The Week in Review

These past few weeks have been unnerving for me on the employment front, and we all know how that effects everything else these days.

The company I worked for sold off some assets and I happened to be one of them!

My last day was Friday and I'll be working for a new company on Monday.

I guess the key word is that I'll be working but we all know how difficult 'CHANGE' can be.

Okay enough about that work stuff, let's talk running.

I've had some beautiful early morning runs and some terrible lunchtime runs. Can someone explain that to me???? I made it to 150 consecutive days of running and it is getting a little easier especially with the warmer weather. I recommend everyone start a running streak. Misery does truly love company.......

I have a couple of runners in San Diego doing the Rock N Roll events, good luck guys.

After Alaska, I'll have a siesta from Team in Training....... so sad.

Bayshore Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Results

Well the weather was great and the rain held off. I surprised my team by showing up for the event in an unofficial capacity.

Sandy and I drove up for the start of the marathon and I started with my participants to help them get rid of those nervous butterflies.

The way the course is set up the 1/2 marathon starts at the halfway point of the marathon so I was able to see and run with my 1/2 participants as they got to mile eight.

There were quite a few surprised but joyous runners and everyone did great.

Check out these amazing times:

Bayshore ½ Marathon

Sue Cummings – 2:07:45

Julie Adamson – 1:55:24

Louise Ross – 2:08:07

Cara Felosak – 2:46:08

Jason Felosak – 2:24:03

Pam Kaoma – 2:54:39

Catherine Ludwig – 2:54:28

Emily Norman – 2:13:28

Megan Riemer – 2:46:54

Michelle Verkerke – 2:05:27

Tim Coyne – 2:01:08

Veronica Alatorre – 1:39:12

Sue Warner – 1:58:52 (alumni)

Julie Volger – 1:49:21 (alumni)

Jennifer Billings – 2:21:57 (alumni)

Gloria Tovar – 2:37:11 (alumni)

Michelle Hachigian – 2:23:17 (alumni)

Bayshore Marathon

Angela Lipinski – 3:27:06 (Boston Qualifier)

Mario Granata – 3:08:46 (Boston Qualifier)

Katie Johnsen – 5:00:43

Roby Sabo – 5:00:43

Gary Lawson – 3:38:05

Kami Ross – 4:03:15

Kay Norris 4:13:06

Kevin Machuga – 5:11:20

Mary Puls – 4:46:24

Lew Schlanbusch – 4:46:25

Todd Hachigian – 3:39:14 (alumni’s husband)

They're kicking my arse at work so it's back to the grind!!!!!!

Rain? WTF.......

They're forecasting rain for the entire day on Saturday for my summer team's event in Traverse City.

Granted these guys trained in all type of weather but you don't want rain during an endurance event.........

There are just too many things that can and will go wrong in the rain.

How many umbrella do I need for my kids???????

Your Chance to be a Race Director

I received an email and this was one of the tidbits in it. If you could be a race director for one of the races in your area, what would you different to put your signature on it?

Would you alter the course? Change the T-shirt design? Get rid of the expo?

I've got the ice machine working overtime, as I ice everything on my lower half (okay, almost everything)!

I'll refrain from any hard workouts for a few days and hope that these nagging little aches go away.

I read an article about runners that have consecutive day streaks and the leader has been doing it for over thirty-five years. I don't think I'll get close to him.

Hypochondriac or Smart????

Yes, I am still running everyday and I think I may have jinxed myself by mentioning it.

Today's run was going to be an easy seven miles but my right Achilles started to give me some concern. Now, I've been injured several times over my running career and most of the injuries started as twinges or aches that I ignored.

Not anymore!!!! I stopped in my tracks when the ache in my Achilles stayed for too many strides.

Now when you're over two miles from home in running attire walking isn't a real good alternative, so I ran a little and walked a little. In hind sight I'm wondering if I was being smart or being to afraid?

So now I'm icing every body part associated with the running motion. My post-run ritual is taking more time than my runs!!!

So I'll be the old scholl runner with the knee braces, calf compression sleeves, compression shorts, arm warmers for UV protection, safari cap with the neck protection, sunglasses, sun screen, and fuel belt. Have I forgotten anything?

Isn't running a simple sport???????????

They grow up so fast.......

This was the last TNT group training run for part of my 2009 summer team.

They were scheduled to run eight miles and they finished it in no time. After the Bayshore Marathon/Half-marathon in Traverse City, my team dwindles down to four runners for Alaska and San Diego.

I have a couple of ladies that will try to BQ in their first marathon attempt and I think they have a great chance of doing it. Good luck Kami and Kay, it must be the initial 'K'.

The 2009 Fall TNT team join us for their inaugural training run and there must have been a hundreds of them! It's good to see that even in these economic times people are still trying to make a difference.

