Clouds

After a short swim at the Y, I was heading home and noticed this amazing cloud formation. I grabbed the iPhone and snapped this shot at about 6:15 pm...

That's about it for now!

Forest Hills 5K...I got an award!!

I have never won an award in my running career, until today! At the first annual Forest Hills 5K I cranked out a 6:58 pace to become the 3rd place winner in my age group with a PR finish of 21:18 and overall finish of 28th, and at 47 years old, I'll take it with a grin!

The event was terrific with a total turnout of over 2000; the expected number was supposed to be only around 800.

Knees Suck; But I Need Them!

Ok, so see how my wife is sitting? See how how my daughter Greta is sitting? Their knees are bent and they look so comfortable. The dogs don't care...but I cringe! My knees are killing me right now, perhaps it's because I pushed too hard at the pig? Didn't stretch enough? Right knee has bursitis (I think). Painful. Can't walk right...stairs suck, etc. I'm thinkin' it's time to visit the Doc.

So, what to do? I went for a good swim today, hacked out some honeysuckle from our yard, and iced the knee. I am hoping all is OK for next weeks Mt. Airy trail run. This is such a fun event, and to those that read this, be there! It's a one (5.3 mi), or two loop (10.5 mi) event that really goes deep into the heart of the Mt. Airy trails. It's also a great introduction to the Stone Steps 50K and 27K (New this year) held in October.

Getting old? I'm not ready for that yet.

TTFN

Nuthin' Like 10,000+ Wet, Soggy Pigs!

The Sunday morning 6:00 am weather forecast was for a 100% chance of rain, and they were right. Ten hours after this photo was taken, this dry, pristine shirt and shoes were subjected to a heavy, drenching rainfall, thunder, and a few bolts of lightning thrown in for drama.

The 6:30 start was no different. Even though we were all trying to avoid puddles to keep our feet as dry as possible, it was futile, yet despite the rain, thousands of plastic bag-covered runners, the largest field ever, braved the elements and took off for the hills of Kentucky and Cincinnati for the 11th annual Flying Pig Marathon. Fortunately, the temperatures were in the upper 60's, so even though we were all soaked to the core, it wasn't that bad.

I felt great the entire 1/2 marathon distance and was hoping for a 1:30 finish, but the crowd was too large to really push my pace; of course the hills were also a major factor. But, once I tackled all of the hills at the 8 mile point, I felt strong enough to maintain 7-7:30 pace for the remaining 5 miles for a 1:46 finish.

Good race, not too cold, happy with the result!

TTFN