Mid-March update..and race photos

Jim poses behind the runners after the 8K

Roy is way too cool for us!

Me, Don, Rob, Kate and Roy after the 30th running of the Spring Equinox 8K

Frank, Fran and Maria after 15K

Ilana, Pam and me after the NYRRC 15K

Frank, Ilana and Pam after the NYRRC Colon cancer 15K

Frank and Eric after the 8000

Ilana, me and Eliot after the NYRRC 8000

Frank, Tom, Bob and me after the NYRRC 8000
Finally, after a 'March break', am getting around to updating my blog. It seems scary that Umstead is almost here --just 2 weeks away. It will make me happy indeed if we have sunny, dry weather the weekend of April 4-5 as opposed to last year when it poured rain. But am off on a tangent Last weekend was a blur --I ran the NYRRC 8000 w/Frank and we both had good races (33:6 and 33:47, respectively)...I was happy to come in a distant second behind Sharon in the 8K:) I wasn't going to race this 4.9 mile race but it was on a Saturday morning which meant I could do a longish run after --so I did do 21 more miles to make to 26 for the day. The next day, I volunteered at the taconic St Pat's 10K and ran 13 miles easy..that was the last long weekend, I guess, for Umstead. I would have felt better if I got in a 6 hour run (35-37 miles) but it's too late for that now. I am glad that we raced, and that counts for something in terms of body fatigue and training --then, I took it easy last week, starting with 11 miles on Monday, 5 miles easy on tues,wed and thurs and off on Friday.
This weekend, the weekend of March 21-22, ran 6.5 easy on Sat (Ike had a play rehersal sat morning) and ran the Colon cancer 15K on Sunday --I woke up not mentally ready to race, but knew that I had run little this week and this was a window where i could have a good race --plus, Frank offered to volunteer and so would be on the sidelines cheering, and Pam and Ilana were running... because the 15K didn't start til 10:15, i was able to get in a 2 mile warm up in Central Park! So I did end up feeling good at 6:50 pace at 5 miles. After i saw Frank at mile 5.5 (he was at 72nd street), I kind of died going up cat hill:( I said t myself 'if I just keep up a 7 min pace I'll break 7 min average'...so that became my goal, which was not easy with the 2 hilly miles -cat hill and the west side hill --miles 6 and 8 of the course. I did hit mile 9 in 1:02, and finished in 1:04:09, a 6:53 pace ---which I should be able to do.
Even so, it was my fastest 15K in 3 years!! (mainly because of the ultra training? haha). We got some bagels and socialized with Pam, maria, Fran,and Ilana and then the minute I got in the door, I rushed Ike down to the St. Patrick's parade, where he marched with cub scouts. I drove up to New canaan and jogged the 8K, plus 3 more..
It was cold and wind up in new canaan --I never even saw Kate, Don, Rob or Roy as they all had speedy races!! I ran with John and Alicia and was perfectly happy with the workout, being stiff from the morning and from the driving:(
Then, to top off the day, I went to Lee's to a Taconic RR club ladies' party. So it turned out to be a fun day. Tommorrow night is the NYRRC 'club night', where the teams and individual age group runners are given awards. Since I was lucky enough to be included in the 50-54 female nominees (for 2008), I get a 'free' entry...Susan B. will be my date, and we have a huge group of Taconics going.
More on that in next entry --plus , it's down to the wire for Umstead and so time to think about the right trainign for next weekend (with the goal of going down to NC healthy and not injured):)...