Happy almost New Year!

I need to get some cleaning done today and cooking before our huge party tonight of - get this - 3 people coming over - LOL. We have had yet another snow storm come through overnight (its still snowing) and I think it means we have achieved the snowiest winter on record (since 1896) - YAY. Hubby keeps saying this is gonna be a BAD winter!! Yeah, thanks I have to get all my runs in, should be fun!!

Happy - you are such a spring chicken! Don't worry about age - it really is how you feel and not the number. I look at this 81 year old woman in my running club and think she's done something right - staying active and maintaining a healthy weight is key. I applaud you for going back to WW and weighing in. I did not have the balls to do it but I promise I will be back on the WW wagon on 1/4. I think at that time I will have about 10 to get back to lifetime - we will all be here supporting each other and hopefully posting recipes to keep it interesting.

Lifein - I see you have a 5K on the board. That is awesome. It is such an exciting and scarey thing that first race. Enjoy it, take lots of pictures and know that whatever your time is it will be a "PR". My first race my friend said that - wow - you have a PR. I had no idea what she was talking about. PR = Personal Record for that distance. I see Michelle used "PB" or Personal Best for her race. My goal when I first started running was to make sure I ran three times a week. It is easy for other things to take that time away so putting on your calandar Mon, Wed, Fri was important for me or I wouldn't do it.

Bo - glad we could amuse you way up there in Alaska! LOL - too funny though. Wouldn't it have been a hoot if I had gotten a picture - LOL.

Dan - I miss you too!! Where are you??

Maxie - I like the blue type!! I have to figure out how to post pics and such. Maybe today after I get my cooking and cleaning done I will post the picture from my long run on Sunday.

Stay safe tonight everyone!!!

Happy New Year's to everyone! This is by far my favorite day of the entire year!!!! Getting ready for the big race tonight as my first one back after my fracture. Definately not going to be a PR....but I'm psyched for the free shirt (long-sleeved!) and finisher's medal (they don't give a lot of finisher's medals out around here)!!!!

Good luck to Happy and NHmommy tomorrow!

Happy - I can't believe the registration person at your meeting! That is nuts! I'm close in age (just turned 30) and definately dont consider it OLD!!!! Just stick with the program and you'll get back there!

Well - tonight after the race I think we are going to try to attempt dinner out (always a challenge on new year's with the crowds) and then hang back either here or at another couple's house (just 4 of us so keepin it small).

Tomorow up to my parents for a bit and then to DH's parents since they are flying in tonight and leaving again in 2 days.

Again, Happy New Year to you and yours. May 2008 bring you good health, peace and happiness (and some lost pounds!)

Hi all

Hope you all have fun doing whatever you do tonight, my night consists of a hockey game, my Aces are playing the Utah Grizz and it should be an interesting game as it is the final game in a 3 game series up here and there has been some love brewing out on the ice After the game we are going to TGIF which is about our only option because most other places either close at 10 or you have to be 21 and my sons GF is not quite 21, it would be too mean to send her home on her own while we all party.

I miss Dan too, I think he posted over here after the transistion so I don't think we lost him, I hope he is just too busy, I worry about his mum and uncle tho.

Nhmommy LOL we have flights but we have actually been quite stranded up here this past holiday seaon, there were 5 days that I heard every seat on every plane was sold out and we don't really have the option of driving out of here unless you have days extra to spend on the Alcan.

It will be tough to put too many races on my calendar yet, April/May will be a rush getting things ready to move down to FL, my son gets married end of May then we drice out of here for our monster trip to Panama city. Once I get there I have no clue about where I will live, work etc so it will be tough to commit to much until things are all set. I am really looking forward to the VB race tho, I am so glad Pluggin twisted my arm on that! For now that is the only certain event in my life in the second 1/2 of next year

A first draft of the AK runners calendar is online it is looking like I will be able to do the heart run and Salmon run up here before I leave. I am hoping to do the run for women also as a friend is fighting breast cancer, that race looks like it is happening on 14 June tho which would be cutting it tight as we have to be in Panama City by June 26. We also have a winter festival up here that is just before the start of the Iditarod, I heard they are going to have a 'run with the reindeer' event, something along the line of running with the bulls in Spain. I will have to check that out, as long as it is not cruel it could be fun! I am just having race withdrawals!

Well I only came home to feed my dogs, have to run back to work then onto the game, will send you all good wishes at 8, 9, 10, 11 LOL I have already said HNW so much today, my DH in Korea, my brother in Turkey, my Mom in England, all you East coasters are next!!

