Nice

I just got back from a very pleasant 5 mile run in sunny Chatham. It was in the upper 40s with a bit of a wind out of the south but I went out and ran in a long sleeve shirt, shorts and a ball cap and broke a sweat. I wore a watch for the first time in a long time and covered my five in 41:04 with splits of 8:18, 8:26, 16:24, and 7:56. I felt good after beating the crap out of myself the last few weeks with calisthenics and stuff to get the hammy and the right knee fixed up. I wish it was like this all winter.

Merry Christmas

I just want to wish my readers, all five of you, a Merry Christmas.

I got about 7 pair of Gap underwear (and they're not labeled Monday thru Sunday), a $30 gift card to Best Buy, a George Carlin (RIP) calendar, a long-sleeve Nike technical shirt and a new pair of InSport lightweight running tights. But best of all is that I get to sit around with my family and watch Nathan play with his toys.

Happy Holidays!

Mamma Mia

I was a good husband and rented "Mamma Mia" for my wife last night since we watched "Hancock" the night before that. I don't mind the occasional chick flick or musical but I was hesitant to watch a movie version of a musical based on ABBA music. (Cringe.)

I consoled myself with the fact that Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and the guy who played Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Master in "The Phantom Menace" were in it and that they don't usually suck.

I've come to the conclusion that the reason I'm not a huge fan of musicals is this: I cannot suspend disbelief enough to accept that people are spontaneously bursting into song because they're in love, angry, horny or drunk.

Well, I guess I could believe it when someone is drunk.

I also get freaked out when they have a conversation in song and when bystanders in the crowd sing back-up (especially when they're "ahhhh, do wop, do wop" back-up singing). If someone started singing "sha doobie do-wop" when I was having an argument with my wife or singing about how much I love vanilla flavored Silk I would run screaming to the nearest psych ward.

I left the room periodically to preserve my sanity (and listen to something that wasn't ABBA) but thought that the movie was decent and that I won't be buying it anytime soon.

Season Recap

Top-Times for 2008

Mile: 5:21 PB (previously 5:27)
Two Miles: 11:59.68
5K: 19:22
5 Miles: 33:00 PB (previously 33:39)
10K: 41:30 PB (previously 42:06)
Half Marathon: 1:39:21 PB (previously 1:43:23)

Course Bests

AMA 5K/Run for Hungry Children: 20:12 (previously 20:23)
Abe's Amble 10K: 41:30 (previously 42:06)
Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon: 1:39:21 (previously 1:44:45)

Races I Executed to Perfection

Sizzling Mile: 2.09, 1:20.90 (1:22.99), 1:21.45 (2:44.44), 1:20.01 (4:04.45), 1:17.11 (5:21.56)
Abe's Amble: 6:40.56, 6:47.45 (13:28.01), 6:41.31 (20:09.32), 6:46.67 (26:55.99), 6:43.87 (33:39.66), 6:38.83 (40:18.69), 1:11.95, (41:30.64)
Heroes Run for Hope: 6:33.34, 6:52.87 (13:26.21), 6:39.37 (20:05.58), 6:43.12 (26:48.70), 6:12.92 (33:00.62)

Future Plans

I have no "A" races planned for the foreseeable future. Kim and I have a baby due in March and he has Down Syndrome and will need heart surgery this summer. I plan to continue working on my masters degree through this so I will only race when the mood strikes me and when I have the time. I am tentatively planning on running the 2010 version of the Illinois Half Marathon in Urbana-Champaign that April. When I complete graduate school in June of 2010 I will set my sights, if all is well, upon the 3rd annual Illinois Marathon in the spring of 2011.