Here we go again ...

Sigh. It's really getting boring, complaining about the weather, isn't it? Snowflakes the size of saucers. I guess April Fool's came a day early this year. Eric just took off for the cities for the Twins game, which makes me nervous. I'm such a worrier.

The RTC website is still down and I still haven't heard why. I'm probably more frustrated than anyone being my race is less than 2 weeks away. Please direct questions about website status and inquiries about race results (which come from the race directors, but I know, you don't know the race directors' emails when the site is down) to David Sletten. Thank you.

We're having the first RTC trash pickup of 2008 on Thursday, April 3 at 5:00 pm. Meet in the little parking lot off S. Broadway/Soldiers' Field across from Snappy Stop at the 9th St SE stoplight. Wear gloves. I believe we'll have bags. There was LOTS of trash on the south side of the golf course on Saturday afternoon with those southerly winds. We own the strip of bike path from 9th St SE around the golf course and under the beltline.

A couple of fun YouTube videos: adidas Reasons to run Boston and a 16-minute course video, taken from a car driving the course. Sure brings back memories.

Here's the Post-Bulletin running and cookie baking article. Couple of corrections: 'Rochester Track Club' Marathon Training Group should just be 'Rochester Track Club'. I use real vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla extract. The name of the chocolate referred to is correctly spelled Callebaut (and is what I used in the cookies the day the interview was done), but I most often use Ghirardelli bittersweet chips as they're available in Rochester, whereas Callebaut is not. And Callebaut is quite expensive. ;-) Also, if you're using nuts in your cookies, toast them first. They'll step up the flavor a notch or two. (350 for 5 minutes or so is usually adequate.) So much for my 15 seconds of fame.

Eric is going to study in Valencia, Spain next semester. Guess what? There's a 1/2 marathon in Valencia on my birthday in November. I think that's got my name written all over it! Another tidbit of info ... one of Eric's college friends found my blog and has it bookmarked! He tells Eric what's going on in his mom's life, so I hear. ;-) Funny.

Let's meet Kristin Zhao:

Family? Husband: Feng, Daughter: Shirley, Sons: Richard, Aaron

Hobbies? Baking, gardening, studying :)

Languages you speak? French, Chinese How did you get started in running? 7th grade track

Miles per week on average? 25

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? loop in the NE that contains the flattest roads I could find

How often do you run it? 2x a week

Favorite carbo loading food? my husband's Chinese food!

Favorite indulgence food? chocolate, chocolate, chocolate (with some peanut butter on the side)

Next race? RTC Spring Classic

Running goals? to keep on running...

Running dream? to run a race with my kids

Go. Be. Do.

It's Taper Time!

RTC website is still down. I still haven't heard why or know when it will be up. Sorry.

I got that last 21-miler in yesterday, so now it's taper time. I really enjoy the long runs, so tapering isn't always fun or easy for me. I wish I had the time to run really long every week, and then not get injured. But it doesn't work that way for me, so taper it is. Yesterday turned out to be a fun run. I felt like I was here, there and everywhere! As a result, time got away from me and I barely made it to the church on time (for a wedding I was coordinating). I pulled in the church parking lot at 11:01.

They were scheduled for 15 and I wanted 20 but needed to start early. So I started from home and ran up to the RAC (4 miles). We went east, crossed 52, went north on 18th Ave to 48th St and went east and around Watson soccer fields where we had our first water stop. Then it was down West River Road and across the bridge behind the Rec Center where Pete Martin was staffing water stop #2. Then up Viola Road (gotta love that hill! Good practice for Heartbreak Hill) and through Quarry Hill where there was still ice on the path and over to Silver Lake for water stop #3. Then south to Center St. where the rest went west and I kept going south.

There were two 5Ks going on, both centered at/near the Civic Center. Get Your Rear in Gear went around the lake from what I could tell and Race for Research (Mayo physical therapy) went downtown and looped around 'the cannons' from the marks that I saw. I met up with RTC member Jim Hebl who had run the Get Your Rear in Gear with a couple of his children. Chris O'Brien set a 5k PR in the race. Way to go, Chris!

Then I went over to see how Ruth and crew were doing with the Race for Research. Just as I was crossing the path, the lead biker (Mark Carey) was coming in and I (unknowingly) was in his way. Shortly thereafter, Rob Mitchell came screamin' down the path for a 15:20 (or thereabouts) win, followed by Andy, Chris Koch, Chris Chen. They ran really well. Way to go, guys! It's great to see runners in shorts again, huh??

Then I decided to head over to the Cancer Health Fair at the Civic Center, where Chris Kujath, Chris O'Brien and John Shonyo were taking shifts at a table for the RTC. The first familiar face I encountered was RTC member and Stay Out of the Sun race director Tim Burriss who was manning a table for his cause. Then I saw Chris O'Brien on the phone and then Jessica and Mike Schmitt. Next, saw Jim Mason and Matt Schraeder who had a table for the Chester Woods races. They'd just intended to drop off some info but got asked if they wanted their own table, so there they were! Talking to Jim and Matt--winner of the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K, RTC member Jason Sinnwell, pictured in the slideshow coming across the finish line. (Thank you Chris O'Brien for providing those links.) Across the way from Matt and Jim was the RTC table and Chris Kujath. Saw Peg Arnold, but she was in a hurry and didn't want her picture taken.

On the way through Soldier's Field on the way home I met up with RTC member, fellow runner, and fellow Cooking Light cooking club member Pam King, out with her furry friends for a couple of miles.


By the end of my day I was soooooo tired.

Here's a link to photos from Carlo Biondolillo and the trip to the Antarctic Marathon. Pictured are Carlo, his wife Rosa (yellow/orange jacket) and Paola Sandroni. There will be an article in the May RTC News about their experience. Can't wait to read it. These photos are fantastic.

New at Boston this year, technical shirts. Sized for both men and women, which is nice. When sizing isn't gender-specific, I never know what size to get. TCM technical? Small. TCM non-technical? Med. Tulsa technical? XS. They're even providing changing rooms so you can be assured it fits. Nice.

Here's a link passed along by Mike Schmitt--lots of data and research on qualifying for marathons--men vs. women, different courses, etc.

159 registered for the Fetzer races thus far.

Let's meet Kristi Quade-Wiedrich:

Family? I have been married to my husband Robb going on three years. This past year I got him into running a bit. He ran a few road races and finished his fall running season with his first TC10 mile run.

Hobbies? I have coached the Century girls cross country team since the fall of '97. It has been a very rewarding experience for me. My husband and I love to travel and enjoy just about any outdoor activity.

How did you get started in running? I remember always liking running. Races at recess time were one of my favorite elementary activities. Throughout junior high and high school I ran on the track team as a short sprinter. My track coach encouraged me to try cross country to help me stay in shape for track. I still didn't really like the longer distance running until after college when I started running more 5Ks and 10Ks.

Miles per week on average? When I'm not injured, 15-20 miles per week on average. The TC10 mile is my "marathon" and when I'm training for that I put in a few more miles per week. I currently have been dealing with a nagging plantar fasciitis all winter and I am dying to get back into running! Wish I could find the cure for that injury. One really misses running when there's one part of your body not allowing you to do so.

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? My favorite running routes are the many bike paths throughout Rochester, especially those around the Silver Lake area and north towards the NW part of Rochester.

How often do you run it? Three to four times a week when I'm in the midst of my running season. I tend to take the winter months off and do more cross training then.

Favorite carbo loading food? Pasta of all sorts. We have been trying a lot of whole grain or whole wheat pastas to try getting our pasta dishes a bit healthier.

Favorite indulgence food? Anything chocolate, red wine.

Next race? Hopefully a 5K sometime before summer if I can get my feet back into running shape. I have often run the Med City relays with friends and that is also a possibility.

Running goals/dream? I want to keep on running no matter how slow I get . I know I don't have the patience to train for marathons and I want to preserve my knees as long as I can so I will stick to the shorter running events. I feel that running is an excellent source of exercise. My hopes would be to continue running into my older years.

