Leslie - sand and creek crossing is a road race? You have a strange idea of what a road race is! Good luck with your cleansing - ugh. I am a real b***ch when it comes to being hungry, and all this running just makes it worse. Jewels - happy news for your sister! salty - good to see ya! This is the week I'm shootin' for 50 miles and I'm telling the world (well, at least you guys) so as to keep me honest. Tried last week but life and flaky running partners (twice canceling/rescheduling!) got in the way. I've definitely got it in my legs, but I'm so darn slow it takes a lot of time to get in those miles! When I look at the logs of guys who run 70 - 90 mi/week, it's hard not to notice that they spend about the same amount of hours as I do. Phooey!! Arla

Arla, you will get that 50! You've posted....... so get 'er done! Wow, have you got a great log........you are going to have an incredible '09! Jewels

Hi Folks! Great pics Leslie! Fingers crossed again for you. Arla- Good luck with your goal.Don't worry about how long it takes, you're only racing yourself. Ev- don't ya just love it when it feels "right". That doesn't always happen for me.... Jewels- how are you and your Sis feeling post race? Jim- getting your custom weight routine lately? Salty- Good to see you're still working towards Napa. I would love to run there. Nice one tonight at 45*, supposed to be 50"'s next couple of days.Think I'm back to wearing shorts now!!Weeehaw!!

Hi there 40's friends, Leslie, hoping the surgery went OK and that you are resting & recovering nicely. Let us know when you can. Nice peaceful pics! Jim, 22 deg = nice? Huh Joe, enjoy your shorts weather! Ev, nice 10:09 pace. Isn't it fun when it feels good WHILE you are running? I think the 1/2 at the Cowtown starts at 7:30. So will we be running at the same time? Did you make it through the storms OK? Tornado sirens blaring here and roofs off a couple of houses a couple of miles away, but just some small hail and high winds. Looked a lot worse in OK. Jewels, how is your sister doing? Nice that they adjusted those #'s in a good way . Glad to hear your nephew is recovering well. Arla, I looked at your log, and you have made such progress in speed and endurance! I have no doubt you'll make that 50 mile week. Salty, that's one interesting etiquette question. The route for the running class I took last year goes right by a big cemetery, but we were out early so never encountered that. I think you did well to make a turn and avoid having to decide. It is definitely taking me longer than 1 day to recover from Sat. long runs. So this week I rested Sunday, and then did an easy 3 on Monday, and 6 Tuesday. That seemed much better than last week where I did 6 on Monday, and crashed on Tuedsay. Supposed to go to the gym today with my friend, but not sure if that's happening. But I have done my yoga tape a couple times this week (or parts thereof). So I'm taking in your advice and it's working! Thanks guys. Prob looking at 11 or 12 this weekend, and the the following weekend will only do 7 or 8 as we head into taper week. No significant owies to report .

Yikes - tornadoes in February! Good to hear most folks came out ok. And I think I'll take Joe's weather over Jim's. Carol - have fun on that last long run - stay healthy! ev - always great to have those feelin' strong days...wish I knew how to get more of 'em like that. Sending good vibes for Leslie... Beautiful day for a run at sunset today, big puffy clouds and pink skies, 53F, now *that's* some nice running weather! Arla

more time tonight Arla the 50 is well within your reach. I hear you on the time requirements and regardless of pace it adds up. Even if you were a minute/mi faster it would only save about an hour. Like your weather. Carol sounds like your coming down the homestretch in fine shape. That is a real confidence booster for sure. Glad you made it through the storms. Ev I have a dear landlady in Edmund and she came through fine but was very close. Glad your wife missed the tornado. Nice 6 miler! Jewels hope you are recovering nicely from your race, any word yet on your sis as per the fainting incident? Leslie hope you can check in. Like the pics especially the "Happy California Cows" I I could smell the salt air, the evergreen forests and uh dairy after a rain, lol. And why is it when ever there is a cow on tv its a Holstein (black and white dairy breed ) even when they are talking beef? Joe nice tempo, afraid I blew off my tuesday weight session we had a biz meeting monday nite that went late and wound me up so I couldn't sleep then when I finally fell asleep I overslept and needed to get to hauling corn so I punted. I should be able to get it in tommorow though. Salty you did the right thing IMHO to duck off and miss the funeral procession. Mtn chk more snow this weekend in the high country?? Supposed to go to Palm Springs CA next week. Its no vacation, I'd rather stay home and work or better yet spend a week in the mtns. but its worth it to hear some of the best minds in the business and network with some of the better farmers in the US. We don't have much free time but will try and sneak a run in the warm California sun. They have a half there on Sunday but our conference doesn't start til Wednesday and I would be apprehensive about being gone that long and leaving dad on his own that long. We have folks to check in on him but its just not the same. Beings I am fat and slow at the moment and vastly undertrained its probably a good thing I can't do the PS race. The AT has kicked my butt all fall and winter anyway. At the moment I don't have any big races on the docket and I want to get some more skiing in before we get too busy in the field. There are several halfs out here in May but I can't really plan on anything then but planting corn. Just have to play it by ear I guess and stay positive. Jim alias" Farmer Jim"

Hi Guys - I'm BAAAaaaack! Did ya miss me?? Sounds like everyone's doing good. Ev and Carol both have a race coming up in a week or so, right? You guys are gonna do great. The surgery went well. Doc said there was quite a bit of scarring on my GB, so this had obviously been going on awhile. I finally got released around 9:30 last night. There was a major miscommunication between the hospital staff and my doc, and he thought I'd already been discharged. He wasn't too happy when he realized I was still there. I'm suppose to move around a lot, which I hope gets the gas built up in my abdomen moving. That's what hurts the worse right now. I look like I'm pregnant. It's also hard to lay down, so I'm sleeping sitting up for the next few days. We have one of those oversized chairs, and I prop my feet up and take a whole Ambien. Also trying to get back into the solid food thing, since I haven't had any solids since about 8:30 pm Sunday. I can start back riding my stationary bike next week, but no lifting over 15 pounds for 2 weeks, then slowly get back into my regular routine. Right now, I definitely have no desire to run. Thanks for all the good wishes, everyone. I knew you were sending those vibes and felt them. Take care.