An end to the year.

It's the last day of 2008 and I think quite a good year for me running wise. It's been about 20 months since I solved the problem with my left foot. In April, 1 year after the fix I ran a 10 day race, completing 427 miles and confirming that I was indeed back. I had a tough 50k in the summer in very hot conditions. Then ran my best 2 mile and Marathon times for about 3 years. In the fall I ran a decent 24 hour. Then ran my first trail race, a 6 hour on Long Island. Finally on Thanksgiving I broke 40 minutes for 5 miles for the first time in I can't remember when, so yes I think 2008 was a good year. Oh yes! I turned 55 a few weeks ago.

Golden Sun

Went out for my run just as the Sun was coming up this morning. Unlike the last 2 weeks I did not see other runners out there on the roads. It was not too cold and the run was quite pleasant, running for just over an hour.On the way back I was running towards a golden Sun.

Be consistent

Something that as always been important to me has been to be consistent in my running . I find that once I get into a pattern of running on a regular basis I see the benefits, in both my general health and the results in my races. When I ran today it completed a streak of 8 months in which I have run every day. I have mentioned before that I have these running streaks, they can range from a few weeks to a few years. I never put any pressure on myself to run everyday, I just get the feeling that I want to go out and run and so I do. When I run in an "Ultra" race I have the same attitude, but because of my consistent training, it just feels right to run. Consistency is something to look into.

Nice Run

The mild weather continues, in fact it was warmer than I expected and a few miles into my run this morning I had to take my hat off. Just like last week I did see a couple of runners out there on the road. I do not usually see them during the week. For some reason I felt a little tight, but still comfortable during the run and decided to go a little further than last week. I ran about 7 miles in around 65 minutes. As I was running this morning I realized that I am very happy running in the countryside as opposed to the city, cars are not such a problem.

Hot Chocolate and Cherry scones

My first Sunday run in the UK was quite pleasant. With all the rain yesterday it was damp out there, but not too cold. It is really nice to run in the country side, seeing green fields and sheep as I ran along quiet roads. I managed to run about 6 miles and when I got back got to enjoy a hot chocolate and a cherry scone.

Last race of the year in the US

28 F was the temperature at the start of the 2 mile race this morning, but with no breeze it did not feel that cold. My first mile was 7:41 and my finishing time was 15:29, giving me a second mile of 7:48. So a little better than the last couple of weeks. This was my last race of the year, as I will be in the UK in a few days for the rest of the year.
I needed to run an errand this afternoon, so I decided to do it literally and ran about 3 1/2 miles to a store to buy something and then ran back. While out there I saw a couple of gas stations selling gas at $1.99 a gallon for unleaded regular. The likes of which have not been sen for quite some time.
I also saw a police car that had crashed into a traffic light. I wanted to take a photograph, but thought they might not like it.