I've gotten all the way through the alphabet, posing these questions to RTC members. Response rate is probably 25%. Don't know if I should start over at 'A' with a new set of questions or what. If you have an opinion, please let me know!

Oldest son Eric just popped in!! He just finished a road trip to Georgia with his Ultimate Frisbee team at Luther. He's off to the Twins opener tomorrow evening. It's nice to have him home. He'd like 'fresh, warm' bread and (no tomatoes in it) soup for supper. I'll see what I can conjure up without going to the store.

Until next time.

Tuckered out, beaten down, ...

The RTC website is down. I don't know why. Yes, it's very frustrating.

More tomorrow, including LOTS of photos from my 21 mile run this am which included stops at the Race for Research and the Cancer Health Fair at the Civic Center--thank you Chris Kujath, Chris O'Brien and John Shonyo--(followed by an 11-5 stint at church doing a wedding). I am SOOOO tired.

Cheers.

We dodged a bullet!

I am soooooo glad that we didn't get that snow they'd predicted for us earlier in the week! So tomorrow's long run should be pretty much ice and snow free. Yes. While we were eating supper last night, there must have been almost a dozen robins flitting around the backyard. Spring will eventually get here. I just know it ...

Like my new banner photo? It's taken on Mayowood bike trail during the Spring Classic 2006. The bluebells are just spectacular in early May. I so enjoy the 15K/10 mile distance--probably my favorite racing distance (when I'm in shape!). Less than a half marathon, during which I usually cramp, but longer than a 10K, which feels like more pain. There's also a 5K option. It's not too early to sign up! Entry forms went out in the March RTC News and there's online registration as well. If you're not running, they also need volunteers. Contact Laura Lenz if you are available to help. Back will be ... chip timing ... the now famous monster cookies ... and a great race. The 15K is part of the Grand Prix. The 5K is part of the Youth Grand Prix.

Fetzer: The entry list has been updated. As of this morning, I have 138 entered between the two races (21 in the 2-mile, 117 in the 20K). At this point last year, I had about 65, so this is great. I hope the trend continues. At midnight tonight, the price on active.com goes up. But I won't be sending in the entry list until Sunday so if I get your entry by Sunday afternoon, you'll get your name on your bib. If you're mailing your entry, if you drop it in the mail today you can still pay the lower fee. It doesn't have to be to me by today. I still need a lead bike for the 2-mile in case anyone reading this is inclined to try their hand at being a lead cyclist ... Let me know if you are. I have the two 20K lead cyclists now. Thank you Ted and Mike!

I'm at the point in directing the race where the 'devil is in the details'. All the easy stuff is done--shirts ordered, medals ordered, hats (for volunteers) ordered, school is reserved, food either ordered or purchased (mostly), etc. Now, it's all the little stuff. Things you start thinking about at 4:00 am and then can't go back to sleep. How many tables did I ask for in the school gym? Why haven't I heard from Fuel Belt? (I called yesterday. They didn't receive the RRCA request for product. It's been taken care of and I now might be receiving up to 8 Fuel Belts to give away!) How do I draw for prizes and notify winners before everyone leaves? The list goes on ... and on ... and on. I leave a pad of paper and pencil on my nightstand so I can jot things down as I think of them, by the light of the streetlight, so I can eventually get back to sleep and don't lay there hoping I'll remember everything when I get up ... Such is the life of a race director.

My hip flexor has been doing great all week. Stairs? No problem. I'm so glad. So a long run tomorrow, then taper the next two weeks. I'm not going to try to press my luck and run Fool's Five. I'd probably end up injuring myself again trying to run hard. I'll leave well enough alone, thank you very much! I have to do a wedding tomorrow, so I'll run from home, run to the RAC run most of their route but cut off and go home at some point. I'll use one of the route mapping tools to try to figure out what my route will be. My dad and stepmom are driving up from Florida for the race and we have some extra time out there. I think it would be nice to drive out to Cape Cod one day. Can't wait.

There are some hot topics with the RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) of which the RTC is a member and from whom we obtain insurance. The have a new forum. Hot Topics: proxy votes, national convention being expensive (travel/fees--I agree!). Check it out. Voice your opinion.

Mike Schmitt passed along a link to a new movie about Fred Lebow called Run for your Life. Fred was the founder of the New York City marathon. There's a trailer on the site. Thank you Mike.

I got Running Times in the mail yesterday. It's got a new look to it. I think I liked the font on the old mast head a bit better, but the only thing that's constant is change, as they say. Haven't looked at the inside yet.

I finished Atonement by Ian McEwen. I had a hard time getting into it at first. It read kind of slow for me. It's the kind of book where you have to read every sentence. You can't skim. But I really enjoyed it. A few book club members hadn't caught a sentence here or there in the final section of the book, and made a huge difference in their understanding of the whole book. Great read. I wish I'd seen the movie. Those who'd seen the movie said that the story line was a bit different than the way it was laid out in the book, time-wise. What was portrayed as very sad in the movie was a half sentence in the book (which some of them missed) I don't want to give anything away ... but I heartily recommend it. My friend Maro brought a banana rum upside-down cake that was frightfully delicious. Here's the recipe.

Let's meet Kerry and James Rosane, pictured below last year at the Fetzer 20K. You can just see the top of Jameson's head...




Family? James, Kerry, Jamison- 1-1/2 yr. old son, Baby due in August

Hobbies? Other than running -- triathlons, catching our favorite college teams playing whatever on TV or in person, and playing with our son

Languages you speak? Just English. I (Kerry) took 4 years of Spanish in high school, plus a little in college, in which I only retain a little. Enough to try to teach our son a few colors, numbers, and other miscellaneous words.

How did you get started in running? I started to run a little on my own in high school, got a little more serious about it in college, and really got into it once James pushed me to do some races in 2004. James occasionally jogged but decided to start logging his miles on Jan. 1, 2004, and start entering some races.

Miles per week on average? Really varies. We stopped logging our miles this fall. James is nursing an injury. I am mixing up running with biking on my trainer, the elliptical and stairstepper, and swimming.

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? Starting 3 miles north of Douglas on the Douglas Trail. Running into Douglas and back. Otherwise running around our neighborhood in Oronoco.

How often do you run it? In the summer 3-4 days a week.

Favorite carbo loading food? We pretty much stick to spaghetti.

Favorite indulgence food? Good question.

Next race? I will run the Avera-McKennan Breast Cancer run this May to honor my mom. Otherwise, I plan to just do my own thing. James may do some shorter triathlons this summer.

Running goals? James acheived his my completing Ironman Wisconsin. I would like to follow in his footsteps someday when I have the time and energy to train to complete it. Otherwise, I would love to better my PR in the marathon someday.

Running dream? My favorite part of running is not racing but when I am out running and I have to tell myself I am running because it feels so effortless. I almost think of it as an out-of-body experience. I love to experience that whenever I can.

Next up, Kristi Quade-Wiedrich.

Thought for the day: "Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it."

See you on the roads.

Things are looking up ... mostly!

Well, I've had a good week injury-wise. I was sore on Sunday, but felt really good on Monday and Tuesday. My iliopsoas wasn't bothering me at all. So I thought I'd give a Wednesday am run a try again. I was awake at 4:44 am so I decided to head down to the Y and meet up with Bruce, Lisa and Mark. We ran a slightly modified course since the last time I'd run with them (we tend to run the same course week after week) and it was 8.47 miles. I believe we got a 'toot toot' from Larry Pederson on Elton Hills Drive. He must have been on his way to the RAC. I recognized his convertible (top up!). Anyway, we'll see how the rest of the day goes (it's not 3:12 pm and doing great!), but I'm feeling optimistic that with my increased focus on stretching and strengthening that things are looking up. Photos from the run below.

