Preparing To Brave The Beast

Winter training continues. I feel like I am in product test mode. First of all I have been working myself into more "minimalist" running shoes - less shoe bulk, closer to a barefoot feel with the protection of a sneaker. So I checked in with Oregon ultrarunning ace Jeff Browning for his advice. He has been doing some real excellent testing in this department (and offering some great advice on how to transition into running in more minimalist shoes). He suggested trying the INOV-8 X-Talon 212. Sounded good to me, so straight to the Zombierunner website I went and ordered-up my first pair of INOV-8s. They not only look cool but they are nice and narrow and fit my foot great and they are extremely comfortable!

This past Saturday Karen F. and I did a "test-run" on a path along the Chenango River at the Chenanago Valley State Park. It was below zero degrees when I left my house and only slightly warmer at the park (still sub-10 degrees), very little sun, and a bit of wind. This would prove to be an excellent test for the upcoming Beast of Burden race that I am preparing for. We ran a 2.8-mile out and back along the river, utilizing the warm restrooms and our cars as refuelling stations. The highlight of the day was that we were watched for two out-and-backs by a pair of bald eagles that Karen tells me nest nearby. How amazing it was to see these awesome birds up close - I had never seen one in real life before. I was absolutely stunned by their size and beauty!

So here are some reviews/findings that I discovered in our 5 1/2 hour, 23.2-mile run. This test run on this brutally cold day proved to be probably the most important thing in preparation for The Beast . . . had we not done this, I think I could have made some potentially bad choices that could ruin my race.

1. Hydration I wore a waist pack carrying two CamelBak insulated drink bottles. The water in the bottle did not freeze, however, water that splashed above the insulted bottle portion into the cap and mouthpiece did!

2. Fuel I carried a flask of Hammer Perpetueum (in concentrated paste form), which my stomach tolerated very well. However, I carried the flask in the chest pocket of my Nathan vest and this did not provide insulation and the paste froze in the mouthpiece - fortunately I was able to remove the cap and get some of the frozen slush out to keep me fuelled. Hammer Endurolytes - at the rate of about 2 caps per hour (since I was not noticeably sweating) worked well to keep the electrolyte balance.

3. Clothing I wore my Seirus Stormsocks and my feet stayed dry and toasty-warm for the entire run! These things are a dream; I have been utilizing the same pair for 3 winters now and after multiple washings/dryings they still keep my tootsies warm and dry. Love 'em. Sweating did not seem to be an issue at all - I stayed dry and only changed my shirts & jacket once (and only then because I needed a jacket that would go over my hydration pack to see if this would help keep the bottle caps from freezing). I didn't even have to change into dry clothing for the drive home. And I did try the face mask out - that didn't last long. I am not a fan of having my face and mouth covered, no matter what the temp. I prefer slathering Vaseline on my skin and have found this to be a very effective skin protectant (although a bit messy). And my hands stayed dry and warm with just glove liners on - hands pulled inside my jacket sleeves when necessary.

On the drive home (1 hour, 20 minutes) I refuelled with 16 ounces of chocolate milk, some salt & vinegar potatoe chips, root beer, and a fish sandwich. And then I treated myself to some excellent black olive and feta cheese pizza, chicken wings (OK, not healthy but I earned them!) and an Arrogant Bastard Ale. Awoke on Sunday feeling great and ready to run again.

This trial run was exactly what I needed. Yesterday I pulled out my old CamelBak Flashflo and attached the insulated drinking hose and gave that a trial on a 7-mile run in 6 degree weather with winds a bit higher than Saturday's run. A bit of ice build-up was noted in the cap over the mouthpiece, which I think could have been avoided by blowing the water back out of the mouthpiece and into the hose after taking a drink. I will have to test-drive this unit on a longer run, but I think this is going to be the most effective method of carrying fluids.

So that's where I'm at with winter training. This is really fun! I only hope that we don't incur something awful like a warm spell for the race! I am totally looking forward to the challenge of some brutal conditions. So . . . Cowgirl Up! and let the games begin!!

Running In The New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday filled with fun, family, and lots of running! I had to work on New Year's Eve, which isn't really a big deal since we don't really do anything special on that evening - the real fun is reserved for the next day! I did, however, consider going out for a midnight run under the blue moon and tried to coerce some of my friends to join me. Easy for me . . . I would just be getting home from work so I would be wide awake and heading out for a run would be no biggie. Apparently those who don't work those hours and would normally be in bed weren't up for getting up and heading up to the ice and snow glacier that I call home. The idea of going out alone to ring in the New Year sounded less appealing the more that I thought about it and so I opted to just lay low, drink beer, and play video games.

