GPS

Last week, the Silicon Valley Marathon sent out an email announcing a "Hat Trick" prize for completing the Almaden Classic 10k (Sept 23), the San Jose R&R Half Marathon (Oct 14), and the Silicon Valley Full Marathon (Nov 4). Since I was already signed up for the half, and was planning on the full, it was a no brainer to run the 10k.

This morning was a simple maintenance run. I got up a little late, so I only did 3.5 miles. But they were 3.5 miles of hills, hills and more hills. Gotta love training!

To High Wycombe, west of London, home of the 18th century Hellfire Club. Not the purpose of my visit, of course :)

Another early morning run. My feeling going out of the front door was an adapted line from the new Harry Potter film... "Who are you, and what have you done with Simon?" However, my normal pattern of behaviour soon established itself: I got badly lost.

I have a new training partner. The Forerunner 101. We went out for our inaugural run this morning and it is brilliant. He (yes, Forerunner 101 is a "he") tells me just what I want to know, pace, distance, averages. Not too many bells and whistles. He is the best partner ever! Or is he?

He also happens to be brutally honest. It turns out that my "5 mile, end at Starbucks reward loop" is in actuality 4.69 miles. Ouch!

Ran in a special event last night: the First Annual Running of the Lights.

This may be the start of a whole new series. We did a (roughly) 5k course around residential streets -- following a course carefully contrived by Toledo Runner Patty Ross to take us past all the houses with the most exuberant displays of Christmas and Hanukah lights.

OK, you got it, it wasn't a PROPER race or anything, just a souped-up training run. OK, busted, it wasn't even that, just an excuse for a holiday party.

In the interests of still being able to put one foot in front of another at better than walking pace the following morning -- early -- I did keep an eye on what I was eating and drinking. But even so, come 7:45 a.m. I was stumbling up the trail to meet a typically bright and bouncy Patty M for my regular dose of nurturing Thursday morning pain.