Why the 'mostly' qualification on the post title? The weather forecast, of course. We're in for yet another winter storm, and several inches of wet, heavy snow again tomorrow. This is so getting old... At least the bird are returning, and we can enjoy their songs while we're outdoors.

Stopped in at Running Room yesterday. More new clothes. Here they are:

I got just a fantastic article for the next RTC News from my friend Joy Larson. I can't wait for you all to read it. I'm so proud of her accomplishments.

We've got about 100 registered for the Fetzer . I'll have Josh updated the entry list on Thursday. Keep those registrations coming! Also, yes, I'm still in need of volunteers. It takes a lot of people to make these events happen, even with the relatively closed course.

From Sarah Shonyo:

LET'S WALK! Join KTTC celebrities, Ted Schmidt and Jess Abrahamson for Pet Walk 2008 which will take place on Saturday, May 3 at Cooke Park in Rochester. The theme for this years' walk is "Give Them Shelter -- Adopt". Our goal is to raise $35,000 and we can do it but we need your help!
Haven't had the tennis shoes on in awhile? Don't worry, our walk route is a short one so that all 2-legged and 4-legged attendees can join in the fun! Registration begins at 9:00 am and the walk starts at 10:00 am. We'll have dog bandanas for registered walkers with at least $30.00 in pledges; and dog bandanas, commemorative T-shirts and entry into our prize drawings for all registered walkers with $100.00 or more in pledges.

If you can not attend and still want to contribute, you can go to our website http://www.pawsandclaws.org/ and click How to Help then choose On-Line Donations and write "Pet Walk" in the special instructions area.

I finished Atonement late last night, just in time for book club tonight. I had 300 pages left to read as of the weekend, but I got 'er done. I enjoyed it and would now like to see the movie. I see it's not in the theaters any longer. Guess I'll wait for the DVD. I think it will be an interesting discussion.

Let's meet Pam Setera:

Family; husband Craig, daughter Maggie, dog Billy and guinea pig Ole

Hobbies; currently completing master gardener course, cooking, biking andof course running

Languages you speak; English and am going to work on German

start in running; to control weight and relieve stress

Miles a week; 10-15

defacto run; from my house, through Boulder Ridge, 18th street, 55thstreet and home.. about 3 miles, always with my favorite running partner,my dog Billy

run it; 2-3 times a week at 5:00 am

carb loading food; pasta

indulgence food; John Hardy's BBQ and beer

Next race; Winter Be Gone Duathalon

Goals; not sure... just going to see what the warmer weather brings

Dream; to feel completely satisfied with a race, that I gave it my all, made the right decisions and did my best

Next up? Kerry Rosane!

Enjoy your day.

March 22

Happy Easter! No matter what the weather outside, Easter is always a happy day! Matt was home from college, Eric is in Atlanta with his Ultimate Frisbee team. Matt and his girlfriend Sarah made cookies last night. ;-)

Fetzer updates: Entry list has been posted. It will be updated weekly. Price goes up $5 on Friday, and those registered by that day will their name on their number, so get those registrations in! Shirt order has been placed. Looks like I guessed low on Mediums the way things are trending. One never knows year to year what to order. Total guessing game. I can still use volunteers. Volunteers get black skull caps embroidered with 'Fetzer 20K' in bright blue; matches the shirts. Email me if you can help. Thanks much. The RRCA Championship plaques arrived. They're very nice.

Med-City update: The 20-miler is back on! The only way to register is to download the entry form and mail it in. Shirt is included, but it's a non-timed event.

Zap fitness Read about a running camp in Outside magazine. It's in NC and is $720/week, sponsored by Reebok. Covers running form for hills and flats, yoga, massage. 3-10 miles/day.

Long run update: I made it 20.2 miles, by hook or by crook! I wore my Icebugs, which turned out to be overkill. Those buggers are heavy! I decided to weigh one when I got home: 15 1/2 ounces for one shoe! That's without my rigid orthotics inside. My asics weigh 12 ounces each. My hip flexor is sore again today, but doesn't seem quite as bad as previous weeks. Don't know if I'll try a mid-week run again this week or just wait 'til the long run next weekend. Can one run Boston on one long run per week?? We'll find out!! Hopefully the answer is yes. I just want to finish in 5:59 and get my medal. Lots of those running Boston from Rochester look to be in very good shape. My best wishes to all of you for a great run! Also read in Outside magazine: 90% of those running Boston are from out of state.

Yesterday afternoon, my friend Kathryn had her annual Vernal Equinox party. That's a fancy way of saying she held her annual cookie feed! Photo in the album above. Also at the party, RTC member Fred Woolman.

I got my baby fix again today. My new little 5-day old nephew and family were over for dinner. He's so precious. I love watching sleeping babies and all the faces they make--pouty, smiley, etc. So cute. 7 1/2 pounds of pure wonderfulness. (Pictured above with my youngest son, Matt)

Let's meet Reggie Oeltjen, pictured at left above along with Tim Geise, Mona Geise and Jay Gatzloff. Reggie's wife Rosemary was the volunteer at water stop 2 and 3 yesterday, along with Bev. They even had homemade cookies for us!

Family? Wife Rosemary, son Quentin, daughter Natalie, 4 grandkids

Hobbies? We farm a couple of hundred acres which allows me to spend time enjoying the outdoors without leaving home

Languages you speak? I have a lot of trouble with English, so I haven’t attempted anything more daring. Even after traveling worldwide for 30 years, I’m still verbally challenged.

How did you get started in running? My daughter asked me to run a half marathon in Indianapolis after she finished grad school at Purdue. (The draw was that part of the race was around the Indy track.)

Miles per week on average? 10 to 30 depending on if I am in town or working on the road.

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? Country roads for about 6 miles round trip from my house with hills in every direction.

How often do you run it? 2 times / week

Favorite carbo loading food? What are carbs?

Favorite indulgence food? Ice-Cream (We make our own)

Next race? Fargo

Running goals? To finish a marathon without leg cramps.

Running dream? To run long enough to race with my grandkids.

Again, Happy Easter!!

Happy Wednesday

What a beautiful day. The snow is melting. Winter coats aren't needed. Running in shorts is a distinct possibility. First day of spring is tomorrow. (Just heard on the radio: Winter storm watch for Thursday into Friday. 6-8 inches of snow possible. Bummer. Major bummer.) Spotted running across the 6th Street SW bridge this noon, Gary Malat, Jim Martinson, K.C. Reed. I just happened to have my camera handy as I was on my way to visit my brand new nephew, A.J. (Andrew Jon), born yesterday noon. He's a keeper. No doubt about it. Lots of hair. There's just nothing like a newborn baby. What a gift.

A.J. and big sis Kaleigh. And me. Nice jacket, huh?

I got an email from Ann Walker the other day. It was good to hear from her. She gave me permission to share what might be of interest to those who remember her:

I managed to keep up on some of the Rochester happenings by frequently checking the Post-Bulletin, the RTC website and emailing Ron and Jerry. Everyone seems to be doing well but not nearly as much running among the former gang. People are getting old! I think I may have mentioned in an email a while back that during the first two years of med school I sat mostly on my butt either in class or studying. My running all but dried up! It's only in the last 4-5 months that I've been able to get consistent again. And talk about painful! I started by walking a bit then attempting to run but it was more like plodding. I started clinical rotations in October in Kansas City so we had some great running weather for the most part although they don't get the big snowstorm and horrible NW wind that Rochester gets.....KC gets ice storms. Sometimes that can be worse but I managed to run 4-5 times a week. After I finished a couple of rotations in KC, I had the opportunity to do a 6-wk psych rotation in Shreveport, Louisiana starting mid-Feb so I grabbed the chance. The weather has been terrific.....t-shirt and shorts running weather! We're headed back to KC at the end of the week because I have a 3-month surgery rotation THEN it's finally on to Chicago. I'll be in the Windy City from July-December so I'll definitely forward my contact info once I get settled. Remember Stacey? She lives in Hyde Park so I'm hoping she can steer me to a good area. I still have my two furkids (her two pugs) who have been with me nearly every step of the way. They keep me sane!

