Welcome to 2007 2008!

I know the last week has been almost unbearable without me. At least I did you the favor of one last Flashback Friday for 2007. And now, here we are in 2008, during which we shall all mistakenly put 2007 on anything we add the date to for the first few weeks.

I think this will be a good year--especially for my running and boozing livelihood.

But first, a little about good ol' 2007. I capped the year with a final long run on Monday. Seven to end '07, which put me at 817 miles for the year. In 2007, I wore out my first ever pair of running shoes, gave up on another pair and now am alternating between two other pairs. I participated in six races and PR-ed in all but one. That includes my first half and full marathons. After each of those races--and uncountable times between--my liver conquered its own workouts for an equally successful year.

To kick off the New Year, I participated in a very Viper biathlon. First, the seven to end 'o7, then a fifth to bridge the New Year and finally a three-mile recovery detox special to start 2008. As I mentioned, I've spent my racing budget for the month. However, as you can see, I did not spend my liquor budget ... yet. (Thank you for your concern, Ted.)

Caol Ila is a new Scotch for me. I selected it after my local booze mart was out of my favorite flavor. I must say, the newbie held its ground. Caol Ila is pronounced "cull eela," which is hard enough to say as it is. I kept slurring it to come out somewhere between "cool ewok" and "Kaw-Liga," like the Hank Williams song. I got the 12-year, which has a rich, smoky flavor yet goes down smooth. Give it a try.

I have yet to plan this year's racing schedule. However, I think my first race will be a 15K in March. I've never done a 15K, so I'll be starting the year off with a PR. My other goals include running 1,000 miles, breaking 50 minutes for the 10K and breaking four hours in the marathon. I'd also like to run an out-of-state race, but that will depend on my work schedule and finances.

Well, happy New Year all. Thanks for reading. This year has plenty of running in store with many trips to Blackout Island along the way. I hope you'll join me as I try to run faster and drink stronger. Cheers.

[Drunkard note: Sorry, ladies, for the photo. It was the first one that showed up when I searched for "happy new year" and I'm too lazy to find something less gender biased. Gentlemen, you are welcome.]