New Year's Day brought the annual Cookie & Hat Run in Big Flats, put on by the Wineglass Running Club. This has traditionally been a 5K road race, but a few years back race director, Bob Kerns, decided to mix things up a bit and has since changed the distance and route on us several times! And this year was a real treat . . . the course was 6K that included a combination of roads and off-road sections on snow and ice! It was AWESOME! I recently bought a pair of the New Balance WT100s in the hopes that the snow would someday melt and I could try them on the trails. With the muck and slush and snow that I knew would be on the roads on January 1, I decided that trail shoes would be the best option no matter what the course, and had my inaugural run in these shoes! They were superb - excellent grip, light-weight, and good-looking! Skipping the midnight run and saving my energy for this run was an excellent choice as I was able to run 27:21 for 6K, barely squeaking out 2nd place in my age group and good for the award of some really excellent pumpkin cookies! It was an absolutely beautiful day with the temps in the 30s, sunny, and very little wind.

But then came January 2. And the polar opposite in weather conditions. During the night a beautiful layer of probably 4-6 inches of white fluff had fallen, temp fallen to around 8 degrees, the wind kicked-in, and there was very little sun to be found. So what did Joe and I do? Headed down to Binghamton to the Triple Cities Runners Club race #1 in their Freeze 10K series. Fortunately I keep my running bag filled with a few extra clothing choices because the wind down there was even worse than it was on our mountain! And the wind-chill was ridiculously cold. This race is run on a 2-mile loop course through a park on paved roads. Again, knowing that their would be snow-pack to run on, I opted for the New Balance WT100s again. And again it was the right choice. The only problem is that they have very little warmth to them and fortunately I had my warm rugby socks with me to keep the tootsies warm! This was a tough run due to the conditions and the fact that I had to run fast just the day before, but these brutal conditions really suit me - maybe I was a penguin in another life. Not knowing who was who (because everyone was hidden under hats, scarves, and face masks!) and who was where, I somehow managed to pass a woman with about 1.5 miles to go, not aware that she was the leader! I crossed the finish line first female in somewhere around 48 minutes (unsure of total accuracy of the time since my eyelashes were frozen making it difficult to read the clock!). And good for a pie! Now I really don't like having to run this fast, especially two days in a row, but when food awards are the result, I can't complain! But I have to say that my speed workouts for the YEAR are done!

Many thanks to the Wineglass Running Club and the Triple Cities Runners Club for their hospitality and ringing in the New Year with a bang!


(photo left - Joe finishing up at the Freeze 10K. photo right - me just after finishing the 10K, attempting to drink a cup of frozen water! photos courtesy of Triple Cities Runners Club.)






















Sunday, January 3, 2010 - no need to take a break, I'm on a roll! Again, the temperature was 5-6 degrees, the wind was howling, and the snow was falling. Beginning to see a pattern here? No races today; time to break out the snowshoes and hit the snow with friends. Lorrie and Becky braved the crappy roads to come up to our house and while Joe worked, we headed out on some seasonal roads just a couple of miles from our house and enjoyed some really excellent snowshoeing . . . once we got our snowshoe feet back under us! Five miles of snowshoe running is a hell of a workout and it was great to spend this time talk with friends and enjoy the winter wonderland. And to afterward enjoy some really great cornmeal pancakes cooked-up by Becky and some orange buns courtesy of Joe. Some hot coffee and dry clothes and it was a perfect day and an excellent way to finish my New Year's weekend. Thank you to all of my friends at Triple Cities and Wineglass and to Becky, Lorrie, and Joe.

So what's up for 2010? Here's what the immediate plans are . . . I'll see how these plans go before I can commit to what I will do for the Summer and Fall . . .

Beast of Burden 24-Hour
St. Patrick's Day 4-Miler
Forks XV
Fly With Eagles 10K
HAT Run 50K
Massanutten Mountain Trails 100

So that's it for the start of the New Year. Happy trails to all of you out there - don't let the snow keep you inside!

INSOMNIA!

