Looks can be deceiving ...

Sitting here in our home office on the south side of the house, the trees sheltered from the strong north winds, it looks like a beautiful day indeed. The sun is shining. There is a fresh, even coat of snow. But ... if I look and listen closely, it's not quite what it appears. I can still hear the wind whipping around outside and I can hear the scratch, scratch of bare tree branches against the siding. The coating of snow is smooth and even because of those very winds. And with a step outside one is immediately assured that it is indeed still winter in the north country and spring probably isn't just around the corner. Such is February in Minnesota...

Yesterday was the last organized long run for the Off-Season Strides aka Jaxmarathon training group. I posted my photos in yesterday's entry. Their snazzy, bright yellow shirts should make them easy to spot! A big thank you to John Shonyo for devising and posting routes and printing maps all season. This isn't easy when surfaces haven't been ideal for running, so many of the bike paths that we so freely use during the rest of the year haven't been an option. But John has successfully 'mixed it up' and provided different courses for each Saturday morning run and arranged for water stops along the way. A big round of applause for John!



I found this lyrics scroller and some appropriate lyrics (Marathon, by Rush) as we wish 20 or so Rochester area runners a fun, fast marathon down in Jacksonville next weekend. I hope there are some PR and BQ stories to be shared upon their return. ;-)

Rush Lyrics

I ran 10.00 miles yesterday and though I could 'feel it' when I was done, I came home and stretched very well and kept stretching throughout the day and today I really feel very well, am not walking funny, and were the temp/wind chill about 60 degrees higher, would have considered going outside for a couple miles. But I've taken Sundays off from exercise all winter and will do the same today. But I'm very encouraged that maybe this 'leg thing' isn't sciatia or another herniated disc. Perhaps I will still be able to run Boston after all, though not very well trained. Here's hoping ...

I've had my Lace Up Against Breast Cancer entry form filled out for literally weeks, hoping to be able to run the half, but willing to do the 5K instead. So I'm hopeful I'll be running the 1/2 next weekend, if not something in between. Laura Lenz had a sample of the cinch bag at a meeting on Friday evening and they turned out very nice. Black with white accents, and of course, the pink ribbon. Kristin Zhao did a great job of designing the logo. There's even a zippered pocket on the front. I understand Chris Kujath went above and beyond getting sponsorships so there are lots of nice door prizes to be given away. Hope to see lots of you there!

I treated myself to some downtime yesterday evening by watching Running Into the Sun, a DVD loaned to me by Judy Weller. Wow. It's about the Badwater Ultramarathon a 135-mile race from Death Valley (elevation -282 ft.) to the Mt. Whitney Portal, several thousand feet above sea level. That's running 6+ marathons through the desert, in a row. One runner had had his toenails removed to prevent black toenails. One trained on a treadmill in a rainsuit with the dryer hose pointed at him. Very interesting. RTC's Jim Benike participated in this event a few years ago.

Paula (at Running Room) told me recently that Garmin is coming out with a 405 this spring so I googled it yesterday. It's got a touch-screen interface, wirelessly uploads your run info to your computer when you walk in the room, and can also be used indoors with an optional foot pod. The watch is also very compact. Snazzy.

I'm working on the March newsletter, which I hope to get to the printer a week from tomorrow. Not too many stories this issue. But there's still time to submit one! If you want to write something, please let me know that I should expect it. Thanks much to Judy Weller, Lin Gentling, Tom Williamson, Paul Thomford, Rosemary Harnly, CIndy Blendermann and Pat Brown for their articles. Much appreciated one and all.

I'm going to be posting here exclusively for a while. As I understand it, everything posted at http://www.rochestertrackclub.com/ between the time the site came back up and the time that we move it to a new server will be lost. I posted 50+ banquet photos there and don't know that I'll re-post them over there, so look at them before they're gone! The slide shows on this site will remain.

Let's meet another RTC member. Jim Postier.


Family? My wife Beth is a kindergarten teacher at K-M elementary. I’ve got a 9th grade boy, 6th grade girl and a 9 year old boy in the new “ZED Connections” autism school in Byron.
Hobbies? Guitar, with our family band the Salem Creek Riders. I also enjoy outdoor landscape painting.
Languages you speak? Enough French to get into trouble in Quebec.
How did you get started in running? In 11th grade I was beginning to race off-road motorcycles in 50 and 100 mile events and learned that professional racers lifted weights and “ran.” Those first two miles I ran one evening were the hardest I ever remember. It got much better after that and became addictive!Miles per week on average? About 20 in the spring, summer and fall, but I tend to be a stationary biker and hibernate a great deal during the winter. I also bike outside when weather permits.
Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? “Guinea Hen Run” which loops from my house on a gravel road to the western end of County Road 25. Guinea hens run wild here, on the western edge of Olmsted County. The distance is 4 miles but I sometimes turn it into a 10 mile run by running down into a beautiful, quiet valley road.
How often do you run it? 4 times a week in less frigid seasons.
Favorite carbo loading food? Spaghetti with parmesan cheese on top.
Favorite indulgence food? Mint chocolate chip ice cream. I’m out of it and need to get more. Thanks for reminding me…
Next race? Fools Five in Lewiston.
Running goals? To make the noon-Y running guys say “uncle” this spring.
Running dream? Probably really a “hike” into a rugged western area with camping and watercolor painting supplies.
Running regrets? Taking Steve Graepel running back in 1996 because he later became faster than me, also taking that left turn in road back in 1983 that led me past the evil German Shepard with teeth.

Stay warm.