Saturday's Strides

Nice, if a bit humid, morning for a long run. You could sure tell where there had been hail and where there hadn't been. Our neighborhood was in the 'no hail' category which means, hopefully, that our garden plots also didn't get hailed on. My tender little plants wouldn't have fared very well, I'm afraid. After I post, I believe I'll head down there and see how things are 'growing'.

From George Huston, Jean Murray's husband: The world's weirdest footraces. Indeed. The visuals on a couple of them make me want to blush. Or turn away. Or something.

Very nice article on All Comers track meets in the paper last night. It's free so bring the kids on down for a rip roarin' fun time! All volunteers are welcome as well. Tuesday, 6:00 PM, Soldier's Field track. Sign the waiver before your children run, please, so plan to arrive early.

I watched the spelling bee on T.V. last night for the first time. Quite impressive. I don't know if I'd have gotten even one of those words right. They're very serious about their spelling.

There were at least 15 of us at Dunn Bros. this morning, which was great. (I'll try to remember all the names, but I know I'm short a couple: Jean Murray, John Shonyo, Dan Strain, Marilee Hardyman, Dawn Boynton, Tom Williamson, Tom Woo, Chris, Priscilla Smith, Laura Lenz, Kristin Zhao, Mitch Baures, me, ...) All different paces, all different number of miles run, so there's something for everything. Consider joining on an upcoming Saturday morning. Look for location either here or the RTC website. All are very welcome.

I ran to Dunn Bros from home (3.5 miles) then ran most of the 10-mile route with the group. K.C. Reed and Jim Martinson joined us shortly after we started out for a mile or so. Also spotted on the run, Dave Morrill @ Dunn Bros, Al Gilman on his bike, Kit Hawkins on 37th St NW and then again at Running Room. There were a couple more, but they're escaping me at this point. All in all, a good morining.

Have a great weekend!

T.G.I.F.

Kind of a tough week in the Saxman household. Matt is getting over strep throat and my husband Ted found out yesterday that he's got pneumonia. He's feeling pretty tough. ;-( I hope the antibiotics kick in soon.

Some miscellany to report on today. Here goes ...

Don't forget that tomorrow the Off-Season Striders will be meeting at 7:30 am at Dunn Brothers on Elton Hills. There are proposed routes of 6 or 10 miles, but feel free to run extra or cut it short. Coffee and conversation following the run.

Reebok Grand Prix T & F meet on ESPN2 5/31 at 7 pm and CBS 6/1 at 12:30 pm. Nike Prefontaine Classic on NBC 6/8 at 3 pm.

All Comers' track meets start on Tuesday at 6 pm at Soldiers' Field. They're GREAT fun. If you haven't seen them before, stop down and take a look. Come early when the littlest runners are making their way down the track. It's pretty adorable. Thank you to Larry Pederson and Fred Woolman for being in charge!


Pictured above is Norah, Dave Morrill's little 6-month old granddaughter wearing a 'Future Grandma's Marathon Runner' shirt. How cute is THAT??

Read about this in RunMinnesota, the MDRA publication. Structural Management live radio The link is to the show archives which includes an interview with Bill Rodgers. Live streaming takes place on Thursdays from 2-3 pm.

Paula Patterson (Running Room manager) is running her first marathon this fall at TCM. Good for her! Some new nutrition to be available at Running Room: Sharkies flavors watermelon and tropical; ediscs (electrolyte 'beverage' in a chewable form).

Thank you to Lionel Cheng for loaning me his copy of My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso. If Bart's writing is as entertaining as his speaking, it should be a very fun read indeed.

This is very strange: Men's athletic 'skirt' . I don't think so ...



The other night I made some tortellini for dinner and the boys loved it (Ted didn't eat due to his illness): I took a package of Cheese tortellini from Sam's and prepared it (boil 5 minutes). I heated some EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) in a skillet and added some garlic and hot pepper flakes and heated that for just a minute or two. Added the tortellini and some cooked chicken breast. Added some chopped Italian parlsey at the end. I liked having a bit of crunch to the tortellini. Not a bit was left over. 100% crazy good.

