Look Ahead... Look Back...

Look Ahead...
Should be another great week for Team R.E.D. ! Tuesday night's track workout will start a little earlier. 5pm at the RCTC indoor track (located at the Field House). Whether or not you can join this workout, I encourage you to head to Beetles at 6pm for a Runner's Social (no running required! Friends and family are welcome to join as well). Those participating at the track will likely join just a tad late.

Thursday's Team R.E.D. will gather at the Bears Den in Byron. As is the norm, routes will be posted on Wednesday and range in the areas of 2, 4 and 5-6 miles.

Saturday is Off Season Striders last run for this off-season. They'll take off from Panera south at 7:30am. The full and half marathon training group will take this time slot (acutally 7:15am) on Feb 20th from the RAC.

Sunday provides a great race opportunity for a great cause. It's the 3rd running of the Lace Up Against Breast Cancer Half Marathon and 5K. You can find the details at http://luabc.org/

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Look Back...
Team R.E.D. members spotted at Saturdays the Optimist Club's Frozen Goose 10K & 5K include, Tom Woo, Renee Kottschade, Tod Bellrichard and myself. They all had nice races! Good work!

If you ever get a chance, I encourage you to participate in this event. The race is well organized and has lots of post race food! I lost track of how many hot dogs Woo devoured after the race. Also, capturing the spirit of the event was a bus load of high schoolers who came down from Hopkins to support a classmate diagnosed with cancer. What a great way to show support, while raising money for the Childhood Cancer Campaign and Brighter Tomorrows (If I recall correctly, that group of kids raised about 1700 bucks!)

Saturday night was the Rochester Track Club banquet. There was a very good turnout and we enjoyed dinner, a speaker and an awards ceremony. Team R.E.D. members scored nicely with the awards! I'll add some pics to this post later today, but in the meantime, you can see pictures at Tom Woo's link... http://family.webshots.com/album/576648719xWUmuK?start=0

A huge round of applause for Renee Saxman who received the Runner of the Year award! It was well deserved as she set PR's at 8 different distances in 2009! Additionally she's such a great asset to the running community, through volunteering, supporting others, baking cookies and keeping us all in the the know at the areas favorite blog http://ramblinrenee.blogspot.com/

Congratulations also goes to Jim Mason as he took home the Outstanding Service Award. Also well deserved as Mason is fantastically active, supporting races throughout the area. He not only serves as a race director, but you'll spot him at many other events, working with a smile. One word of advice if Jim helps at your event: Don't let him get his hands on a starter pistol!

I was also honored with an Outstanding Service Award. I appreciate the recognition, but would have to say, this community is loaded with deserving people.

Tom Woo, Renee Saxman and myself all brought home Running Room Gift cards for our finishes in the Rochester Track Club's Grand Prix events. The Running Room is very generous with the gift cards. If you want to learn about the Grand Prix Series you can visit http://rochestertrackclub.com/RACES--ACTIVITIES/Grand-Prix-Series.aspx There is also a Youth Grand Prix series with a goal to get our youth involved in this healthy activity!


I think that's enough for now.. whew...

Great night!

All 3 routes got put to use tonight, and it was wonderful out there! You sure can tell, daylight is finding it's way deeper and deeper into the evening!

The routes were clearly marked (not really) but maps were available, yet from what I can tell, Randy & Karl-Peter, led Renee K astray... I'm pretty sure they put in an extra mile... and to that I say "Congratulations!"

Again the men got shut out on gift cards, Renee S. and Wendy took home the prizes! Never mind the fact, when I asked Wendy for her card to help cover tonight's damage, she said, "no, this is for a girls night out!" Crazy talk...

• Reminders for this weekend:
  Saturday 7:30am - Off Season Strider's at Dunn Bros. North on Elton Hills Drive
  Saturday 1:00pm - Optimist Frozen Goose 10K timed run / 5K fun run/walk to benefit the Optimist International Childhood Cancer Campaign and Brighter Tomorrows

Thursday Night at the Den! 6pm

Routes are posted for this Thursdays (6pm) run/walk starting and finishing at the Bears Den. It's been much warmer and a bit lighter outside, but don't let that fool you, still dress properly and wear headlamps if you have them. The 6 mile route takes us out of town onto the gravel road that connects Somerby to the high school... one of my favorite routes! (hilly however!)

Registration is now open for the Twin Cities Marathon. This event often fills quickly, so if you're considering, be sure to visit http://www.mtcmarathon.org/index.cfm and get signed up!

It was a great turnout at the track last night. Most field house events were cancelled, so the track was wide open for us. It really made for a great workout! (we picked up a new member too last night, Marv Misgen has joined us, and says he's looking forward to the initiation hazing to follow). Pictured below is Marv coasting at the Byron track last summer.

Next week, we'll kick off the track work a bit earlier, as it's also a runners social at Beetles... we'll have to navigate our way to both... ahh the sacrifices we make.

Please RSVP by email, phone or carrier pigeon for the Team RED Spring into Spring party at the Bears Den. Details are in the post below.

Feb 21st Party!

Party! Party! Party! Party!

The Bears Den is setting us up with a sweet deal to help us with a "Spring Into Spring" Team RED party!

The Details you say?
Sunday, Feb 21st @ 6pm
Buffet Style Appetizers & Pizza
Reserved tables
Just $5 a head

Should be lots of fun! I'm working on some slide shows to share. Additionally, we have several Bears Den Gift Cards to give away (yes! I still have those ones I've been pocketing... well, most of them!)... Now, I just need to work on some creative games to find out who gets to claim these gift cards! This is a great chance for us to get together and kick off another fun season.... whether you just recently joined, or you previously joined and want to reconnect, or you've been coming week after week and want to keep the momentum, this is a great chance to do those things!

Party! Party! Party! Party!

Be sure to check the post below, to see some additional great chances to get with others, sharing your passion for Fitness & Fun!

