Total Miles Run in 2008: 1,018; Total Races Run:15

Well, we received about 4 inches of snow yesterday, so once again my running is on hold. However, despite a wind chill in the single digits, the snow on the road is actually melting. Yeah I know, part of the reason it's melting is because of the sand and salt from the plow trucks. But my point is, the snow on the side of the road, where I run, is also melting. I'm hoping to go for a 7 mile run tomorrow on a new course I created on the usatf.org website. I like to come up with a new course at least once a month in order to break up the monotony of always running the same routes.
A new year means a new running log for me. My "running log" consists of me sitting at our computer after every run, logging into Microsoft Word, and hunting and pecking the computer keys to record the date, distance, time, and average pace per mile. My daughter and my wife laugh at how anal I am with my recording. I do it because it helps motivate me to run, especially when I see I've been lazy and not run for a few days in a row. It's a great way to track my progress, whether good or bad. It also allows me to track mileage on my running shoes, so I know when the magic number of 500 miles comes and it's time to buy a new pair. Lastly, I know my personal best times in my races, and for my road and Linear Trail runs. I also have a separate document in which I rate races I've run. For example,

6/2: Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half Marathon *BEST RACE!! * chip timing

LEAVE HOME AT 6 A.M.

*lots of por-to-lets

* several hills, but none too difficult

* mile markers with digital clocks every mile

* lots of water stops with Gatorade;GU20 mile 8

* several showers along course

* Crowd: 5 out of 5: Very vocal!

* Post race: 5 out of 5 rating: bagels, pizza, watermelon, yogurt, water (not bottled), juice