Give me a break Leslie-You've got some miles and experience under your belt now. I've just been at it longer. Kitrin-get used to the weight, honey. Wear it a few more times and you won't even notice it. Are they 20oz water bottles? Another option-not that I want you spend more money on yet another fuel belt-I wear the type where I carry four 8oz bottles, they are spread evenly on the belt so you have two bottles in front and two in back and this also has a small pouch in the back for gels and stuff. With the weight more evenly distributed it's not as noticable I think. The only down part to me is when some of the bottles are empty the belt slips around a bit. Alright-it's 20 some odd degrees outside with 10-15mph west wind and my woodstove is toasty warm-time to stop procrastinating and go run myself. We don't have hardly any snow so the trails are just frozen.

The frozen trails aren't too bad. If it's solid ground that's frozen, it's fine. However, the parts that might have been a little muddy or wet are a pain because the ground has heaved up a bit so the footing is uneven and sometimes you're breaking through it. We did a long run this morning where parts of the trail have water-it's frozen Jack says-yeah well, I still managed to break through and get my feet a little wet. My knees are going to be hating me later from having to pick my feet up so as not to trip because the leaves are covering the trails. But on a happier note-this has been my biggest week yet since the 100 at 47 miles and our run was 13 miles so i've crossed the 12 mile barrier. I only need a little over 2 miles to reach 50 for the week-maybe later.....how obsessed am I? We'll see-I've got anantomy I should be studying. Have a great rest of the day! Kelly

Hi Guys! It has been cooler down here over the last few days, but nothing that would freeze trails. I remember that half frozen mud from the one year I spent in Upstate NY, and it is treacherous. You have to be stout-hearted to run on that stuff, Kelly. Leslie, thank you so much for you advice. I consider it golden. I can get used to the belt and I will be smart about it. Speaking of running, I am flabbergasted by 40-50 mile weeks. Does that me that you rarely run less than 10 miles at a time? If you do not mind, what does a week of training look like at that level? This question is for anybody who runs at this level. I ran a quick (for me at least) 5K today and almost fell twice. I wore different shoes and I wonder if they can cause such behavior. I kept "kicking' the ground, roots, and rocks that I normally do not have much problem covering. Even when I consciously tried to keep my feet up, it remained a problem. Any ideas? I am full of questions today, sorry. I started a new datebook today and began scheduling homework assignments, paydays , and possible races. I have a 1/2 marathon that I want to run in Feb (Cross Timbers)/Mar(Grasslands) /May(Auburn Tri). As I ran later today, I thought to myself that I would eventually like to run at a level where 1/2 marathons are like my regular long runs. How ambitious is it to want to run all those races? Will it ruin me for the Auburn Tri in May? How long might it take me (estimate) to reach the level of a "weekly" half marathon? I know this is alot for the week of Thanksgiving. I will understand if nobody has time to answer these. Kitrin

Tomorrow our running "club" (1500 people, but no officers, dues, or anything like that) is doing our first ever "connector" run where the night runners (the group I lead) is going to run all night and meet the Wed 5:30 am group for their run. Should be somewhere between 30-40 miles.

This sounds like a hoot! Be sure to come back and give us details. How many are in your group?

I switched shoes for a run last week and kicked my ankles until they bled

Sure am glad to hear other people do this. When I get tired, my left foot likes to kick me on the right ankle bone. Ended up with a nice big sore after Susanville. Kitrin - Feb (Cross Timbers)/Mar(Grasslands) /May(Auburn Tri) - Are the runs in Feb and March both HMs?? If so, yes, you might be biting off more than you can chew and I worry that you will over train and hurt yourself. Your enthusiasm is great, but please remember that it takes time for the bod to get used to running such distances, and I believe especially for trail running. I had been running for well over a year before I attempted my first 30k. If Feb is a half, then I would recommend maintaining a steady course of training for the tri in May and not not doing the March HM.

Funny... I just noticed it made the paper: http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/nov/24/Boulder-County-Thanksgiving-runs-turkey-trots/

Kelly, I looked at your log and I can see how the miles add up. I guess it is my habit of running every other day that keeps my mileage low at present (around 15 - 20 miles/week). Okay, anyone who is interested, here is some more information. What I want to do: 21 Feb 2009 - Cross Timbers half marathon "Toughest little trail in Texas" http://www.geocities.com/cross_timbers_04/ 21 March 2009 - Grasslands half marathon "The race will be held at LBJ National Grasslands near Decatur, TX." Not exactly the hill country but plenty of sand or mud depending on the weather. 31 May 2009 - Auburn Triathlon (Half marathon run only. Sister swims, Bro-in-law bikes) Some very steep hills, but not too long from what I saw on the map/description. I know them well, ran/walked them regularly when I lived in CA because I lived 1/4 mile from the location. http://www.auburntriathlon.com/run/runindex.shtml Where I am right now - Trying to increase my activity levels so that I am running or xtraining nearly every day, running every other day. Long runs at least 90 minutes (6-7 miles) each week, planning to move up to 2 hours next week (maybe starting Friday). Shorter runs not less than 3 miles, but more like 4-5 miles (sometimes more). I am trying to lose 15 pounds before these races so that I am not carrying the extra weight. I really want to do at least the Feb or March race before running the Tri in May. Cross Timbers can be very tough from what I hear. I don't want to seem like I am asking for training advice for free. Tell me if I get out of line. Kitrin

Kelly, I am sorry if my habit of using Army date notation threw you off. 21 Feb and 21 March mean 2/21/09 and 3/21/09 respectively - exactly four weeks apart. Aubun Tri is on the last day of May, 05/31/09. My bad, Kitrin

I intended to run for 2 hours today. However, I had family in tow and it did not work out. I got a fast 4 miles on the trail here in OK and I guess that will do. I am on a borrowed computer that is struggling, so I am keeping this short. I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and extra time off (if fortunate enough to have it)! Kitrin