Nice Cadence

The winter group running has been strong! Way to go everyone! This week, there are again, many opportunities to join us.

• Tuesday 5:30pm - RCTC Indoor Track - 800M repeats
• Thursday 6:00pm - Team RED at the Bears Den - routes in the range of 2, 4 and 6 miles to be posted Wednesday
• Saturday 7:30am - Off Season Strider's at Dunn Bros. North on Elton Hills Drive
• Saturday 1:00pm - Optimist Frozen Goose 10K timed run / 5K fun run/walk to benefit the Optimist International Childhood Cancer Campaign and Brighter Tomorrows

Also, worth noting, the Off Season Strider's will wrap up this off season on Feb 13th, as the Marathon & Half Marathon training group runs will resume. More to information to follow in regards to these great training runs!

Circles... or was it Ovals?

While I can't answer the subject heading question, the fact is, it turned out to be a very fun night at the RCTC indoor track. If you've never used the space, you should consider. It's multi-functional as they have the track open for runners and walkers alike, there are league basketball games taking place as well as one on one basketball lessons going on... it's hoppin'!

I snapped a few pics of some people 'working out'... but actually, the only one I captured on the track was Tom Woo... most of the rest are standing near the track or having a refreshment post alleged workout. I know, you're asking the same thing I am, what is wrong with Woo? Also, spotted but not pictured, were Iggy, Jim and Casey (Casey was running outside on the cool streets of Byron).

During conversation, it became clear we will need to tighten up our hazing policy. I'll take that before the board, and let you know how it turns out. Could be important to some of our newest members.

One more time...

Given the continued dangerous windchills, we'll take Team RED indoors for one more ngiht. It's not ideal, but surely beats suffering in the high winds. We'll be gathering at 6pm tonight at the RCTC indoor track (located in the Field House). This is a group run/walk, not designed to be speedwork, unless you want to make it that!

I'm available to drive from Byron, so if anyone wants to carpool, just drop me an email at byron.teamred@gmail.com or give me a call at 775 7054

Thanks again for your understanding! Have fun.. and stay warm!

Stay Tuned...

I'm just not happy with the cold winds and temps this week. As much as it's fun to 'tackle' the elements, I'm still not sure if outdoors is the best place to be at 6pm Thursday ... please check back, as we may move the Team RED run/walk indoors to RCTC yet again. Also, please give me feedback if you have an opinion on it one way or the other!

On another group run option.. the Off Season Strider's are set to run this Saturday. The note from John Shonyo reads: Meet at Panera Southside, 7:30 AM. Not only will it probably be slippery again, but freakin’ cold too! Easy route—really.

Community Involvement

We've been presented with a great way for Team RED to get involved in our community with a clothing drive. Please see the link below, and provide feedback for your level of interest in participation. Thanks for your support!

I also thank my friend Amy as to finding this opportunity for us. She's clearly one who is willing to think outside the box. Innovative to say the least.

Track Tuesday!

We'll be burning up the track Thursday at 5:30pm. Indoor track at RCTC Field House. Come join us. You can run speed work (400M repeats), or just run or walk laps. It's nice to be inside... with many others!

Be sure to check out the video from the Living History Farms 7 miler in the post below.. it sure was fun!

Also, here's a link to a story that might interest Paul, or anyone who has heard his story about the pain of running Whistlestop... read it to the finish to fully appreciate! Thanks Mike Schmitt for submitting!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/jimwhite/7033180/We-run-for-the-pain-not-for-our-brains.html

Back in November... what fun!

RED & OSS

Despite the last minute change of plans, we still had a pretty good turnout at the track this evening. Sam, Paul M, Marv, Randy, Tom W, Ignacio, Wendy, and myself spent some time running circles. Also in attendance was Mike Schmitt, with two women from his half marathon training class (The Running Room offers classes to learn to run your first 5K, 10K, Half Maratho & Full Marathon). We found our way to Brothers for a post workout refreshment. whew.. that was good!

Off Season Strider's gather Saturday morning at 7:30 for a fun run around Rochester. All are welcome! The start is Dunn Brothers North (Elton Hills Drive). The route is about 8.3 miles and posted below (you can cut this to about 7 miles by not circling Silver Lake). The first half of the route has some significant uphills, while the second half pays back with some nice downhill! Click the link below to see the full map.

Moving Inside!

Tonight's Team RED is moving indoors to the RCTC indoor track, located at the Field House. The Freezing Rain advisory ends at noon today, however the hour by hour forecast is still showing patches of icy drizzle this afternoon and evening.

So, it's 6pm at RCTC! Hope you can make it! Also, bring a change of shoes, as they do not allow wet shoes on the track.

A little video clip below to warn us about icy conditions.

Thursday 6pm!

Team RED is set to meet at the Bears Den Thursday at 6pm. Come one, come all! Routes are posted on the right hand side of the blog. I suggest anyone who has headlamps continue to wear them... it sure helps drivers see us. There will be a day, when daylight is again more readily available, until then........................ BE SEEN!

Note I: The longest route takes us out of town for a bit, if conditions are bad, we will adjust that route.

Note II: Each of the distances is on the long end of the normal range for our group, so as always, feel free to shorten (or add) to fit you're needs.

Congratulations to Paul Melby as his "you know you're a runner if... " link took the title of favorite Blog/Website. As reward, Paul will receive $15 in Bears Den Gift cards! Congrats! I would also suggest you check out the runner-ups site as that Dirt Diva is interesting, to say the least! In fact, check them all out if you haven't already had the opportunity to do so. We might replay this contest in the future, so be sure to bookmark your favorites and keep them in mind.

--- Thanks to everyone who contributed and participated in the poll! ---

It was another strong turnout at the track last night (I missed out on the fun.. boo hoo.... ). You can see some great pics of the crew if you check out Renee's Ramblings at http://ramblinrenee.blogspot.com/ Several Team RED regulars were there... and they lit the track up, I'm sure!