In the photo below, Ann is on the right. I'm on the left. Nice jackets, huh? They do get around.

Here's a link to the Post-Bulletin stair climb story than ran on Monday, including 2 photos: (Dana Alexander has the RTC shirt on, women's winner Bridget Worrell from Minneapolis is also pictured) Stair Climb story I added 18 more photos to the Stair Climb photo album on the RTC website sent to me by Hiromi Walleser. I was talking with Mayo anesthesiologist Mark Warner today about the stair climb. I mentioned having the taste of blood/something metallic in my mouth when we were done (and the burning lungs/throat). He said it was because our lungs were expanding and contracting so fast. Fun facts to know and tell. ;-)

Mike Schmitt passed along this link to Human Race photos Wayne K. does a great job taking action shots. There's a good one of Pete Gilman in there. You have to go quite a ways into the album to see it, though.

On Monday, the Gatorade concentrate for the Fetzer arrived at my house. Via semi. As in 18-wheeler. We live on a cul-de-sac and the streets are rather narrow. I should have taken a picture. Anyway, it seemed like overkill to send a semi up here for these 4 boxes:

Cooking Light was delicious on Monday. My fave? Kelly's Creme Brulee. Delicious. But all in all, everything was very good. There's nothing I'd never make again. Here are photos:

Let's meet RTC president David Sletten:

Family: Wife: Jenni, Dog: Foxy (Jack Russell Terrier)

Hobbies: volunteering, running, fishing, drinking beer, and having fun any chance I get. At the moment I am in the middle of a kitchen remodel and a 600 sq ft addition project so hobby time is very limited.

Languages you speak: English (though not always well) and Spanish (very little but still learning)

How did you get started in running: I did a little cross country running and track in high school although I wasn’t very good and didn’t really care for it (at least at that point in time). After joining the Navy is when I really started to like running and I have been running off and on ever since. I have found running to be one of the only times during the day when I have uninterrupted time for thinking.

Miles per week on average: 15-18 miles

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route: Currently I have been running indoors on a tread mill. Let me tell you I cannot wait for the weather to warm up. Once it does I will need to find a new outdoor route as my mileage has increased. Anyone from Byron have a good 6-8 mile route?

How often do you run it: Lately I have been running 4 days/week but as my mileage has increased I dropped down to 3 days/week with runs being 5+ miles.

Favorite carbo loading food: Pasta and rice, all kinds.

Favorite indulgence food: Dark chocolate and most flavors of ice cream.

Next race: Unsure at the moment…more then likely the Fetzer but it depends on where I am in my training schedule.Running goals: For 2008, my running goal is two fold. First is to run the Med-City half in under 2:15 (I’m already signed up). Second is to continue training and finish a full marathon.

Running dream: To run a respectable time in a large marathon such as Chicago.

Thought for the day: "Set your goals high and don't stop until you get there." --Bo Jackson

Carry on.

Happy St. Pat's Day!!

I'm 100% Norwegian, but I can pretend to be Irish for a day! However, I'm not wearing green, don't plan to drink any beer, and corned beef and cabbage aren't on the evening's menu...

Speaking of the evening menu: It's Cooking Light night. We're at RTC member Pam King's house. Gracing her table will be:

Edamole (appetizer--Barbara Kermisch, husband of RTC member Amos)

Oatmeal Knots (RTC member Barb Giles)

Spicy Stir-Fried Tofu with Snow Peas, Peanut Butter, and Mushrooms (Pam King)

Wild Rice and Barley Salad (Margo)

Apple Upside-Down Cake (Kathryn)

Cinnamon-Orange Creme Brulee (RTC member Kelly Lyndgaard)

Wine (me)

I just had my photo shoot for the P-B article for 3/26. I made cookies (above). I posted the recipe within the last month---toasted pecans, ground oatmeal, ground pecans, chocolate chips, ... Loaded. Fully loaded. Fully delicious.

Well I think I have iliopsoas tendinitis from what I can gather. Hip flexion is what hurts (lifting my leg, going up stairs, etc.) Symptoms sound spot on. I am much improved today. But I think I'll take the week off from running (meaning I'll skip Wednesday) and see if I can run Saturday and not be in some kind of pain on Sunday. My fingers are crossed.

Here's a link to photos of the Stair Climb taken by Hiromi Walleser. She will also be at the Fetzer taking photos.

I finally got caught up on some of the T & F I'd taped in the last month. During the Boston Indoor they showed footage of the U.S. Cross Country championships in San Diego. They were held in Mission Bay, where I ran a 15K last March. Very pretty spot. It was fun to see it on T.V.

From Jean Murray: Beer Run on Thursday, March 20 5:30 pm at Beetles. Come for the run, stay for the fun! Mileage is usually pretty low. It's not really about the run ...

Here's the design for the Fetzer shirt. They're long-sleeved, though.

New website for the Chester Woods Trail Run. Check it out!

Here's a link to a Prevention magazine article about Rochester being a walker-friendly city. Thank you to Chris O'Brien for passing it along!

Here's a link to information about the National President's Challenge. It's meant to encourage regular activity of any sort and provides a means for tracking it and offers rewards for your accomplishments. We might be setting up a 'Rochester Track Club' group. Look for more information in the News on the website. Meanwhile, let's all get (or stay) active!

New Nike Need Motivation? ad

Hershey's has a Track & Field program for youth. There's a state meet held in Sartell, MN this summer. June I think it is.

Let's meet K.C. Reed, race director for the Rochester Half Marathon and 5K, second from the right in the photo below (from left Steve DeBoer, Jim Martinson, K.C., Don Gabrielson):

Family? Three sons Chris, Andy and Conner and Cindy

Hobbies? Volunteering (of late) and running

Languages you speak? Only English, I hated French

How did you get started in running? I had asthma and the more I ran the better I felt. I haven't quit since 1970.

Miles per week on average? 25

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? Nothing specific, I like to mix up the routes, just ask the guys at noon, i sometimes will suggest we run a route in reverse and does that ever screw up their traditional mindset!

How often do you run it? Whenever we get a little bored running a route, or they are at a loss to pick a route, I'll throw one in to go in reverse.

Favorite carbo loading food? simple pasta, spaghetti

Favorite indulgence food? a weakness for pancakes

Next race? Fools Five, I have to try to beat Renee this year.

Running goals? Twin cities marathon in 2010 with a bunch of guys that all ran together in the middle 90's

Running dream? Having young legs again

Thought for the day: "No one can defeat us unless we first defeat ourselves.' --Dwight Eisenhower

A Very FULL Morning

Whew! What a full morning I had. I first headed down to the Stair Climb to deliver cookies for the winners and participants. There were already several members of the Rowing Club down there registering. Larry was all set up and ready to roll! More on that in a sec. Then it was up to the RAC to start the morning's activities. Laura Lenz, Dave Phillips, Todd Rowekamp and I were all heading down to the Stair Climb which was just over 3 miles from the RAC. Very pleasant running with the wind at our backs. Delightful change from last week. The only real problem was the snow melt that had refrozen. Quite slippery in spots. Had to have your wits about you as far as footing goes.

We arrived at the Shops at University Square and picked up our numbers and shed a bit of clothing as our next event was taking place in an enclosed stair well! Dave smartly had on shorts and short sleeves underneath his outer layer. Laura and I went with our long sleeves and pants. We headed over the skyway to the Broadway Plaza and no sooner found the stairwell over than I had to start. I had a 8:00:10 starting time. I had about 2 seconds to spare! There was talk beforehand about strategies--two steps at a time? Start out fast? Use the rails? Who knew. (Tom O'Leary's strategy--get 'er done, then head up to St. Paul for a bus-driven pub tour!) This was going to be a bit of trial and error. So I was second up the steps and decided to step on every step and not go out too hard. I was passed at floor 8. I could hear him coming so I moved to the left. Shortly after he passed, I could hear him verbalize how he was feeling. "I hear 'ya buddy" was what I was thinking.

