Group Training Run-SS50K

Hi all,
Went on a nice training run at Mt. Airy forest this morning with a great group of Ultra-Runners. The pace was slow and steady and I heard some great stories from some ultra veterans. Everything went well until my shoe "broke" as I pulled the laces tight. The piece of plastic that tightened the shoe around my ankles snapped off, so I felt a little wobbly during the run. I got in about 3 hours(12 miles) of running before things started to get painful. The shoe in question: Montrail Hurricane Ridge. I had read some reviews about this shoe and found that this flaw has happened to others. To be honest, this broken piece rendered the shoe useless! Ouch!
Anyway, things are on track for the SS50K in mid October.
More to come...
A

Foggy Update

Well, thing are not looking as good as we had hoped for Foggy...she is again missing as of Wednesday night. Last time we saw her she was laying in the flower bed, but looking very skinny, weak and dehydrated. I brought her inside, put her on her bed and assumed that I would be back in the morning to bury her. Next morning (Wednesday) she was gone, and I mean not in her bed!

Visions of "Pet Cemetery" entered my brain as I searched the house, expecting Foggy to creep up from the basement with sunken eyes and a low, eerie meow. I looked all over the house...nothing. I noticed that I had forgotten to close the back screen door. My hope is that she found a safe place to lie down and pass on, again.

Eeek.


TTFN

Found a Friend!!!

Foggy has been found! I still can't believe it, but we got word this morning that a dark brown calico cat had been found in the neighborhood. Just two doors down from my parents place, Foggy wandered into their back yard. Assuming she was lost and in poor health, they took her in, went to the vet and got her checked out. Turns out, she is in good health, but has a hyper-active thyroid. So...with proper medication and plenty of food, she should be fine. Who knew?
Welcome back, Foggy!

Lost Another Friend - Foggy the Cat

For 2 months I have been taking care of my parent's cat, Foggy, a very frail (20+ years old) calico. Well, for the past few days I have not seen her anywhere - not in the house - not outside. Last time I saw her she looked really tired and very "old." My fear is she has wandered off to put herself to rest. I have searched the entire house in hope of finding her sleeping in some remote corner, but no luck. I talked to a few cat people and both have assured me that cats do have a sense when their time is near and tend to find a safe, quiet spot to go...though I am still keeping an eye out just in case. Anyway, we miss her and glad she had a great life.
TTFN

Newtown 5K

Finally...after all my years living in Anderson Township, I ran the Newtown 5K. What the hell took so long? I have no idea. But this morning was a beautiful day and I woke up inspired. And with little time to spare, I threw on my running gear, grabbed a $20 from the petty cash jar and high-tailed it down the street to register, and I am so glad I did.

My race report: Fast course. After registering, I had about 30 minutes to warm up among the 600+ other participants. Walking around the starting area, I started to feel really old, as I realized most of the participants were middle and high-school cross-country runners putting in some needed speed work for the up-coming season. I was fine with that..
.
I felt pretty good gearing up for the start. After the gun, we made our way. Less than 7 minutes later, I heard the 1 mile volunteer blurt out, "6:50."
Now, I usually don't take off this fast, but this was great. "Was that the FIRST mile?" I asked the old man running next to me.

OK, so the first mile is basically down hill, but it was great inspiration to keep it going strong. I finished just a tad over 22 minutes and was very pleased with the results...8min/mile is my usual standard!

Ok then...TTFN

Ultra Wannabes-Visit Mt. Airy Forest

I admire ultrarunners. The stories I read always involve high levels of comraderie, cool equipment, intense situations, and an awesome post-race social atmosphere. In my running career, I have run 5 marathons, 3 halfs and numerous 5 and 10 k's, yet I have never taken on the challenge of an ultra.

Reason? I believe it's partly due to geography. Trail running in my part of the world did not blossom until recently, and those who had an interest had to travel to another zip code to experience a great trail. Eventually, Cincinnati runners discovered local parks that could provide a decent trail running experience, Mt Airy Forest and East Fork Lake are two good examples.

Over the last few weekends, I have made the 30 minute commute to Mt. Airy for some nice 10 mile trail runs and have really enjoyed the adventure of cruising along the single-track route, dodging root and rock, trying not to sheer an ankle or take a tumble. The experience is serene, quiet and tough! The goal: The Stone Steps 50K in October.

The race is several loops through the rolling park trails, with one major climb per loop up a huge and steep hill of stone steps. It is not pretty! But...it is a nice view once you reach the top.
Anyway, if all goes well over the next few months, I will take the plunge and give the Stone Steps a try. Wish me luck, because I know if I complete one of these things, I'll be itching for another.
TTFN