Masters Weekend Races and Running

Australia sounds very nice. Especially the report on the weather - 90s. I like the heat.

I had a long running weekend for me; 8 miles of steady running with my best training partner (iPod) on Sat. I'm heading off for a 15 mile easy run right now with the college guys. I'm pretty beat up from the long steady run unfortunately. Weather continues to hold up here so that is nice.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Good luck in the Turkey Trots.

happy thanksgiving everyone.

pretty good week. 50 miles incl. 14 with 3 at marathon pace sunday and hill repeats tuesday. Weds. through Sat. I was in New York for work and got to do some running tourism around central park, a little south to see High Line Park (new-ish elevated path that my son had referred me to -- very interesting), etc. Mild there for November and pleasant to run in t-shirt and shorts.

thanks very much Dotato for the referral last week on flonase. I have the sinus infection knocked out for now after getting antibiotic started monday, but in the event they become recurrent I'll get on the flonase. Have been using nasonex semi-regularly for a few years.

Dave

Sounds fantastic and great fun. The weather has been really warm about 50 degrees here and I am trying to take advantage of it. Ran a 10K loop around the lake in shorts and T shirt yesterday in preparation for a 10K team run on Thanksgiving. I've sold my farmette and am packing and packing and packing. Throwing alot of stuff away. It's interesting to go thru everything I've accumulated the last 20 years while here. Many memories. Hopefully I'll have time to watch/listen to the Packers-49'ers game on which Fanelli and I have a wager. I honestly don't have a feel for who is going to win. Have a good day. TC

Living History Farms XC race yesterday. 12K with 8 creek crossing, fairly rugged for prairie mavens. Rod DeHaven won the masters, needless to say I was well back. I was scored as a "grandmaster" for the first time in a race, baloney, I still feel 30, will be 52 in 6 days.

My Team Nebraska Brooks mates captured the team title for the men (by a mere :29 and two places), women were 2nd overall behind Team Iowa Ablaze. Good competition here in the midwest between some USATF Elite Development Clubs, Kansas City Smoke also represented. Largest XC race in the U.S. with field size limited to 7500.

I reminded Rod of when he won the Parkersburg Half Marathon back in the late 90s and they presented him with a lifelike infant doll (Libby Hickman got one as well) as part of the prize package. He still has it and agreed that it is one of the creepier prizes he's ever received.

I'm on pace for my best mileage year in at least 15 years, will hit 2400 early this coming week, hoping to average 50+ for the year.

Enjoyed a great Saturday with both my sons watching the NAIA XC Nats at Ft Vancouver. 320 runners on the starting line! Malone won it again. Used to race them when I ran for App State. We were proud to beat them once in 4 yrs and we were Div 1. Anyway was cool to see Southern Oregon take 3rd and know my eldest may be running for The Red Raiders next Fall. After that I joined Dylan for 'his' hill workout and loved it when I could NOT hang for the steepest part. At the same time I am thankful to complete another good week of rehab/getting fit again.

Happy Turkey Trots to y'all.

KP

Better get my jog in as the Forty Niners/Green Bay are the early game and I've got money to lose (thanks for the 6 1/2 points Top Cat...I'll need every one of them)

Had a big week by my current standards...47 miles with two longish runs and a session of 2 x 1 mile (6:08, 5:47)...am thankful to be able to "run" these days.

Speaking of thankful, hope that all of our MWR&R comrades have a great Thanksgiving holiday...make it the best!

MF

Just had a great run up the snowy canyon. That's right I said SNOWY. Conditions sunny powder and packed powder with icy patches. Looks like most of my favorite trails will be under the white stuff till April. Time to be careful and not break a hip.

Going to take tomorrow morning off of work to watch NCAA cross championships (streaming video promised by LetRun), hoping Jenny B. finishes her C.U. career with a win, maybe using that 3:59 1500 speed at the end. Also hoping C.U. places well men and women.

I've talked to and watched Jenny (at the track of course), what a nice person as well as great runner. She should have a great pro career starting Tuesday or so.

Down a few notches: me:

tuesday: 1/2/3/4/5/4/3 (minutes). Good solid trend in pace.

friday: great 4x600 workout, I had good pop in my stride for the first time in forever or so.

The trend gives me hope for a respectable 800 sometime next year.

Cheers

I had an incredibly stressful week at work; it seemed that so many people are taking T-giving week off and were determined to cram in as much as possible before vacation. I had a minimum of two meetings every day last week and one day I had three. Then on Friday I tested for an internal promotional opportunity --it's in our finance group so I had to solve some present value income stream comparison problems and write up a hypothetical memo to the CFO with my recommendations. Those who pass the test will be invited to interview, and I think I did well. That was the pinnacle of my stress for the week and I relaxed with merlot that evening.

We've had cool and crisp weather, low 50's, sunny and windless. The football team at the community college stadium was finishing up their scrimmage during our hurdle practice, and suddenly the stadium lights which we were enjoying were shut off. All that was left were the perimeter lights; it was very dim. This happened in the middle of a hurdle run. I was cruising along a well-lit path when suddenly, right before launching over my next hurdle-- it was dark. AHHHH!!!! I immediately pulled out the "F-Word", no, not the "bomb" but "FOCUS." "Focus" pulled my mind back to the task at hand and kept me from falling apart. I finished my run without incident. Whew!

Hope everyone has fun trotting with the turkeys. I plan on doing the social shuffle with a group of friends. We'll trot through a 5K and raise money for our local food bank. Happy Thanksgiving, count your blessings, and good luck to Jenny B.! Everyone loves a Buff Girl.