Tuesday Track & Thursday Team RED!

A crew is gathering at the RCTC indoor track this evening at 5:30pm. (arrive early if you enjoy additional warmup)....

Team RED will run and/or walk from the Bears Den Thursday at 6pm. routes will be up Wednesday.

A couple football related things... Team RED has some Saints fans among us, be gentle on them, as the Vikings prepare to roll! This following Prayer was sent by Paul Melby... please remove your hat and recite it with me.

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Our Favre-ther, who art from Mississippi, immortal be thy name. Thy bowl will come, it will be won, in Miami as in the Metrodome. Give us this Sunday our weekly win, and give us touchdown passes, as we let no others pass against us and Lead us not into frustration but deliver us to the Super Bowl. For thine will be the trophy the ring and glory now and forever into the hall of fame.

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...and it's a tie!

No, not the Vikings - Cowboys, but the Team RED Website/blog challenge. As stated in the rules... we'll re-open the poll for 3 more days. Please vote in the tie-breaker, as the winner will collect $15 to the Bears Den!

DirtDiva
Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go
http://trailgirl.blogspot.com/

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Running Forums
You know you're a runner if..... 35 things that might describe you!http://www.runningforums.com/you_know_you_re_a_runner_if_t11897.html

For those of you who may have been taking a nap this afternoon... The Vikings are in the NFC Championship game. Skol Vikings!

Just 2 days left to vote!

Be sure to vote on the poll concerning your favorite blog/website. The details are available in the Jan 10th post below.

Off Season Strider's are running a preview of the new Lace Up Against Breast Cancer Half Marathon tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 7:30am. Come join us if you're available! Social will follow at Brother's Bar & Grill.

Thursdays Post Run/Walk

Great turnout tonight at Team RED! Nice work everyone, and the weather is turning, it's nearly spring-like out there!

Welcome to Dalene and Joy as it was their first time joining us! You all should know, the first time I met them (at Off Season Striders)... I couldn't keep them away from my food! haha.. kidding of course, and it was great to see them tonight!

The pics below are courtesy of Renee Saxman. Thanks much as my camera is draining batteries like my legs drain during a marathon! Time for a new camera I guess, right Wendy? --- I think there will be some additional pics following, as Dalene, let me take some shots with hers, however, I could have messed those up too! ---

Bears Den tonight! 6pm

See you at the Bears Den tonight 1/14! Routes are posted on the right hand side of the blog, below the poll you should vote on!

The following video has nothing to do with running.. but I found this guy so good, that I wanted to share it. I know many of you have already seen it, as it's getting bounced around wildly. He's fantastic!

What's Up This Week

• Tuesday 5:30pm - Speed workout at RCTC Indoor Track
• Tuesday 6:00pm - Social at Beetles on 2nd - No Running Required!
• Thursday 6:00pm - Team RED at Bears Den
• Saturday 7:30am- preview of the Lace Up Against Breast Cancer half marathon course. Meet at RCTC Hienz Center (west parking lot, across the street from Olmsted Hospital).

Be sure to vote on the poll regarding favorite Blog or Website! (see post below for details).

Drum Roll Please.......

The highly anticipated submissions for the best exercise/fitness related website or blog are posted below (in alphabetical order). I added a brief description taken from each site.

These are some great entries! Take some time to check out the sites before placing your vote on the poll on the right hand side. Your vote can be cast for any reason, such as, I find it useful, I think it's funny, I think it's creative, I think it's inspiring... any reason at all.

Enjoy!

DirtDiva
Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go
http://trailgirl.blogspot.com/

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Down The Backstretch
Running & Track from Minnesota
http://downthebackstretch.blogspot.com/2010/01/indoor-marathon-draws-runners-from-afar.html

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Raven Run
Ever Lasting Run - Dec 31st marked the 35th year of Raven running 8 miles every day!
http://www.ravenrun.net/

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Run-Down
Running Quotes - Inspiration
http://run-down.com/quotes.php

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Runners World
With emphasis on Injury Prevention for Runners
http://www.runnersworld.com/channel/0,,s6-241-0-0-0,00.html

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Running Forums
You know you're a runner if..... 35 things that might describe you!http://www.runningforums.com/you_know_you_re_a_runner_if_t11897.html

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Running Minnesota
A blog designed to get at what's missing from the Minnesota running scene; interviews with top local runners.
http://runningminnesota.blogspot.com/

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Steve in a Speedo?! Gross!
Notes, stories, and the good times that follow this Ironman Triathlete.
http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/

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The Big Chill

The planned Off Season Strider's preview of the Lace Up Against Breast Cancer half marathon course, was postponed to next Saturday, Jan 16th (due to the windchill). About 10 people showed up anyway to get some miles this morning!

A handful of us met at Brothers Bar & Grill at 7am (-11 degrees and according to weather.com it was 30 below windchill.. yeow.. sure didn't feel real windy though)... We tracked over 2 miles to meet up with another group at Dunn Bros Coffee. From there we ran to St Mary's and took a brief water break. Then down past the Galleria Mall and back to Dunn Bros. for approx 6 miles. At this point, some called it a day and enjoyed some warm coffee and social time. Our group continued running back to Brothers Bar & Grill bringing our running total to 10 miles! We sure got some looks coming into the restaurant all frosted and chilly... but that's ok as it was now time to replenish the Carbs!

We wisely started breakfast with some fluids, while perusing the menu.... Note: Paul is not taking his eyes off those carbs!



It was a small but lively crew! Paul, Randy, Mike and Ignacio with one fantastic hat. I think it would have been nearly impossible NOT to have fun with this group today!



Our server, Ashley was very patient with us... as it turns out some customers are just a bit more difficult compared to others. None the less... she delivered 5 great Breakfast plates!




