OK, it's New Year's Eve. I don't know about the rest of you but I'm going to bed shortly after my kids do. Perhaps we'll see the ball drop but that's about it these days.
Anyway, I'd love to hear from the readers of this blog what their single best run of 2008 was.
And, I'll start. For me, my best run of 2008 was the Vermont 100. I ran the race according to plan and managed to pull off the win in spite of hot, humid conditions and a training hangover due to the Western States cancellation.
2nd best run? Wasatch. I wanted Geoff to come back to me after Brighton but he wouldn't. Damn Alaskans! 2nd was the best I could do that day. Watch out for that guy in 2009!
Happy New Year everyone!
AJW
23 comments:
I may be in bed even before the kids are !
I remember your Vermont run, especially weigh in mix-up that occurred just before you picked up Bryon to pace you. That was a perfect performance.
For me, I think my 50 mile PR at Pineland Farms 50 in May was my best run, mainly because I ran a consistent race. I was able to cut over 30 minutes off of my 50 mile PR. Second would be a toss up between my 2nd GTR 100 and Javelina Jundred 100.
Happy New Year to you and the family.
I think that my best run in 2008 had to be the Greenland 50k. I was happy with how everything came together perfectly and I was able to run an even pace the entire race.
My best run was a training effort out in the Columbia River gorge...great day, amazing scenery and some good hard miles. Pictures and more at http://runnerwhocodes.blogspot.com/2008/07/good-day-at-office-gorge-run.html
Happy New Year!
The Bear 100...survived the heat and chasing Nate and I didn't even puke until I had finished. Happy New Year.
Dont hate on Alaskans!!!
Your just jealous because we can see Russian from where we are.=)
Any mountain run on a sunny day is my best run of the year.
Happy New Year's to you and your family, AJ!
I think my best run/race of the year was the Eugene Marathon. It was more than a PR to me - it actually opened my eyes to the fact I could be running a lot faster than I thought possible. Plus it was neat to race in my old home town.
Cheers, SD
I think my best run of the year was Stage 3 at the TransRockies Run. I felt like I could have pulled three people down the course that day. A hill road half marathon was a close second.
I can personally attest to the fact that you had a great run in Vermont.
Definitely Cascade Crest 100. It was my 1st 100 miler. I trained very hard for it this year, and was rewarded with an awesome experience. No stomach issues, injuries, and the reward of my 1st belt buckle. It seems that the more these things suck, the more easily I am drawn to them.
Hellgate 100K. I ran a PR for the course while at the same time taking video of the race (check out my report and the video on my blog). I also ran "assertively" as AJW would say. I ran without fear and as a result, I had a big breakthrough. Can't wait for 2009!
The Ice Cream Sandwich Run was my favorite of the year. Big group of fun guys and a chick taking it easy to the Swinging Bridge. Do you remember stopping because you were laughing so hard on the climb to the cemetary over some new term Monkeyboy taught us? The Californians jumping on the make-fun-of-AJW wagon and hounding you about your fund raising prowess.
We turn around at the bridge and get onto the splits, regrouping at Michigan Bluff and then Foresthill for the requisite ice cream sandwich and soda. Then we absolutely nailed the Cal 2 split with a bellies full.
What a run! Thanks, man.
Andy,
My best run would have to be going up South Mountain's telegraph pass trail in the traditional 106 degree Phoenix weather. It was very hot , But easy to get into a great zone because their was absolutely no one on the trail.
Sincerely,
Andy from Phoenix
I am afraid I have 3...
The World Cup 100k - running beside Kami through the Italian countryside for a good portion of the race, struggling through the longest middle of a race ever, and finishing in the glowing candlelight along the course in an amazing international field - pretty incredible.
The Olympic Marathon Trials - coming off of an injury where finishing this race was more important than time, I edged under 3:00 by less than one minute. Where else can you run off the back of the pack and be treated like a rock star just for waving and high five-ing the fans?
