More pix from the "Graduation".

Winter 2009 Running Fit Team

Asia and Coach Gina

Running Fit 501 Winter 2009 Graduation

Today was the last long run of the winter 2009 session of the Running Fit Marathon Training Team. To celebrate, several members baked for days, decorating cookies and cupcakes with 501 frosting in all the color groups. Coach gave awards and certificates to Color Group coaches, Top Dawgs and Experts. Asia got an award for her nearly 11 years of consecutive days of running. Coach shared a story with the other team. After she finished her first marathon, the first words out of her mouth were, "I'll NEVER do that again!" When she met Asia as she crossed the finishline at the Martian Marathon in April, the first words out of Asia's mouth were, "How much do I run tomorrow Coach?"

For many of the members, the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run tomorrow http://dexterannarborrun.com/ is their destination event......the one they have trained for all winter. Some are running their first ever 5K. Some are doing the 10K, and others, like Asia, Katie, Aaron, Claudio, Andrea, and others are running the half-marathon. In all we have 61 team members competing in one of the races tomorrow, down scenic Huron River Drive. There are 3 places along the route where Jerry and I can see the runners pass. It's a point-to-point race, so Jerry and I will drive on a road parallel to the race and cut over at several intersections to take pictures and cheer.

After picking up Asia's race packet, with her bib number and timing chip, we picked up Chinese food from Saigon Garden in Ann Arbor. Asia can't carb-load on pasta, so she eats rice......lots of rice. And Kung Pao chicken.

The batteries are charged in the camera, her feet are wrapped, to hopefully help prevent blisters. Next is making the "chocolate water", GU + water, pinning the bib number in place and securing the timing chip. And then resting for the evening.

The finish line is in downtown Ann Arbor, and the race coincides with the "Taste of Ann Arbor" a food fest, featuring local restaurants who sell their specialties in booths lining main street. Food, and lots of it......Asia's favorite way to end a half-marathon!

Stay tuned tomorrow for results and more pix.

Prom 2009

Last night was Prom for the 2009 graduates of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District Young Adult Program and alumni. As an alumna, Asia was invited, and she skipped practice with her running team to go!

The ballroom at Weber's Inn was beautifully decorated and there was music and snacks. You've never seen a more enthusiastic group of dancers in your life. Unfortunately, you won't see this one either, because the battery died in my camera after I took the pre-prom pix. .....sigh.... I am not yet used to the fact that it doesn't charge from the computer, when downloading pictures....I have to take the battery out and charge it separately. All part of the learning curve. But I WILL have it charged for the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon this Sunday!

Anyway, Asia had a grand time, dancing and snacking and seeing many of her teachers and old friends from school. Her teachers knew her running history and many knew that she had run a marathon. Some may even be at the half marathon this weekend!

For Women Only Race 2009

Asia ran the For Women Only 5K race yesterday, for the 6th or 7th year. This year was quite different from the recent years. There were no "Girls on the Run" http://girlsontherun.com/ this year. Their group had gotten so large that they will have their own race in 3 weeks.

Asia ran with Julie from her team. Carmen started out with them, but finished a little ahead. Asia finished 2nd in her age group, with a time of 23:38, a 7:37 pace. She was the 22nd finisher out of 342. Carmen finished 2nd in her age group and Julie was 3rd. Another fine showing for the Green Team of Running Fit 501! Julie is running 2 1/2 marathons in the next 2 weeks. YIKES! She's doing Bayshore Memorial Day weekend and the Dexter-Ann Arbor 1/2 marathon on the 31st.

The Dexter-Ann Arbor half-marathon will be Asia's next event. She and Katie are running it together. That will be the last event of the Winter 2008 RF 501 session, with a short break until the Summer 2009 session starts.

The Weekend of Two Races

Asia ran a 5K on Saturday and a 10K on Sunday. She was supposed to run 10 miles with her team on Saturday, but chose to run the Discover Milan Day 5K. This is the 3rd such race, put on by Asia's cross country coach from high school days. It's a good chance to run with the current crop of Coach Porter's elite runners as well as other folks in Milan who just like to run.

Following the race is a pancake breakfast.........which is not Asia's preferred race day breakfast, even tho she loves pancakes. On race days, Asia wants scrambled eggs with sausage.....and not just any sausage..........Jimmy Dean's Hot sausage. No bagles and peanut butter for this kid, uh uh. No banana and toast, no way. Sausage and eggs, and maybe a little fruit, if we have home canned peaches, or the canteloupe is especially fresh and tasty. And Asia is not one to eat breakfast twice, so we were stuck with waiting for the pancakes. Pancakes are closer to her normal PRACTICE breakfast of French toast.

Anyway, the morning was cool, but dry and clear. The runners took off about 7:30, and Asia was done in 25:04, which is closer to her daily running pace than her race pace. No PR, but she did place 2nd in her age group and got a medal and a hug from her old coach. It was a good morning, followed by pancakes!!

On Sunday was the 30th Annual Burns Park Run, in Ann Arbor. Asia has run this race several times, and last year PR'd there. There is a 5K run, which several of her teammates ran, and a 10K, which Asia and several more teammates ran. The course loops thru beautiful Burns Park and is very spectator friendly, which *I* like! This time we had the correct race day breakfast........sausage scrambled with eggs and a few slices of home-canned peaches, before driving up to Ann Arbor. Asia lined up with some of her buddies, and after some chip/mat issues, they took off. Jerry, Grizz, and I took off for the first spot to see the race. Asia always runs faster when we/others cheer for her, so we try to place ourselves around the course for maximum cheering advantage. And we're not above enlisting total strangers to cheer for her too! Gives her that little extra kick. We saw her 3 times before the end of the first loop at 5k, and her time was already better than the 5k the day before. She was looking good, and each time we cheered, she sped up. On the second loop, she was closing in on some of the faster runners from her team, and by the finish, or 400 yards from the finish, she still had a good kick, because when she saw Jerry up ahead taking pictures, she blasted past Heather. (To be fair, Heather had just done a Duathalon the day before! On a good day, no way Asia would have gotten that close.) Heather closed the gap as they blew past me to the finish. Asia beat Heather by 1 second. Heather was first in her age group and Asia was 3rd in hers. Andrea, another from the team, was the first female overall! And Michael finished 3rd in his age group. It was a great showing for the Running Fit 501 team!

And I learned not to mess with Race Day Breakfast!