Paul had been dreaming of this Walnut Pancake ever since he saw a picture of it on Renee's blog at http://ramblinrenee.blogspot.com/ Paul is happy to report it was the best pancake ever! Especially after he slobbered it in butter and syrup! That's a big pancake!



Ahsley was pretty proud of Randy for being a member of the clean plate club.



Now.. for those who think it's crazy to run in these temps... Billy Joel may have summed it up..... You may be right! I may be Crazy! --- yet, if you take proper precautions, it's entirely possible to keep running outside year round. Below is a link (courtesy Mike Schmitt) with some great tips on winter running.

http://askcoachjenny.runnersworld.com/2010/01/running-in-extreme-cold.html

Speaking of great links, the nominations for favorite exercise related website/blog are still being accepted until noon on Jan 10th. If you have any favorites, I suggest submitting them, as the winner receives $15 gift card to the Bears Den!

Last Call!

Hey hey.. last call for contest submissions. Contest rules below on the Dec 30th post.

6 people 5 Miles!

Wow... that was fun! We had 6 brave souls tackle the streets of Byron during the wind blown, slightly chilly, snowy evening! The slide show below is pretty pathetic! hahaha.. had some camera issues, maybe the cold played a roll, but the thing didn't want to snap a picture very badly!

We covered approx 5.1 miles. Everyone stuck together nicely, which is great in weather like this! There were a handful of slips, even a spill or two... but those are all off the record, as to who fell, and how loud of a thump it made!

Team RED might have made one persons night tonight, as a few of us were running ahead of the scheduled run, we happened upon a woman with her car stuck in the snow. We were a able to push her out of her predicament. We wondered, would she be thinking "who were those masked men?" or... "thank goodness some idiots were out running in this stuff."

Paul had several of us in near tears as he recounted his 1st Marathon. Oh, I could hear that story over and over again, and enjoy every minute!

Also joining late were the Nepstads (but the camera was shot before they arrived). Glad they could join however!

One more note, we may have a new member come next week. Looking forward to you joining us Mark!

Thursday 1/7.... Bears Den!

Thursday is a Bears Den night at 6pm. Routes will be posted this evening, Dress appropriately! Headlamps are a great idea! If things take a turn for the worse, weather & windchill wise, we may make it an 'at your own risk' kind of thing. But then again, every time we step out the door we're at our own risk!

Scroll to the post from December 30th to see the contest rules for favorite website/blog. We have a handful of entries, but I know many of you have favorite sites you haven't yet shared with me! $15 Bears Den Gift card to the winner!

Tuesday Track!

Another great turnout at the track tonight! It wasn't easy to attempt any actual speed work however. One side of the track had bleachers on it, in preparation for The Clash wrestling tournament. Originally we ran on the inside of those bleachers (a bit on the courts). Next, they dropped some divider screens, for the city basketball league.. and those screens pressed right up against the bleachers. All in all, it created quite a few obstacles to navigate!

Casey elected to hit the treadmill, while Tom W rolled over to the Healthy Living Center. The rest of us, logged a bunch of creative laps! Not quite what we set out to do, but we got some group running.

Baby it's cold ouside!

Make sure you're dressing appropriately for this fine weather we're having. Also, consider coming to the RCTC indoor track on Tuesday for some track work. We start at 5:30, however, several people have been arriving by 5;15 for some additional warm-up time.

Thursday we'll be back at the Bears Den at 6pm, with routes of 2-3, 4ish and 5-6 miles available. Routes will be posted on the blog by Wednesday.

We're still accepting nominations for your favorite excercise/fitness related Website or Blog. I know I'm already having fun looking at the entries submitted to date.

Given the latest weather, I thought maybe we could learn something from the Penguins. Have a great week!

Contest Details!

Do you know of a really fun, entertaining and useful exercise related blog or website? If so, you could be the Lucky Winner of $15 in Gift Cards to the Bears Den! All you need to do is submit a link to the site or sites you wish to nominate to byron.teamred@gmail.com before noon on Jan. 10th. I'll post links to all the submissions on this blog the afternoon of Jan 10th, and set up a poll for you to vote for your favorite!

A few contest notes:

• The submitted blog or website does not have to be running centric, but must be exercise/fitness related.
• The site can be local.. or from a land far far away.
• You may submit multiple entries.
• In the event multiple people submit the same blog or website, the first one received is considered in the running. Subsequent submitters will be notified they were too late.
• The criteria as to what wins is really up to you. Do you like it because it's fun/entertaining? Because it's a usesful resource? Do you find it highly motivating? Do you just like the name of the blog? Whatever your logic, YOU, the voter will decide what's important to you and vote accordingly.
• Judging will be conducted via poll by visitors to byronteamred.blogspot.com
• The poll will accept 1 vote per IP address.
• Judging will end at noon on Jan 17th and results will be posted shortly thereafter.
• In the event of a tie, the tied sites will be re posted for a 3 day poll. If still tied, rock, paper, scissors may be the answer.
• You must be an Official Team RED member to submit an entry (but that is not required to place your vote). Not a member? Why not?! Membership is just $15 and with your membership you receive a moisture wicking short sleeve t-shirt (pictured below). Zip me a note with your intent to join and and I'll include your submission in the contest.

One final note: I just made up these contest rules on the fly. I reserve the right to add/change rules as I see fit.

Have fun!

What a great night at the RCTC track Tuesday. The field house was essentially empty, just our merry band of 9 runners, and a handful of other people walking... and a bit later we were joined by another very speedy band of runners. Our group consisted of Team RED members, Tom W, Casey, Renee K and myself. Other local runners (but not yet Team RED members) joining us included Marilee, Trevor, Renee S, Andy & Dave. They are a fun group!

People arrived in slightly staggered times, but essentially, we started with about 1.5 miles warmup at an easy pace. Then we decided on the ladder workout, which means, you run the following distances at a sustained fast pace, with 200M recovery in between each one. 400/800/1200/1600/1200/800/400... follow that with a cool down and a bottle of Red Stripe on Marilee.. all is good!

