks on the steep parts. 8:46 avg pace on a route I usually do in 8:20 easily. Bleh. Glad that's over.

Yeah, and all races are in the mornings....except for your 10:00 PM 10k . I really don't know how much faster I could run a late day race, but it would be quite faster (your run this morning is a good example). I probably need to start getting up and running in the early mornings to get used to it before my Marathon....but I already get to work at around 5 to 6 AM. Tim

Tramps welcome back! Great last post! BTW, did you hear the one about . . . Tallrunner see my post yesterday about getting hurt. It happens even to those under the constant watch of a battery of coaches. Sorry it happened to you just now but I really would not be too hard on yourself for it. Sometimes things just go wrong. [Editor: Tallrunner it should be 100%, not the other way round. Twocat: Hay you are only allowed to bug me! Editor: Maybe you missed what my title is? Twocat: Hmm . . . good point.] perchcreek I am happy to see somebody else who may be a fellow fan of observing the process and people's reactions and perhaps less interested in what the politicians are saying. I never did see any of the DNC and I am on track to not see any of the RNC! But, I am totally mesmerized by the next day analysis. wildchild nice race! Glad to hear the ankle is ok. Good luck in your 10K. enkephalin getting sick really is a drag. I hope the bug departs in the near future. TammyinGP hope you do well in your 10K and even surprise yourself with a better time then you think you will pull out! Teresadfp HM training is tough on a lot of people! If this is her first, I am not surprised that she is struggling to figure things out like you have to drink a lot of water and best of all eat a lot of carbs! Spareribs if you keep this up soon you will be walking your way into the 40/40 thread! Twocat 7 miles this morning with some friends. My plan is to head back out in a few hours for 9 miles with some intervals thrown in. Why this crazy schedule? A combination of work and weather. I have to go to a business dinner tonight and it involves a really good local steak house! So, . . . I basically want to be able to eat! Then, I want tomorrow off in case it does not rain on Saturday and I can run the local HM. But since rain on Saturday seems like almost a sure bet at the moment I am figuring I will bail on the race which means no running Saturday either. Of course, a much more sensible plan would be to do the 9 miles and intervals tomorrow but nobody every accused me of being all that sensible! Well, perhaps sensible enough to bag the intevals today if I feel like I am not up to it after a half day of recovery. But, I have this relay race next week and it seems like running three legs in that is sort of like doing three speedwork sessions all within about 24 hours so maybe this plan of mine for today is not so crazy? Where are those alien advisers that speak directly into my head when I need them? Hello mars, hello . . .

Happy Birthday to Dark Mare! DH says she is catching up and I am guessing she has always been a step ahead.

CNY, No kidding. She is usually quiet but comes out with a zinger now and then. Let me tell you how she got me to commit 19 years ago. We had been dating for several months, and I knew she wanted the relationship to go somewhere because she was that kind of woman and we were both 30 years old and not getting any younger, but she had put no pressure on me at all. One day we were walking through Harvard Square and I proudly showed her the chess tables where I used to hang out and play for hours. She gazed for a while at the row of obsessed chessplayers hunched over their games, then turned to me and commented simply, "There are a lot of eccentric older men here." That was all she said. As we walked away, the uncomfortable question suddenly flashed on me: is that what I am becoming? An eccentric older man? And I realized: hmm, maybe I better move on with my life and take the next step. Dark Horse

Have a great time...and watch out for those strange steps behind you, and in the bushes.

Tim the stalker? Hmmm.... I had to scout out and measure the mileage on some routes for a bicycling event that our trail group is putting on in a couple of weeks. So I put a bit over 31 miles on my trail bike this morning at a decent pace. I've got a busy few days coming up (aren't I supposed to be retired?), so am not sure when I'll get out for a run again. I hope the rest of you get some good miles in!

happy thursday everyone!! thanks so much for the kind words about my post yesterday, i just needed to remind myself why i'm out there -- glad it could help others too DH- happy birthday to dark mare -- and i agree about the clothes -- drives me crazy!! perch - hope your leg is healing holly - enjoy your run with CNYrunner - and karin cool about you and supergranny being interviewed tall - hope your feel better by race time politics - hmmmmmmmm - so hard to believe any of them seems to be a common sentiment -- i really wish they would just put an end to bashing their opponents and tell us what they really believe they can do and how they are going to accomplish it today - just some abs, pushups (the girlie kind) and some light stretching -- spent most of the day with my mom visiting my dear old uncle in the hospital and then over to my aunt's house (his wife) to spend some time with her --- so sad to see this wonderful old couple failing -- i wish the end could be easier

Holly - Karin, what time are you two running in the morning? I want to be sneaky and run behind you guys, and hear what you talk about Have a great time...and watch out for those strange steps behind you, and in the bushes Tim

I want to be part of the group. Then after the run, we could wind up the karioke machine and pretend we're the Supremes. (I know a lot of the Mary/Flo/Cindy moves.) grins, A

Why are race photos always so wretched? If anyone can click the shutter during the microsecond both my feet are off the ground I'd give them 100 bucks. They seem to be able to catch the instant my foot hits the ground at maximum impact and all that loose 44 yr old skin goes south, looking like I am already starting to decompose, while miraculously I am actually still alive.