Flashback Friday: Still There?

I lied. Awhile back I said I would do no more Flashbacks this year. And then I said I would do no more posts this year. Yet, here I am flashing back in one last post before the New Year. I know, everyone is reliving all the glory from 2007. Not me. I already did that. Nope, no year in review today. But how about a little week in review?

I ran six miles. Three yesterday and three today. Those runs broke a stretch of more than a week of not running. My plans to run that 50K trail race at the end of January? You got it: I broke those too. Not only will I not have the base to run the miles, but I don't have the funds after shopping for holiday presents. My race budget is spent. Part of my New Year's resolutions will be to figure out my race schedule for 2008. Stay tuned for that post with bated breath!

I got some running gear for the gifting holiday. I now have another longsleeve tech to add to my growing arsenal. I got a new outer shell that is fairly light and breathable, but warm for layering. And -- I wish I had a picture of it for you -- I have a pedometer. That's like one step down from one of those Garmin super conductor computers some people wear. What's best about it is that it's from the AARP. My grandma gave it to me when I visited on Tuesday. It's pretty cool. It tells me things like how many steps I took (about 4,890 for three miles); how many miles I went (not accurate because it goes by my average stride length); and how many calories I burned (less than 200 for three miles seems wrong). All in all, I'd say it'll entertain me for about another week. I also have a gift card to Target, which I may use to buy more gear.

I also got to relive my marathon triumph, which I did with as much machismo as I could muster while trying to pop a shirt button with my sternum. A family friend congratulated me and said he was amazed that I would do such a thing. "Yeah, it was alright," I said in an octave well below my normal speaking voice. "Not a bad way to spend four and a half hours. It's not like I was doing anything else that morning."

Vanilla at Half-Fast has done some fine reporting, supplying a link to the Recovering Runner, who did much finer reporting about the new Beer Mile record of 5:09. All I can say is, Are fucking kidding me? One beer per lap for four laps in five minutes and nine seconds. Is that American measurement? I couldn't run that fast if you spotted me a lap. Forget the running. I'm not even sure I could drink the beers that fast. This Jim Finlayson ... I don't know what to say. Maybe I should just kneel.

All right. Have a safe and happy New Year. Don't let the New Year pass in an undrunken state of mind. (Unless, of course, that's your thing.) Until 2008!