For those with a "knee'd" to know ... ha! The knee is doing quite well. As of last week I can kneel on it and can do a full quad stretch once again.


I believe our favorite Norwegian runners, Espen and Ann-Kristin Gjertsen, are due to make an appearance in Rochester this weekend, staying for a few weeks. Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog!

Well, ... I guess that's it for today. Happy trails!

Why, it's Wednesday!

Hello! I trust everyone that ran Med-City is recovering nicely. Those that ran the full marathon are probably dealing with their DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and starting to think about venturing out to test their post-marathon legs. Even if you're not ready for a run, it's a beauty of a day for a walk. The sun just came out and it's WONDERFUL out there. 6:00 PM run at Running Room for those so inclined. Congratulations to Lionel Cheng for running a PR in the marathon on Sunday and to David Sletten for running his first half marathon. Lionel has a photo montage of most of the marathon mile markers on his blog. Check it out. It's a fun blog. Photos of the Med-City events at Lifetime Photo Click on Next Screen at the bottom for the Med-City albums. 105 hits on this blog yesterday -- first time it's broken 100 hits for a single day. Had 99 on a day right before the marathon. Thanks, readers!

From Fred Woolman: 5Ps of Running Form Preparation, Propulsion, Pushoff, Pull Through, Percussion. Thanks for sharing, Fred.

Coming on June 7, Chester Woods Trail Runs . What a great way to try trail running, with a bunch of fellow runners! It's beautiful out there. I encourage you to give it a try. I sent in my registration yesterday. The 10-mile is part of the RTC Grand Prix Series.

More information has been posted on the Spartan 5K Run/Walk to benefit Mayo CC, scheduled for June 28.


It's never to early to register for the Rochester Half Marathon and 5K . Race director KC Reed has a 'little' ad on the side of his barn which faces highway 52.

Off-Season Striders will meet at Dunn Bros. North (Elton Hills across from the Rec Center) on Saturday, May 31 at 7:30 am. Proposed route of either 6 or 10 miles. Lots of ways to shorten, or lengthen, the route. And of course, coffee and the fixins afterward. It's fun. Try it. I'll be there.

Yesterday, I had a book due at the library so I decided to venture down to the Y for the noon run and run over to the library to drop off my book afterward. Pretty good turnout:

Myself, K.C. Reed, Jim Postier, Dan Edwards, Gary Malat, Jim Benike, Jim Martinson. Ross Hamernik arrived just as we left the building. We ran a 4.25 mile loop out to Mayo H.S. and back. Then I ran another mile down to the library, and back. Picked up my reserved book: The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken : A Search for Food and Family. I'm not sure where I ran across that title, but we'll see how it goes.

Ran 6.5 this morning with Lisa Pelowski (who finger-printed my son yesterday! Don't worry ... it was for his job) and Mark Wernstrom. Ran from home (2 miles) to save a little on gas. I might start doing that on a more frequent basis. Good way to get in a few hills on the way home. Seen on the run: David Smith Ph.D. and Ian Lanza. Seen driving: Brad Kautz. It was a really wonderful morning for a run.

A little ditty from Readers Digest: "Anyone who believes the competitive spirit in America is dead has never been in a supermarket when the cashier opens another checkout line." --Ann Landers How true!

Make it a good one!

Watching ... and waiting ...

Post-marathon celebrations

Before the Race

Running, Start to Finish

Back Out on the Course

God Bless the U.S.A.

"And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A."
--God Bless the U.S.A. (chorus), Lee Greenwood

Thank you doesn't even begin to do justice to the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice to defend our county, and to help to try to bring the freedoms we enjoy to other countries around the world. God bless you, your families and your service to our country.

As I'm posting this, I can't bring up the Post-Bulletin site to get any specific links, but Greg Sellnow had a very nice column thanking those who helped him to his marathon finish yesterday. Very well said.

