Fat Ass Cancelled, Long Live the Fat Ass

Well, it looks like we got around 4 inches last night and the NOAA was recommending that people not travel so we decided not to drive down to Adrian until this morning. We might have been able to make it to Pinckney for the Fat Ass, but I'm not sure secondary dirt roads would be plowed early this morning and our little compact car is hardly a four-wheel drive monster. So, I swallowed my disappointment, gazed longingly at my neatly organized supplies, and opted not to participate in the run today. Good luck to everyone who made it down there as I'm sure the snow made it quite an adventure!

As a consolation, Holli suggested that I just run my own race tomorrow instead. So, early tomorrow morning I think I'm going to pack up and head to Silver Lake (the location of the run today) and just do the same thing as a solo event. We now have the biannual Brian Thomas marathon so why not the Brian Thomas Fat Ass 50 miler. I think I'll start a little earlier than the run today, perhaps around 8 AM, so if anyone out there wants to join me, drop me a post!

Non-running topic

Want to know what's really going on in Pakistan? Jim Johnson, a colleague of mine, is currently in transit to Pakistan and has set up a blog to chronicle his journey. I encourage you all to check it out for a first hand account of what's taking place there.

www.warrevolutionandconflict.com

Happy Holidays!

It's nice to finally have a break. Elliott's second Christmas was a ton of fun as he was much more aware of what was going on this year. He was clearly aware that there were a lot of new toys suddenly available to him! He kept tapping his feet doing the "happy feet dance" and waving his hands in the air with each new toy.

I got some cool running stuff including several pairs of socks (you know you are a running geek when you get excited about socks), some spikes for running on ice, gloves, and a hat with headphones. I'm really looking forward to trying the Injinji socks I received. They have toes and have been reviewed pretty well.

I'm pretty set for the Hell Fat Ass 50 mile run on Saturday. Pinkney has some hills that I'm probably not overly prepared for so I'm anticipating a much slower finish time than in September. It occurred to me yesterday that this will probably mean I will be finishing in the dark (the run starts at 9:00 AM). It's 2 and a 2/3 loops of the Potawatami trail in Pinckney Recreation Area, which tends to have pretty well groomed trails, so I'm not worried about getting lost. It'll be good practice for night running in the future. I'm going out this afternoon to pick up a headlamp. I'm looking forward to the run to have some time in the woods to myself to reflect on the year.

Brian Thomas Holiday Marathon #2

Thanks to the semester winding down and a weekend visit from Grammy, I had a great 40 mile running week. Average pace was only 10:20/mile, but that was largely because I ran another personal marathon on Saturday. I ran the route unsupported and without stopping at home (except after mile 3 to drop off the dog) through weather that stayed in the mid-20s. I figured it would be good preparation for the Fat Ass at the end of the month. I tested out the Nathan HPL 020 2.0L Race Vest, which Dave and Lauren got me for graduation. I must say that it was way more comfortable than my other hydration packs (a Camelback and a Jansport) and the front pockets were a big plus. I filled the hydration pack with Gatorade and cut a couple Cliff bars into bite size chunks, which I kept in the front pockets. I had to keep the valve to the hydration pack inside my vest otherwise it kept freezing shut, but this wasn't a problem. Other then that the cold wasn't a significant problem; I think I much prefer it to the heat and humidity. I made the wise decision to put on a second pair of socks when I dropped off the dog and I still need to get a warmer pair of gloves, but everything went very smoothly. Total run time was 4:31. That's not my fastest time, but it had me confident I'm still holding on to enough conditioning for the Fat Ass 50 mile. If that goes well (and we'll see as the hills at Pinkney always cause me trouble), I'll feel set to pick out a 100 miler for 2008.

I just wish that Scott Sigler would put out chapters of his new novel more quickly as I keep running out of things to listen to on my runs!

Too cold, too busy

I thought I'd update the blog, but I don't really have anything to say. It's been too cold and I've been too busy. Finals week is next week so things will let up soon.

On an exciting note, I will submit my dissertation to the graduate school tomorrow afternoon and will graduate tomorrow night! Holli, Denise, and Mike were kind enough to buy me my own set of academic robes for graduation and I look forward to having the opportunity to wear them. Thanks! The hat is my favorite.

Slow week

Well, after a couple of rocking weeks, things slowed down. Actually, things sped up--just not running. Between end of the semester meetings/grading and daily wind chills below 20 degrees little Elliott and I didn't get our mileage in. And by that I mean we ran 8 miles on Monday and that is all.

On a more exciting note, the latest issue of Ultrarunning arrived this week. This issue included the race results from the North Country Trail Run so I got to see my name in the magazine. Sweet. I'm still feeling pretty motivated and if wasn't for some snowperson construction this afternoon the dog, baby, and I would be going downright stir-crazy. Seriously, when we went outside today the dog started doing laps around the house. We'll have to work on a new schedule as we adapt to the new weather. On the bright side, the semester ends in two weeks, which will clear up some good running time. Hey, if you can't run often, just run long. That should be my motto.