Thanks!    I am having fun so far.

Well, if it was hand grenades or horseshoes, I would have been fine.  I set a new PR, but I am very disappointed that I missed my base goal by 5 seconds.   I did the 5K run associated with the Santa Clarita Marathon today in 27:05.   I had hoped to be under 27 and dreamed of 26:30.    No excuses, I just missed it, there were several places I am sure I could have made up the 5 seconds.   I also learned some valuable lessons; paramount among these is that in a race with 1265 participants.....crowd your way to the front so you don't have to weave your way through so many slower runners - I could have easily made up the 5 seonds there.

I was running at the limit of my current personal conditioning and skill level today.  I obviously need to step it up.

Thanks Brad!   I didn't mean to sound like I was having a pity party ....sometimes this medium is a bit "flat" in its ability to communicate nuanced language.....hence the dreaded "emoticons!"

I am having a blast learning to run.   I really have never done anything physical and was a poor/medioccre runner in high school.    I know that alot of this is simply gaining experience and you are right, I can find a race anytime, almost.    I am finding that scheduling a race is the key to my motivation.

What I leaned to do this time was to go visit the course ( and if I can't in the future use MapMyRun) and find the 1/2 mile marks and then write the 1/2 mile splits I want to hit, on my forearm below my watch.   1/2 mile chunks seem to work well for me and help me gauge how I am doing.  This time, had I watched them just a little closer, I would have made up the missing 5 seconds.....like I said....experience!

Thanks for the enouragement.

I really worked the calf strain, kept it compressed, rolled it regulalrly and had electro-stim.   Have been back at it and having fun.  I have been building my distance with the idea that with the "muscle memory" of running much farther than a 5K, I will be able to press harder on the shorter distance.  I am up to a little over 9.5 miles.

Also running 1 personally timed 5 k every week that is 1/2 uphill....and will be looking for flat 5K timed races.

Doing interval training, with three intervals at 8 minutes each, recovery at 3 minutes.....using Podrunners Staircase of the Gods program....this is kicking my butt.

Looking for a race late in January to kick of my 12 in 12.....hopefully.  

Next step: a 25:30 to 26:00 5k.

PDR Sunday....13.1 miles.