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!