So, another Med-City marathon has come and gone. Congrats to everyone who ran. It turned out to be yet another blip on the weather radar, didn't it? Nice cool temps and little humidity both right before and after, but Sunday brought us quite warm temps (82 was the high), very high humidity and what felt like a head wind pretty much all the way in from Byron. But ... I heard on the radio this morning that 7 people were killed by a tornado in NE Iowa and that was accompanied by softball-sized (4") hail. Coon Rapids and especially Hugo, outside St. Paul, also had a tornado. So, it could have been a lot worse here, right in between those two storm systems. Had we had a tornado or 4" hail, we'd have had a real mess. Thank you to all the volunteers who made the even possible yesterday!! We really appreciate you.

I ran the half, and ran and finished just how I'd wanted to. My time was 1:48:11 and since I wanted to finish in 2:00, that was just fine with me. I ran very comfortably and tried to maintain a consistent effort, which doesn't necessarily translate into consistent pace given the hills, both up and down. And I wanted to feel good at the finish as I wanted to go back out on the course and cheer for my friends as I knew so many people that would be running. Fun, fun. My splits: 8:17 8:27 (uphill) 8:38 (uphill) 7:58 (downhill) 8:19 7:41 (downhill) 8:26 (uphill) 7:38 (big downhill) 8:27 8:20 8:52 8:30 8:06. Here's elevation (green) vs. pace (blue). I stopped at all the water stops. I think the little spikes in my pace are when I stopped to either drink or take photos.

After I finished the half, Dave Phillips and I walked over to the RTC water stop to see how things were going over there. Just fine! They (Jean Murray, Julie Murray, John Shonyo, Kit Hawkins, Laura Lenz, Amy Anshus, Priscilla Smith, and I'm probably forgetting someone(s), ...) Thank you for volunteering and representing the RTC so well.

So looking at the graph above, you can see I went more than 13.1 miles. I didn't think it was quite that far, but whatever! It was my longest run in a quite a while. Anyway, I waited around the NE corner of the golf course until the winner came by and in the mean time, took photos and cheered on the runners. I was thinking that maybe Ron Giles had a chance to win this thing. Finally, I saw the lead cyclists coming, but it wasn't Ron following behind them. (Winner pictured below.)

Hmmm. Just a couple of minutes later, I saw someone coming toward me, but walking not running. It looked kind of like Ron. What was happening? So I ran down to him an he was indeed walking, holding his abdomen. He had a really bad cramp. He said when he tried to run, then he couldn't breathe. He'd been passed at about mile 25 after having led for the previous 8 or so miles. I was just crushed, as he was also. But he was determined to get to the finish, and was walking fast, determined not to let anyone else pass him. I felt so bad for him. But he certainly gave it his all. So close ... so very close.

I'm very happy to report that Ron recovered very nicely. That's him finishing off Sara Pruett's rhubarb pie later in the day. ;-)

After seeing Ron, I decided to head back out toward Mayowood to see who I might meet. I decided I'd run a couple of miles, find someone I knew and them run back with them if they agreed. First one I asked was Gary Larson. He said he didn't need me to run in with him so I continued on. Met Lin Gentling and asked if she wanted a running buddy. She said sure, but she wouldn't talk much. I could sure understand this. She was very, very focused.

I chit-chatted a bit not expecting her to reply. We met up with Trevor Distad and I asked him if he wanted to run with us. He said sure, so he joined us.

Shortly after that we saw Tish Torchia. It was her birthday on marathon day! She was on the lookout for son Ian I believe, who I'd seen earlier.

We got back to the stoplight near HyVee. Trevor had dropped back a bit and I noticed he'd started walking, so I went back to walk with him. I suggested that maybe we walk for 50 seconds, to the next minute on my watch, and then start running agin. He agreed. We started running again. He probably wanted to hit me for continuing to talk, but I told him he was doing great (he was), told him soon we'd "see the barn", to enjoy the little downhill going north toward Snappy Stop, etc. He was moving pretty well by this time, just under 8 minute pace. We then saw his family and I told them Trevor was doing great (which he was--we could see the Y now). He continued his great pace and I left Trevor and Lin, who we'd caught up with, on the south side of the Y where I dropped off. That was the very best part of my day, running in with Trevor and Lin. I like to think that I helped a bit, but that's probably me just trying to feed my ego. ;-)

A little aside ... Mary Chestolowski registered for the 20-miler as a tune-up for Grandma's. Well, she ended up running the whole thing, keeping the 2nd place female finisher company (I think it was the other gal's first marathon). Go figure. Mary, you're amazing. Peg was kind enough to get her a finisher's medal. She doesn't have a recorded time as she didn't have a chip (20 milers weren't timed.)

