I'm envious of Bruce, Bill, Eliz, and Denise, getting to run in warmer temps.  It's only 16° right now, not too cold compared to the past week, but i don't really have time to squeeze a run in before it's dark.  Our road still just has tire tracks through deep snow so it's difficult running. I did get out yesterday for 3 miles with Tazzie and Ladybug, in my new yaktrax I got for Christmas.  One of my old ones broke just a couple days ago. They lasted 3 years, and the new ones are a slightly different design and seem to stay in place on my toes better. The old ones didn't come off but they tended to ride up over my toes too much.

 

We did the coolest thing today!  DD and I got to fly a flight training simulator for an Airbus 320! My cousin is a pilot with United, and when we were visiting him yesterday down in Denver, he invited us to try the simulator today, as he had reserved it for some other cousins who were in town visiting.   We practiced taking off and landing and flying around. You can program it for various airports across the country and the cockpit "windows" show a display of wherever you programmed. The whole thing is on hydraulic legs and it tips and tilts when you move the controls. Way cool. Each simulator costs $20-25 million dollars. 

Everybody tallying up the miles for the year makes me wish I had not skipped those 3+ months of recording in the summer. Every year it is always the same for me, a few  or a lot of holes that mess up the stats!! with a back of the envelope calculation I should be over 2000. Oh well,I'll try again for 2010!

 

I finally had enough time to run for a couple of hours this morning. I way overdressed so had to make a few stops to peel off  the layers. I signed up for the 50K  option for the New Years local race, and I'm still tempted to sign up for the 50K Bridle Trails nightmare on Jan 9.. which I promised myself last year I would not do again...but here I am ready to mail in the check!!

 

Still more shopping to do after work , DS1 is turning 12 on 1/1  and he sure expects some presents.

 

A nice evening to all!

Francesca

Holly - Congratulations on some fantabulous mileage!  And yes, that IS a lot of running shoes!

 

Cute, cute pics of Baby Nate.

 

Carolyn - That simulator sounds like loads of fun.  For a long time I thought I would like to be a pilot.  Alas, didn't happen.

 

Friday did 20 miles with Coach starting at 6:30 a.m.  Only had to use our headlamps and his flashlight for about 45 minutes, it wasn't really cold, barely anyone else out there.  We stayed with the "easier" trails (mental eye roll), and busted out 20 miles in 4:55, which included 2 bathroom stops and 2 "aid station" stops (our packs with extra fluid and food hidden in the bushes).  Woo hoo!  Our last 1+ mile, we were really pushing it in order to make the 20 in less than 5 hrs.  This included really pushing the speeding walking/running on the hills.  It was a blast.  Last weekend, it took us 5 hrs to do 18 miles, which included 3 aid station stops, doggie water stops, and a prolonged bathroom stop.

 

Turned around and did 14 on Saturday.  Around Mile 7, I realized I was having problems.  I would say a combination of not good recovery eating yesterday, and not getting in enough fuel on this run.  By the time I got to the health club around Mile 9.5 to use the bathroom - ugh!  So I stopped at Safeway and grabbed a Clif bar (yuck!) and ate about half of it while I walked a short way.  Mile 14 was fairly ugly, so was about the next hour at home.  I grabbed a large glass of milk w/Olvaltine and sucked it down, then shook my way through a breakfast burrito and banana over the next hour.  I haven't been able to stop eating since.  . . . . . I hate these types of lessons.   The Hub said if I'd called he would've come and picked me up, and I thought about it at one point.  Also thought about waving down the cop who drove by and begging a ride.   But if I didn't gut this out, how do I gut it out in April when I'm at Mile 40 and want to quit?

 

Nothing 'til Tuesday now.

 

Way to tough it out there, Leslie. And yes, when it gets tough on the actual course, you've still gotta finish.

That baby Nate is a cutie! Grandma isn't so bad either, and I agree with the mom vs. grandma comment.

I made it out for a long run today. Did a "Holly run" and ran 8 miles outside and 4 on the treadmill for 12 total. Gives me 30.9 for the week. Ha! Should've run another .1 mile to round it up to 31... Oh well. That's the longest run I've done in a long time and the highest week for awhile. Tomorrow will be a pool running day, maybe some weights too. 

Temps today were about 3F but the wind gave it a -10 windchill. But I didn't find out about that until I headed back up the hill to home! Lovely, just what I love. A cold headwind while running uphill. 

Baby Nate iw way too cute