Holidays

Congrats to Gordon and Ann who both participated in the Kiawah Half. Weather conditions were suburb (wish it had been like that last year). The hectic race calendar now appears to be taking a holiday break. But things will pick back up again in January.

Who's planning on doing the Charleston Full or Half? How about Charlie Post? (I'll plan to be there.)

Ricky, Matt and I had a good 12 miler on Sunday. We picked up Tom Mather at about the half way point and he ran with us for a few miles (albeit a bit slower than he's probably used to).

Kiawah

Good luck to everyone running Kiawah tomorrow. The weather looks like it will be nearly perfect. Much better than last year.

Cami, Michelle and I had a great run on Sunday. It's been a balmy December, so far. We'll see how the rest plays out.

I plan to be there Sunday. Hope to see folks out there.

And still more racing...

Congrats to all of our Turkey Day warriors. Cami got top overall masters, Ann was eighth overall, and Ricky was sixth in his age group (who am I leaving out?).

Reindeer Run is coming up this Saturday. The hits just keep on coming.

I missed this past Sunday with a nasty cold, but I'm looking forward to being back this coming Sunday. Hope to see folks then.

Turkey Day

Good luck to everyone running Turkey Day tomorrow. Looks like the weather will be perfect.

Gordon, Jay and I had a great run on Sunday. The warm weather makes rolling out of bed that much easier. I plan to be there this Sunday. Hope to see everyone out there, ready to run off some of the feasting.

More Racing News

A big congratulations to Michelle, who pulled off a 3:31 in her debut marathon in Savannah this past weekend. Mighty impressive, though not too surprising given how hard she's trained. Boston is now on the table.

The West Ashley crowd also racked up at the James Island Connector Run this past Saturday. Anne got second overall, Greg got fifth overall, Cami got first place Masters, and Gordon got fifth in his age group. (and what the heck, we'll also claim our occasional attendee Francis Woodard, who won her age group). Way to represent, everyone!

I'm just starting to get my legs back after MCM. I plan to be there for our long run this Sunday. Look forward to hearing some race stories.

Marathons R Us

Had a great time in DC, the weather was clear but freeeeezing, 31 with a wind chill of 27 (still better than being too hot). Thanks for all the support in training. I definitely wouldn't be able to do this well without my fellow psychopa...I mean, runners. Brush with celebrity note: Drew Carey was our official starter. He then jumped in the marathon and finished in 4:37. Not too shabby.

Ricky was cruising in Frankfurt. He ran a much smarter, solid marathon. And check out this little technological leap: Frankfurt has a series of streaming video feeds in front of each timing mat that tracks each runner and creates a quick video clip as they cross the mat. Ricky's results page has a video link to his series of video clips (so no one can accuse him of throwing in a sub).

Click here to check it out. Ricky is wearing the orange sleeveless crewneck, no hat. (note: the video begins with the obligatory commercial and intro). Ain't the future fun?

Good luck to Michelle on her debut marathon in Savannah this weekend. Given how solid she's been ticking off those long runs, she should have no troubles. Also good luck to anyone heading to New York.

I won't be in attendance for our long run this Sunday, but will make it out the next.

MCM

We've been waiting with excitement John's MCM adventure. At least I know that Gordon and I, while battling a chilly morning long run, were keeping in our thoughts John, wishing him well in his marathon quest, hoping he will have great weather and no wind. And after the run, of course I found myself cheering and staring at the on line tracking, wishing that somehow I could communicate through telepathy my whisper of strength, power and endurance from the 35 K onward.

I hope John is very proud of his result. I think he should be, considering what he 's been through for the last 10 months. He never gave up, fought through injury, and quickly regained his coveted fitness. His journey is amazing, and he continues to inspire us every day and in every way. Truth to be told, I just could not slack off on my track workouts, knowing that John will be there at the crack of dawn, running 12x1 mile repeats precisely on pace, like a metronome.

Congrats and have a quick recovery! We will be waiting for details.

Good luck to everyone running Savannah next weekend.

