Great job, Huskydon. You beat those hills and your goal with a big PR. Congratulations. TomS

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. You guys are really the best! For now, I think this is the best I could have done on this course. I do hope to get better, but you know how it is, it is hard work to shave those minutes! And the engineer in me just can't assume that I will necessarily get better. But still, I realize that the past year of steady injury free running has enabled me to shave five minutes off the half marathon time. if you asked me before if I could break 1:50, I would have said impossible. I just hope to stay healthy and keep running. But I would love to be able to run a 1:48 on a flat course by the end of the year. And I would really love to be able to run a 1:45 on a flat course by the end of 2009. If I could do that, then I would have the crazy thought of trying to qualify for Boston (I turn 55 in Feb 2010 and would need a 3:45). Yes, the pacing was the hardest thing yesterday. I had a plan to push "a certain amount" on the downhill stretches, but because I didn't know the course, didn't know how much down hill there was, I ended up expending myself more than I had intended during the first miles. The second time I run, I could do better. And hermosaboy, no Fontana for me, I could hardly walk down stairs today! Deez4boys, yes the area and the course were beautiful. It is quiet different than the LA County that I know about. By the time I got through the course, everything was dry, so conditions were truly ideal. Next week, I will join my three brothers in Seattle to take part in the Green River Marathon relay and to meet up with barefoot Jon. (that is why I am huskydon, I attended the U of Washington, whose mascot is the husky; it is also a slight play on words, as, at 129 lbs, I cannot be considered husky). What else is on the calendar? Maybe the 10K in Lomita in June. A 4th of July race in La Palma. Possibly the Camp Pendleton race in August. And certainly the Distance Derby in October. I am running well, so I feel like I should be racing a bit more to take advantage of it. (plus racing should help develop my speed, too). Thanks again for your support, it really is appreciated and makes a difference. huskydon

Late here with a response, but I wanted to say congratulations as well! You ran well on a tough course and scored a PR---that's awesome. I know you have more races on tap and I hope they are equally successful and fun. Great running! CNYrunner

Nice run Husky, "This is about as good as I can do, I think" You've set a lot of PR's this past year. The momentum seems to still be there--I think you have a faster one in you--I'm sure you do. Good luck in your relay and congrats on yet another PR.