Dave,

Apparently NCAAs are also live on Versus (where the Tour de France is televised...formerly OLN?)

MF

someone here amongst our MWR&R brethren is twenty bucks lighter than they were earlier this morning...ooooppppss, that'd be me ;"

Sheesh, it was only last night that I was telling my son how much I wanted to go back to New Zealand ... forever. And there you are, 1500Master, right where I want to be! If there are any job openings for over-the-hill masters coaches, please put my name in the hat!

Had a very good week. Spent most of it sore from last Sunday's x-country race, but that's to be expected. Am feeling good again, and will hopefully survive some park repetitions tonight and be ready for a Turkey Day 5K.

Everyone on my club, Compex Racing, who's going has already purchased their airplane ticket for USATF Club XC Nationals in Lexington. So all that's left is to run the race! Starting to get excited, and I'm thinking there are going to be a lot of good clubs on the masters start line this year. The meet has gotten so much better and more competitive since my first time attending (as a master) back in 2003 (Greensboro, NC). We (Team Runners High) won that race, but I doubt we could make the podium these days. Although we had 3 very strong runners up front, our 4th and 5th men would just get buried these days.

Okay, I'm crossing my fingers that we all stay healthy and fit for our upcoming races and the holidays!

Hey, by the way, I have to spend the week after Thanksgiving in San Ramon (CA). Anyone know any good parks or trails in the area where I can log some volume and do some intervals? Don't want to go pavement/asphalt for an entire week this close to Nationals. Since I'll be working from 7AM-4PM, please don't suggest anything over in San Fran, since I'll never make it through traffic in time to run while there's any light left.

Good to see you post again, hope things are well.

Hello,

Just got back from running the HM in Philly. I had targeting this race as potential PR opportunity, but that was not to be; I was too mentally and physically fatigued after making an unexpected trip to Indiana to visit my mother. They found a small cell cancer tumor last weekend, and they started radiation on Monday and chemo a few days later. It's responding well, and she's in good spirits, but it's tough with all of the unknowns. I think I ended up driving over 1000 miles this week, and both my upper and lower back were too tight to maintain a good running form. She has smoked since she was 16, so this is not a big surprise, but still not easy.

I did enjoy the first and last miles of the race, but I had some moments of doubt in the middle of the race. I was lifted up a bit when Pete (just Pete on this board) caught up to me at mile 8 - he was running the full marathon. I rallied a bit the last few miles to end up 8th master, 5th in my age group, so hopefully I'll get one of those nice liberty bell trophies. Scott Lebo and Matt Sandercock weny 1-2 in the 1:11 range, with very little daylight between them.

I was glad I ran the race, albeit not at the energy level I would have liked. The volunteers were great, and the course has some variety and plenty of crowd support to keep one motivated. Now to heal and strengthen my back in time for Lexington.

MikeF wrote:

Dave,

Apparently NCAAs are also live on Versus (where the Tour de France is televised...formerly OLN?)

MF

someone here amongst our MWR&R brethren is twenty bucks lighter than they were earlier this morning...ooooppppss, that'd be me ;"

Thanks, but DirecTV has had a falling out with Versus, so no go for me. Sigh! And how'd you lose that 20?

Hey SoCal Pete,

You want to go up the 101 to Santa Rosa and go to Anadel State Park. Best kept running secret in Norcal. Stop in at Heart and Sole and if you know Danny Aldridge, ask him about the best trails to get on to run there. I went to school up there and ran for Danny and he knows the running in bay area almost as good as MF. Now, most people will tell you to run Tamalpais, but you should check out Anadel. Pete Sweeney of the Aggies lives up there and you could probably get him to buy you a few brews at the Old Vic in Santa Rosa as you swap racing tales. Just a suggestion.

A normal 65 mile week with an 8 mile tempo on Thursday and 14 pretty hard today.

Three weeks ago I hurt my hamstring half way through a hard 10 miler. By Thursday it was okay but the following Sunday running a minute/mile slower it pulled again at 3 1/2. I took it easy for another week and it seems to be fine now.

Good luck in all the Turkey Trots around the country.

Kevin K

good job nyloco. Looks like you guys had a nice morning to race.

Pretty good week here. 67 miles with a hard 16 on Saturday on trails. I'm taking a very light week this week, except for the obligatory Turkey Trot race Thursday. Next week I start winter base, and am looking forward to taking a break from racing.

Ran the PA champs today in Golden Gate Park, loads of fast masters men and women and solid open fields as well. Jim Sorensen won the 40's, the amazzzzing Linda Somers Smith won the OPEN and masters at age 48 over Kara June, Philip Reid won the open over Thomas Kloos. Great slightly muddy conditions with an interment drizzle - just a blast. I, unfortunately, left a little out there today, unusual for me, but I thought the 6 miles in semi-sloppy conditions would make for a tough last couple of miles. I underestimated my fitness and felt great the last mile, but couldn't make up the time I fell I lost earlier with cautious pacing.

And SoCalPete, you are right to want to run in the general vicinity of San Ramon. Anadel and Mt. Tam (my backyard) both offer great running, but by the time you make the drive to either (or even the closer Berkeley/Oakland hills), you'll be out of daylight. I'm sure somebody from the East Bay will chime in with a more specific recommendation, but check out the trails around Mt. Diablo State Park:

http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/517/files/mtDiabloBrochure.pdf

, it can be really nice this time of year and reasonably close to San Ramon.