Avondale 5K

So - if there's a race that starts 1/4 mile from your front door - there probably aren't too many excuses you can legitimately roll out for not doing it.  I noticed Gordon bagged 2nd in our age group here last year, the inaugural running of this race - so thought I'd open this year's road racing account (what d'you mean 2011 is almost over!?) with what I hoped would be my local fish-and-chipper*

YIKES! - I guess the quality of West Ashley running has increased - or else the fine Autumn weather prompted lots of talent to make the trip to the Avondale Triangle.  Cami was looking fit and fast.  Seekings was looking calm  - I didn't recognise anybody else - I thought I may be able to keep up with either Mike or Cami - and opted to start fast and see how long I could hang there.  With blood oxygen levels depleting as fast as the economic downturn of 2008, and lactic rising as quickly as the national unemployment rate; the front runners started passing through me from the 1 mile marker onwards like a dose of salts....

Despite my heaving lungs and panicking brain, the 2 mile marker came at less than 13 minutes - which surprised the $#!t out of me - so I decided to hang on, empty the tank and see how the finale panned out.  I barely beat some 12 year old into the finish chute, with Cami on the distant horizon and Seekings nowhere to be seen.  He would take 1st Masters in 18:sumthin  (fit b@5t@rd - isn't he supposed to be politicking or helping the city ?!) - Cami would take 3rd lady overall, a few seconds under 20mins.  Meredith Nelson took 1st Masters with a smidgin over 21 mins - I had to wait until the age group results to gauge success.

D@mn - despite bettering GN's time from last year by almost half a minute, my 20:29 was only good enough to get me third young40sumthin - still, at what other races can you score Mimosas, beer and breakfast biscuits at the finish line ?

Good Luck to John and the other Marine Corps contenders next weekend.  I'm helping with the Ecothon out at Capers tomorrow, so will not be able to join you at 7am. 

(* ed note - easy scottish race where you feature on podiums without much effort and no training due to small talent pool in out of the way places)

Autumn Weather

Autumn must be here. Gordon returns and we're getting our first taste of some good fall weather. It was great to welcome Jay and Josh to the group, as Michelle, Matt and I are putting the final touches on our marathon training.

What other upcoming races are folks training for? I need to update our list.

I'll be working the finish line at the Folly Beach Challenge this Saturday (not to late to sign up, if you're looking for something different). For our Sunday morning run, I'll be going a little shorter (8 miles). How about other folks?

Solid Performances

Let's hear it for Cami and Ann, both of whom traveled north, only to wind up racing under unseasonably hot conditions (seems they took our weather with them). Cami traveled to Boston to race in the Tufts 10K earlier today. The race started at noon. You wouldn't think that would be a problem in Boston in October. It was 85 degrees (two degrees shy of a record). With a time of 45:47, Cami wound up 140th in an event with over 6,400 participants (22nd out of 1,570 in her AG).

Ann also battled some heat in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. Chicago reached 80 degrees that day. Ann finished in the top 300 overall with a time of 3:21:20 (50th in her AG). Outstanding performances, especially considering the temps.

It is rare indeed when our Sunday run gets to enjoy cooler temps than Boston and Chicago. Can't wait to hear the war stories. Remember our runs are now starting at 7:00 a.m. Hope to see everyone on Sunday.

7:00 a.m.start time for this Sunday

It's that time of year again. Our start time is moving up to 7:00 a.m.

Oh what a difference a week makes. We were treated to wonderful, cool weather for our long run on Sunday. There was definitely more spring in the steps this week. For those of us prepping for long races this fall, the long mileage has gotten much more bearable. We'll see everyone out there again this Sunday.

Good luck to Cami racing at the Tufts 10K in Boston this coming Monday.

See everyone else at 7:00 a.m. this Sunday.

Where's Autumn?

Michelle, Ricky and I were pleased to welcome Rhett to the group. We had a serious day of running. The "short" loop was 14 miles. Ricky and I were going at a fairly serious clip when Tom Mather caught us at the base of the bridge and ran with us back into Charleston. As you might guess, the pace picked up even more as Tom and Ricky began channelling Ryan Hall and Dathan Ritzenhein. I was apparently channelling Elmer Fudd and struggled badly for the last three miles. I was a zombie for the rest of the day.

Can't wait to do it again this Sunday. Hope to see everyone out there.

Asheville

Had a great time at the Asheville Half. The Charleston crowd was representin'. The weather was perfect. The course was evil. Free Highland Ale at the finish line. All things were in their place.

