The Opening: Last Laugh Store

If you haven’t noticed already… I have added ‘Last Laugh Store’ to the link bar up top, under the main banner.

The ‘Last Laugh Store’ currently has 10 items that I have tested, used, and would recommend.  I will be continuously adding to this store with more and more items, so keep your eye on it for something that might be of interest to you.

Also, let me know if you have any questions regarding any of the items – and I’ll try and help you out as well as I can - as I will only be posting items I've tried or regularly use.

* I headed to the local cinder track this afternoon for a workout... yes, you heard right - a cinder track.  This track ironically sits less then a 1/2 mile from one of only a handful of tracks in the US that can boast that it has the same Mondo surface that is laid down at the 'Bird's nest' - the venue that hosted the 2008 Olympics.

Unfortunately, with it being a Fall, Saturday afternoon, there was a college football game going on... borrowing the track stadium.

Anyways, got there with the plan of 6-8 x 1000m with 1:00 rest.  Goal was conservative (taking into account the surface), 3:25-3:20 per 1k... as I continue to try and ease back into a rhythm for workouts.  But I felt like garbage from the first step out the door, so all plans were off as far as what the workout would turn into... if a workout was done at all. 

Ended up getting some respectable work in - did 3 x 1000m, 4 x 200m, 3 x 1000m... all with 200m jog recovery.  For where my fitness is at right now, the workout was a pretty tough workout, as my times were: 3:21, 3:22, 3:21 / 35, 35, 35, 35 / 3:19, 3:21, 3:20.

I am very happy with effort... considering the cinder (gravel) track, the wind, and that I ran in 'lane 2' on the turns due to some over overgrowth, making all the repeats a touch (5m-10m) long.

Sadly, the 200s in - cough, cough - 35 seconds, were the hardest part.  Clearly proving, I have longer to go than I imagined!

* As a overview of the training week... I will be at 70+ miles (outside shot at 80) and have been feeling better everyday on my regular runs.  This time next week, I will be relaxing after running the Richmond Marathon in the morning with Head.  She did her last 'long run' today and will be doing her last workout on Monday in prep for Saturday's race.

... more details and updates next week as we head into race day.

* As a final note, I want to give a congratulations to the boys of Cleveland St. Ignatius for winning the Ohio High School DI State Cross Country Championships today and to the girls of Magnificat (Rocky River) for winning their second consecutive Ohio High School DI State Cross Country Championship with a nasty 28 points!

Although Mags' back to back titles (and 28 points) is more impressive... Iggy's gets the lead because of my one glorious year there as a cross country assistant, as I was affectionately know as 'Coach Sideburns'.

 * Timothy