Hey, did I mention that I'm still streaking? It's actually getting to be more enjoyable to run every day than I remember.

Thanks Pat, for getting me started......

Blog Etiquette

Okay all of you Blogging Ms. Manners.

Since I've been busy formulating a plan for world peace, you guys have been posting like crazy!

So when Google Reader say's '..you'll never read all of these', instead of a number of items, I know that I have some catching up to do.

My question is, what is a good time frame to comment on a posting from the past?

I hate to wish some of you Merry Xmas in June, although belated Birf-days are okay!

Just wondering.........

My knee twinges have subsided to the point where running is fun again, Yay!

This is the time of year when I'm actually enjoying my early morning runs along the Riverfront in downtown Detroit. It's amazing how the city looks with just a handful of people sprinkled about.

A portion of the 2009 Summer team is in taper mode for their big events, so Saturday's training should go relatively quickly.

Work is work, nuff said....

Go Red Wings......

Wednesday's Why??????

Why am I so dumb????

Why is it that when I have an injury, I do everything to get me back to running but the minute I think I'm good to go, I stop doing anything?

How tough is it to put ice on my knees when I finish a run?

How about stretching a little to ensure that this old body can move a little easier?

I've had some twinges in my right knee since Sunday but nothing to cause me to limp around. I've cut my mileage just to get in my runs. I know a rest day would help but remember, I'm dumb!!!!

Maybe I'll go get a cold BEvERage and place in on my knee.

........and the winner is.......

Okay, I'm getting rid of the brick for another stone.

Testosterone

This is the stuff that made out lunchtime easy run a race pace tempo run.

Why is it that a group of male runners can't go out for an easy run?

Do women running together all of a sudden put on a surge to see what the other women runners will do?

Is this how the Kenyans get to be so fast, training as a group?

So as I iced my knee from my easy run, I still don't understand why we can't all get along?

Wednesday's Why?????

I'm a huge fan of this program but I have to ask, why did they have them run/walk a marathon with thirty days of Winter training?

305 or 405?????

It's time for me to upgrade, can you believe someone actually asked about the brick (Garmin 301) that was on my wrist!

Brick!!! This thing has made my left are so much stronger and bigger than my right arm. How many miles have I logged with the brick?

Each year since I've owned it I watched as technology has passed me by, I've wanted to upgrade.

But noooooooooooo, I've hung on to my fateful companion as others have stepped into the 2000s.

How can I justify spending the money? Can I use the excuse that my Garmin fell into the toilet?

I can use the old one as a level for the bookcase or as a stopper for the doorwall.

Okay, I'm doing it but now I have to figure out which Garmin to purchase. I've heard no good things about the 405 but it looks so good. Remember, it's not how fast you go but how good you look.

The 305 is on sale at BestBuy for $159.......

Decisions, decisions................... any help would be appreicated.

Worst Race Ever

No, I'm not talking about my performance but the actual race.

How can you start a race without any race officials? I'm jumping the gun, let me backtrack.

This was the third year for this particular race which will remain nameless to protect the innocent, but it occurs before a parade(Cinco De Mayo).

The course is laid out to use part of the parade(Cinco de Mayo) route which means runners needed to be shuttled to the start after parking at the finish. Normally races use school buses to shuttle runners, so they can get more bang for their buck. I should have known something wasn't right when runners were being shuttled in 10-person vans and there was only two vans!

Since there were more than 20 runners waiting I drove to the start with the intentions of running back to the car after the race(am I that stupid? who wants to run three miles after a 10k?)

I was happy with my decision to drive, so I could take care of any last minute changes to my race plan. Do I need to wear a shirt, it's really getting warm (11:30 start time for the race).

I didn't see any fluid stations on the course so I'd better take water. I was finally ready to get running and the start time was fast approaching.

I'll go run another warm up quarter and be ready for the gun to go off.

Hey, it's 11:45 and no one is telling us to get ready, what's the deal? Someone mentions that the parade (Cinco de Mayo) will be starting at 12:15, so we'd better get this race going. There are more runners waiting on the two vans to get to the start line, but we need to start.

A group of slower runners decide to just run and not wait for the official start. No problem, we should be starting any minute.....

Another ten minutes passes and we're still waiting for race officials to start the race.

Okay this will just be a $25(same day registration fee) training run for me and I take off with a few more runners that were fed up.

I don't know about you but there is a difference in me running a race and just a training run.

I'm not sure if there was ever an official start but upon getting to the finish line the race director was surrounded by several angry runners. Unfortunately, I had to run back via a different routebecause of the parade (Cinco de Mayo) and get my car, so I can only use this post to vent.

I'm glad I waited a day to write this post, now that I'm calmer I can look back and laugh about that F%^KIN race.

Happy Cinco de Mayo