<< This was the reward! Thanks Marilee!

Reminder I: Thursdays Team RED is a joint venture with the Off Season Strider's. We'll meet at Beetles on 2nd St SW in Rochester as 4pm for 2-5 miles, followed by social time in the comfy confines of Beetles.

Reminder II: The annual RTC Polar Bear 5K Run will be held January 2nd and hosted by Renee Saxman. There will be lots of hot food and of treats available starting at 11:00 AM--you don't even have to run to participate! Family members and friends are invited to join in on the fun. You do not need to be a member of the Rochester Track Club to attend. Come out and enjoy! Renee doesn't want any leftovers!

A blast from the past 'cause I can't help but think of Prince's 1999 every time New Year's comes along! Enjoy and have a safe and Happy New Year!

A couple of things going on this week. Track workout is Tuesday at 5:30pm at the RCTC Field House (indoor track). Some members are arriving about 5:15 for some additional warmup time.

Given this Thursday falls on New Years Eve, I thought it would be nice to start a bit earlier (day light hours in fact!). With that said, Team RED is invited to join the Off Season Striders at Beetles on 2nd Street SW at 4pm. Distances will range between 2-5 miles. Then we head inside for a social. Should be fun!

With the New Year approaching, this little clip might add motivation for getting in shape... enjoy!

Reminder!

No Team RED this Thursday 12/24... Have a great Christmas and Holiday Season! Be sure to check out the upcoming opporutnities as well.

• Saturday 12/26 at 7:30 am -- Off Season Strider's at Dunn Bros. North. Typically 7-10 miles.
• Thursday 12/31 TBD - Team RED may run early. Update will follow in the coming days. The Off Season Strider's are considering a Happy Hour Run on New Years Eve as well.
• Friday 1/1 at 11 am - Resolution Run /Walk at the Running Room. This is a 5K and registration is open at runningroom.com
• Saturday 1/2 at 11 am -- Polar Bear 5K - Running not required, friends and family are invited as well! This is a free event sponsored by the Rochester Track Club. Hot food and treats will be available at Renee Saxmans home, 2026 Kal Lane SW

Below is a link to an inspiring story... it's an oldie, but a goodie!

Team RED heading to the track.. again!

Several Team R.E.D. members and Off Season Strider's are planning to hit the RCTC Field House for an indoor track workout again this week. Tuesday at 5:30 is the start! If available, consider joining... it's a lot of fun to do speed work with others, not so much alone (my opinion of course). This is something we hope to continue throughout the winter... and as weather turns this spring/summer... we can hit some outdoor tracks!


Off Season Strider's was rockin' and rollin' yesterday! There must have been about 20 runners sharing laughs and coffee afterwards! Several runners sported festive gear.

One brief story I can share. As we were winding down our morning, a woman (maybe in her 70's) approached me. She seemed to really like my antlers with bells. She wished me a Merry Christmas, then proceeded to slap my head 3 times... hard! Oh my... I was in shock! My car pool buddies and I laughed about that 'assault" almost all the way home.

Off Season Striders

Off Season Strider's roll out for approx. 9 miles from Panera Bread South at 7:30am Saturday morning. They're a great group and they finish each run with a social coffee.. it's a lot of fun, I'm joining! They'll be heading past the Salvation Army's Red Kettle, so bring a donation if you're so inclined, what a great idea!

I came across this interesting quote, spotted on a sign a spectator was holding at a marathon. Wonder if Melby heeded the warning.

"Mortuary ahead....look alive!"

What Fun!

Thanks to all who were able to take part in tonight's goofy event... you are all awesome! We somehow found a way to get some miles out of this, and yet enjoy a treat or two!

Welcome to Abby, Karl-Peter and Rachel.. all officially became Team RED members this evening! Membership has it's privileges, we just haven't defined those yet.

Happy Birthday to Annette! She took part in our 3-legged run, only to find out that when we got to her house (2nd Leg)... there was a group of friends waiting to surprise her! We let her off the running hook, and she was able to stay and have dinner with her friends.. Fun!

We'll certainly have to cue up one of these runs again in the future.

We're On!

Wow.. the weather outside is fantastic! Should make for a great progressive run tonight from O'Leary's to Melby's to Chmielewski's and back to O'Leary's.

Come join us! We'll kick off the road trip at 6pm from 805 1st Ave NW in Byron. Easy peasy.. let's have some fun!

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On another note, if you haven't seen Spirit of the Marathon, it's now available on hulu.com Check it out. Thanks Tom Woo for sending the link! It's so awesome to see.. no matter how fast, how slow, how elite, how new to running, this race will impact you.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/85354/spirit-of-the-marathon

News & Notes

We had a solid crew of people getting after it at the RCTC indoor track tonight. The workout was ladder style... meaning we started at 400M of hard effort.. followed by a recovery run.. then the hard effort was increased to 800M.. then 1200M.. then 1600M... and back down, 1200/800/400. Wrap the evening up with an easy paced cool down run.

Joining the fun was Randy, Roger, Casey, Marilee, Trevor, Mason and myself. Trevor was late, but he was dedicated to making up the workout.. and he made sure he put down the full quantity of fast laps. There was also another group of area runners who hit the track for 400M repeats while we were there. It's quite motivating to see people flying around the track.

I took a camera along, and of course, forgot to take pictures until things were complete and only a few of us remained. None the less, here's Trevor, Casey & Marilee post ladder work.

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Caroling on the Run takes place Wednesday in Rochester. This is such a fun looking event! They start at 6pm from the Running Room.. and finish back at the Running Room for some treats! The total miles are about 6 miles.. if you can't commit to the full route, it's tightly scheduled, feel free to join any portion that works for you! It's scheduled as follows:

6:00 Running Room to Charter House
6:15 Charter House
6:30 Charter House to Samaritan Bethany on 8th St
6:45 Samaritan Bethany
7:00 Samaritan Bethany up to 14th, to 11th and down to Ronald McDonald
7:45 Ronald McDonald
8:00 Ronald McDonald to Running Room

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Thursday of course is Team RED! See the post below for details for yet another great night of fitness and fun! We'll bounce around... and enjoy!