We had a good long run on Sunday. Cody, Cami and I welcomed Matt and gave him the grand tour (West Ashley to downtown to Mt. Pleasant and back). Hope to see everyone out there again this Sunday.

September

Congrats to Ricky. His team got second place in the Century division of the Colorado Relay. Who needs altitude training?

We had a good crowd on Sunday. Ann, Swaz, Cody, Kristina, Michelle and myself had what could actually be described as cooler weather (all things being relative). Let's hope this trend continues.

Just keep moving, Irene!

Good luck to Ricky in the Colorado Relay starting today. I'm sure their weather will be better than ours.

We had a good run this past Sunday. The Swaz is back in town and joined Cami, Scott and me. I plan to be there this Sunday as well. Hopefully Irene will move on through quickly and we'll have a cooler weekend to enjoy.

Dog Days

Late summer temps are starting to drop. That's how you can tell it's August, when we think of a 90 degree high as a cold spell. Cami and I were happy to have Michelle and Cody join us for our long run on Sunday. Michelle cranked six more miles on top of our run in prep for the Savannah Rock and Roll (I'd say she's plenty ready). Hope to see them again soon.

Hope to see everyone out there this Sunday.

Hot Summer Nights

Ran the Hot Summer Nights 5K in Columbia last weekend. The race lived up to its name. It was over 90 degrees when the race started at 7:00 p.m. The course is relatively flat and I went through the first mile at a nice pace. However at that point, things got noticeably slower. My overall pace wound up being slower than the hilly 4-miler Gordon and I ran last month.

Here's the funny part. After mile one, I started passing people. Lot's of them. It was this weird optical illusion. My watch was telling me one thing ("You're slowing down!"). But the competition on the horizon line was saying another. I guess that sometimes the key to success is simply survival.

Scott and I had a good run on Sunday morning. It felt good to shake off the burn from the previous evening with a nice slow morning run. I should be there this Sunday. Hope to see everyone else.

August at last

Our last run in July was just plain hot. Running in the coolest part of the day, it was still 80 degrees when we started (85 when we finished). It was definitely a stick-your-head-in-the-fountain day. Hopefully, August will be kinder.

I'm thinking about running the Hot Summer Nights 5K in Columbia this Saturday. It has been years since I've run an evening race.

I've also put a couple of races in our "Races We're Training For" column. Are there any others I should put there? Let me know.

Starting to feel better

I've been running and starting to feel better. I was the recipient of a sports massage and she kicked my butt.  I will probably run the bridge tomorrow morning as I have to try to prepare for the Colorado Relay next month.

Still Hot

Cami and I had a good Sunday run, though the heat really seems to be nonstop. Our mid-week speed work seems to be suffering more than our long runs. I just keep telling myself that it will all pay dividends when the autumn gets here. I will be traveling this weekend, but hopefully we'll have a few folks to carry on the tradition.

There were a couple interesting things to note in David Quick's most recent blog entry: (1) Neville Miller will be moving back to Missouri, and (2) a certain Robert Turner's name showed up on the results of the SOAR 5K run. Hmmmm.

Back in the Hood

Anne and I managed a brisk, short run on Sunday. Perfect pre-race for me. Then Gordon and I had a good time at the Born in the USA 4-Miler on Monday. With a race route basically through my childhood stomping grounds, Gordon got a grand tour of the neighborhood where I first developed a passion for running.

I'm definitely giving two thumbs up to summer races that provide a variety of fresh fruit. We had really good cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple, and strawberries at the end (I also got a watermelon as my AG prize). Nice.

Ran into Cami on the greenway this morning. She and I plan to be there this Sunday for the long run. Hope to see others.

Happy 4th

We had a great run on Sunday. Greg, Gordon, Reagan and I managed to crank out a 12 miler. It was definitely a day to get the run done early. We saw lots of other runners out.

Are folks planning to race this weekend? I'm planning on running the Born in the USA 4 miler in Columbia on Monday. Time to see if I've shaken off the rust.

I know some folks are out to town, but I plan to be there Sunday for our morning run, though I don't plan to go too long. Anyone else?

Hot!

According to the National Weather Service, we set a record yesterday: 100 degrees on the nose. By the time we were completing our run, it was in the low 80's. We still managed a brisk 8:00 minute pace. It was great to welcome Reagan and hope to see her again.