I went back to the finish area and talked to Roger, Joyce, and K.C. (daughter-in-law) Heil, who were waiting for Jon. Went back out and soon met up with Jon. Ran back on the sidewalk next to Jon and told the spectators that were just all watching silently (what's up with THAT?) to "cheer for Jon", which they did enthusiastically. Thank you, spectators. Managed to get back and get a picture of Jon finishing, then I needed to get home and (finally) get in the shower. But first, I wanted to stop at Great Harvest and get a loaf of bread as they were having a fundraiser for the gentlemen awaiting a transplant at the clinic. It was almost noon, when they were ready to close up. On the way out, I ran into Barb Giles and son Logan. I asked them if they wanted to be blogged. They said sure.

So ... then it was time to head home, get cleaned up, and head out to a couple of post-marathon celebrations ... a ninth annual and a first annual. Photos on a post above. By 9:00 pm when I got home, I was beat! But it was a very fun day.

There was talk later in the day about a marathon in Stillwater on May 25, 2009 which would be in direct conflict with Med-City. Here's a link (search for 'marathon') to what I found on Google.

Today I tilled my garden and planted my tomatoes, peppers and green beans. I still need to do winter squash, but Ted and I had had enough for the day. We could really use some rain.

It's a beauty of a day. Enjoy yours.

Later.

Marathon Spectator Dos and Don'ts'

Saw this in Midwest Living and thought it would be appropriate to post before the marathon:

o DO Get personal. Call out runners' names or just yell their number. You'll likely get a grateful smile in return.

o DON'T Get in the way. Feel free to reach out for high-fives, but stay on the curb and only cross the course if necessary.

o DO Get loud. Runners want a lot of support. Yell, ring bells, applaud or even blast music.

o DON'T Forget the walkers. Cheer the folks walking the course, too. They take longer but travel just as far.

o DO Tell the truth. Marathoners agree: Don't say "Almost there!" when they're actually still two or three miles away. Stick with "Way to go!"

It's Med-City Marathon Time!

Good luck to everyone who is going to be running the Med-City events, be it a relay, half marathon, 20 miles or the whole shebang! May the wind be at your back, may it all feel like it's downhill (!), and may you enjoy each and every mile. I believe there are still openings in all the events. Registration and packet pickup takes place at Running Room from 4-9 PM today and 9:30 to 6 on Saturday. Thank you to everyone who will be volunteering as well. Sidewalk sale in progress at Running Room. Stop by early for the best selection! If you're traveling this weekend, have a safe journey. And it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: don't drink and drive.

Nice article about Chris Koch in the Post-Bulletin earlier in the week. I look forward to his next marathon! He's obviously a natural.

BK5K June 21 in Winona, to benefit Winona youth. Interesting twist: "While there are awards for finishing first, in this race you are also competing against yourself. You state your personal record (PR) time and try to beat it. If you are a runner over age 40, your PR is adjusted for your age. A race day trophy goes to each participant beating his or her PR (PR must be provided in registration)." There's also prize money: "The top three overall finishers for men and for women receive trophies and win $500, $400 and $300, respectively." The course is around Lake Winona, which is as flat a course as it's possible to have.

Brett Carroll (Mayo CC and track coach and Stay Out of the Sun Run 5K winner) is organizing a race 5K on June 28 to benefit the Mayo H.S. Cross Country program. Look for more information here and on the RTC website in the near future.

There's a Project Pink 5K fun run/walk in Lake City on June 29. "Proceeds will be used for breast cancer awareness and purchase of digital mammography equipment."