I was still kind of running by about 11 floors. After that, it was as brisk a walking motion as I could muster. I encountered fireman #1 at floor 13 I think it was. So at the landing I stopped and took his picture. He thanked me. He said 'You're half way'. At floor 23 I encountered fireman #2 and also stopped and took his photo. He said 'Only 3 floors left!' Hallellujah! My lungs were screaming. I was so glad to finish. That is really a cardio workout. We were all coughing, coughing and our lungs were burning. Some of us even commented on a metallic, bloody taste in our mouths. Whew! (Sarah Shonyo--'You paid money to do this?' HA!) New RTC member Chris Koch took first place with a screamin' time of 2:29. RTC member Chris Chen was just 2 seconds behind. Chris (Koch) even took a couple of flights 3 steps at a time. I am satisfied with my 4:05, 25 seconds faster than my practice round several weeks ago.

The views from and within the penthouse were incredible. They certainly spared no expense in finishing the units. 5,000 sq. ft. each of fabulous granite, cherry and stainless-furnished living space (2 of them). The views were amazing.

Would I do it again? In a stair climbing minute ... Yes! Laura, Dave and the rowers (who climb stairs every weekend) agreed once we'd all recovered. So we hope Larry decides this was a first annual and is back next year. Thank you to Larry Pederson for organizing and for the volunteers who made sure everything ran like clockwork. Great job.

So ... then we proceeded down to Running Room and got ready run the 10K (non-timed). Laura got the last hat, so there were more than 40 runners, as people were arriving to register after we left to run a couple miles before the race started at 9:00. Chris Koch and Chris Chen were there as well, as was Jim Mason and son Jack who ran sweep at the stair climb, looking for limp bodies hanging over the stair rail ;-) Larry reported that the female winner of the stair climb, from Minneapolis, had registered to run the 10K as well so he brought her cookies down to Running Room. Above and byond the call of duty ... So much to do ... so little time! On our jaunt around Soldier's Field we saw Lisa Pelowski on a cooldown with her 2 dogs. She must have run with Mark and Bruce from the Y. Thank you to Laura for slogging around the 10K with me. My hip flexor/groin was certainly complaining to me the whole time and I had to run pathetically slow. ;-( Starting up after stopping was the hardest part. But it waxed and waned. If it wasn't for Boston coming up, I think I'd take a month or so off and let all these aches and pains take care of themselves. The good news was that my left foot didn't bother me at all. ;-)

Then ... we headed back up to the RAC via Assissi Heights/14th St. We were all commenting on the fact that we really got a workout and it felt like we'd been at it all morning! Somewhere along the way we saw Joe Lovett out running. Back at the RAC I had 15.40 miles and Dave had 15.04. We decided to call it 16 miles, giving ourselves credit for the stair climb. A workout indeed. On my way home I saw someone running west on 2nd Street very fast and fluid. Who is that??? Mike Torchia. Fast indeed. Likely heading home as home is out past West Circle Dr. I went home and plopped down on the couch to watch America's Test Kitchen on PBS and I promptly fell asleep. Ah, sweet slumber.

Complete set of photos for both of today's events on the RTC website.)

Lin Gentling could really use volunteers for water stops on Saturday mornings. I can't tell you how much they are appreciated. Thank you to Lana Lappi and Heidi Martin for being out there this morning. If you would be willing to volunteer, please contact Lin Gentling. A thousand thank yous from all of us ahead of time.

I updated Laura Lenz's photo from yesterday's post. It's a bit closer so it will make it easier for you to know who she is. Also added a photo of Carlo and Paola, who each took 2nd place in their age groups in the Antarctica Marathon .

I've had a few questions/emails lately about 2 things regarding the Fetzer 20K:
1) Where did the $500 prize money come from? I auctioned off 'Cookies of the Month for a Year' and '5 Dozen Holiday Cookies' on the RTC website last December. I got $220 for cookies of the month from one person and matched it from another group (don't know the exact total but roughly the same amount) and $85 for the holiday cookies for a total of about $525. $500 is the equalizer prize and I bought a $25 Running Room gift card as a door prize.

2) How did you arrive at the 12 minute starting time differential? I took the winning time differences for men and women for which I have records and averaged them. I got 12:04. Then I threw out the high and low differences and got 12:00. So the women will start 12 minutes before the men and will run for the lives, right ladies??

Overheard: Running the Human Race 8K tomorrow...Tom Woo and Mike Schmitt. I'm sure there are others as well. Good luck to you all. I believe the weather report is favorable.

Let's meet new RTC member Pete Schommer, left in the photo below with Tom Woo:
Family?I've a wife of 21 years, Marti, and 5 children. The oldest is a sophmore in college, while the youngest is 3 years old. All are lots of fun

Hobbies?Home construction/reconstruction/repair.

Languages you speak?English, and techno-talk

How did you get started in running?I actually started running cross country in high school to get in shape for wrestling, which was my main sport at the time. My wisdom, however, forces me to admit that running is easier on the body.

Miles per week on average?Lately it's been around 35.

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route?An out and back from IBM on the Douglas trail (snow conditions permitting)

How often do you run it?At least 3 times a week.

Favorite carbo loading food?Uncle Ben's converted white rice. It has a low glycemic index.

Favorite indulgence food?Rum

Next race?Fetzer 20k.

Running goals?Keep my colesterol reasonable without drugs.

Running dream?To never get out of shape after a marathon :-)

I'll soon be running out of Q & A's from A thru S in the alphabet and will be moving on to the end of the alphabet. If you get a email, please consider responding! I only use RTC member emails but if you read and want to submit your own answers and a photo, please do!

Thought for the day: "Fall seven times, stand up eight." --Japanese proverb

(6 Fetzer race entries just arrived in the mail! Whoo hoo!! Thank you.)

Happy Pi Day!

Pi, as in 3.14 (if you're a numbers nerd/math and computer science major like myself) or Happy Pie Day if you a gastronome!! (Actually, National Pie Day has come and gone...) Thanks Brian Erwin for sharing!

I'm running Boston in April!
Ding dong! The race is drawing nigh.
I am frust'rated!
Nothin' but injured!
Just get me to the starting line!
--My own composition, to the tune of Get Me to the Church on Time from My Fair Lady ;-)

Tuesday, I spent the afternoon and evening padding around the house in my slippers. By late evening there's a sharp pain on the lateral side of my left foot. What up with THAT for heavens sake?? It's definitely improved, but this is getting really old. Every time I run, a day or two later something ELSE hurts. My goal was originally to finish Boston, now it's to start Boston. ;-(

So ... lots going on in the Rochester running community. Things are ramping up for the start of another racing season. Kicking off the season is the Broadway Plaza Cabin Fever Stair Climb. Several of us are going to start out at the RAC at 7:15, run down to the stair climb then either continue on with the marathon training run or join the Running Room 10K at 9:00. So bring a 5-spot or two (both events are only $5 each and you get an embroidered fleece toque (hat) at Running Room and a photo from the stair climb) and join us! I think it will be fun to mix it up a bit. Then we'll run back to the RAC. Mileage estimate is somewhere in the vicinity of 15, plus or minus a little ...

There are also some volunteer opportunities coming up, representing RTC at some community events: 1) Pathway to Prevention Health Fair on 3/29. We still need a volunteer from 1-3 pm. Thank you to Chris O'Brien, Chris Kujath and John Shonyo for filling the other time slots. Contact Dave Sletten if you can help out. 2) Healthy Kids Day at the Rochester Family Y on 4/12 (note: this is during the Fetzer) from 9:30 to noon. This is a great chance for the RTC to promote our events, especially those geared toward youth (Youth Grand Prix, Med-City Kids' Classic, All Comers'). If you could help man the table for any or all of this time, please contact Dave Sletten.

