Russia Cup -National Masters Meet 5000m 8 July

 This was a fun one- 

It was a warm breezy one, but not as bad as the Moscow Championships were in June. 26C-breezy for the race and sunny. I just went out slow and picked up along the way running even until breaking away for the win in the last 800. It was hot-so ran tactical. I have not won a national championship race here on the track since two age groups ago in the 5000 in September 2010! I was also lucky I was able to get to the dentist and get my implant surgery two weeks earlier as I had been scheduled for the surgery on the 8th which would have had me shit canned from doing this meet!

1000m -Mytishi- Moscow Region 5 June

 I missed the June race by a few hours as we flew in later that evening. I last did this in 2017. It's super well organized and the track is in top condition. This was going to be my midweek speedwork and effort to shake my legs out as I recover from the half. 

They do awards strictly by age groups and my butt is in the 40-59...That's a pretty big spread. I have no idea where my performance came from, but I ran this one really smart with each 200 building speed. My final 400 was an 87. (91,2:16,3:00,3:43). All those youngsters went out really fast and I started picking them off after the first 500. There are still 5 minute miles in these legs! I was not fully recovered from the  half just three days before so went out conservatively only to realize I had quite a lot more in my legs. I won my division and raced with familiar faces :) Having people to chase down really helps me get better performances. This was my best km in at least 4 years because I had people to push me. 

Zelenograd Half 2 June

 It's been TEN YEARS since I did this one. My first time was in 98 when I was in grad school and Boris Prokopiev was still the RD. I have so many fond memories of this race through the years including in 2003 when I flew in the day before and got up and popped a 1:26 the next day! 

The course has since changed and is now 2 loops but with many tight 180 degree turns that slow it down. It was a warm and very windy one this time-25C as I ran by according to the thermoeter. I ended up 7th overall this time and 3rd masters. My legs were grumpy and I just couldn't get enough fluids despite drinking like a fish. 

These guys get my best socks and best shirt award-Life is too Short to Run Shit Races! Best quite ever and it's on the sleeves of the longsleeve shirt. 

                                                                Boris Prokopiev

And after the finish I got to finally see one of my best friends Sasha, who lives nearby. We met at this race in 98! 

1000m 29 June at the Medik Track

 After having to shitcan 4 days to allow that bone graft and inplant to heal properly, I showed up Thursday evening to air it out before the Zelenograd Half Sunday. It was supposed to be at Moscow State but the track was finally being renovated so we moved to the track where I trained as a grad school student 98,2000,01. It has not been repaired since then for sure and I opted not to run in spikes it was so bad with open asphallt and parts of the track underwaterafter a downpour. I ended up beating all the boys as well as the girls despite a slow time due to the surface conditions. It was fun seeing old friends again :)

Cancelled :-(

 

Evgeniy Prigozhin

Sunday the 25th was supposed to be the Medtroika 3000m at the track. Sadly, it like everything else that weekend was cancelled due to Prigozhin's rebellion where he took Rostov and continued up the highway to Moscow with his Wagner troops. Saturday morning I awoke to the news that had begun to develop late Friday as I was heading to bed. Putin was on TV addressing the country and the gravity of the situation. By then, we were at the top of the headlines in most all world news outlets around the globe. It reminded me of some of the things I experienced here in the 90s. It was a very tense Saturday when this all went down to say the least. Security was beefed up in Moscow and the surrounding areas. Progozhin was reported to have about 25000 fighters with him and the thought of that rolling into Moscow was unnerving. The Wagner Group got about two hours from Moscow before calling the march off and turning back after working out a deal with Belarusian president Aleksander Lukashenko to allow him to go to Belarus. The whole situation left us all scratcing our heads and asking WTF just happened? This is still a developing story as well. 

Ironically, my dentist phoned that day and said he had an opening to bump up my implant surgery from July 8. I said let's do it. Nobody knows what's going to happen day to day and all events in Moscow are cancelled anyways and Monday is a non working day. 

Race cancelled because of COVID-yeh had my fill of that in 2020. Race cancelled because of an armed mutiny-yeh that's a first! We are all just glad that there was not a lot of bloodshed that day which is one of the reasons it was reported Prigozhin turned around-to avoid bloodshed. 

A bit of virtual fun for Running Free Alaska 20 June

 This year, sadly Leonid and I missed the in person loop race for Running Free Alaska. It's a good cause that supports the training program for female inmates at Highland Correctional in Eagle River. You get to choose 20,40, or 60 minutes. last year , we won the 60. This year, we decided to make it our midweek speedwork in the park and do the loop around the pond in Kuzminki where our running clib holds the fall mud run and winter snow run. The loop is 3200m. We made it just under 5k. It's rocky, rooty, some sand, the rest dirt trail. We entered the virtual division for the participants completing their race the furthest from Anchorage. We got it-Moscow for the win haha :) We were the only international entry this year. We have chocolate gift boxes and ice cream gift cards waiting when we get back . I asked the RD to please hold off on shipping until early August when we get back .I would be incredibly pissed if a porch pirate got the goods before my house sitter could rescue  the box!!!

                                                                    finished by the stable