Subject: Christmas and New Year Training Runs

Nothing, albeit NOTHING, shall ever come between Runners World Trainees, especially the Dom-N-8RZ variety, and our highly anticipated, wouldn’t miss it for the world, Saturday morning Training Runs.

Except for the next two weeks, where we will be altering our schedule a bit. You see, once every seven years or so, almost like Roman (semi-tie to original Marathon, in a geographic sort of way) calendar-work, we graciously allow room for a couple of other long standing traditions – Christmas Day and New Year’s Day – to take precedence over our “shouldn’t ever be missed” run training days. And who says Runners can’t share? (not sure anyone ever said that, as I sometimes wonder if there’s anything that Runners won’t share, starting with deepest darkest childhood secrets to co-bonded in sole-runners that we only met 15 minutes earlier, and ending with buddy system drags off partially squeezed gu packs)

Back to the semi-point: Our next two training runs will be held on Sundays – December 26th (8 miles) and January 2nd (10 miles) – the DAY AFTER Christmas and New Years. We will be starting our runs from the Runners World store, near 43rd and Peoria, at 7:45 AM. And while we can never allow ourselves to say it is OK to miss a scheduled training run, let’s just say that over the next two weeks we won’t be keeping lists and the no-show records won’t count against your 2011 Naughty or Nice Boy/Boyette Santa Christmas list tally.
So, if you don’t run, enjoy your families and the Holidays, with commensurate levels of guilt of course. If you do run, do the same and consider yourself doubly blessed ‘cause you get to do all your “stuff” and you get to run as well – sort of a belated Christmas gift. And if you’re extra lucky and have someone who is imagination strapped, there’s a good chance you might just have the opportunity to trot on out and sport some high stylin’ still tagged winter running gear.

Lastly, don’t forget about the Race Into the New Year and the Polar Plunge events scheduled for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Both events promise a lot of fun, with the first one for your enjoyment, and the latter for everyone who watches to get to enjoy even more than the glacial participants.


Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Larry

Monday night update

For those who've joined us for the first time to train for a spring marathon or half, our weeknight runs are on Monday and Thursday nights. They are a great stress reliever after a hectic day at work. You can run off the extra calories in that dessert you didn't really mean to eat at lunch. Most runners run from 3-6 miles at a relaxed pace, although a few crazies go longer. Here's a few pictures of the latest weeknight run.
Our resident celebrity RockStar Ed--always quick to pose for a picture, or sign an autograph-- sports his Race Into the New Year shirt. Ed Ran a quick three, and then joined a group of us for dinner afterward.

A large crowd filtered in at 5:30 and mulled around the store chatting with new friends and old.
We had around a hundred runners tonight. Kudos were given to a few who recently ran half and full marathons. Misty qualifed for Half Fanatic status, running her third half marathon within 90 days.

The group listens to the directions for the nights run. Something has caught Andy's attention. The photographer spun around to see what was going on.
He spun around perhaps a little too fast, and missed half of Brian's face--the half with the swolen black eye. A story was related about "Brian getting whacked by a bungee cord." Hmmm....a slightly unbelievable story.
Later in the evening, the "True Story" was revealed. An reinacted. The moral--don't make Coach Kathy mad!!!

We has a birthday girl--Ananda turned 12 today! Some people never "run thier age in a race. Amanda has eclipsed that already, having finished a recent half marathon.

On this winter solstace, it is dark by 5:30. Reflective clothing is commonplace.
As are headlamps.

Three friends--Susan, Dana, and Sandra finish their run. Dinner plans?? Yup, a crowd of hungry runners invaded Leon's for $5.00 burger night.Dana eats healthy. Bobby--not so much. TZ puts another 5 pounds before he waddled out the door!

Signs, Pix, and Jabs

Twas the kick-off of the spring marathon-half marathon training session. A kazillion runners laced their shoes up and met at Veteran's Park for anywhere from 3 to 8 miles. (Some went further--those with marathons like Disney, or Spingfield in their near future.Marathon training. Why is it always c-c-c-cold, or freakin hot? This morning was the cold session. Gray skies, but fortunately little wind made standing around a bit nippy, but also made for a great run--once we got going.

It was the day new runners and old runners alike got to meet their teems and team leaders. Group signs were-a-plenty.If one defines fast at 6 minute miles, then this group is running 12 minute miles, right?

Odds are, the Half Fast will leave this group behind. (Like the name!!)

I see a trend here. Three teams of realists. No pressure--just run.

Umm--the one holding the sign is 3/4 crazy.

Here's the team to be on--what an angelic bunch.

There is a story behiond this name, I bet.

Rock Star gets my vote for best sign. Make that funniest sign.

I want this sign as a t-shirt!

But Kenyans trump Ethiopians, right?

ARRRR! Gimme ye booty. (As in medals.)

This gets the award for smallest sign. It was affized to the top of the run leaders head for the duration of the run.

An intense looking group.

