still running?

[MrsZ]

I remember that picture from last year! I love it.

[deerfield]

Last weekend one of Chicago's public high schools hosted a cross country meet. The venue was Lincoln Park. a wonderful, green oasis north of the downtown area that includes a zoo and nature museum. There must have been at least ten schools represented, including a high school from Palo Alto, California. My son continues to stick with it and is making a season of cross country. Still one of the slowest runners, but I am proud of him with every stride he takes. Thought I would share a few pictures from the meet. Enjoy.

[yearround]

great fun glad he is sticking it. i remember my HS days in XC. i like the kid with the skinny legs in the fourth pic!

i have a half marathon this sat, my wife starts a 5k 1 hr later, my goal is to beat her to the finish line. she said i would be a wife beater if i did and she does not want to be married to a wife beater. what should i do?

[deerfield]

Attached are pictures taken at today's cross-country meet. Not the exact same location as last Saturday's meet but still along the lake front north of downtown Chicago. Today's meet included events for junior high (3,000 meters), high school (5,000 meters), and collegiate teams (8,000 meters). First picture is our high school's boys' team. Second picture is one of our girl runners (orange and white outfit). Third pic is a bunch of guys that did a terrific job of providing rhythm and cheers. Last two pics are collegiate runners. Perfect weather. Cool and sunny. I met a coach from the University of Toronto. She ran the 1,500 meter at the '92 and '96 Olympics. Lots of talent, grit, and effort today. Those of you in the Moomba family training and running, keep up the good work!

[zegm]

Hey Ms. Z and I ran a scheduled 4 miles today and it felt great. It was all in the woods and around the farmland!
Last week we went to our normal Bay County Park and to our surprise there was a High School Cross Country meet going on. Well after asking if it was ok to run (and it was) the Girls Varsity caught up to us after our first mile. Well lets just say that I set a personal best (after injury) as I tried to stay with the pack. Nothing like competition to get you going, just can't say that I ever had to run against this type before but again I was able to improve my times! Funny story at the end, so here I am trying to stay with these young runners and at the end I take a left and they go right. I have .25 mile left so I start to give it all, as fast as I can go! After what seemed like hours my Garmin beeps telling me it is over, 4 miles Done Completed! Just as I am slowing down I happen to look down and I almost step on a big Black Rat Snake! Somehow I miss it but I was so worried that my heart which was beating kind of hard earlier now jumped into a higher gear! I thought I might be gone! But all was good and I am still here today!

[yearround]

go ed. keep the miles going.

i did a half on saturday, i did not beat my wife on her 5k, the 5k started 1 hr after the half, both finished at the same place. i did finish at 1:38:42. 18 OA 4 AG

i have started speed work on wednesday's, this is helping my speed. just need to do more.

will get to watch our HS XC this week. have some neighbors who run, wish my kids would.

[yearround]

the Girls Varsity caught up to us after our first mile. Well lets just say that I set a personal best (after injury) as I tried to stay with the pack. Nothing like competition to get you going, just can't say that I ever had to run against this type before but again I was able to improve my times!

those HS kids can be really good. if they want, they toy with you then smoke you at the end. but the do provide great motivation for us old folks.

[deerfield]

Hey, Ed - Silly question for you. What do you guys think about while running these long distances? What keeps you from getting impatient? That kind of distance means you're running non=stop for a long time. Great job on the fifteen miles. Hope the sixteen miles goes as well next weekend. - Deerfield

[deerfield]

i did finish at 1:38:42. 18 OA 4 AG

yearround - I did the math. If I'm right, your mile splits averaged seven minutes thirty seconds. Very cool. Am I right on the time? - Deerfield

[yearround]

deerfield,
yep, you did the math right. i was at 7:32 for my average pace.

as for what do you do/think while running a long time. i often have the same question. what am i thinking about while i run?

i do not run with ear phones. just my preference, i don't really care for the practice either.

for myself, if i am with other people, i like to talk. the strangest subject come up that i don't think would ever happen otherwise. when i am alone i wander. often, i get in a zone, may go a few miles before i get back to reality. just watch the watch and make sure i am on my pace. usually very peaceful and relaxing.

it gets really hard to do the complex math of figuring time, minutes, seconds, miles etc, i usually have a time sheet with splits to help.