Winning the "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" award for the day is Gordon, who elected to launch a 12 mile run at 11:00 that morning (we have photographic evidence). I'm sure it was a lot like Lawrence of Arabia only without the long robes and nice, handy camels.

We'll see you this coming Sunday at the much more sensible time of 6:30.

Summer Time

We had a good run today. The long run went about 12 and a half. Still looking for a summer race to put on the calendar. PRC is going to have a couple of Wednesday Night Runs: The Summer Fun Trail 5K Series. These are going to be trail runs, but each has a twist. The first one, this Wednesday, will have age graded handicap starts (oldest to youngest). Could be just the one for me.

Floppin' Flounder

Good luck to everyone running Floppin' Flounder on Saturday. Hope the temps won't be too high.

Good crowd for our first 6:30 run this past Sunday. We caught our Mt. Pleasant counterparts at the half way point and ran with them for a bit. The heat is on for the summer, but that extra half hour helps.

Good luck to Molly in her travels to the far reaches of the globe. We hope to see her in the future and hear about her adventures.

Hope to see everyone Sunday Morning.

Sunday Morning 6:30

The consensus is in. Our start time for Sunday morning is now 6:30 a.m. It's time to beat the heat.

See everyone at 6:30.

Summer Hours

We had a great crowd on Sunday. But the temperature was definitely moving into the tropical range. The coming week appears to be even hotter.

Is everyone good for moving our start times to 6:30 a.m. for the Sunday run? This is something we normally do about at this time of year. Please let me know.

Heatin' Up

The weather has been graciously cool for the last couple of weeks or so (relatively speaking). But it looks like things are about to heat up as June approaches. Waiting to hear Gordon's tales of the relay. Sounds like team Don't Tradd on Me managed to maintain healthy levels of PMA (positive mental attitude) in spite of a poorly organized event.

I'm looking to go about 12 on Sunday. How about other folks?

This Weekend

Good luck to Gordon, Howie and all the other members of team "Don't Tradd on Me", running in the Smokey Mountain Relay this weekend. There's a chance of rain, but the high and low temps should be just about right. Can't wait to hear the stories.

Looking forward to our Sunday run. I'm just about back on track with my weekly mileage. Hope to see some folks out there.

Sunday Run

We had a great crowd this past Sunday. Some of us are recovering from a busy racing schedule. Some of us are shaking off the rust. Everyone agreed that there are plenty of races to choose from, coming up. Good luck to anyone running Hell Hole this Saturday.

Easter Run

Good run this morning even in the heat. Looks like we were averaging just over 8 min pace most of the way. Did have some direction mishaps but all and all a good run. Mid span of the bridge at one point we almost went sub 7 then I bonked...and walked for a bit...but the group kept going. Is the heat here to stay? Last Sunday morning was so nice!

Grete the Great

So sad to hear that Grete Waitz has passed away. Truly a running legend, as her Wikipedia page shows.

Happy Patriot's Day

The Boston Marathon is underway, and is sure to be a distraction at my desk all morning. We'll see if Ryan Hall and new momma, Kara Goucher, can make something happen. Here's hoping good luck to all our Tuesday night track crowd (Karl, Jay, Mike S.) up in Boston today.

We had a fine run yesterday. Perhaps the last of the cool weather. We'll see.

Correction: In my last post, I wrote that Gordon will be in the "Blue Ridge Relay" (which is in September). Of course, I meant to indicate that he's in the Smokey Mountain Relay coming up in May.

Palmetto 200

Congratulations to Ricky and Greg, whose team finished 3rd overall in the Palmetto 200. Gordon is preparing for the Blue Ridge Relay. With Swaz's ultra experience, it looks like we're becoming quite the ultra crowd.

I showed up for my first Sunday morning run of 2011 (thanks Gordon and Scott). Hopefully, my recovery will stay on track. Clearly I need to put an ultra on my calendar. Everyone have a good week.

Catherine the Great

I just had the pleasure of introducing my girls to Catherine Ndereba at the Bridge Run Expo. She was very sweet and we talked for a moment. It's great that she's back.

Good luck to everyone running tomorrow. I'll see you in Marion Square.

Rain, Rain...

