Morning all ! Guess we're all runnin a bit late this morning. Busy weekend.....Lots of great reading there. Tramps.....That was a strange race ! Econo......I'm not SloJim......But I do like Slo Gin! Prom.....I survied my 3rd Prom as a father. The don't get any easier. This year she is a Senior so the planning and festivities just get stretched out. She was in her dress at 4:30pm for pictures........I must say, she is a gorgeous young lady and looked way to grown up . She'll be leading the Marching Band in Hawaii in less than 6 weeks.....Another test for Dad.....Let your 18 yr old daughter go to Hawaii Starting on a new home improvement project. A PVC fence....(bye neighbor) and patio brick.....Hello Summer and Vodka Lemonades !

SLO--yep, weird one. I'm still shaking my head this morning. I'm also a little stiff from my non-race race and hoped to get out for a couple of miles. Unfortunately, it was pouring here today and I couldn't bring myself to head out, so just a little core work with lots of stretching. Have a good week!

Good Morning! (forgive this mini RR) Yesterday I ran the Flying Pig HM in Cincinnati. The weather was great, low 50’s with a barely perceptible drizzle. As I said before, I wasn’t racing this one, just running it with friends. My friend Scott had asked me to help him keep on pace for a sub-2-hour finishing time with the help of my Garmin. The other two of our group, Todd and Heather, planned to start out with us and drop back if need be. As it turned out, Heather waved us on ahead early on and Scott, Todd and I finished together. The plan was for me to make sure our average pace stayed around 9:00, but the boys were feeling pretty good at a slightly faster pace, and we ended up finishing well under the 2-hour goal, chip time for me was 1:55:13 (8:48 ave), with Todd slightly in front and Scott slightly behind. When we got about a half-mile from the finish, I told them, “If you’ve got anything left to kick, now’s the time to do it.” Todd took off like a shot, and I followed (he was fast!). My Garmin was off for the distance even more than usual, saying we ran 13.53 miles (I did do a lot of zig-zagging though, running back and forth regrouping after hydration stations), but it timed my last 2 miles at 7:57 and 7:45, with the last .53 mile at 6:26 (!). I’ve never actually run at 6:XX mile in my life, so that was fun to see even for a short distance. This was probably the most fun I've had at a race because a) I wasn't running all out (a hard effort, but still I felt amazingly comfortable) and b) I was running with friends. Very low stress, high pleasantry, and at the end I felt like I could have run another 5 miles easily. (In fact, I felt so good that I fully intended to go home and run another 5 miles, but after the hour’s drive back, a hot shower won out.) We all agreed that the whole race seemed to fly by. I’m so used to running and racing alone – amazing what a difference running with friends is. No ill effects today, other than the expected stiffness from a hard effort. 3.1 recovery miles outside, followed by push-ups, dead lifts, weighted squats, weighted duck squats, superman lifts, reverse flies, lateral raises, and stability ball crunches. Now to go read what you guys were doing with the weekend.....

Holly--very cool! That sounds like a blast!

It's May 4th, isn't it, lol? I sure hope so, because I don't think I could stand an extra month of school! Carolyn, my older son didn't run because he's in the middle of outdoor track and a purist about his training! The younger one isn't that much into running, and I didn't want to push him. I think I'll see if he wants to run a race with us on Father's Day, though. 4 good miles with my running partner this morning. She's feeling stronger at last. I'm going to try to keep gently pushing her to get back to the mileage we were doing last year. I'm starting my boot camp tomorrow. Yikes. I'm a little worried, because I have the feeling I will be the slowest, least-coordinated person there. Oh, well, the director knows me, so she won't be surprised!

fussy, a couple of times I've picked up a dog running companion. Out here in the "sticks" a lot of dogs run free which is ok with me as long as they are friendly. I'll save the rant about the unfriendly ones for another time. The dogs that have joined me usually have done so for only a short distance. My biggest concern (with the friendly ones) is that they will follow me onto or across one of the few busy roads I run and get hit. When one has followed me a longer distance, I've worried about them getting home but I usually knew where they lived. Sarge, nice half for you and your wife, especially her with the big PR. teresa, nice 5K with your daughter and friends. ultrachick, nice race and chance to see CNY. FrancesRe, congrats on your first 5K. Holly, you did a fantastic job as a pacer and obviously had a great time with your friends. Econo, good job on your half. Nice long runs for Tall, dg, busi, hallar, Walt, and Tammy. This morning, it was in the low 40s and almost calm. I got in 8 miles in about 1:19:30 for a 9:55 pace. A good day and good runs for all. TomS

Something tells me Tim may be visiting SLO for some swimming lessons in the near future . . . And SLO - Vodka Lemonades? Personally, I would love the recipe. fatozzig at yahoo dot com. Me loves both of those wonderful beverages! Holly - Great job! And congrats to your friends, as well. Kelly - Way to go on the 12 miles, you mountain goat. Good luck with your upcoming 50. You'll do great, as always. Tapering this week, so after today I get to take it easy. Two fun things happened on my runs from Saturday and today. Saturday - let me start with Trail #12 is a decent freaking climb, and it's the one Coach tortures us with when he's getting us ready for a lot of climbing - like climbing it 3 or 4 times back-to-back. I think round trip is 3 miles. Going up ain't some much fun, but coming down, it's downhill all the way and is steepest toward the top. Well, after I got past a gravely patch, I decided to see how fast I could come down while still feeling in control. At one point, I snuck a peak at my Garmin and was doing a 6:04 av pace. Woo hoo! I had a blast! I finally decided to slow it down when I came to an area that's sort of rutted. Didn't want to splatter myself on the trail a week before my run. But doggone that was fun! Then this morning, I had 6 miles to do. At about the 5.5 mile mark I peaked at my Garmin and realized if I pushed it I could do the 6 miles in under an hour. Did it in 58:25, and that was with a couple of good climbs. My best time before that was 1:01:34. It helps that there was about a half mile section of steady decline, but with the two hills I ran without stopping, I figure it all evened out. I am pretty darn happy with that result. Finished 6.11 miles in 59:38.

And SLO - Vodka Lemonades? Personally, I would love the recipe. fatozzig at yahoo dot com. Me loves both of those wonderful beverages! .

Vodka Lemonades.......Just like any other Vodka drink.....Use the Lemonade as the mix. A Shot vodka topped off with lemonade over ice.....Great summertime drink. Now here's a recipe that has 3 of my favorite beverages. Strip and Go Nakeds; 1 part Frozen Concentrate Lemonade (I perfer full pulp) 2 parts Beer 1 part Vodka Mix and serve in tall glass over ice. You may add some water if needed. Consumer beware......Beverage lives up to it's name !