Fetzer update: The 2-mile will also be chip-timed. And I'm still in need of runners and volunteers! To register: Click here. To volunter: Click here. I need help at the water stops and course marshals. I think we have registration and bag stuffing covered. Thank you to those have volunteered. Embroidered skull caps (and cookies, of course) shall be your reward.

Another blast from the RTC past: Steve Graepel! Steve and Kelly moved from Rochester to Idaho several years ago. Here's an update from Steve, along with a photo of daughter Chloe, both posted with permission from Steve. It was good to hear from him. Steve and Kelly are both very talented runners, Steve excelling at ultra distances. Steve co-directed the Aviary Trail run at Oxbow along with Jim Postier for a couple of years, both having previously been medical illustrators at Mayo.

Hi Renee,

We are doing well in Boise. Kelly works remotely part-time for Mayo from an office in our home. We have a nanny come twice a week and Kelly’s mother comes over once a week to help with Chloe. It’s ideal for our situation.

I still work as a visual content manager for Healthwise, coordinating medical images with written content. It’s a good gig with lots of opportunity.

Ella (our dog) is getting older and has a rough time in the heat. She runs once in a while in the winter, but with sporadic enthusiasm. She’s a little neurotic.

I’ve only recently returned to running, but with much less intensity. I run 3, sometimes 4-days a week: One tempo, one 8-10 mile, and one long run. A friend proposed we revisit the idea to run the 93-mile Wonderland trail around Mt. Rainier this summer. (My note: Steve has done this before. Wow.) In spite of my warnings, I don’t think he fully understands what he’s proposed…he just sent me a note sharing that after a month off, he finally got out for a 30-minute run. So we’ll see how this proposed junket goes…

But Boise has amazing accessibility to fuel our weekends. We can leave the house or the office and be on the trails in 5-minutes. And the trails go on for miles. In the summer, you could probably catch trails from Boise all the way to the Canadian border. Needless to say, it’s a Mecca for mtn. bikers and runners. It’s generally a very active town, and we have 4 distinct seasons to keep one busy with all kinds of sport. A 2-hour drive will bring you to mouth world-class whitewater, the base of 12,000’ peaks, first class trout streams, or in our case, the in-laws. So we are very happy to be in Idaho.

Congratulations on your Newsletter! Please say ‘hi’ to all.

Steve, Kelly and Chloe
Congratulations to Rochester runners Carlo Biondolillo and Paola Sandroni (above), both of whom finished in the top 25 and took 2nd in their age groups in the Antarctica Marathon on March 5. Results here. I'm glad that the bone-chilling brutal winter we've endured served them well!

Holly Ebel came and interviewed me for a running/cookie article for the P-B yesterday. I guess it will be out 3/26. They're coming for a photograph on Monday. I inquired as to whether they wanted the photo in my kitchen (in which case, I'd want it tidy!) but it was suggested that I might be in running clothes, outside, running with a sheet of cookies, possibly wearing my marathon finishers medals. We'll see how this goes. Cookies have a tendency to slip around a cookie sheet. Perhaps I'll have to secure them to the cookie sheet with frosting or something. I'd hate to waste 12 good cookies by gluing them on ...

Minnesota native Scott Jurek was honored as the 2007 Ultrarunning's Male Runner of the Year. Thanks to Jim Benike for passing that along. Jim also reports that Scott is 'Minnesota nice. A very class guy.' As is Jim, by the way. ;-)

Let's meet RTC board member, Lace Up for Breast Cancer co-organizer, and Spring Classic volunteer coordinator and all around nice person Laura Lenz:

Family? Husband, Todd, and 2 children. Sam is 9 and Abby is 5.

Hobbies? I love to canoe, hike, cook, read, and travel.

Languages you speak? English and Spanish

How did you get started in running? I have been running since junior high. I think I probably first started because I wasn't very good at things like basketball and softball- running seemed like something I could do. I stayed with it because my best friends were on the cross-country and track teams.

Miles per week on average? About 30 right now but starting to do more.

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? Our little morning group meets at the Healthy Living Center and runs by Soldier's Field and over toward Silver Lake. John Shonyo has us all trained to do all these crazy corners to make it the right distance.

How often do you run it? Usually 3 times a week with this group.

Favorite carbo loading food? Any kind of pasta.

Favorite indulgence food? Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate...

Next race? the Fetzer 20K- I'm quite sure Todd (Rowekamp--Laura's husband)will easily pass me in this equalizer race, but we'll see...

Running goals? I still feel like I have a marathon PR in me if I can get in really good shape. But, more broadly, I've just been enjoying being a part of the running community in Rochester since we moved here. I want to keep helping out in some races and contributing how I can to the RTC.

Running dream? I am hoping that my sister, Angie Haugen, and I can qualify for Boston at the same time so we can run it together!

(Below: Abby, Todd and Sam Rowekamp, Laura's family)

Thought for the day: If you have accomplished all that you planned for your life, you have not planned enough!

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right
Little darlin' it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darlin' it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right ...
George Harrison (Here Comes the Sun)

New spring/summer clothes at Running Room. Remember, you can use the 20% off coupon in the March eMagazine It's good all month.

Larry Pederson could use some help at the start and finish (2-3 people) of the Broadway Plaza Stair Climb on Saturday. If you can help, call him at 269-1962.

The Fetzer applications are trickling in. Most are coming from active.com but I get one in the mail every now and then. This is the first year I've done my own registration (I didn't have Excel until now). It's a bit of a thrill every time I get a registration. Thanks to those who have volunteered to help out before or during the race. We still need lots more, though, especially at water stops.

I thought I'd share some of what a race director does, which may or may not be obvious. This is not to scare anyone off as all of our race directors will need to be replaced at some point. Just to share what all is entailed in putting on a running race, and why we need your help! And it gives me something to talk about here...

My event is April 12. Long before that, I create and print the entry form and enable online registration, book the school building, secure chip timing services (or someone to score), mail entry forms (newsletter, running stores, prior year's participants), advertise on running/sports-related websites, secure sponsorships, obtain a parade permit, make sure course is still OK (i.e. no road construction, bridges out, etc.), let Park/Rec know about using the bike trail, order medals/trophies, order numbers, order bags, order portable toilets, design and order T-shirts and something for volunteers. At about this time, the major push is for volunteers. Also, the race director or someone else is keeping a spreadsheet of race entries. Be kind to your race directors--register early. Handling all those last minute or day-of registrations is much more difficult than doing it ahead of time. If you've been running outside this winter, you don't have to wait to see what the weather is going to be ... you can run in anything ... ;-)You'll also get the T-shirt size you want if you register early as shirts have to be ordered 3-4 weeks early and all we can do is guess as size distribution. And we're never right. ;-)

So, as the time gets closer, I'll let you know about all the last-minute things as well. Such is the life of a race director. We do it because we enjoy it and it's rewarding.

I just got a call from Holly Ebel. She's coming over on Thursday to interview me for an article in the Post-Bulletin on cookies and running. ;-) So maybe it'll run next week, usually Wednesdays.

Not much else to report on today. Here's another recipe, tried and true:

Big Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can reduce the white sugar by one-quarter cup, but you will lose some crispness. Do not overbake these cookies. The edges should be brown but the rest of the cookie should still be very light in color. Parchment makes for easy cookie removal and cleanup, but it’s not a necessity. If you don’t use parchment, let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Makes 16 to 20 large cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound), softened but still firm
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raisins (optional)

1. Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.

2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together, then stir them into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and optional raisins.

3. Form dough into sixteen to twenty 2-inch balls, placing each dough round onto one of two parchment paper–covered, large cookie sheets. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom.) Slide cookies on parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Let's meet ... Michael Reed.

Family? One very spoiled cat

Hobbies? Hiking, Camping, Canoeing, Picnics

Languages you speak? English

How did you get started in running? 1973, 8th grade. I got caught shoplifting a Playboy magazine, and my parents strongly suggested that I pick an after-school activity. I chose the cross country club (we didn't have any meets, just ran). I had a successful high school career and 2 years of X-country/track at Virginia Tech before injuries shortened by competitive career.

