January 9, 2005 Ultrarunners of the month for December 2004  Chad Ricklefs, 37, of Boulder, CO ran one of the fastest 50 milers by an American in recent years, clocking a 5:24:45 time in Tallahassee, FL on December 11th.  Running pretty much by himself, Ricklefs' steady pace at slightly better then 6:30 per mile is the leading time for the distance in 2004.   Connie Gardner, 41, of Medina, OH continues to be one of the more prolific women ultrarunners in the country. On December 11th, she bested a strong field to win the Sunmart 50 Mile Trail run in a time of 7:16:27.  Gardner is the 2004 American National 100 Mile Road Champion, having won the Olander Park 100 Mile on September 11th.  Congratulations to these two outstanding performers.