Just a quick note: I’m so impressed with all the races that happened this weekend!
First off Walt, 6 weeks after his marathon in France sets a personal record in the marathon. At the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon with a 3:36:29. Amazing job Walt!
Then we have the BAA Half runners. Many successful first-time half marathon runners. These times are awesome for the first time trying this race distance. You should all be very proud of yourselfs. I hope the experience was positive and leads to more long distance races in your future. Which leads me to the four women that ran their first half last year at the BAA Half and returned for more. Unless they injured their back the week before the race, they each improved on their times from last year. Jen, despite the bad back, was not far behind last year’s time and would have definitely improved her personal best had she not been fighting her injury all week and all race. Completing a half under adverse conditions like she had is extremely impressive. Now on top of all of that success throw in Barry, just 2 weeks after a sub 3-hour marathon, setting his PR in the half with a blistering 1:22:22!
Meanwhile while you were all doing that Lois, Mike and I were running 22 miles in preparation for Manchester in a few weeks. The next day I’m sure Mike was sitting around lazily like I was, but not Lois, she joined in as one of the 20 MRC women to run in the Tufts 10K… and set her own personal record there! Judi ran an amazing race keeping up with the elite girls that show up for this race, placing 5th in the masters category I hear. Another one of long runners, Beth Ford, established her new personal best in the 10K too. Also making the MRC proud was a bunch of 2008 Walk-To-Run graduates who successfully followed their own training plan and ran great races for their first 10K.
We still have a few marathons to run… Baystate, Dublin, Manchester, and New York… and some half marathons are coming up too. I hope the success shown so far carries on through for those yet to run their big race!Â
Oops, forgot someone. He did most of his training on Saturdays but joined us for a couple of long runs… Chris Knaff ran the Greater Hartford Marathon in 3:43:43. This is his first marathon as an MRC member but he has plenty of marathons under his belt. I may be mistaken but I believe that’s his best marathon time. Great job to you too Chris!
Excellent results summarized above Jim and many more to post in the next few days I am sure!
Sundays LR program as Nick and other alluded to in other posts is going very well and an ideal option for those who like to train long.
We had what I thought was really good warm season training weather to assist us.
I appreciated the early wstop set-up start, to accomplish my training with less personal time stress.
Am looking forward to, but not rushing, our winter program setting us up for spring 2009. I hope every one is back and that others join in.
Recuperate, but dont give it all up these next few weeks… Mill Cities is coming and we need to maintain decent conditioning.
Congratulations to all above in Jims post-who have already seen their results from dedicated training and also, to those who are about to make it happen! Sunday morning the 19th continues to look VERY good for southern New England marathons with the stormy rain threat indeed missing us this weekend.
Walt