You can all wish me HNY at 4, 3, 2 & 1am your time LOL just kidding, don't stay up late for me, am sure some of you are running tomorrow, I will be to burnt off the big pretty blended drink I will have tonight

Later {{{hugs}}}

---

Lifetimer still learning to maintain :) Starting weight 228.5 Goal weight 135 current weight 139

Hey everyone!!!! Happy New Year from NY!!!! Hope you all had a great night! Well my race was quite interesting and not in a good way (for one runner - not me). Carpooled to the race with a friend who is getting over pneumonia...and since I'm getting over my stress fracture we made a pack to run or walk together! So we got there around 4:45 and got our shirts (ugly tan color) and numbers and ankle chips. Went to the start line about 5:25 and started promptly at 5:30. It was cold and starting to get icey. We ran the first mile at about 10:15 pace which didn't seem all that bad, also considering it was quite a hilly course (and i don't mean downhill!!!!) At about 1.5 miles we were both getting pretty winded and decided we would walk through the water station. What we thought was the water station though turned out to be a runner down on the ground with a group of people around him. So we stopped (I work in medicine and am also a volly EMT) and this poor guy I think was having a big stroke or something. Barely breathing (like 2 times a minute) with a thready pulse. And none of the volunteer race officials nearby had a radio to get medical attention coming. A runner called 911 but it took about 5 minutes to get there, and I actually knew one of the guys that showed up so I gave him as much of a scoop as I could about what happened. I was actually quite surprised at the number of people that ran by (must have been 300 or so) without much of a care about what was going on. So needless to say, although we weren't going for any kind of PR....that definately blew it for the rest of the race. We ran another mile and then started walking again. We were probably on target for a sub 35:00 finish until the medical stop and then the walking. Ended up bringing up the rear of the race and crossed at 4416 I think. But can at least feel good about the fact that I was able to run the first 1.5 miles without stopping, and that we indeed stopped to help someone in need. I mean, who cares about a lousy PR....really brings things into perspective that this guy probably is not going to make it....and he literally dropped right in front of us...1.5 miles into a 5k! He was running by himself and the only info on him was what was on his bib (he was in his 50's). Scarey and sad...because I just kept looking around at the finish (there were only about 15 people behind us) looking for possibly his wife or something that would have been waiting for him to finish but I didn't see anyone.

Anyway...just make sure you're all careful in your training and races....and if it doesn't feel right...STOP or WALK! it's only one race and there will always be others. Good luck to the hangerover runners tomorrow!

~Cheryl

Happy New Year from NH!

We had people over until 2 a.m. and I managed to get to a morning fun run at 10. We ran 5 miles and then hung out for an hour or so. So many nice breads and pastries (which I avoided!). Great way to start the new year with a nice morning run!

Cheryl - the right thing feels good doesn't it? Stopping for a runner in need is just the right thing to do. Races come and go but perhaps you made a difference by giving the first responders any information. I hope you can find out what happened to him. I ran a race this summer that a very young girl was on the ground semi-conscious but there were already 20 people there helping her so they were telling us to keep on going.

I am going to try to figure out my camera today and if successful will have a pic up later.

i guess it wasn't in the card today. ugh. we got to the start of the race and it was soooo icy. i figured it would be ok by race time, pretty nice day for the most part here , snow, but not until after race time and it was about 35 when we arrived. so we go into the bar where they have set up for the registration and bib pick up. There are soooo many people there it was crazy. they didn't have bib pick up laid out like all the other races I have ever done where they break up the numbers by last name, you were suppossed to find your bib number on a board (which was posted only in one place - on the other side of the bar from the actual bib numbers). By the time we got our bib number and our bib, get this - the race had STARTED!!!!! They started the race without all the people who were in line getting their bibs. That would have been ok if the race had been chipped, which is WASN'T. Needless to say I was so mad my head was spinning, and this race wasn't really close to my home, and I had to find child care, etc. etc. I got our money back, but we didn't get to run the race. When we finally got home I went out and ran 7 just because I was so stinkin mad. Nothing worse than poorly organized races. I was really surpised since the race has been going on for 27 years. UGH!

what a story about the man. Do we know if he made it, so scary, and definately something to think about.....

Pluggin- sounds like you had a good time last night, are you hurting at all today? of course if you went running this morning, it couldn't have been too bad. I rang in the new year at the hospital, working. YUCK!!! Same as last year, and the year before, and the year before..... you get the idea.

Have a great night everyone!