Stumbled upon Wild Goose Chase 30K. Sounds like it might be fun. I have relatives in Montevideo, which is quite near the little town of Milan. I'll keep it on my short list. It looks like the 30K solo was a very small race last year, but Carrie Tollefson particiated in the 30K relay. She's from out there (Dawson).

I watched the Pac 10 outdoor track & field meet last night, which I'd taped earlier in the day. Garrett Heath, Winona native, Stanford runner and former Section 1 outstanding athlete (runner and skier), won the 1500 in 3:42.02. His photo on that link is wild. He's got short hair again, actually shorter than he did in high school.

Tracey McGuire found a pair of Running Room convertible glove/mittens near her home in NE Rochester, roughly 11th Ave and 15th St NE area. If they're yours, let me know and I'll get you in contact with Tracey.

So Matt, my 19-year old son, comes down the other day with this shirt on:

Hmmm. Very interesting. Certainly a mother is entitled to ask her non-runner son about this shirt! Turns out it was a breast cancer fundraiser and you could participate with as little clothing as you liked, but had to remain decent (or something like that). He ran then walked with his R.A. at WSU. Good for him. He even forked over the entry fee himself (and didn't ask me for reimbursement). Good kid. Here's the back of the shirt:

Whatever.

Well, the price of gas is getting ridiculous. I'm really thinking about the miles I drive these days. Every five miles costs roughly $1 just in gas. Ouch. So this morning I decided to run down to the Y (2 miles) to lift and then run home. On the way down I detoured and went around the golf course to check on the trash situation. Not too much, but picked up what was there. One small bag full. Hopefully it will still look nice for the marathon on Sunday. ;-)

Well, I'm sure I'll see lots of you over the weekend. I'll be out there with my ever-present camera. I have a wedding to do tomorrow (rehearsal tonight) and a couple of batches of cookies to make so my legs won't be too rested for the half, but that's OK. This is a rebuilding year. ;-) I'm just happy to be running. See you on the roads!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend.

Cooking Light Slideshow

This is why we live in Minnesota

For these glorious spring days, before the heat and humidity (and attendant frizzy hair!) move in. Love it.

Today was a running day for me. I woke up in time to make it to the Y by 5:15 AM (but barely) but closed my eyes for a second! and before I knew it, it was 5:58 AM. I needed the extra zzzzs. I've just been so tired lately. Anyway, I headed out for my 7.5 mile 'around the hill' course. No spottings of other runners, but lots of beauty in nature. The crabapple trees are really wonderful right now. They add a nice punch of color amongst all the green. Conner Reed (with help from his dad, among others!) finished his Eagle Scout project--the deck and ramp at Hadley Valley School at the Olmsted County History Center. It looks just great. A very professional job was done by one and all. Kudos.

Some of you might remember the Presidential Physical Fitness test from grade/high school years. I do. It was the first time I ever tried to run a mile. And I didn't try again until about 20 years later, until my late 30's. ;-) Anyway, I remember having to run a mile in 10 minutes to pass the test. I did it, but it must have taken me 9:30 or something like that. If you've had a yen to try again as an adult, you're in luck. But without the little patch or certificate. But it's a chance to see how you compare to others your age in regards to aerobic capacity, muscular fitness and flexibility. Thanks to Mike Schmitt for passing this along. There's another link to an article on the same subject on the HEALTH magazine site on the RunMinnesota blog.

Congratulations to Jessica Schmitt (Mike's wife) for completing her very first 1/2 marathon this past weekend in Green Bay. Major milestone. Chris O'Brien is training for her first half marathon at Grandma's in Duluth. We're proud of you, gals!

John Shonyo reports that a check will be presented to Mayo Clinic on Tuesday--proceeds from the 26.2 with Donna marathon in Jacksonville, FL in February. He'd heard that it might be in excess of $1 million. Very worthy cause. Thank you to everyone who participated and raised funds.

Help is needed for All Comers' track meets which commence on Tuesday, June 3 at the Soldier's Field Track at 6 pm. They're great fun. Really. The kids run with a lot of intensity. And there are some little ones who aren't quite sure about things yet and would rather play in the cinders and chalk. ;-) But come on down and see what they're all about. Needed--ribbon hander-outers and long jump pit workers. Contact Fred if you can help out.

