weekend race report --Dec 6-7

Marty gives out some awards at the Trumbull Jingle Bell 5K!

me, greg and Ned before the 10K

Beth and I at finish of 10K --happy birthday Beth --it was fun while it lasted.

Frank and Don at start of 10K (Don wanted to run the course again but we didn't)
December is the best and worst of both running worlds --it's a rest from long runs, ultras, long races, marathons...it's also stressful in other ways --holiday shopping, sick kids, work, eating and drinking:)and it's cold and dark and hard to get running outside....so my goal is just to enjoy shorter races w/my friends and get my leg speed back. After the JFK 50 miler, didn't run more than 7 miles easy for 2 weeks--on roads with Francoise, or on treadmill at gym. -about 35 miles a week at 9:30 minute pace. on Thanksgiving, ran the hilly Gateway gobbler in an 8 minute pace with Frank, John, Karen newman, Darcy and Don ---it felt good to push myself just alittle harder than training pace!. I would have run the Bedford 5K except volunteered (and needed a break), and the Pete MacCardle x-country 15K except it was pouring rain and also my teenager was leaving for R.I.T. at noon!!
So.....this Saturday (cold but sunny) ran easy (23:30??) the Trumbull 5K with Frank and Ronnie --just to see if I could move my legs again. This is a nice rolling course that begins and ends on the Trumbull green --turns out that Ronnie won the 50s age group -yeah!! She told me that a group of crazy runners are doing the winter Leatherman's Loop next sunday.
Since I am already running the Taconic relay, decided that it would be too much!
Sunday was the Joe Kleinerman 10K and the ONLY reason I signed up was that it was the last team race of the season --but since snow was predicted, my teammates cancelled.
I went in with Frank and Don anyway and had a great time, except for the actual race.
I didn't ave any expectations, except to run a 7 min pace. The first mile was 7 minutes, and my legs felt like lead and my breathing was hard --not good!
Had to force myself to relax and not worry about pace. I finally got into the zone at mile 5 and ran the last mile in 6:45 (downhill) for 42:30?? Frank finished with me, --a great time considering he had a cold and swollen glands --I also had a sore throat and tight chest --arghhh. I fortunately don't have breathing problems in the winter --just in the spring and in the humidity...after we crossed the finish lne we ran into Beth, Ned and Greg....Don waited at a big tree for us and we all ran back to the car which was finally parked at 105th street!! When we were walking back to the car, we met up with leo, Joe and Tony from TRRC -they told me that prize money was given to the top 2 in each age group -so it appears I won $25 (coffee money for next race).. Next up, the holiday 4 miler 9for fun) and a priority race --the 15K.See Frank's blog for great photos (all the above photos taken by him -I forgot my camera)