Just like a fish out of water

My oven isn't working. I was preheating it yesterday, and hanging up my running clothes to dry on a rack in the basement, and I heard a popping sound for 3-4 seconds and I just knew what it was. It'd happened on my last range as well. Sure enough. The heating element blew. There was a little flame coming from the element when I looked inside. They don't have any in stock and they can't tell me whether it'll be days or weeks until the new one is available. Mama mia. I'm lost without it. ;-) So no cookies at the RAC training run on Saturday. Sorry.

I had a nice long run yesterday morning (by myself), even though my legs and I were tired. Another one of those nights where I just couldn't fall asleep. RTC members seen on the run: Mark Wernstrom in his truck on the 19th St bridge, Pete Gilman on West River Road and Elton Hills Drive and Joann Johnson on her bike near Silver Lake.

The RTC Potluck Picnic is Thursday, August 21 at Slatterly Park. Please RSVP to David Sletten if you will be in attendance. Friends and family are welcome. Please bring a dish to pass. The RTC will provide table service and beverages.

RTC member Fred Woolman is teaching Yoga, Pilates and an exercise ball class. There are daytime and after work classes available. Online registration is available. Priced very reasonably, I might add.

Our Ragnar Relay team has an official name as of today: Lost in Pace. Here were some of my other suggestions: Running Wild, Chipper by the Dozen , Will Run 4 Cookies, Kickin' Asphalt, Joggernauts, Rogue Runners, Old Soles, Burning Soles, Electrolyte Orchestra (you've got to be old enough to remember ELO--Electric Light Orchestra from the 70's and 80's--to appreciate that one. 8-) Thank you to Jessica Schmitt for being our third volunteer. We've now met our volunteer requirement.

Lopez Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, has been chosen by the U.S. Olympic team to carry the U.S. flag at the opening ceremonies together. The last two track/field athletes to carry the flag were Francie Larrieu Smith (1992) and Evelyn Ashford (1988).

There's still time to submit a story for the September RTC News. Content is limited this month. Please consider submitting something!

Let's take a look back to 1993 and see what was happening in the RTC: The half marathon was called Guiseppi's Half Marathon. The race was the 1993 USATF state championship half marathon. 232 entered, 213 finished. There was a store (?) called Competitive Edge at 1107 7th St NW. Must have been a running store as they teamed with the RTC to offer a TCM training clinic. Class coordinators were Linda Gentling and Paul Soto. Steve DeBoer was the race director for the 5K Cross Country race (and still is!). Douglas Trail was postponed from July 31 to August 7 due to a lightning storm. Watermelons were given out as prizes (and still are!). John Haas and Paul Anderson were co-directors.

I ran with the guys at the Y at noon today. (Gary Malat, Jim Benike, Ross Hamernik, Dan Edwards, Jim Martinson. K.C. Reed is missing from the photo. He's to Jim M.'s right.)

I'm not having much success posting the MapMyRun maps to my blog, for some reason. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can help. When I save a run and select 'Post to my blog', the maps don't show up in the large, medium, small map windows and there's an error on the webpage (lower left). Anyway, here's a link to the 'modified Eastwood' run which we ran today, which is about 6 miles. My legs were shot today. Tomorrow will be an off day. Spotted riding by the Y after the run, fellow runner Judge Kevin Lund. He stopped for a Gary Malat Happy Birthday cookie. Then he was off to let a few more people out of jail, whereas K.C. was off to put a few more people in jail. A revolving door of sorts ...




K.C. thought I needed to blog a photo of me with my fair ribbons. So he took a photo. ;-)

Dug a few hills of potatoes this morning. I think freshly dug potatoes are pretty wonderful. They're Yukon Golds.

Well, I've run out of news. I hope you're enjoying this wonderful summer weather. I could take about 9 months of this.

"In running it is man against himself, the cruelest of opponents. The other runners are not the real enemies. His adversary lies within him, in his abilithy with brain and heart to master himself and his emotions." --Glenn Cunningham, American mile great of the 1930's despite severe burns that nearly cost him his legs in childhood