Morning! I got in 5 miles yesterday in between work and happy hour. Ran 2.3 miles home, walked the dog, then ran 2.7 miles to happy hour. Also fell on the cobblestone sidewalk in Old City, but only scraped up my knuckle. Somehow I think I manage to fall more on roads than trails.   Will probably get in a few easy miles tonight, last long trail run before SM50 tomorrow AM.

QOTD: What is your favorite running memory?

I would have to say finishing my first marathon. Yes, it's cheesy, but it's something I never imagined I could ever do. I was always the kid who hated running the mile in gym class, even through college.

DW and I ran an hour on the road today.  Busy day today, so I did't have time to drive to the trails.  Had 2 cars beep at us and don't know why but I guess they didn't like us on the road.

T&C - I read your blog, and can say we've all been there but you might surprise yourself about how you feel after the SM50.

jonferg67 - Hope you heal up soon.

QOTD:  Pacing my wife in her first Ultra.  She had been my crew for years of adventure racing and ultra's and finally decided she wanted to give it a go.  I was more nervous for that race than any of my own, and she did great.

Took the day off yesterday but hit the gym this morning for an overdue session with the weight contraptions. I will run tonight over at Green Lane for an hour or so on the south shore/rockier trails. Looks to be a fine fall day shaping up.

QOTD: Geez. A lot of favorite memories. I think though the pacing bit I did at Massanutten in 2008 was my favorite. My best friend had a great run for his first 100 (top 10) and I paced the last 38 miles with him. The bit below is from the final 2 miles...

.... Suddenly Angus says that he thinks he hears voices behind us. Man, I hope no one is going to catch us. The run has been going so well for this to happen. About a minute later though we see another runner and his pacer coming down the hill and they are quickly upon us. We move to the right side of the trail and I’m thinking we will just allow them to pass but the guy looks over at Angus, smiles and says something like good job, and then all of a sudden the race is on! Angus kicks into another gear and for a few seconds the two 100 mile racers are going toe to toe. Then Angus is ahead of him… 10 yards, 20 yards, he looks like a man possessed. Really, from behind them I was in total awe of what I was seeing. I’m still running alongside the other guys and shout “Go Angus, kick his ass!”, as I am totally caught up in the moment. Here he is racing hard after running 100 miles! His surge has caused one his water bottles to fall out of his pack so I stop, bend down, pick it up, and manage to juggle it alongside with my other 2 handheld bottles. Then I too pick up the pace, brush by the guys who tried to pass us and say, “Excuse me, I have to go catch my runner”.

Now what seemed like a tricky rocky trail has become suddenly easy to run very fast. The rocks, the line, it’s all coming together and I’m flying down the trail not even slowing down for a few stream crossings. I just barrel through the stream crossings at the highest speed I can muster splashing like crazy so that I can catch Angus and I’m shouting encouragement the entire time. My feet are moving naturally as if they have run this section of trail a thousand times and my heart rate and breathing has pumped up to what feels like tempo pace. I glance back at the guys behind us and I think they are still attempting to keep up with us, but I don’t think they’re going to be able to pull it off. I finally reach Angus on the gravel road that leads to the ranch, and now our biggest fear is not getting caught but making a wrong turn before the finish and getting passed that way. It’s an intense moment, racing like this after so much time on the trail. We stay on course and keep up the effort as we run into the meadow and the field that leads us to the finish line and the clock. The other guys are nowhere in sight and I’m shouting at Angus and must have a grin across my face a mile wide. The most amazing running moment I have ever seen or experienced and at the end of a very long day Angus found a gear to run the last mile in 7 minute pace I am sure, if not a bit faster. It was a totally exhilarating way to end the run, and once he crossed that finish line I gave him a big hug and we laughed like the trail running fools that we are.

Tonight is ladies night so 7 miles with the girls and Earl.

QOTD: Still on the Desolation Wildreness high so I choose that one, breaking 4 hours for the first time on a marathon was another and the first one was good too. 

Xtreme:  I liked it!

8 miles last night in the sun/wind/snow/rain/dark.

QOTD - Favorite memories?  Finishing Week 9, day 3 of Couch to 5K a few years ago;  The last couple of winters I have had at least one run with a full moon and fresh snow.  That is pure awesomeness.;  New Year's Day 2012 I was able to get out for a trail run during a snow storm.  How fun!  I had the woods to myself and the snow wasn't too deep yet.  The wind wasn't blowing very hard so the only sounds were my footfalls and the hiss of the snow as it came down and brushed against the oak leaves still on the trees.

 

PS - is the advertisement for me to browse through 10000 asian women a result of me mentioning chinese food?

I've been blamming LongBeard for that advertisement ever since he mentioned his old girlfriend. Sum Yun Ho.

I like hearing about everyone's memories.  I often think back to one of my first "real" runs in 2009 when I was dealing with tremendous grief over the death of my 5-year-old brother. I was feeling very emotional during this run, and at a difficult moment, I looked to the right of the trail and saw that someone had left a little lego man sitting on a railing. At that moment it really made me feel connected to my brother, and 5 years later I still think about him often when I run.

Sort of a fartlek day today, running from point to point on the Immaculata xc course to cheer the team at their home invitational. Totaled about 5 miles mostly on grass.

QOTD: Favorite running memory by far is my recently completed first ultra, the 12-Hour North Coast 24 Run.