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OSS (Off Season Strider's) will meet Saturday, the following is from Mr. OSS John Shonyo:
Ho, ho, ho. As someone once said "to run is to do good", so we are giving you an opportunity to do both this Saturday. We will be meeting at Panera south at 7:30 AM and then walking a few feet west to Hy Vee where we will contribute to the Salvation Army's red kettle (for you bah humbuggers, this is strictly optional). This will be a staged event and there may be media folks there covering it, so hopefully we will get a lot of participation. And while we are at it...let's don our finest holiday running apparel. Thanks to Lin Gentling for bringing up the idea to do this!
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As always this winter season, make sure you dress properly, shorten your stride on slick roads and continue to have fun!

Progressive Snack Run! - Thursday 12/17 - 6pm

We have our hosts for this weeks Team RED progressive snack run! Please RSVP to byron.teamred@gmail.com so we know about how many to prepare for. Routes are posted on the right hand side of the blog, reference by which Leg and distance. Each leg is approx. 2 miles for runners and 1 mile for walkers.

We'll start at 805 1st Ave NW in Byron at 6pm -- Feel free to come a little early if you want a pre-run snack or beverage.



We'll roll from the O'Leary's to the Melby residence at 245 10th St NE in Byron. (Thanks for hosting!)



Following some holiday fellowship, we'll hit the road to the Chmielewski's at 507 9th St NW (thanks for hosting!).



Again a bit of holiday cheer.. then it's back to the O'Leary's for some warm Chilli, treats and a little more cheer! It should be a lot of fun! Come join us!

Hit The Track!

Team RED is getting faster at the RCTC Indoor Track Tuesday at 5:30pm for a speed work session. The Poll for best 'day of the week' was tight, with Monday winning slightly (and my favorite in fact).. however.. due to several notes I've received saying to the effect, "I like Monday but can't come this Monday"... I say let's got with Tuesday!

Who's on First? What? No... well.. you get the idea..

Come join us.. Tuesday at 5:30pm.. RCTC indoor track!

House to House (need 1 more host!)

Hey all! To put a twist in our Team RED nights... we'd like to do a house to house run. I'd get creative with the routes, so we'd meet at one house... run approx 2 miles to another ... or walk about 1 mile.... (so we all get there close to the same time)... have a treat (maybe even a cocktail)... . then run to the next. I think it could be a lot of fun!

So far we have 2 volunteers to host a portion of this event... If anyone is interested in hosting us as guests, please email me at byron.teamred@gmail.com 3 houses would be fantastic, as that would add up to approx 6 miles of running or 3 miles of walking!

Mainly.. it would add up to a unique, fun experience! Let's get it done!

Off Season Striders (OSS)

There's an opportunity for a group run tomorrow with the OSS group in Rochester. They will meet at Dunn Brother's north at 7:30 AM for a warm 7 to 10 mile run with a very nice hill climb. A link to the route is below. It shows the route as 8.29 miles, but you can cut the route to about 7 miles by not circling Silver Lake.. or extend it by taking a 2nd lap around it!

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/mn/rochester/453096741

Have fun and dress properly!

No Team RED Thursday 12/10

Just a note to mention that we have cancelled Team RED for Thursday 12/10. -- this is not a regularly scheduled night, however, I know we've been meeting even on non-scheduled nights (which is great!)-- hence the cancellation posting. If you choose to run, please consider wind chill!

Below are a couple of great quotes to keep you motivated?

"The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again." - Erma Bombeck

"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming. " - Frank Shorter

Let it snow!

Postponed!

Hi all.. given the weather, and a lot of weather related feedback, I believe it's best to postpone tonights track workout to next week. A handful of us are planning to run the blizzardy streets of Byron this evening however.

If you'd like to join, please call me at 775-7054 as we haven't nailed down the start time just yet. Have a great night! Enjoy!

Faster!

There's a group of Team RED'ers planning to gather at the RCTC Indoor Track Tuesday at 5:30pm for a speed work session. We'd like to make this a weekly schedule for the winter. If interested, please come join us! Also, if you have interest, please participate in the poll on the right, as we have not fully locked into a specific day for each week yet.

We'll meet at 5:30.. and run a warm up.. then get into the speed! Should be fun! Right? After the workout, there is a runners social taking place at Beetles (starts at 6pm). If you're interested in joining that you may consider of change of clothing... Or not!

A couple notes

Off Season Striders are meeting at Dunn Brothers South (near TJMaxx) at 7:30 am Saturday morning for a run of approximately 7 miles. With this group you can always add or shorten the route to your liking. A couple of Team RED members are going in a 7am to add a few... come join us if you're available!

If you're considering the Med City Marathon or Half Marathon, consider signing up this month! If you register by 01/01/2010 it's a fantastic price! Just $30! There's also a 5K and a relay you can take part in. Check it out at http://medcitymarathon.com/

Not everyone is a racer... but for me, I find it helpful to put something on my calendar as a goal to work toward. Especially in the winter! There are some fun winter races ahead.

As you can see by the polls on the right hand side of the blog. We're getting ready to add some indoor track work to the winter regiment. There is nothing quite like the track to teach us how to go fast! With most track workouts, you'll do some type of repeats. For example, we might run 400 Meters fast, then run 200 Meters at a recovery pace.. then repeat. There are quite a few ways to dice it up... but essentially, it's hard effort followed by recovery time followed by hard effort. You do not have to be a speedster to try this, but it surely will help make you faster! We haven't yet nailed down the details... but if you're interested, be sure to let us know.

I can be reached at byron.tearmred@gmail.com

Nice Night!