Well, it's 3:42am and it is officially Christmas Eve. And here I am on my computer, unable to sleep, it's dark outside and a mere 17.5 degrees. And I have been awake since 1am. I tried reading, drinking "Sleepytime" herbal tea, browsing the internet, and nothing has been successful in making me sleepy, so I have just decided to give it up, enjoy my morning coffee, and write about my woes. My cat, Sam, who loves to be with me wherever I am, even gave it up and crawled inside a sleeping bag to go back to bed. I thought it might be a good time to just go out for a run, but the darkness and bitterness outside made me rethink that. Now I don't think that 17 degrees is that bad; I have run in colder weather and have thoroughly enjoyed it. However, that was when it was light outside. There is something about the cold and dark together that just doesn't appeal to me. Unless I have someone running along side me to commiserate with. If I really wanted to be productive I suppose I could be wrapping those last few Christmas gifts right now, but really, why take away from that last-minute preparation for Christmas? I will let them wait.

So I am just rambling with nothing really important to say. The Munster vs. Perpignan rugby game was on a bit after 2am, which I just realized that I missed. Oh well, it was a replay and I saw the last few minutes of it yesterday morning and saw that Munster slaughtered Perpignan. But Joe told me that my man Ronan O'Gara had a really spectacular game and I would have liked to see that.

So Merry Christmas to everyone. Relax and enjoy the beauty of the season and the wonderful whiteness outside. And if the mood strikes you, get out and enjoy and run or walk in the cold and realize how alive it can make you feel.

"My life is a gift from my Creator. What I do with my life is my gift back to the Creator." --Billy Mills

Winter Running Rocks!

Here it is . . . the first day of winter! We already have a decent 3-4" base of snow and the flakes of fluff are falling right now! Woo-hoo! It's looking promising that Joe and I will be able to get the xc skis out soon, which I have been dying to do since I got a new pair of boots that fit properly and appear that they will give me some excellent support for skate-skiing (any bit of support I can get for this is definitely useful!). We do have what appears to be a decent xc skiing surface on the seasonal roads, but if you look closely you can see that the ice ridges and some stones are kicking up through the snow. So if you have good eyes and even better control of your skis, you could probably get away with skiing right now. However, my snow-vision is limited to the few feet in front of me and by the time I see any obstacles that might chew the skis it is likely too late to avoid them. And then there is my lack of control . . . another story.

So until the ice and rocks get totally covered by snow I am sticking to running. And running in the snow is just totally freakin' awesome. I have found that it is really good for your form; you can't stride out too big or you will likely slip and fall right on your fanny (I do that enough when I ski; no need to practice it during the runs). So I feel very efficient when snow-running, the scenery is beyond belief, and the cold weather completely agrees with my breathing.

As I read some other blogs, I am discovering that some other ultra runners are investigating the return to their minimalist running roots. I have really been enjoying Jeff Browning's accounts of becoming a more minimalist runner. I, too, am working on this. I have always thought that because I am a runner of larger stature that I needed more support and cushioning in my running shoes. After reading "Born To Run" I have found that this is not so and have been working on minimalizing my running shoes. On Saturday Lorrie and I went for a 14 mile run (ugh! on the roads!) and I ran in my Asics Gel DS Trainers, which for a smaller person would probably be considered a training shoe, but for my size it is quite minimal. And flat (forefoot and heel at the same level). And I felt pretty darn good when I finished the run. I really want to try the Vibram Five Fingers but I think that will have to wait a few months, since I don't have a treadmill to run indoors on and the 20-degree-and-below temps along with the snow don't appear to agree with running barefoot.

So December is a month of relaxation and d0-what-I-want with my running and the serious training for MMT 100 will begin in January. Heineken Cup Rugby continues and my Munster men seem to be doing well. I have also been pulled toward the other Irish team, Leinster, and Jonathan Sexton and Brian O'Driscoll have been playing really excellent. Sexton is a young fly-half with an accurate kicking boot. O'Driscoll is just plain amazing. I would love to see the finals come down to Munster and Leinster; that would be awesome.

And for those of you already thinking about July . . . registration is open and the forms are online for The 22nd Annual Finger Lakes Fifties.

That's all the news for now, so cowgirl up and get out and enjoy the snow and cold!

Finishing Up & Looking Ahead

The 2009 racing season has officially ended for me. With all of the hunters taking over the woods this time of year, we have been pretty much banished to the roads, which is both mentally and physically challenging for me. This weekend Joe and I decided to combine some running fun with family visiting and ventured down to State College, PA, which gave us a chance to visit with Joe’s daughter, Morgan, and her family and challenge ourselves with the Nittany Valley Half Marathon on Sunday. The last (and only time) that I ran this race was in 2002 and all I remember is how awful I felt from the very beginning until the bitter end. I am certain that I could have fallen down the hills faster than I was running them. So this time I really just wanted to redeem myself and, of course, have fun.