At 6:15 this morning it sounded like it was coming down so I hit the alarm and tried to go back to sleep. At 6:46 I decided to go for it and with a cup of joe ran out the back door. I ran over to S-bucks but nobody was there so I took off downtown. Nice temperature and no rain but the car splash potential was huge! I know we usually bag it on raining days but I needed a run! BTW is anyone from our group doing the bridge run?

Spring is here

And with it, let's hope a few good races. Gordon won his age group at the Mullet Haul (I was tabulating the results, but I swear he won fair and square). Other than that, our group hasn't been racing too much. Annie is but a few weeks away from motherhood. Cami and I are coming down off of injuries, in the midst of rehab, and chomping at the bit to get back to some serious running. But, slow and steady is the road to recovery.

In the meantime, sounds like folks are still spending time at the road races. I worked Mullet Haul. Rusty volunteered at Catch the Leprechaun. Bridge Run is only two weeks away.

How is our Sunday morning group? I haven't been in a while and I'd like to know how it's going.

Mullet Haul

I saw Gordon's name on the list of participants for the Mullet Haul 5M/10M tomorrow on John's Island. Mike Stern is thinking about it. I'll be working the finish line. Is anybody else planning on showing up? The course is great. The weather should be great too.

Sold Out!

The Marine Corps Marathon filled up in just over 24 hours and registration is closed. Yikes. I think that this is going to be the standard with major marathons from now on. I registered yesterday afternoon and now must hope that I'm recovered and back in shape by then.

Semper Fi.

MCM Registration

Just a reminder: Marine Corps Marathon registration starts tomorrow, Feb 23rd. Sign up and line up. Hopefully, we'll be ready to go by then.

Warm weather?

Ricky and I had a nice run yesterday morning...we split around 6 and met back at s-bucks. It was a nice morning and hopefully the chilly days are a thing of the past. Today begged for a long run hitting 70 like it did. Race calender is packed for the next 3-4 months - soon we will be complaining about the heat!

Swimming the Half

After battling a cold for the last three weeks I decided last night to only run the 5K at Folly this year. That was last night. This morning coming up on the 5K/Half turn off I thought what the hell - you only live once. Of course right after that the monsoon hit! Luckily it was not that cold but it did get a little windy. I admit I did not push it as I have so little confidence after Kiawah but I did try to pick it up the last couple of miles. Note to self - wear flippers next time in similar conditions. Poor time but I felt I had to represent the West Ashley crowd - it's been a bit quiet on Sunday mornings lately. See everyone tomorrow!

The International

Three cheers to Ann for winning first overall at Charlie Post this year. Our group continues to represent on the local race scene.

With a few of us struggling with injuries right now, I'm curious to know what people's plans are for upcoming races. Save the Light at Myrtle Beach are coming up. Not sure I'll make it on Sunday. What are other folks planning?

Also, if you haven't checked out Swaz's Wikipedia page (click here), make sure and do so. While enlightening, it is far too spartan for such a cosmopolitan figure, and I believe it needs a bit of updating (nothing about running). Who would like to pitch in?

Personally, I'm filing this one under "I didn't know what I didn't know."

Marathon Season

Charleston Marathon was a success. It was great seeing everyone out there. Ricky and Greg cranked out a couple of strong marathons. Both finished in the top 20 overall. It was great yelling at them...I mean, cheering them on.

Is anyone in the group planning to run the Myrtle Beach full or half? I was just curious to know if anyone is gearing up for that one. Seems we've had representation at that event for the last few years (even when it was canceled).

Beautiful Morning!

What a great sunrise on the battery this morning. Plenty of cyclists and runners taking in the early morning urban environs. Looks like a busy race schedule coming up...Charlie Post, Folly Half, and the Messa 8K among others. Next thing you know it will be the bridge run and Swaz will be back in town!

Ok it was Cold!

Being Canadian I think I can judge coldness...it was pretty cold on the bridge Sunday morning but back in town it was not too bad. Good luck to Rickie this weekend! The Mount P group had a large turnout Sunday morning when we met them behind Teeter. Hopefully the weather will get better in the weeks to come.

Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a happy and safe new year. Now, it's time to get back down to business. Only two weeks to Riverfront Marathon. Then Charlie Post and Folly Half, all in the span of a month.

I'm nursing a post Kiawah injury, so I won't be there in the morning. Who's planning on showing up? What kind of distances are we looking at?