Ditto on the Craig's Ice Cream Sandwich run. Running hard after the ice cream and caffeine, running scared that the boys would catch me, hearing Andy's booming voice (that guy is loud!) echoing in the canyons, with my mantra "Craig said run hard, Craig said run hard" keeping me going.
wasatch was obviously a great run for me. without a doubt my best race of '08. it's a special feeling to finish a route as tough as that feeling as good as i did. i almost didn't want it to end so soon.
my overall best run of the year though was a training run i did up here in juneau in august. it was 42 miles with about 12,000 feet of climbing and the weather was a perfect 70 and sunny. on a day like that there is nowhere better to be than on the mountain ridges above juneau. i didn't want that run to end so soon but after being out for 10 hours i had to get back down to town in time to catch a flight down to utah for my 2 week wasatch aclimitization.
tie between robinson flat to the river crossing with jizzle wizzle and the ice cream sandwich run with those patronizing sob's from california.
ps: saw it on the blog...
MonkeyBoy
2008 was a very fun year.
My best run was at Haliburton 100 miler. This was very memorable as it was my first 100 and I was fortunate enough to win it.
Most memorable training run was a perimeter run around Frontenac Provincial Park (50km?). 100% remote single track in very rugged Canadian Shield.
dad look at my blog !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the name is cj-w's blog
i dont run !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy new year, AJW! I'd probably be picking the ICS Run along with the other Oregonians, but I'm still an ICS virgin. So, I'm going to pull out another training camp run: Robie to the River and Back. We ran the out easy and picked it up on the back. Johnny Joe Fitzpatrick was in charge of snake wrangling, and while it wasn't quite the ICS, those Dibs ice cream treats supplied by the Nappy Heads tasted mighty fine. I practiced running behind Bili, then ran hard from Hwy. 49 to the track. It was one of those magic runs that just seemed to pick up momentum and get better and better as it went on.
lc
Thanks everybody! I'd have to agree that the Ice Cream Sandwich, Robie to the River and back and the Robinson to the River Stealth MonkeyBoy Kamp run were all highlights of the year. Hopefully, we can do them all again this year!
All training runs with the Sun Valley Backcountry Runners! Races: Antelope Island (cr!), Boston, Waldo.
august 10th, day 6 on the appalachian trail with meltzer. we had already run 45 miles on day 1, then 43, 38, 31, 37. most of these days we had suffered in the monsoons that were ripping through maine. we were trudging through shin deep water and crossing rivers that were higher than anyone had EVER seen. quite a few were damn scary and one almost took karl for a ride that wouldn't have ended pretty. on day 6 we were treated to partly cloudy and even a good bit of sun. that day we ran 46 miles with 14,000 feet of gain. even though the mileage and vert were bigger than we had done to that point it felt easy because of the relative conditions we had that day. we simply suffered a lot less. we were totally immersed in the project and in a great routine. we didn't even discuss how big a day it was until after i had added up the vert. good times...
The best run of 2008 for my newlywed wife and I would have to be the Maroon Bells loop outside of Aspen. The run had everything. Amazing sunrise, waist deep stream crossings, mud, and lots of snow fields (some that created great glissading and a few that ended in Snowmass Lake). Along with a wrong turn that added about 8 miles to our trip, it was a great 12 hour day. The two highlights were seeing a lynx flash across the trail in front of me and the very large lightning storm that moved in as we were heading up the last pass. (nothing like being at 12,000ft in a lighting storm). As memorable as the run was, breakfast the next morning at the "Hickory House" in Aspen was even better.
Good post AJW. I'd have to say Bighorn 100 for me. Different course due to snow, fast pace first 40 miles with 4 of us running together. Made a move earlier than I have ever attempted in a 100 and spent the rest of the race running scared from Angle with Jurek pacing him. Great day and night. Especially climbing up to Riley Point with the moon just coming up bright and seeing Angle and Jurek's lights below me about 15 mintues back with Jurek howling at the coyotes across the drainage. I knew then I could hold them off to the finish if I ran as much as possible.
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