As usual, Joe and I got into the spirit of this time of year and festively dressed in some really cool long green shorts with jingle bells on them (a fantastic find at K-Mart), red shirts and red hats. We both think that it is very important to not only run fast but to look good doing it. The fast doesn’t always come, but we always look good!

The first two miles of the race were run as a two-loop circuit on the Penn State campus. Snow that had fallen on Saturday made this part of the course a bit treacherous and really made us hold back to keep from falling (read . . . time lost!). But at least it kept us from going out too fast and blowing up. Then it was onto the roads and uphills and downhills. I have to say, for a road race, I was having fun and feeling like I was running well. But I do have to say that road racing (and road racers) are intense! Both Joe and I ran without watches, a rare sight as we noticed the other racers. Many of the runners were wearing ear phones which limited any conversation, although even when I tried to share a few words with the non-ear-phone-wearing runner, I was pretty much ignored. I’m not saying that the others weren’t friendly; we did meet and get to talk with some really great people, but it just wasn’t the atmosphere of the trails. But that’s OK; I guess feeling some of that intensity is good – it spurs you to put a little something extra into your speed. It was good for me.

But, hold on, what was that? At around mile 11 I passed some guys sitting behind a table with a sign in front reading “Beer Stop”. Whoa, wait a minute; I certainly had better go back to that one! And I turned around and ran back to the table and stopped running and enjoyed a very nice lager with what were certainly the angels of the race! OK, I have to say that the roadrunners got this one right. And with that burst of energy I flew to the finish line! 1:47:42; not bad for a heavy-weight ultrarunner! Joe wasn’t far behind, coming into the finish in 2:00:05 . . . better than his last half marathon in August and good for first in his age group!

It was a great weekend of visiting and running. And now it’s time to rest and catch-up on the rugby happenings. And time to think about the upcoming Spring running schedule. And you know what the really good news is? I won the lottery! OK, not THE lottery, but really just as good. The Massanutten Mountain 100 lottery. Only now I have a tough decision to make . . . Massanutten on May 15 or MorFun Wapack Trail 50Miler on May 10. I’ll let you know which one wins. Got to make that decision fast.

We have snow here on the hill today and it’s got me thinking about snowshoeing and xc skiing. Excellent!


“I feel eager and ready for another excursion a month or two long in the same wonderful wilderness. Now, however, I must turn toward the lowlands, praying and hoping Heaven will shove me back again.” - John Muir

Cowgirl Rides Again - Stone Cat 50Miler

(Me, Joe, & Charlie at the start. Photo courtesy of Greg Taylor)













LOOP 1
Where in hell can you go
Far from the things that you know,
Far from the sprawl of concrete that keeps crawling
Its way about 1,000 miles a day?

Take one last look behind,
Commit this to memory and mind.
Don’t miss this wasteland, this terrible place.
When you leave keep your heart off you sleeve.
- Natalie Merchant

The morning started out at a cool and crisp 28 degrees. I knew that I would warm-up quickly once I hit the woods, so I fought the urge to bundle myself up, not wanting to get too sweaty and then freeze. The marathoners and 50-milers all started out together and once we hit the woods, the marathoners split-off for their 1.2 mile jaunt and the ultrarunners hit the trails. I talked with friends and tried to hold myself back, since last year I made the mistake of going out way too fast. I had tossed my watch in my bag prior to the start, because, really, why wear it. It wouldn’t change the way I would run and on this day I was just going to do what my body said I could do. I felt like I was running pretty easily and not pushing too much and by the time I hit the second aid station I caught up with a guy who remembered me from last year, as he was the one who picked me up after I had done a major face-plant while trying to jump over a log. I assured him that I had not fallen so far. He was wearing a watch and when he told me what time we were at, I realized that I had fallen into the trap of the cool temps . . . I was probably running too fast. Oh well, I felt comfortable and let my body do what it could.