We had a nice turnout for an early winter run last night at the Bears Den. Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict, I needed to split my time between Team R.E.D. and Dance Team parents... all good, just a bit of a juggling act!

We had a new runner join us last night, Welcome Bri ! Hope to see you back soon! I failed to get her email address... With that said, if anyone is interested in being on the Team RED email distribution list, please drop me a note at byron.teamred@gmail.com and we'll get you added!

While I was off having my fill of burgers, Paul Chm ran into a couple guys who inquired what we were up to. When he explained the concept of Team RED, they seemed interested saying "those are 3 things we like to do!" We'll watch for them in the coming weeks.

I also forgot my camera... can you believe it? Well, here's is what it looked like last night, only darker. haha.. actually the snow seemed to brighten things up quite a bit! Was pretty easy to see, I thought.

Tonight! 6pm!

Wow.. I almost forgot to post the update that we are indeed on for tonight! Routes are posted on the right hand side of the blog!

Wear a headlamp if you have one, and step carefully!

Rumors

As the lovely ladies of Hee Haw once said "I'm not one to go 'round repeatin' rumors... so you better be sure and listen close the first time."

Team RED blog got a hit from United States, Hattiesburg, Mississippi As far as I can tell, that means Brett Favre is considering joining Team RED as part of his cross training! To further support this widespread speculation, he's already got a red jersey!

Back at it!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Below is a picture of some of those who gathered on Thanksgiving morning. What a great turnout! Thanks for organizing Paul & Annette!

A slideshow will follow when photobucket decides to cooperate.

Reminder - No Team R.E.D. Thanksgiving Evening

.... but, there are several opportunities available! Also, I've been working on the results of helmet cam from the Living History Farms cross country run. I've posted some stills (captured from video) below but still have a lot of editing on the video footage. -- note, if you're on facebook, several others pictures are posted there as well.

Thanksgiving Day
Paul Chmielewski is heading up a group run in Byron on Thursday morning at 8am, starting at his house, 507 9th St NW. The group will consist of runners and walkers alike. They plan to head toward the High School to slap the Bear on the backside.. at that point you can turn around for approx a 2.4 mile route, or continue toward Oxbow Park, and turn around at Cty Road 4 for a 4.8 mile route. If you have any questions about this run/walk you can contact me at bryon.teamred@gmail.com

Renee Saxman is leading a group run in Rochester on Thursday morning. They'll get started at 7am from Dunn Bros. South, (by TJMaxx). If interested in joining or have questions about this run, you can contact Renee at rsaxman@charter.net

Friday
Booker Mini Foundation 5K at the Rochester International Event Center (next to the airport) at noon on Friday - should be flat and fast! Details at rochestertrackclub.com Or if you have any question, you can contact Wally Arnold at arnoldw@live.com

Saturday
Gravy Train 12 Mile & 5K Fun Run at the Running Room at 8am Saturday. Meet inside the Rochester Running Room - doors will be open at 7:15a.m. Awards (most festively dressed) kick off the event! Just like dessert, its best to have awards first. Run to start immediately following awards. There is No-Entry Fee... just go and have fun!

Stills from Living History Farms.. what a blast!

Jim Raasch entering the creek!



Aaron Nepstad celebrating a crossing!



Shane Nepstad & Jim Mason Celebrating too!



Dan Lovik singing & sporting some antlers!
This whole team has quite good voices!



Shane O'Leary looking good, hanging with the crew!
Note: Jim's shirt reads "We've got the Runs!"



Jim Mason taking it all in!





Tom O'Leary running scared!



Aaron Nepstad follows the pretty girl through
the creek... smart guy!



Paul Melby taking the Short-cut!
No walking on rocks for Team RED.
Un-like those people in the background.



These girls just couldn't get muddy enough!

Living History Farms - 7 Miler

Eight of us made the trip to Urbandale, IA for the Living History Farms 7 mile cross country race. We somehow managed to have a blast without breaking much of a sweat! The course was packed with 7500 runners! Additional pictures, video and stories to share.. all in due time, check back for the fun!


Picture above: Jim Raasch, Shane Nepstad, (random woman) Shane O'Leary, Tom O'Leary, Aaron Nepstad. Also making the trip but not shown here, were Team R.E.D. members Paul Melby, Jim Mason and Dan Lovik.

Wonderful Night!

Thursdays Team RED had a nice mix of veteran REDers, along with some visitors as well! We even had an appearance from someone all the way from St Cloud. wait, no, that's Renee, she's Rochester... but she is a member of a great club in St Cloud, the St Cloud River Runners. All 3 of Thursdays routes were put to use on such a nice night, very little wind, good temperature.

The 5.9 mile route is heading to the archive as it had too many twists and turns, it was tough to keep track of! In fact, I was running with a group, a block or two behind another group, when BAM! Suddenly we were in front of them! haha.. they had accidentally added about 3/10ths to the route... overachievers!

After the run, the Bears Den was able to score us a couple high-top tables and we were able to continue with the E.D. portion of the evening. Great stories, great fun!

Truth is Revealed (Again!)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8367141.stm

Thursday 11/19 - Bears Den @ 6pm!

It's nearly Thursday again! Seems like just a week ago it was Thursday. We'll meet again this week at the Bears Den at 6pm. Routes will be posted on the side of the blog later today.

Come one, come all! Let's go for a run or walk!

Better Late Than Never!

Hi all.. I'm reposting the slideshow below, as I discovered the link appeared to be broken. These pics are from the Mayo Open 5K. It sure brings back memories of warmer, brighter days!

Updates

Team R.E.D. is on for 6pm this Thursday, 11/19 from the Bears Den. Routes should be posted sometime Wednesday. If you have a headlamp, please bring it, as we're finding them to be fantastic on the run & walk. Again, I'll keep us under street lights as well.