Miles per week on average? Zero

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? Elton Hills, 3rd Av, 7th St, Valleyhigh, 19th St.

How often do you run it? Very seldomly anymore. 35 years of running has caused premature arthritic hips, as it has for many of my friends. Words of wisdom: long distance running will harm your joints in the long run. You can get the same cardio/pulmonary benefit by doing zero impact things such as elliptical, biking, swimming. If you want to play with your grandkids, quit the marathoning, and stick to more moderate activities.

Favorite carbo loading food? Spaghetti

Favorite indulgence food? Cold Stone Creamery cake batter ice cream with Butterfingers mixed in.

Next race? Get in Gear 10K, but I certainly don't race!

Running goals? To not hurt myself any more than I have already

Running dream? None.

Cheers.

Let It Shine!!

Let's melt that snow!! The sun is high enough now that even if it's below freezing, we can have some melting take place. There's lots of snow to be melted off that Mayowood bike path by April 12, with or (hopefully) without human intervention.

Well, my left hip flexor was pretty sore yesterday after Saturday's run. Boy, training for Boston this year is like walking a tightrope ... I'm always feeling like I'm just on the edge of injury. ;-(

Stopped in Running Room today. LOTS of new clothes for spring/summer! Things from saucony and asics (with UPF--sun protection), Nike (cute new Tempo Track shorts--my personal favorite--black with fuschia trim and matching tops, black/fuschia capris), Mizuno (skort and capris with a fun accent/hem). Nice bright colors. Check it out! Also, the new Des Moines store opens on Wednesday.

Time to register for the Fetzer! Non-Rochester/non-RTC registrants comprise 89% of the entries! Price goes up $5 on 3/28. If you register by 3/28, you get your name on your bib. Also, please consider volunteering. I'm hoping to get a slide show of last year's photos posted on the Fetzer website in the near future.

There are still openings for the Broadway Plaza Cabin Fever Stair Climb on Saturday. Lin is going to try to design a long run course that takes us by the building. So I think I am going to park downtown, run to the RAC, run down to the stair climb and then possibly run the St. Patrick's Day 5K or 10K at Running Room. Anyone care to join me? Cookies if you do! BTW. There will be a penhouse suite open at the top of the stair climb. Come see what Rochester looks like from it's highest building!

There's a new FAQ page on the RTC website. Maybe you can learn something you didn't already know about the club. Additions are welcome. Just email me.

Featured in March RunMinnesota, RTC's Steve DeBoer, streak runner. Steve is number 5 on the US streak running list with a daily running streak (at least 1 mile) of more than 36 years. My Fetzer ad is on page 5. Also, on page 9, they ran my Quarry Hill photo featuring K.C. Reed, Jim Postier and Jim Benike again on an article for RTC's Larry Pederson's Upper Midwest Trail Run Series.

Here's a link to a new asics TV commercial, yet to be aired. Neat. Creative. Might make you a little dizzy. ;-)

Heard on the radio news at 1:00: Haille Gebreselassie won't be running the marathon in Beijing due to concerns about air quality as he's an asthmatic. He will still run the 10,000M however.

USATF has lowered the men's Olympic qualifying time for the 2012 Olympic marathon to 2:19 to make a more manageable field for the trials. (From RunMinnesota December '07 minutes)

Let's meet LeeAnn Shafer, Austin resident and RTC member:
Family? – Married, 26 year old daughter
Hobbies? – Running (my favorite running partner – my yellow lab named Bonnie – I can’t keep up with her), yoga, reading, camping
Languages you speak? – just English
How did you get started in running? – volunteered at the Rock –n- Roll Marathon in San Diego when my husband ran it; after seeing how excited, proud, thrilled those runners were to be there, I had to try it. That was about 7 years ago.
Miles per week on average? 21-25, with lots of cross-training
Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? A five mile loop which I repeat as needed, it takes me out into the country past my parents’ farm where I can run in take care of necessities (water for me and Bonnie, bathroom break, etc!)
How often do you run it? Three times per week, except in the middle of the winter as it’s too dark out there (no street lights).Favorite carbo loading food? I don’t really have one, although I love mashed potatoes and gravy….
Favorite indulgence food? That would have to be Funyons (you know – the onion flavored salty snack)
Next race? Not sure but I’m training for the Med-City Marathon.
Running goals? To complete the Med-City Marathon in less than four hours.
Running dream? I’ll have to leave this blank for now…

Thought for the day: Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one, take OFF! But if you don't have one, realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who will follow after you. -Amelia Earhart

Well, I'm glad that's done!

Photos from the Sarasota Half Marathon 3/2, 6:00 AM

Well, I got 21.5 miles in this morning. I'm surprised. It went better than my 18 2 weeks ago. And it really wasn't that bad. I dressed just right and never was cold--2 pairs of pants, 2 tops and a coat, balaclava and hat, gloves and mittens. Perfect. The wind wasn't an issue early on, but it did feel breezier (from the south, which hopefully portends a warming trend) after the first 10 or so. I kept my face covered the whole time. But all in all, it went OK. Whew! All I want to do is finish Boston in under 6:00 so I get that medal ... I have no illusions (only delusions) about a hoped-for finishing time.

Hero for the day? Joe Gyura, our water stop solo act. He covered two stops, and the second one was hit twice for those doing the 15-mile option. Way to go, Joe, braving the single digit cold for us. Kudos, kudos, kudos.

Blast from the past!! Dave Duncan was there at the RAC this morning. It was great to see him out running again. Up 'til a couple years ago, we'd run a lot of miles together. And Lin was kind enough to announce his milestone birthday this week. ;-)

According to Versus, the World Indoor T&F meet is on from 5-6pm, 6-7 pm, 10-11 pm today and 5-7 pm and 9-pm Sunday. I don't know whether they're repeats or not. Tune in to find out.

Just read on Runners' World that the women's winner of the Sarasota Marathon was DQ'd for not crossing the mats in miles 17/18. Here'sthe story along with 2 links to some rather artsy fun photos of the race.

From the previous poll, it looks like my blog readers (or at least the ones who vote) are predominantly asics wearers. I count myself amongst you as well (2120's--and I have a pair of 2130's in the closet). Love 'em.

Photos from Sarasota.

RTC members celebrating birthdays in March: Jeanne Block, Craig Blommer, Bruce Bonnicksen, Teresa Byland, Ron Giles, Mary Haen, Gregg or Michelle Hanson, Dave Morrill, Eric Overby, Duane Price, Kristi Quade-Wiedrich, Laura Lenz. Happy Birthday, one and all! (This list may not be complete as we just started saving the data in our membership data.)

Let's meet Ron and Gina Sundsmo, who will be on the beaches of Hawaii in 3 weeks ...

Family? Ron and I have a great dog-Hula. (Ron has 2 kids Jessie and Adam)

Hobbies? Running-golf-fishing-traveling

Languages you speak? broken English and Pig Latin We can also order beer and ask where the bathroom is in Spanish.

How did you get started in running? Gina started running with her dad 26 years ago to get in shape. Ron started running when we first started dating.

Miles per week on average? 20-35 miles

Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? We run from our house to the Pump and Munch over to Meadow Lakes and back through the Manor up to our house. About 6 miles round trip.

How often do you run it? Can't give away all the info. We don't want to set ourselves up for an ambush!

Favorite carbo loading food? Spaghetti and meatsauce

Favorite indulgence food? We both love the chocolate crumb bars and I love cookie dough too.

Next race? We are going to Maui this year and are hoping to enter the Central Valley 10K while we are there.

Running goals? We hope to get through the spring and summer without any season ending injuries or illnesses. We are signed up for the Med-City Marathon this year.

Running dream? Who wouldn't want to qualify for Boston? Gina would love to be able to run with her Dad again someday. He'll need a new knee before that happens.

Thought for the day: A smile is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and an antidote for trouble.