And then it happened. I toed something, not sure what, and I went down like a giant pile of bricks. Let me reiterate what I have said before about being big . . . you fall HARD. And typical to my falling style, my water bottle shot out of my hand, landing about 20 feet in front of me. I landed on my right knee and it brought a tear to my eye. I had no feeling from below my right knee. And here is what I really love about ultrarunners . . . the runners behind me immediately stopped, asked me if I was OK, helped me up and got my bottle for me. That in itself was a mental boost. I had to stand for a minute, because with no feeling in my lower leg, I wasn’t sure how to proceed. I took a step and the pain in my knee was excruciating. But what are you gonna do? No one was coming out to carry my dead ass in. So I started to walk. And eventually the feeling came back to my leg and the pain in the knee subsided. And then I could run. Cool. I was OK. Until . . . I just kind of tipped over. I was talking with the runner behind me, hit something again with my foot, and just fell over. OK, I was a bit scraped-up on the side of my right thigh, but nothing like the last fall, so I picked it up again and just kept on moving.

Eventually I finished loop one. Time on the clock . . . 2 hrs, 18 min . . . way too fast. I felt a potential blister starting up, so I sat down, filled my bottle, got some more Clif Shot Bloks, slapped some moleskin on the hotspot, and shuffled on out for loop 2 with the intent of easing off.

LOOP 2
Oh momma I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law
Lawman has put an end to my running and I'm so far from my home
Oh momma I can hear you a'crying you're so scared and all alone
Hangman is comin' down from the gallows and I don't have very long
- Styx

I started back out, passing friends who were coming in, and glad to see that everyone was looking strong. I saw Joe coming in and we shared laments of our intimacy with Mother Earth, and kept on moving. Shortly thereafter I realized that I was feeling a bit crappy. Wow . . . where did that come from? I ate some Shot Bloks and grabbed a full grilled cheese sandwich (ooohhhh . . . gooey warm cheese can do wonders for you), some Coke, and kept on moving.

The grilled cheese and Coke were the main things that got me through this loop. The pain in my right leg and knee from the earlier falls seemed to have subsided but I was still feeling rather ugly when I came into the start/finish area, noting the time on the clock to be 4 hrs, 48 min. Much better . . . 2:30 for that loop, although I had felt pretty crappy, was much more to my liking. The foot blister was rearing its ugly head again so I re-moleskinned and changed socks and shoes. Much better. Time to head out for loop 3 and hopes of getting my groove back on.

LOOP 3
I walk a lonely road
The only road that I have ever known
Don’t know where it goes
But it’s home to me and I walk alone
- Green Day

The new socks and shoes were a wonder. Actually it was the same shoes, only different. I had put on my newer pair of Brooks Cascadias and it was obviously a wise choice. I also had my secret weapon. Prior to the race I had tried to get more Clif Roks, but to my disappointment the Finger Lakes Running Company, the only place I have found that sells them, was out. So I had one package left and had reserved them for when I really needed. And I needed them now. And what a wonder they did for me. I was back in the game. Woo hoo!

I was a bit lonely in that when I had passed through the start/finish area, none of my cronies were around . . . they were all out on the course . . . somewhere. So when I reached the aid station I was really glad just to talk to anyone. And those great volunteers talked to me, filled my bottle, made me hot grilled cheese, and filled me with Coke. I chugged the Coke and started walking with the sandwich, eating, and feeling quite good. And then I got to thinking about Diane, as it seems I do quite a bit during the ultras, and I started crying. Try eating hot grilled cheese, walking, crying, and trying to breathe. It’s not as easy as it sounds. So with that and glad that I had no one else around to witness this slobbering mess I was making of myself, I yelled “cowgirl up”! This brought a smile to my face and things started to look better. I started out with my Diane’s Team shirt on and was still wearing it and I was feeling stronger just through its symbolism. And I started to run again. And I had no idea what time it was and it didn’t matter. I was having fun and feelin’ groovy.

More grilled cheese and Coke, Nuun tabs and Clif Roks, and I rolled into the start/finish area ready to knock-off the final loop. As I rolled in I saw Joe and Karen; both had finished the marathon and were looking great in those hot green fleece finisher jackets. Having seen the jackets when I finished my last loop, I have to admit that I really had thought about switching to the marathon just to get one. But I had come to run 50 miles and that’s what I was going to do.

Time: 7 hrs, 30 min. OK, doing math at this point was a bit sticky . . . I managed to calculate something like 2:42 for that loop. Pretty decent, I surmised, since I had taken quite a long time for the foot repair before actually tackling the loop.

