Spud Run 5 Miler

                                                    Spud Run 5Mile in Merrill, OR

I ran the Spud Run today in 46:54. My splits:

1. 9:00
2. 9:50 (hill)
3. 9:07
4. 9:47 (stopped to help another runner who fell)
5. 9:10

Overall, very pleased. It was windy and cold, around 43 degrees. Didn't help my breathing too much. Good to get outside and off the treadmill to stretch my legs and lungs before my upcoming marathon on 12/2. This was part of a community Potato Festival which was very fun and included a free BBQ after the race, live music, and a parade. Cute shops across the street, too!

 

 



Picked this little guy up across the street at a shop called the Blue Wolf. Had lots of cute giftables. This one's for me. I'll have Amanda wrap it and give it to me for Christmas! One bottle wineholder!

They posted my results for the Lake of the Woods 15K today. They took about 4 minutes off my time for some reason. For my records I'll trust the Garmin. I think they had issues with the timing. Official time is 1:25:42.73. Garmin had me at 1:30:03. That's a big difference. I know I waited a few seconds to stop the Garmin, but not 4 minutes! But the placement should be correct. I was 64th out of 91 participants. Sixth in my age group, and had a great time. We need to go back just to spend the day sometime. The lake is beautiful. Sharon was 58th out of 183 in the 5K at 34:25.25. Tim and Amanda walked/jogged the 5K. Click on my time to see the results page. Click here to see the elevation for the 15K! It was cool and overcast. A great combination for a long run. There were a lot of mosquitoes where we parked, but I had no issues on the run. We stopped at the Running Y on the way home for some refreshments, and then I had to hurry home because Sharon and I both had to work. I loved this race. Definitely would do it again.

A good friend, Dean Wilson passed away on Friday, so I dedicated my race on Saturday to Dean. It was a challenging 9.24 miles (15K). Rolling hills, beautiful views, cool temps, etc. Loved it. I kept thinking about Dean and his family. We were neighbors for years. Our kids are very close. Dean and I did church functions together, like leading worship for a local soup kitchen. I gave everything I had to this race in his honor. He will truly be missed. He was a good friend and a great dad and husband. It wasn't my time that was important, it was that I gave my all in his honor, and I got to do it with my family. I need to do more with my own family. You just never know how much time you have!

A new friend won the event, a female! Congrats, Amber from the Linkville Lopers running club. http://www.heraldandnews.com/members/sports/top_stories/article_efa9e6ba-ad48-11e1-9156-0019bb2963f4.html#.T8t0XLvnD0M.facebook

Lost Creek Trail 5K

Ran the Lost Creek Trail Run 5K on 4/28/2012, while I was on vacation. It was held at the Joseph H. Stewart State Park, which is about 40 miles from Crater Lake in Southern Oregon. It was a perfect day for the race: slightly overcast and a little cool. Nice running conditions. The park is along the Lost Creek Resevoir, which is a truly lovely sight. The area is near the Rogue River and there are multiple waterfalls nearby. After the race I drove around a little and viewed several of them and looked for wildlife. On the drive over there, near the south entrance to Crater Lake National Park, there was about 6 feet of snow on either side of the road. It was very pretty. I think this was about my slowest 5K ever at 30:11, but it was a narrow, hilly path, with moss on several hills which made it very critical to run carefully. I'm pleased with it, since this was my first real trail 5K. I usually run wide open on the streets. It was a great training run, with the hills, etc. I got 5th in my AG and 32nd overall. Not bad. It was a nice way to round out my 2 week vacation which included a trip up to see my family, my second daughter's wedding, 5 days at Lake Tahoe and then the race. We'll have to go back there as a family sometime. It's a beautiful place for a picnic and to spend the day!

Run for the Music 5K 3/17/12

Run for the Music on 3/17/2012

So I started out fast and fizzled. Did about a 3:1 run:walk, and finished in 29:31. That's about a 9:32/mile pace. Not that bad for taking 4-5 months off. Definitely something to build off. I'm fine with that. I just wanted to break 30. The big news here is that I stayed around for the awards and FREE raffle after and I scored Klamath Falls Gems minor league baseball season passes! I got 2 season passes and 2 hats. They play about 3 minutes from our house. I'm so excited. They play 33 home games and we got 2 tickets to each. That was the second best prize given out. I didn't even listen to what the top prize was, I was so excited. What a great day.