champion

... yes, of course I knew her when she was nothing :)

Congratulations to my once-a-week training partner Patty Murray, who is now a US national champion!

She was first woman home in the Masters title race with a blistering 29:54 for the 8k course -- a time that would have been good enough for 16th place among the 20- and 30-year-olds in the open women's race. In the age-graded rankings Patty was second to Kathryn Martin (32:16).

World Mountain Race Grand Prix 2006 winner Anna Pichrtova was one of four people lucky to escape with their lives after a Jeep they were travelling in overturned in the Nigerian bush en route to the Obudu International Mountain Race last month.

Czechoslovakian Anna, 33, the European mountain running champion, has been training in Boulder, CO, this year and finished first in the US Mountain Running Championship on Mount Washington in June. The Obudu race favorite, she was too injured to run.

Flying back to Prague from Nigeria, she went straight to hospital from the airport -- and straight into surgery. She is now recovering from her injuries and hoping to start running again in January.