Whoo hoo!

Well, I am still hoping to run a fall marathon and the one I'm targeting is Rails to Trails on November 2. So today I wanted to run a 20-mile, and I did! 22.00 I wasn't fast, but I felt good. I left home just after 5:30, brought water and cups to the bike path for the Off-Season Striders, who were meeting at Panera at 7:30, parked there by the gardens and headed out 5:45'ish. I went toward downtown ...

and up to Silver Lake. I went around the lake twice, then headed back down the bike trail and around the loop at Soldier's Field. When I got back to Panera, I had just about 11 miles on. There, ready to run, were Lana Lappi, Mike Schmitt, Mark Holland, Randy BQ McKeeman and Tom Woo. (BTW: Tom, who ran TCM on Sunday, ran 18 miles yesterday, with the last mile being at 5K pace. This guy's a machine! He ran another 9 today.)

So I needed 9 more miles to get my 20 in. I thought going to the end of the trail and back with (some of) the others would be 9 miles, but it was more like 8. So I did that, headed back to Panera to sit with the others for a couple of minutes and then headed back out to where my car was parked, which brought me to 20 miles. Well, I was still feeling pretty darn good, so I went down the path another mile and then back to my car. I still felt pretty good, tired, but good. It was a huge confidence builder to get a 22-miler in. I was nervous about trying GU, etc. as I haven't eaten any sweets in 3 weeks (save for a Great Harvest scone, but it took me 5 days ;-). Over the last half today I did ingest a package of Sport Beans. They sure tasted sweet. I guess your taste buds adjust to not having sugar in your diet. If I do run a marathon in November, I don't think it will be anything close to fast, but if I have a decent finish I have to be satisfied with that. Talked with Dan and Stacy Edwards for a bit when I finished. Felt like I could have gone another 4.2 miles, but there was no one waiting for me with a medal and T-shirt. ;-)

Tom Woo is also tentatively planning to run Rails to Trails, possibly accompanied by Tom O'Leary, who's running Whistlestop today. Our merry little band of Rochester runners going to Rails to Trails is growing! The Whistlestop runners should be getting close to finishing now, with a 9:00 AM start. Hope they had a GREAT run!!

Just put another coat of white paint on the sidelites and another coat of burgundy on the door. The photo below was taken yesterday, after 2 coats. I'd had the paint re-tinted as it was too fire-engine red and I wanted more of a burgundy, and wanted it to match the Pella storm door I will be getting. So, the front door is off again, horizontal in the garage. I'm hoping no critters decide to venture inside again.

Area race results: The Bluff Run for the Arts 5K and 10K were run in Spring Grove last weekend. And guess what? A female won the 5K overall and a female (Rochester's own Marie Boyd) won the 10K overall, even besting her husband Bruce Turlington. WAY TO GO LADIES!! From race director Bob Bergsgaard: "One runner was quoted as saying he found the course to be “the most physically and mentally challenging course he had encountered” and found “UffDa Hill” to be a great term for the “monster hill” near the end of the race but also stated he was coming back next year."

Well, I need to make and photograph my recipe for the November issue of Running Room's eMagazine. Pumpkin Bread. With chocolate chips, of course. Then Ted wants to take down our garden fence. Then I think I'll be ready to sit for a spell. ;-)

Have a great day. Thanks for stopping by.