Even though the season is really just getting underway, keep in mind that the RTC will be gathering nominations for Runner of the Year come fall. (Just a note: This is not an award for volunteer service. We have specific service awards to honor our wonderful volunteers.) Anyway, the RTC Runner of the Year should be someone who has met a long-standing running goal, or someone who has really persevered to achieve a goal, someone who is an ambassador for the sport and encourages others to achieve their goals, etc. With Med-City coming up, it's a good time to start thinking about who might be someone to nominate for 2008. Think about it!

I tried some of the new chocolate flavored Skittles the other day. If it were up to me, they won't last. Bleh.

It's rhubarb season. Here's a rhubarb muffin I've used for years from a co-worker back in the days when I was an IBM'er (and I've seen the same ingredients made into a coffee cake):

1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. diced rhubarb
Nuts (optional)

Mix everything together. Stir in rhubarb. Before baking sprinkle with:
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. Makes 12-15 delicious muffins.

Hope to see you on the roads!

This, That 'n the Other Thing

Finally, we're enjoying some nice, albeit somewhat windy, running weather. Hope it persists until Sunday for all the Med-CIty events! Just think, in 4 months we could have our first frost. Sobering thought... OK. On to happier thoughts!

I neglected to mention that Saturday was Syttende Mai (literally, 17th of May), Norwegian Constitution Day, akin to our 4th of July. So, happy belated Syttende Mai to my fellow Norwegians!

Sunday I'd hoped to go out and run at Chester Woods, but it just didn't work out. For one thing after 11 miles on Saturday, I didn't think attempting 10 challenging miles would be a good thing as my running isn't going that weel and I had just an hour to run. So I ran down to county 22 and around the bottom of the hill before we had a graduation open house to attend out in Byron. Photos above.

Track & Field on TV: Thursday on FSN (Channel 30 on Rochester Charter Cable) at noon, Pacific 10 Championships; Friday at 12:30 pm, Big 12 Outdoor Championships.

Med-City marathon is still in need of course marshals. If you're able to help out for a few hours, please contact Ben at the Y. Look for the RTC water stop just east of the bridge near the golf course. ;-)

Look for a sale at Running Room during packet pick-up on Friday and Saturday. No details yet, but there will most likely be bargains to be had. Still needed for upcoming clinics: 10K instructor. Contact Paula if you'd like more information about this position.

Great Harvest will be having a fundraiser on Sunday for a relative of the staff who's preparing for a kidney transplant at Mayo. He's a single father who's been unable to work for 3 years because of his medical condition. A note: There is no surcharge on product for these fundraisers. The Sweeneys just generously give the proceeds to thes worthy causes. So consider stopping by when you're out and about on Sunday from 9 am to noon. North Broadway and 7th St NW if you've not been there before. (If that's true, you're really missing out!) The Sweeneys are very generous supporters of many, many community events including RTC events.

New for running skirt shopping deals: Skirt Sports Outlet . Lots of things at half price, including a zebra print skirt with pink accents. That just might have my name on it!

It's time for the Off-Season Striders to get off and running. The (short) season will commence on Saturday at 7:30 AM at Panera South. Routes, distance and pace are highly adaptable. The only constants? Java, food and conversation. Consider joining them!

Last night was Cooking Light at my house. Faves? Probably the scones (Barbara) and the cake (Kelly). Fabulous, both of them. But everything was very good. I found that making pasta by hand (as in rolling with a rolling pin and cutting with a knife) is rather putsy and might be worth it on occasion, but not for general consumption. ;-) Eric just passed through and grabbed a scone and said they taste 'just like pizza' which is a big complement from a 21-year old!

Well, that's all it my short list. As always, I welcome bloggable contributions!

Thought for the day: 'An apology is a good way to have the last word!'

Cheers.

Happy 56th Birthday to Pete Martin!! (It's OK. I warned him I was going to do this ...)

Another one bites the dust ...

Another season for the Marathon Training Class has come and gone. Med-City runners ran 10 miles, Grandma's--15. The morning in pictures...