Stay cool. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead by an hour tonight.

When will it end???

The bitter cold. The winter that just won't end. This seems like such cruel and unusual punishment after running Wednesday morning in FL in shorts and 62 degree weather, and a half last weekend in the 70's. And the lows tonight are projected to be double digits below zero--mind-numbingly cold. I hope to do a 20-miler, but I'll guess I'll play that by (frozen) ear. I heard on the radio this morning that the HS baseball season kicks off 3/20. Ha! Good luck with that!

So. Florida was wonderful. I had such a nice, relaxing week down there. The first day was cold (wind chill actually and freeze warnings) but after that it was just beautiful. I ran the half (Sarasota Marathon). 'Ran' is kind of a stretch. I'd intended to do it very casually for a variety of reasons: 1) I'm not in good shape and have only averaged 1 run/week this year. 2) The start time was 6:00 am and my body clock was still thinking that was 5:00 am (having been awake since 3:38 am EST). We ran in the dark for the first 1/2 hour. Very few street lights (maybe every 1/4 mile) as it was unincorporated Sarasota County. My dad lives in Manatee County, unincorporated as well, and residents have to pay for their own street lights. Hence, there weren't many. Very weird when you can't see where you're running but a few steps ahead and you're in the middle, or in my case the back, of 3,000 people. I was in the long porta-potty line until the bitter end ... 3) I knew I wouldn't be acclimiated to the temps. 4) I wanted to carry my camera (and ended up carrying a pack of Clif Bloks, which I didn't eat, in the other). I'm glad I didn't try to run for time. The course had 51 90-degree turns in it (I'm going to upload the data to motionbased.com and see if there were actually more than that) and 5 180-degree hairpin turns along with other less sharp turns. No wonder the bottoms of my toes were so sore when I was done ... just like they were after running 10 miles on the indoor track. There was only 1 mile that didn't have a turn in it. And with my hands full, I literally stopped at every water stop and switched my camera to the other hand (I had the strap looped over my wrist so I wouldn't drop it) so I wouldn't spill Gatorade on it. I also stopped a couple times and had a volunteer take my picture with my RTC singlet on. So ... my time was slow. The winning time for the marathon was 2:51 for the men (I think it was 3:12 or 3:21 for the female), further evidence of a slow course. Someone I talked to on the 1.2 mile walk to the parking area said he ran it last year and they had a new course this year to take some of the turns out of it. (There were 51 in just the half!) Anyway, if you're really trying for a BQ, probably not the one you want to hit. But it was scenic once you got out by the bay. Flat as a pancake course, as all of the gulf coast is flat. The only hill was up and over (and back) on the bridge out to Longboat Key. I'll post photos tomorrow (Sat.)

Read a couple of books while I was away. I read Bel Canto, which I highly recommend. I'm now reading Eat, Pray, Love. Our book club is reading Atonement this month, so I'll probably have to start that before finishing the other one. Not nearly as much reading time when I'm not on vacation. ;-)

OK. Back to Rochester! Spotted running on the treadmill at the Y this morning with her new, comfy RTC T-shirt ... new RTC member Julie Stanton!

The Fetzer ad turned out nice in Run Minnesota. Also a nice mention of Pete Gilman in one of the letters to the editor. He is, indeed, a very nice guy. Fetzer registration is now also available on the Running Room website.

Got back on Wed night and looked at the Fetzer entry form in the newsletter. I was just sick. Graphics missing. Pete Martin was supposed to be pictured in the gaping hole on the front panel, and 'The Stick' logo is missing as well as the new 'No Headphones' RRCA logo. Oh, bother. Had to deal with that the last couple of days. (Update: Just returned from the post office and mailed about 353 of them. There were 3 postal (government!) employees standing there watching me tape up the sides. One guy finally volunteered to help me. Our tax dollars at work!)

Speaking of the Fetzer ... I need volunteers! Water stops, finish line, registration, setup, cleanup, etc. I will have a notice posted on the RTC website with more info. Please consider volunteering! Cookies and a thank you gift shall be your reward! Let's each challenge ourselves to volunteer at at least one event this year, and give back to the sport we all enjoy.

There's still time to register for the Broadway Plaza Stair Climb on March 15. It's only $5! See what your quads and lungs are made of!

I've gotten a couple of inquiries about Grand Prix awards. If you won one but have not received yours, please contact Lin Gentling.

Paul and Deb Thomford are going to be running a marathon in Hilo, Hawaii next weekend. What a great time for a warm weather get-away! Then they're off to Australia to visit one of their sons. Sounds like a wonderful vacation. Paul has been testing out some of my cookie recipes. So far, so good he reports. I believe we have another cookie afficionado in our midst. ;-)

Running on TV: According to USATF, 15K championships Saturday 6 a.m. on CBS but I don't see it listed in the Rochester TV listings. On Versus, IAAF Indoor Saturday 3-4 pm.

Thank you to Larry Pederson, Jim Mason, Fred Woolman, John Dinusson, Kit Hawkins, Jean Murray, George Huston who it sounds like braved some nasty weather to help assemble the March RTC News. It's greatly appreciated! Sounds like they got it done in about an hour.

There's a new issue of Running Room eMagazine available with a 20% off coupon and as always, lots of good articles. There is a misprint in the pasta recipe I submitted. There should be 1 tsp salt in the sauce, not 1 Tbsp. Whoa ... that would be really salty, and nasty tasting.

Community Education is offering a Track and Field Camp for grades 4-8 at Mayo High School outdoor track from June 16-20. Donny Holcomb, Mayo track coach, is the coordinator.

Either Planet Ultramarathon or ABC news or googling "Buster Martin marathon" will give you info about a gentleman from Great Britain who is 101 years old and attempting to become the world's oldest marathoner by running the London Marathon. Thank you to Pat Brown and Paul Thomford for sharing the information.

There's a half marathon in Albert Lea Live, Laugh, Love Run being held in honor of April Sorenson, who was murdered in her home in Rochester last year. Still unsolved, to the best of my knowledge.

Running in 3.5" heels in Amsterdam for $15,000 prize. I think it's an annual event. There are a couple of YouTube videos from prior years as well as a pretty poor one from this year's event.

I've gotten a couple of emails from authors of running books looking for readers: Running through My Mind: Confessions of an Every Day Runner by Scott Ludwig (autobiography) available on amazon.com and Girls on the Run...! by Teresa Belgrove, also available at amazon.com

OK. Let's hear from someone else! Roger Spee, longtime RTC member and prior Fetzer/Mayowood 20K race director:

Family? Married to Linda, with two children Evan (21) and Laura (19)
Hobbies? Internet surfing, soccer coaching, traveling
Languages you speak? English only (even though my area of business expertise is National Language translation of IBM product information into other languages… go figure)
How did you get started in running? As a 10th grader in high school I went out for cross country to get in shape for basketball. I was the only one on my CC team who could finish 2 miles without stopping. Long story from that time until now… lets just say I went on to ran competitively in college and did some road running and couple of marathons after college. In 1980s I had a blood clot in my legs which caused me to lose ability to run competitively. I ran for mainly fitness during the 1990s and starting in 2000 I decided to stop running as I was no longer able to run without early fatigue of my legs.
Miles per week on average? Now I don’t log any miles. During my competitive running days 70 miles a week about my average.
Your defacto, comfortable as a broken-in shoe training route? I liked running the trails paved and non-paved by Quarry Hill park.
How often do you run it? When I was running I ran it twice a week or more.
Favorite carbo loading food? Not sure it’s really carbo food but like pizza.
Favorite indulgence food? Pizza.
Next race? At this time I don’t plan to race again.
Running goals? Who knows if the spirit moves me I might start to jog again this coming summer. My college CC captain has recently gotten back into competitive running and he has urged me to do so also. So maybe the peer pressure from him will spur me back into doing something.
Running dream? I don’t have any real running dreams at this time.

Thought for the day: He who seeks a friend without a fault remains without one.

Stay warm!