LOOP 4
I’m not prepared, I’m running scared
I need the strength to carry on
I need to feel that I am strong
I need to feel that I won’t fall
I’ll never crawl, no I won’t fall
- Dolores O’Riordan

It was a quick pit-stop through the start finish this time, as I wanted to get going in hopes that I would finish before dark. Joe came over to me and said “guess what I saw?!” And then he tells me that he saw a bear cub. Great! Just what I needed, I told him. But he assured me “No, it’s OK, it was cute and sleeping”. OK, so where there is a baby bear there is most likely a pissed-off mother bear, angry because of all of us intruders in her home. So Joe hurried me off back to the woods so I could finish before dark. I know he meant well, but I would have rather hear “you look good” or at the very least, tell me where the hell he saw the bear so I could make sure that I had some other runners around me at that point! So basically, I was running scared. I passed at least four runners before the next aid station and all I could think was that OK, at least there are people behind me who can find my mutilated body on the trail if the bear attacks.

And then I realized . . . I think the fear made me run better. I was feeling smooth, I wasn’t stumbling on rocks or roots, and I didn’t fall the entire last loop. I really felt like I was flying! Surely I would be under 2:30 for this loop. Still not really knowing the time I thought that maybe I could break 10 hours. It wasn’t necessarily a goal, but it would be cool if I did.

So I came running as fast as I could manage across the field toward the finish line, smiling and feeling great. Unfortunately, the speed of the clock was faster than my feet and I finished in 10 hours, 10 minutes, 14 seconds. Still better than last year’s time.

I hung out with friends, ate good hot food served by some of the nicest volunteers, and drank good beer. Ipswich Harvest Ale was on tap and tasted really good after a long day running. But the real kicker . . . Joe’s bear turned out to be . . .




















(photo courtesy of Karen Fennie)


Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Though the streams are swollen
Keep them dogies rollin'
Rawhide!
- Frankie Laine

This Week In Running - And Not-Running

OK, yes, I have been a blogging slug. But not on purpose . . . really. Things have just been hectic around here. A couple of weeks ago I came home from work and usually my girls are there to greet me . . . Sammy for her midnight playtime and Yip for her snacks. When I got home Joe told me that Yip did not eat her dinner – and that is VERY strange for her. You could set your clock by this girl; she will let you know when it is dinner time and she knows what time it is. I tried to give her a few of her treats and she wouldn’t eat them. Now I was really concerned. The next day she was just not acting herself and so it was off to the vet’s we went. Yip is 11 years old – I think that makes her like 77 in people years. So what the vet discovered was that she wasn’t sick, she was in pain. This just broke my heart to know that she was hurting and couldn’t tell me and I didn’t know. She was very tender in her back and the vet thought she pinched a nerve or injured her back somehow. After a loading dose of anti-inflammatories and glucosamine supplements, Yip was already perking up a bit the next day. Of course, she got A LOT of TLC. She is now off of her anti-inflammatories and continuing on her 21-day daily regimen of glucosamine (which will switch to every-other-day after day 21) and is back to her old self . . . which means torturing Sammy when she can and racing laps through the house. This does my heart good!

As for running . . . yes, I have been doing that. Although be sequestered to the roads because of the hunters really stinks. But this too shall pass. Eventually hunting season will be over and we can take back the trails.

And despite working in the germ-infested ER I have managed to remain flu-free. I am a hand-washing freak and I am sure this has helped. I also believe that the running lifestyle has helped keep my immunity up, so I will just keep doing what works!

In the rugby world my Munster men had a good week beating Ulster 24-10. It’s about time they put together an entirely good game! Hopefully they are getting themselves back into the groove and the winning streak will continue. Peter Stringer has been on the bench as replacement scrum-half for some time and I miss him. He is a feisty player with sharp, quick moves. O’Leary does a fine job, but the connection of Stringer and O’Gara was (and still is when Stringer is playing) a phenomenal thing to watch. I am still keeping my fingers crossed that Stringer will make it back into the starting lineup again.

The NYC marathon was this past Sunday and the day came together nicely. The weather was absolutely beautiful and it was a good day for US running, with six of the top 10 finishing spots going to the Americans, including the #1 place! Diane would have been so happy to see this and it was only fitting that she was taking her final run in NY on this auspicious occasion. Thank you Barb for making Diane’s final wish come true.

So not much else going on. Next week should be a good reporting week, bringing the results of Mendon Ponds 50K, the final race in the WNY Ultra Series, and results of the Stone Cat 50Miler and Marathon. Good luck to Lorrie at Mendon and Becky as she returns to the racing scene at the Harrisburg Marathon.

“To keep from decaying, to be a winner, the athlete must accept the pain – not only accept it, but look for it, live with it, learn not to fear it.” – Dr. George Sheehan