Mornin' everyone.

We had a good turnout at yesterday's racewalking training session, including one newbie who came down from Maine. I gave the regular crew a workout, and spend most of my time working with the newbie. As a result, I didn't get in much work myself, and only went about 1.5 miles.

After the session, I went to the indoor farmer's market (got watermelon radishes, 2 colors of carrots, baby beets, potatoes, and leeks). When I got home, DW and I walked into town to watch the local Christmas parade (reportedly the 2nd largest in the state, and always a good time) for a 4-mile round trip walk. I went through our Christmas lights to find some to put on our new little (3') tree in the front yard. Of the many, many strands of lights we bought 3 years ago, only 2 still work. I replaced the fuses on 1 nonworking set, and still nothing. Grrr... So then we went and bought some more lights (not too many - it is a tiny tree). After we deliberated for too long about where to go for dinner, I offered to cook at home if DW would get a fire going in the fireplace. We both did our jobs and had a nice, relaxing evening.

3.5 easy RW miles this morning in breezy 32F temps under clear skies. My hamstrings spoke to me a little bit on some uphills, but otherwise seemed to be enjoying the ride. The real test will be to see how I feel for the rest of today, and how I do tomorrow morning. But so far, I'm cautiously optimistic that maybe I can continue to ease my way back into some regular workouts. And maybe I can be ready to race in Millinocket, ME a year from now.

Have a greta Sunday, especially CNY, LaT, and Hally, who are racing together in western MA.

Jay

Hope everyone's having a good weekend. Say "Happy Birthday" to your DH for me, Holly! I have more appreciation now for what he puts up with. 

I had a good run yesterday on my usual early Saturday outing, still appreciating being able to run the Paint Creek Trail (that might come to an end when the snow gets here in a few minutes!). I ran 6 miles, about 4 of them with a friend that I hadn't encountered for a while, so lots to catch up on.

Then today I went to our monthly "Bagel Run" at the Metropark and was really tired and dead-legged -- glad to finish 5 miles in a run-walk pattern. Part of it might have been the club Christmas party last night when I had one too many beers ("one too many" these days being defined as two!).

On that subject, our poor club is about half the size it was just a few years ago, and the turnout for the Christmas gathering was the lowest in anyone's memory. Part of this might have been an unfortunate internal dispute that caused some hard feelings and dropped memberships, but in general I think that traditional clubs (you know, the ones where you meet physically in person) are dwindling these days. Or maybe ours is just too old with not enough young blood. How are your clubs doing, if you're in one?

good sunday afternoon all!

didn't pop in yesterday, but I did run yesterday. 3.6 miles at Cathedral Hills with two girlfriends (both who are on the relay team next year) and then another mile when I got home with the dogz.

then I had enough time to decorate the house and get ready for a night out with another girlfriend. We went to one of those "paint and drink wine" things. She's done several of them but this was my first time. it was fun and they make it so easy step-by-step that even someone with no painting talent whatsoever could come up with something that looked half way decent. it was alot of fun.  After that was our annual downtown Christmas parade, so watched that, then went out for a light dinner. it was a fun night out.

Happy Late Sunday.

http://lightkeeperpro.com/home/  this  is what you need, TC (and Jay).  They really work, amazingly enough.  Just used mine this afternoon.

I did make it to my race yesterday after getting all of DW's stuff downtown for the Holiday Stroll.  Made it to the start with 10 minutes to spare.  I did a decent time--8:45 pace for 3.4 miles.  I was getting really excited as I scrolled down the finishers list and saw I was the first 60+.  Then I notice the AG brackets.  Another one of the dreaded 40-99 all inclusive Masters groups.  Bleh.  And 5 or 6 of the top 10 finishers were in it.  Instead of 1 of 2 in 60+, I ended up as 22/29.  Oh well, I had fun, and I knew in my mind, I finally got an AG.

Another 3.1 this morning around the lake.  Just a bit slower than yesterday, and a little cooler.  Still nice.

Haven't ever joined a running club.  have joined a group run from our local running store sponsors from time to time.

Is MikeE gaining weight for ultas?

MARATHON MANIACS CLUB
I didn’t know them at the time and never would have known anything except it was at the finish of the pre-Thanksgiving 5K Turkey Trot in 2003 hat, just for the fun of it <<<(ed note: “goofball” )>>> when two of the Big Three founders came over proudly announcing a new running club called “Marathon Maniacs” and did we want to join?
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I just rolled my eyes feeling sorry for anyone who’d think of a club for running marathons that I just went out and did anyway without that much thought let alone being worthy of being a club.
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However, in 2005, after running the Seattle-Ghost/Seattle double marathons just to see if I could, I couldn’t deny amy’s grins that I couldn’t deny it any more and, though two years later, became MM#209 instead of MM#22. Now they’ve gotten 200 new members in less than a month.
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ALL-JAPAN 100-MARATHON JOYFUL RUNNING CLUB
I used to run monthly 5/10K fun-runs around the Imperial Palace with the Global Running Society during a sojourn over there in the eighties but could find them in any internet searches when I started going back on a regular basis twenty years later.
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Then I saw a bunch of old guys counting each others’ laps on the same kind of clipboard the Globals used to use. Turns out they used to be members of the Japan 100-Marathon Club but got booted out when they couldn’t run their 42.195K’s under five hours anymore so, instead of just acquiescing to Global’s shorter races, they transformed it to a club for slower marathoners. Much appreciated. Arigatou.
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BOOMERS
I joined the Boomer Board in 2005 to participate in amy’s bantering with divechief about their news shoes for that Seattle Marathon with divechief having her try to guess mine but not letting her know until she found out I didn’t at the famed out-and-back where she was sneaking by four-or-five unsuspecting guys at her mile 14 (my 10) on her way to another one of her now 130+ AG victories out of some 150 marathons.
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RAAR
Now I love being in the RAAR division of RA even more <<<(aging runners)>>>
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SEATRI (Seattle Triathlon Club).
Monthly meetings and various benefits in the days

when running a half dozen triathons a year was a way of life

instead of the measly one-a-year of shortest distances I can find.