Thank you to Marilee Hardyman for staffing our water stop. Thank you to Pete Martin and Lin Gentling for organizing the runs every Saturday since February. They'll start up again in July. Meanwhile, look for information for Saturday morning runs with the Off-Season Striders on the RTC website. Another option for your weekend runs ... Sunday morning at 8:30 at Running Room. Hope those running the Fargo Marathon this morning had the nice weather we did. It was a bit windy coming from the north, but all in all, I'll take it. It wasn't snowing. Spotted running on County 22 on my way to the RAC, Deb Dilling then Peggy Menzel. Spotted on County 22 when I left the RAC, heading for Sam's Club, Sonja Kranz and Kirsten Kranz.

I went to the Garmin training yesterday at Running Room. Pictured is the new 405. It's got a lot of the same features as the 205/305, but instead of pushing buttons to scroll, you run your finger around the bezel (the grey ring around the face of the unit), similar to an iPod. It also wirelessly connects to your computer when the unit gets within range. The rep said it's not intended as a replacement for the 205/305. If you use the mapping and tracking features on the 205/305, you'd want to stay with that unit. The screen is smaller on this unit. If you have a very smal wrist, it might not fit very well, but works fine on the average sized wrist. Comes in black and green.

Sunday afternoon on ESPN, the adidas Classic track meet. I believe it's 3:00 PM central time.

From Paul Thomford (and I believe this was mentioned in the P-B last evening as well): Sprinter wins his appeal to compete for a spot on the Beijing Olympic team. The twist? He's a double amputee with carbon fiber legs.

Posted 4 slideshows in yesterday's post about the Stay Out of the Sun Run. They had huge crowds. Haven't located the results yet, but I'm sure they'll be posted soon. I was directing runners into the finish line area. And taking pictures of course.

Newsletters back to 2002 have been posted on the RTC website, Members only area. Thank you Mike Schmitt, for posting these for me. I'm missing 2004 and 2005 (and possibly a few others). I believe I deleted those a while back as the files are huge and my hard drive was filling up. They were on my boat anchor desktop which I dusted off and brought up from the basement. I believe I'll have to contact Minuteman Press to see whether they have the CDs with the missing issues. I hope they do.


Here is the design for the socks for the TreadMan duathlon. Thank you Henry Walker! Fun, bright colors. The du is a collaboration between the RTC, RASC and TriRochester. Time to dust off those pedals and start training! This year, the event will be held on Sat, Sept. 27. Again, in Douglas. It's never to early to sign up or volunteer! It's been great to be a part of it. Maybe someday I'll even get to participate! Talented co-directors are: John Shonyo (RTC), Henry Walker (RASC), Mark Carey, Chris Koch, Rob Mitchell (TriRochester).

Monday, it's Cooking Light at my house. On the menu:

Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Dip (p. 192) Mary
Manchego, Herb, and Sun-Dried Tomato Scones (p. 112) Barbara
Whole Wheat Tagliolini with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce (p. 98) Renee
Moroccan Tri-Color Pepper Salad (p. 130) Margo
Baby Artichoke Saute with Basil-Asiago Breadcrumbs (p. 142) Pam
Lemon-Almond Cake with lemon Curd Filling (p. 128) Kelly
Chocolate-Pecans Macaroons (Kathryn)
Wine Barb

This will be my first experience making homemade pasta. We'll see how that goes. ;-) You'll hear about it, for sure and for certain. Sounds like a 'no carb left behind' dinner to me!

I'm going to have to will myself through the Med-City Half. I'm just not in very good shape and any kind of halfway decent pace seems like such an effort. I'll just run it for fun and try to tell myself that my time doesn't matter. (Good luck with that, ultra competitive Miss Renee!) "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." --Mahatma Gandhi

Long may you (we) run.

Stay Out of the Sun Run

Before the race

The start

The 5K finish

10K finish

Oh, what a beautiful day!

What a beautiful spring day, from the get-go! I pulled in to the parking lot and saw Deb Thomford and David Nagorney running on Soldier's Field Drive. How I wished I was out running, but just couldn't do another day on the roads. Back to the Stairmaster and Arc Trainer for me. ;-) Spotted at the Y Fitness Center: Paula Patterson! She and Chris O'Brien had been swimming.

