8 on the 8th Virtual Olympics Race Results

The results are in for the newest Olympic event, 8 virtual miles with running bloggers.

You all are such great sports to run at my whim. :D ( I think someone called me sadistic?? You didn't think I'd see that comment, huh?)

You guys know these started out to keep me training but turns out I love the creative stuff and connecting with all of you. How could we pass up 8 on 08/08/08?? I know lots of people were already going long but for several of us, this forced the issue a bit and got us going. Mission accomplished. I was also pretty pumped about the Olympics after my trip to Beijing where I had the brilliant idea to pick up some actual prizes from the Olympic store for this race.

So you know how I'm always saying everyone's a winner? (Well, that is mostly because I'm so slow, and mostly cuz there aren't prizes. hee hee.) No really, Everyone really is a winner just for being out there. We rock. (but only a select few get actual prizes from Beijing). :D But anyway, how appropriate is the Olympic motto:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Great big thanks to everyone who got out there and then posted about your run with us. You are true Olympians in my book. Also, One World, One Dream fits the virtual racing concept pretty well, don't you think? All out there in spirit, united, running together??? Okay, Okay, I'll stop now.

There was some great creativity going on and some pics posted. I've included a few for your viewing pleasure. And as always, I've provided links to race reports so you can read up on other Olympians who participated.

Olympians with a medal (&) by their name will receive official olympic t-shirts for fastest man and fastest woman. Additionally, I picked up a few Olympic pins and these will go to clever race report authors ( % )who got in the spirit. One in particular, I urge you not to miss -- you might just see yourself!

53:49 &%Nitmos - Do not even try to understand this mind
54:26 Laminator - So much for marathon recovery
59:13 Byflynn - No dog run
1:02:39 Shore Turtle - PR and synchronized events planned for later
1:03:00 Slow Sam - Personal victory
1:03:32 % Reid - Everone gets medals…Please, you HAVE TO SEE THIS ONE if you go to no other race reports. Very cool.
1:05:16 RazzDoodle - Two-fer

1:05:39 David H - Great virtual race questions
1:06:48 &%Kristina - Tao enhancing at its finest
1:08:09 Bob - 8 of 12 for us!
1:08:18 Peter - Searching for a pitstop
1:09:27 Ovens2Betsy - Channeling her inner Deena
1:09:45 Marci - Always count on her for a Brit pic
1:10:24 sRod - 18 in…. Philly?
1:12:46 Kent - Olympians don't stop for a little blood
1:14:21 Jennifer - Funny pics
1:15:25 Marlene - Representing the Canadians in her first virtual event
1:16:15 Amanda - Be like water
1:17:07 Marci - Lame a$$ report - her words, not mine!
1:17:23 Andrew - Didn't mind lack of drink and spectators
1:17:42 thebets - Running in the zone
1:18:00 Tiger - 8 with us and 9 more
1:18:00 Flyers26 - 2 cool segments in NJ
1:18:57 Greg - cute cat!

1:19:21 Miss Alleycat - Crap, did I say 18?
1:20:00 Lily - Life's fun if you don't weaken
1:20:28 Christie - Nice spectator comment
1:21:07 Jess - iPod woes
1:21:27 Makita - Patriotic kids
1:24:28 RoadBunner - Shinbuster :(
1:22:52 Kristin Really did 8.88
1:23:00 Kathyrn - Hindered by pink eye
1:23:14 MCM Mama - Numbers geek doing penalty miles
1:23:05 Karen - Torch goes thru the UK
1:24:42 Wes - Tales of Hills with names
1:24:53 John - High fives all around
1:25:03 %Topher - Fantastic report in Chinese complete with bribery :D
1:25:11 %Runnin' Ragged - Interview with an Olympic non-hopeful
1:25:30 %Kirsten - Channeling Olympians and cool pics
1:25:33 Coffee Betsy - Challenges back home
1:26:36 US Jogger - 9 miles in a class of your own!
1:28:00 Michelle J - Multi-part event. Way to get it done.
1:28:53 Amy - Report by tv show
1:30:12 AKA Alice - Ode to the running partner and pictures
1:30:16 Xenia - Play-by-play multi-event fun
1:32:03 Merry Mishaps - One of many first timers! Welcome all!!
1:32:22 RunnerMom - Overachieving with 9 on the 9th!
1:36:53 %Lisa - Slow and Steady - Part of the torch relay - very clever!
1:37:30 Linden - Post-run entrant, no problem. :D
1:39:20 %Audgepodge - Pics in Beijing!!
1:45:56 Megan - We inspired her to do more!
1:47:01 k80k - Crossed the finish line
1:47:14 Nat - Did this very early just to be with us!
1:50:00 Em - great pics!
1:51:09 Running Knitter - 2 parter in monsoon season
1:56:16 AnnaBanana - not blogging at the moment but thanks for running!
1:57:00 Non-runner Nancy - Seriously? I just got last in my own damn race? Suckage.

