Things are hopping around here!

Each time I post, especially at this time of year, I think "there won't be enough for a post tomorrow" and most days, that's proven to be incorrect. Especially today. Wow! There's lots going on in the Rochester area running world even though temps outside are barely in the double digits and the wind chill is below zero. So ... let's get started!

There's a very nice story and photo about incoming RTC president John Shonyo in the Post-Bulletin this evening. Thank you Paul Christian for the publicity.

From Brian Purrington: Century High School is looking for assistant coaches for both boys and girls track this spring. Full and part-time possibilies exist, primarily in the jumps and hurdles. If you are interested, please contact me as soon as possible as we want to get the positions filled soon. Each year, we also have a number of individuals volunteer with the program. If you interested and have at least 2 days a week that you can spare, contact Brian at bpurr@myclearwave.net

From Mike Schmitt: Registration for the 33rd annual Grandma's Marathon will begin at 12:01 a.m. (CST) on Thursday, January 15, 2009. The race is limited to 9,500 participants and registrants will be taken on a first come, first serve basis. Registration will be done online only at Grandma's Marathon - no paper entries will be available.

Laura Lenz is having a cookie baking extravaganza at her home on 1/31. We'll be baking M&M and cut-out cookies for the Lace-Up 5K and Half Marathon. From Laura's email: " We will be joined and directed by special guest star, Renee Saxman, famous in Rochester and the running community for her cookies." Oh my ... the pressure is on!! :-) Also from Laura: "It will be a fun afternoon and you can eat all the cookies you want. And, if you stay late enough, you will also be entitled to wine, beer or a martini." I'm in!! I also told Laura I'd donate a cookie basket and 2 dozen homemade cinnamon rolls for the auction. Bid high, bid often! The $ raised go toward breast cancer research at Mayo Clinic.

From John Shonyo: A special treat for this Saturday's OSS run: stairs! There will be a group doing a stair climb at the Broadway Plaza Suites (1st Street SW & South Broadway) and they have graciously invited the OSS runners to join them! There are only 26 flights that go up to the penthouse (you can take the elevator down). This will be a preview to the Cabin Fever Stair Climb on February 14th (more info at RTC website). If you're not too excited about doing that, we will also have a more standard flat route of 10 to 12 miles for your running pleasure. I did the stairs last year, both the practice and the real thing, and I'll probably do it again on Saturday. I'm always up for a challenge. :-)

RTC Banquet: I was thinking I would be off the hook as far as public-speaking at the RTC banquet on Saturday after hosting it for the past three years. Wrong-O!! But I'm actually happy to be doing it. You'll have to attend to find out what I'll be ramblin' about. ;-) This evening, I created a CD of photos from 2008 RTC races for Jim Martinson to turn into a slideshow for the banquet. I asked Tom Woo, photographer extraordinaire, to contribute as well. He graciously agreed.

From an out-of-town runner friend: a link to Runner Art. Very nice prints of runners outdoors. Both color and black/white.

I got an email today from the mother of a local runner looking for local race history for a scrapbook for this person. Someone is going to get a very nice gift from the sounds of it! I even have some of my own photos of him/her that I think I will send along. :-) Somehow, I just seem to get myself involved in so much stuff ... but it's all good.

So, now we're down to the dregs of this post. My day. It started with a 10.40 mile run at about 6:15 AM. It was snowing and I was a bit concerned about the fresh snow covering up the ice and me slipping and falling. Not to worry. Didn't happen. But the wind was already whipping around from the W/NW. I did my usual run down Fox Valley Dr SW to the west, up county 22 hill (for the first time!), west on 2nd St SW, south on the 52 frontage road, but then decided to go south on Bamber Valley Road and then west on Mayowood Rd all the way around to Salem Road and then up county 22 hill (again!) and back home through Foxcroft. All in all a good run, but on the slow side as I was afraid of slipping.

For supper tonight ... a new recipe. Baked Potato Soup from Cooking Light. Fabulous. Here's a link to the recipe. The salad recipe I posted a while back ... Autumn Apple, Cheddar, Pecan Salad or something like that. Also from Cooking Light. The whole grain baguette is from Panera.

Quote for the day: "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." --Dr. Seuss

Go. Be. Do.