2012 Holiday Running Challenge! Who's game?

[PaloAltoCougar]

Peer pressure, if only perceived, can be a great motivator. I was extremely sore this morning from Monday's workout of reverse lunges, step-ups and squats, and when I started my scheduled 3.2 run this morning, I don't think I've ever felt more like an unlubed Tin Man, really awful. In earlier times, I would have bailed and gone back in the house. But with the Challenge, I pressed on! It's always a nice thing when one feels better at the end of a run than at the beginning.

And OhioBlue, three 10K's back-to-back? I expect this sort of thing from nikuman; et tu, brother? Very impressive.

[hostile]

I'm looking into it, but I doubt there's anyone in our group less technologically adept than I am.

For now, we're running through Colfax a railroad town named after the Speaker of the House who presided over the passage of the 13th Amendment (and featured briefly in Lincoln), and who with U.S. Grant became the youngest President/VP combo in U.S. history until Clinton/Gore displaced them.

And hostile's right, these hills are killers. We're already at 2400 ft above sea level, on our way to 7100 feet over Donner Summit. I wish niku and BigPiney would step it up... [edit: apologies, nik, you're doing fine; it's the bish we need to prod]

Running through Nevada will provide a real challenge for trivia seekers.

My 2 oldest travelled by train with grandparents for the holidays. We picked them up in Colfax, which has a quaint railroad stop.

[PaloAltoCougar]

My 2 oldest travelled by train with grandparents for the holidays. We picked them up in Colfax, which has a quaint railroad stop.

I'll have to visit that. Everyone should read Stephen Ambrose's Nothing Like It in the World and then ride the California Zephyr over the Sierra. The construction of that railway is an amazing feat of 19th Century engineering.

[ERCougar]

I'll have to visit that. Everyone should read Stephen Ambrose's Nothing Like It in the World and then ride the California Zephyr over the Sierra. The construction of that railway is an amazing feat of 19th Century engineering.

This train ride is on my bucket list. We almost pulled the trigger on it this year for a family vacation, but I was nervous that my 6 yr old would get bored. We'll do it next year.

[OhioBlue]

And OhioBlue, three 10K's back-to-back? I expect this sort of thing from nikuman; et tu, brother? Very impressive.

I'm not doing anything I wasn't already doing...I've been upping mileage for the last 15 weeks, slowly, and heading into this challenge was at 40/wk. I think I might hang around that number, my desire to challenge Nikuman notwithstanding. While these things are fun, they're not worth risking injury.

I have an actual 5k turkey trot tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.

[hostile]

This train ride is on my bucket list. We almost pulled the trigger on it this year for a family vacation, but I was nervous that my 6 yr old would get bored. We'll do it next year.

I was jealous of my 11 and 9 year old. They had a great time. Im sure your 6 year old would be fine. The better ride is the return trip. The westbound trip brings you over the Sierra very early in the morning. Heading east you hit the pass in the afternoon.

[Cupcake]

Cupcake's presence (and an impressive start!) makes the spreadsheet's title a bit inapt, but I suspect she doesn't mind.

And I'm curious if we will, in fact, run across America during the contest. As we have Cuffers in both San Francisco and NYC, I envision a run from the Golden Gate to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, a distance per Google of 2,928 miles on I-80. As of this moment, we've run from San Francisco to Auburn and we're heading up and over the Sierra for Thanksgiving in Reno. We need to average a little over 60 miles a day, which may be tough given the holidays. But we don't want to spend New Years in Youngstown, OH, so let's hit the road, people.

I'll post daily updates as to where we are in the fair land.

No worries....I like fat guys!!

[ERCougar]

I put in another 2.6 miles per my GPS (I wore it for curiosity's sake) playing a turkey bowl. count it?

[happyone]

Went 4.2 ( I jogged 3 of it ) this morning and will probably go another 4 or so this afternoon after the pig out (I'll post it all at the same time)

[PaloAltoCougar]

I put in another 2.6 miles per my GPS (I wore it for curiosity's sake) playing a turkey bowl. count it?

Your choice, but I'd be inclined not to add it since it probably includes walking to/from the huddle, signing autographs, dogging it on a few out routes, etc. On the other hand, that you were able to move at all following an 11-mile run is very impressive, so have at it.

[OhioBlue]

20:37 in a Turkey Trot 5k today that was crazy packed. Lots of fun. Ran to and from the race for warm-up/cooldown. BIL won his age group running a 19:30, prizes were turkeys and pies. So now we have an additional pumpkin pie from Costco to add to the spread.

ER you're a beast. 11 miles AND football?! And Happyone, I don't know how you go out twice on turkey day. I'm taking a freaking nap.

[Portland Ute]

I'm not part of any challenge but I woke up at 4:30 this morning and ran 11 miles.

I was pretty slow. My pace was 10:42. Frankly, I don't care how slow I was.

I haven't run in over a month and it was 4:40 when I went out the door. It was chilly outside, too. Even running, my hands got quite cold.

[ERCougar]

ER you're a beast. 11 miles AND football?! And Happyone, I don't know how you go out twice on turkey day. I'm taking a freaking nap.

Yeah, that may have been a bad idea.

[BigPiney]

I'm not part of any challenge but I woke up at 4:30 this morning and ran 11 miles.

I was pretty slow. My pace was 10:42. Frankly, I don't care how slow I was.

I haven't run in over a month and it was 4:40 when I went out the door. It was chilly outside, too. Even running, my hands got quite cold.

Why not? Sign your ass up.

[bluegoose]

10K Turkey Trot this am, plus 1 mile warm up = 7.2 miles for me this morning.

I wasn't in great shape this time, so my expectations were a little lower than last year. I ended up finishing in 45:04. My first mile was fairly slow at 7:45 due to having to dodge walkers and slow joggers for the first half mile. Nothing against slow runners, by any means, but if they would start at a more appropriate place in the pack everyone would be happier and things wouldn't get so congested.

It was a beautiful day for a run, for sure. It was about 47 degrees with bright blue skies at the start and warmed up to about 65 degrees in the afternoon. The kids even jumped in the 55 degree pool this afternoon with their cousins.