Honorable Mention:

Sunshine - Plenty of trail miles…and turkeys!
Laura - 6+miles, injury, DNF non-report
1:11:20 Michelle - 5.6 gorgeous trail miles
42:57 Vava - 8k with us and the longest distance evah! YEAH.
Yasmin - Trail race and part of tri to make 8 with us!
Kate - Cycled with us and made us a great banner
Gina - Can't run but she rode her bike with us!
Spartan7 - Did 8+ with us, a couple times!

Thanks, Everyone!! Please let me know if I have missed anything. I can always update. If you won, please send me an email with your address to nonrunner at gmail dot com

8 on 08-08-08 Virtual Olympics Race Report

I never thought in a million years that I could make it to the Olympics but here I am doing a brand new event: the virtual 8 miler for running bloggers. WOO HOO. I hear there are quite a few entrants and it doesn't really matter how fast you are. Am I dreaming?? Someone pinch me....


Well the new event is going off with a bang. Did you see that opening ceremony?

In case you didn't catch it, I thought I'd include a few pictures. I had no idea they'd let some of us participate. Aside from all that communism business, those Chinese are so dang nice.

Why does the Caucasian woman get the good lipstick?

Why did that be-otch get the colorful outfit?

So I haven't been doing a whole lot of running with the extra travel (I actually did go to China last month) and probably the most I've run is about 4 miles a couple times a week. It is definitely for me that I schedule these races. :D Oh yeah, and for you guys too. But, they really get me going. I was out the door at the ungodly hour of 6 am. I ran this puppy slower'n slow, like so-slow-you-might-be-able-to-walk-faster slow. I started off as slow as I could possibly go and still be running to try to conserve for the full 8. Turns out, that was a good strategy. I never had to walk except once to drink some G2 (still my fav) and it was a lovely couple of hours to myself on a beautiful morning. That's why I rock. That's why I'm an Olympian. (hee hee, just teasin, I was actually really embarrassed at my slowness.) 1:57 Maybe there is a medal for Slow and Deliberate?

Apparently I'm not so much Olympic navigation material, my 8 finished about 1 mile from home. zoinks. I walked and ran it in. 9 miles in the books, people!!

One more thing, I looked at my watch at the 8 mile mark of course. Would you believe it was exactly 8am? I swear. I was going to take a picture of it for you when I got home because after 8 miles I am not so smart.... yeah, the clock doesn't stop on your Garmin just because you hit stop. Hee hee.

I can't wait to read all the other reports. I will be reading, logging and providing a Race Results post in the next couple days. Thanks so much for joining me to celebrate the start of the Olympics.

Do you have Olympic fever now? :D

8 on the 8th Olympics Style

It's going to be 08/08/08

and the start of the Olympics!!

Let's celebrate running blogger style.

Join us for this virtual race.

Yep, lame, but got the idea from this guy and I'm on extremely limited time:

Virtual Race Directions -

1. Run 8 miles sometime around the 8th. I'm easy, any time between now and the 10th is fine. I'm also easy in the event that you need to do two-4 milers. Just join us!!
2. Post a race report on your blog.
3. Extra points for olympic-type flair (but absolutely no pressure to do so!) - I brought back some official Olympic stuff from Beijing for prizes!!
4. Notify me when your race report is up
5. Check back here for the full report