Congrats Kelly on all those miles! Leslie, hope you find out soon what is ailing you. My "crud" started out with a horrible headache for a week or so and then turned into a sore throat and then just crappy all over. Very tired feelilng as well. I'm much better now! Regarding your partying husband Leslie.......mine is too! A little too much at times. But like you said, ain't trading him now, takes too long to break a new one in! We usually don't do much for New Years Eve but we are heading out to Orlando tomorrow morning. Spending the day with my 2 sisters and their hubs and a couple of other people. Got a swank hotel dirt cheap in the downtown area a mile from the House of Blues. Hitting up a rock n' roll concert to ring in the New Year where we can drink, be merry and waddle back to the hotel. Oh yea, the most important thing. I'm going for a run tomorrow morning before we head out so keep your fingers crossed that all this time off has healed me 100% Happy New Year.......Jewels

Nah, it has always been the Holiday Bowl. It isn't an old-timer like the Rose Bowl or the Cotton Bowl. The Holiday Bowl has only been around since 1978.

Hey flu-sufferers and sore (Cowboys) losers! Leslie - hope you get your issues sorted out - what a drag Good thing you have a nice schedule for the year to look forward to. Jewels - how was your "return to normal" run? Your New Year's plans sound like a blast!! Carol - don't feel bad, as long as you can fit in something...this time of year can be hell on the workouts Kelly - whoa...how do you find the time??? Maybe if I started running to work.. evryday - 3 week taper was a 30-mile week (with 12 mi long run), a 20-mile week (8 mi long), then a couple of 2 mile runs during the week running up to the marathon and trying not to spend too much time on my feet the day before the race! Just got back from visiting mom in LA, we stayed in Pasadena at the Huntington (very nice!) where I was stuck doing a couple of treadmill runs, but made up for it by enjoying the nice spa facilities including a quick massage (which made me realize that I've got to start stretching/rolling my right ITB). LA is definitely having Rose Parade weather: snow on the mountains + clear air following a storm, and temps around 70. We woke up Sunday morning to see all the Penn folks staying in our hotel enjoying the pool! Arla

Veerry good! Do you work on those one liners, 'cause you got 'em down pat. Love it! Go Ducks!!!!!!!

OK....yes, I work on those one liners during my 6 mile runs....For 1 hour 1 minute and 33 seconds today I thought about what I could say about those duckwalks. You wouldn't believe the stupid useless stuff I come up with during my runs. Be glad I only post a mere fraction of the carp I think up! And yes, the Ducks won in fine fashion. It was a really good game, but did not turn out as I had hoped. Arla, that sounds like a prudent taper. Let me know how you think it worked for you.....If it is successful, I'll pattern mine after yours. Obviously the mileage is down....do you do any tempo or mp miles during the taper, or is it all easy running? And yes, I might be a loser, but never a sore one!

Bummer Jewels, hope its not serious. Ev I was pulling for Okie State, had their chances...... Leslie hope you do find out something. something good. Arla enjoy your cutbacks if thats possible. Hiya to the rest of the gang. Easy 1.5 when the urge hit then a rather tempo+ 1.5 back to the restroom then did another 1 for kind of a fast 4. Never experienced that little running related oddity before, can't say I enjoyed it. Ready to put 08 in the bag.

jewels.....I'm sorry about your knee. Also sorry that I don't remember when and what your race is. Is it soon? Don't be hesitant to take a DNS....heal this thing up proper and return with a vengance! Good luck what ever happens. fatozzig....OH....your getting a new pair of SHOES....now I see! Good luck with your CT scan on Monday....hope things turn out good for you. Jim....yes, the Okie Cowboys did have some chances. But we could not stop the Duck's offense. And boy did our quaterback take a pounding. It was obvious that he lost his sharpness with the beating he took. I bet he couldn't get out of bed this morning. A nice 6 miler for me this afternoon. 3 miles easy then 3 at tempo 9:13 pace. Happy New Year!

Working up to doing my little weight routine, I need to after going out to supper last nite. We went out with friends last nite and I had a couple glasses of wine and a melt in your mouth cut of Prime Rib, it was incredibly good. Anyway picked up our child dog from my dads. Dad @ 88 stayed up to ring in the new year while us party pooper young uns were in bed by 11 but he didn't have the day we did. Reflecting on our running year we are pretty happy with it. Lynda and I both had several pr's, mine of which I thought were beyond my genetic limits. My progress is slow but I have progressed none the less and achieved all my goals set last winter. I will have to think on it and come up with some new ones for 2009. Nice Tempo Ev! Incredible yearly miles Joe! Happy New Year and Go HUSKERS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, RUNNING BUDS! Ev - Nice tempo run! And yes, I'm getting new shoes. And the Hub told me to get two pair so I can rotate them. Anybody else rotate a couple of pairs at a time? Joe - Congrats on the yearly mileage total. I am still amazed at what you have accomplished in such a short period of time. Yep, the new log is cool. I need to play around with it some more and get a donation sent to Eric. He truly does an amazing job with this site. FJ - Re your dad - sounds like you come from good stock! Can't think of the last time we celebrated the new year, although I usually stay up 'til midnight. I was in the mood to do something last night, but the Hub wasn't since he "celebrated" the night before with his friends. Ended up going out for an early dinner at a Mexican restaurant we rarely go to, but I'm definitely going back. Ate her chili verde. YUM! It was fabulous! Came home and watched football for awhile, then watched an hour of a George Carlin special in HBO. After an hour, I'd had it with the foul language, and we went to bed. I think I was asleep by 10:15. Woo hoo! Ankle is feeling better, so might try an easy run tomorrow in my trail shoes. My buddy, Karen, got the Garmin 305 from her sister for Christmas. Said it tracked all her miles in the trees on the trails the other day. No more mapping out the mileage for her. Unfortunately, when I was in the market for a HR monitor, the 305 was over $200 so I got the 301,which was around $100, but ends up it doesn't track in the trees at all. Now, because they've come out with the 405, the 305 can be found for less than $150. Hmmmmmmm . . . I may need to break open my piggy bank . . .