Brian needs to wake up. Give that man some coffee.

The turtles ride again.

And Dominatrix trumps Kenyans. I think.

Only Michael can pull off wearing da fire pants.

And there off!! Let the training begin!

Pat, aka PP, aka Princess was on fire. Outran his coach, and ran all the uphills.

Water stop #1. Twas a bit of a line.

Running through downtown Tulsa is always a treat. There's hills in there between them buildings.
Some went straight, some went right.

Finally, congratualtions to Lyle, who recently earned SEVEN STARS in Marathon Maniacs.!! He ran 13 marathons in 79 days. And even doing several doubles, got stronger in every race. It can be done!

Marvelite Run

Thurday night we ran in an event that's a long standing Christmas tradition in Tulsa. The Marvelite run, hosted by All SOuls Unitarian Church, had over 200 runners this year who ventured out into the cool night air for 3-6 miles of fellowshipo and sight-seeing. Christmas hats and costumes were the attire of the night.Ahem...Santa, you're not fooling anyone. But you really should grow the beard back.

We divided into several groups based on pace and distance, and it seemed every group had 40 or more runners.

The Maple Ridge and Utica Square area, some of the older historic neighborhoods in Tulsa usually has some of the best light displays to be seen.After our run, we came back to the fellowship hall and had pizza, Christmas cookies, pies, cakes, nuts, chips, sodas, and beer. (Yes, beer in a church building. I like that!)
It was good to hang out with old friends. And new friends.

We were priviledged to have Jack Wing speak to us as we munched. Jack is a cancer survivor, and a honored fixture in the Tulsa running community.
And the history of the Marvelite Run was told. Seems that one Marvin Winters had a group of runners who ran on weeknights. (It was alledged that he only ran with women--the old fox!) Around Christmas every year, they decided to run through the Maple Ridge area to enjoy the Christmas lights. The yearly diversion gradually tuirned into an event, drawing 30 then 50, then 100 and more runners each year. Marvin sit and listened to the tales as they were dished out. He did not protest too much, and I am betting most of the tales were true!! Marvin happens to be one amazing man. He is an inspiration to every runner he comes in contact with. It has been a goal of Marvins to finish the job of running a marathon in all 50 states, and this past November, he added North Carolina to his list of states and completed his quest. Most people in the world never even run ONE marathon, but Marvin has one in every state. His next goal is to get his total to a nice round 100. That's 100 marathons--quite the milestone. Can't think of a better guy top do it.

It was a fun night--a good run, good food, and great friends. What a great Christmas gift!

A New training session is coming up!

As winter slinks in like a stray cat, we as runners embrace the cooler temps. Cold mornings are good reasons for new running clothes. A new training session gives way to new resolve, new goals, new friends, new shoes? Thursday night was the second sign-up for the winter/spring marathon/half marathon training session. Our usual group of weekday(night) runners assembled as we do every Monday and Thursday, at RunnersWorld for a few miles to the Arkansas River and along the river trails.Amanda is an experienced mid-distance runner, having ran the Tulsa Run 15K and a half marathon or two. Her running buddy Mia comes with her on most of her training runs.

Laurie never stopped running after her half at Route 66 last November. She is gearing up for bigger and better runs--like the full 26.2 at OKC maybe?

Brian and Kathy make a few announcements before sending the runners off. Usually, kudos is given to runners who have had recent races and especially if a PR(Personal Record) is involved.RockStar Ed notched a nice PR on his belt, running a 4:32 shattering his previous best time.

Then it was out the door to run. It is not a problem to run the neighborhoods to the river after dark, but many runners like to have lights. Clip-on LED lights, headlamps, of flashlights are not a bad idea at all. We have some who walk, some who run at a very leisurely pace, some who run a minute/walk a minute, some who hit it hard.Patty and Carmie are a couple of the fast girls.
Some go for two miles, some 3, 4, 6, 8? Bobby ran five this night and it was a record time for him. He just keeps getting faster.

Back at the store, people kept filing in to sign up and to have the whole program explained to them.Coach Kathy has a way of making running further than you ever believed possible actually seem fun. SO fun, that Deon (pictured below) can't get his name on the dotted line quick enough. Actually, Deon is no stranger to Marathon running, having a few and a 50K or two under his belt.

Brandon and Jessica are back for their second training session with us.

Jennifer, a new signee, is preparing for the half, and also a quarter at Post Oak this spring. Maybe a little trail running in her future???

Pat had his fill of the RW paparazzi after a couple of attempted photographs. Aww, come on, Princess!

After almost every one of our weeknight runs, a few of us go out to reload. Sometimes, it's %5.00 burgers at Leon's, sometimes it's the Brook, and tonight, it was healthy eating at Jason's Deli.We swap stories, talk of future race plans, and just have fun. Truly, running friends are the best friends ever.

There is another sign-up this next Monday evening at 6:00. The official Training Run is on Saturday Dec. 18 7:45am at Veterans Park.