Well, I was awake at 4:20 AM yesterday, so I decided to head down to the Y for our 5:15 AM run. The first time since April 2, when I fell. For whatever superstitious reason, I was a bit apprehensive and made sure to lift my feet (I'm usually a bit of a shuffler). We ran the usual 8.4 mile course without incident. Whew. Then I did a quick trash pick-up in our adopted park--the bike path around Soldier's Field. Photos below.

After work, I stopped by my brother's house. It was niece Kaleigh's 2nd birthday. So I brought her a big bag of Spongebob Squarepants this 'n that. She love it. She's a huge Spongebob fan. Her mom had gotten her Spongebob balloons and cake. Photos below.

Afternoon adventure? Venturing down to Decorah (Luther College--my alma mater) to get all Eric's 'stuff'. He was done with finals at 3:00. His dorm: 8 stories, 24 rooms/floor, 1 elevator and just about everyone but the seniors trying to move out. Needless to say, everything came down the stairs. Eric's room #? 722. Glad I didn't decide to lift yesterday morning. But everything got loaded up without incident. It's amazing how much dirt and dust is in those rooms when they get there stuff out. Yuck. I can just about guarantee that nary a dust cloth made an appearance between August and May. ;-)

There is am Amish community in the Harmony and Canton, MN area and it's very commonplace to see buggies on Highway 52 either coming into or leaving town. Having trouble with Photobucket again. Might have to come back and post a few individual photos. It was a picture perfect day down there.

The Rochester store has added two new clinics! In addition to the many fun and motivational clinics we have also added: Half Marathon walking and TC10 mile!
Here are the specifics, but check the website Running Room or call the store for more information! 507-287-3341

Half Marathon Walking- July 9-October 22 Wednesday's 6pm- the goal race is the walker friendly half marathon in Des Moines, Iowa

TC10 mile-July 10-October 2 Thursday's 6pm- the goal race is the Medtronic TC 10 from Minneapolis to St Paul.

From a TCM email this morning: Twin Cities Marathon is 96% full. Saturday is the last run at the RAC until fall training starts. I believe some cookies might be in order ... Be there!

Med-City is in need of course marshals in two-hour shifts from 7 AM thru 1 PM. If you can volunteer contact the Y by email or phone 287-2260 ext. 348 (Sorry--there's no hyperlink for a phone number. Ha! Someday, I'm sure...) Chester Woods Trail Run is in need of volunteers. Contact Jim Mason or 507-951-2415 if you can help.

Mother's 5K Cross Country results have been posted. Thanks, Mark Carey!

Upcoming events: This evening, Beer Run at 5:30 at Dos Amigos on 4th St SE TONIGHT. Stay Out of the Sun 5K and 10K Friday evening, Hayfield Fire Department 5K and 10K on Saturday. Nice writeup in the Post-Bulletin about race organized, and new RTC member, Johann Sonenberg.

From Running Times: The Runner's Cookbook Alison Wade, the very talented webmaster, photographer and now editor, is announcing a new cookbook that is now available. Wade organized and edited "The Runner's Cookbook: Winning Recipes from Some of the World's Best Athletes", a compilation of 100 favorite recipes from over 90 elite runners. You will find Adam Goucher's favorite dinner, Sara & Ryan Hall's wedding dessert & Jelena Prokopcuka's pre-workout breakfast, among many other delicious things.

The cookbook is a fundraiser for the Ryan Shay Memorial Fund and the Jenny Crain "Make It Happen" Fund. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go directly into these two funds.
It is being published by lulu.com, a print-on-demand publisher. Right now, it is only available there for $14.95. Eventually, it should be available via amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and other sources. We are encouraged to buy it at lulu.com though, because a much larger percentage of the price will go to the fundraising efforts when we buy it there. More information is available at Runner's Cookbook. To purchase the book directly, click HERE >>

Well, I'm off to dig some dandelions and enjoy some of the day outdoors.

Until next time.