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Casey Graham is ready for speed work, if you're interested in hitting the track let us know. Next track workout is tentatively planned for this Wednesday at 5pm at the Byron Track. (It'll be getting dark, but you can see the white lines, this i know from some early morning workouts there).

Keep in mind this weeks workout is tentative, so please drop an email to byron.teamred@gmail.com if you think you want to join.

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As you may know, a few of us are heading to Urbandale, IA (near Des Moines), to run the Living History Farms. Our group consists of Team RED members, Paul Melby, Jim Mason, Aaron Nepstad, Dan Lovik, Matt Schrader, Jim Raasch and myself, we're also taking two non-team red guys... Shane & Shane (Nepstad & O'Leary).


I'm fully prepared with my newly built Team RED Cam! Yee haww! This race consists of 7500 people running an off-road course, complete with 8 creek crossings and steep embankments to climb. Team RED Cam will capture the action, and keep my hands free for grabbing the climbing ropes, I hope!

MN Grahaminator at Oxbow in the books!

It was a great turnout for the 1st ever Minnesota Grahaminator at Oxbow! We had 9 people complete the 10 mile (10.1!). Along with another 11 participants going distances ranging from 5 to 7 miles!

A special appearance was made by Mark Carey and Alex (sorry, I don't know his last name). They were out for a run in oxbow when they happened upon us and said "is there a race we don't know about?" The answer of course was "Yes, care to join us?"... and they did! They had already put in 6 miles.. so the 10 was just frosting on top!

This course offers several challenges, complete with steady inclines, leaf covered roots & rocks, and even a deer hunter!

Pictured here are our top male and female finishers, both Team RED members. Congrats to Casey Graham and Matt Schrader!

It's time....

... for the 1st annual Grahaminator at Oxbow! The 10 mile event kicks off at 9am Saturday from the 1st Bridge at Oxbow park. It's a wonderful course with fantastic views, along with a few challenging climbs!

There is no entry fee, provide your own aid on the run, and there will be bananas and oranges available at the finish. Casey and I are heading out there this afternoon, to try and mark the route. (hopefully the rain holds off, so I don't melt). Maps will be provided as well.

Our Grahaminator at Oxbow race director, Casey Graham, is seen here rubbing elbows with this years NYC Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi. Casey is flanked by two friends in this pic, no cropping like she might prefer to make it appear it's only her and Meb. Despite the many rumors, Meb is not likely to appear at Oxbow park this weekend.

What is this course like? The Grahaminator at Oxbow has a little bit of everything! You'll climb a series of steps leading to an early challenge of a hill loop. Upon completion you'll get a nice downhill through the bison and deer exhibits. Next, a flat stretch heading to 3rd bridge where you'll cross the river into the woods. Enjoy the beautiful winding climb to the prairie loop where you'll circle it -- No taking the Prairie Short-Cut! -- and re-enter the woods for an up & down rolling section of the course, you'll approach another steady climb only to be rewarded with a wonderful downhill ! This should bring you out near the 1st bridge and you'll now travel on the lower trails along the river until you reach the climb for one more loop around the prairie. Back into the woods and head toward 1st bridge. This time you'll cross the river as you prepare to celebrate your success! Should be fun! Come on out!

http://www.co.olmsted.mn.us/upload_dir/pw/oxbowpark.pdf

If this trail run opportunity isn't for you... you can set your alarm and join the Off Season Striders (OSS) at Dunn Bros North in Rochester at 7:30am. They're planning a 10 mile route, but as always, you cad add or subtract miles when running with OSS. Following the run, they'll gather for some coffee and social time at Dunn Bros.

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Thursday's Team R.E.D. was another success! We had a good turnout, with a mix of runners and walkers brave enough to take on the howling, twisting winds, wow, that was something! We added an extra headlamp in the group, and a couple hand held flash lights as well. Sure makes a difference. (additionally, I was wise enough to keep us in town, mostly under street lamps!) -- As usual, I forgot the camera, but will be posting some pics from some recent gatherings this weekend. --

That's it for now... have fun!

Thursday 11/12 - 6PM @ Bears Den

It's that time again! We'll meet at the Bears Den Thursday at 6pm... routes are posted on the right side of the blog. If you have a headlamp, consider bringing it. The very wise Jim Mason had one last week, and it was wonderful! The routes are in much better light this week as well, should be fun!

Something new to add to your calendar, is a monthly Runners Social, the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Beetles in Rochester. All are welcome, you don't need to be a member of the Rochester Track Club, Team R.E.D. or any other group for that matter. In fact, it's a 'no running required' type of night. It's also great chance to meet others with similar passion for fun and fitness! It's very interesting what you might hear people say at these types of gatherings. I was quite sure I heard Renee Saxman say she was taking a class at a "topless place"... however, she alleges she said "tapas place". hmmmm.... ok.. it's her story.

For those of you who don't know Renee, pictured left, she's is the editor of the Rochester Track Club newsletter, Race Director for the Fetzer 20K in the spring and she bakes cookies to no end! She also actively participates in and volunteers at Rochester Track Club events, as well as St Cloud River Runners events! She's on the run, so to speak! You can find a lot of information on running, baking and cooking at her blog ramblinrenee.blogspot.com -- you might want to visit her blog just to see that she called out Paul Melby nicely. haha..

Go Byron Bears Volleyball! State Tournament begins Thursday!

Great Story -- way to go Al!

Check out this link to a fantastic story about Al Jorgensen and his son, Nicholas. I'm looking forward to hearing more about their father-son trip!

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=424420

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In other news, a few of us took a trip over to Lake Mills, WI for a 1/2 Barrel (13.1 mile) and 1/6 Barrel (4.37 mile) race. The Barrel's come into play as the event is sponsored by Tyranena Brewery and held on the brewery grounds.

The city of Lake Mills is similar in size to Byron, yet they hosted 1500 runners between the two events. The registration fee included a post-race Lasagna dinner and 2 free beers! (somehow, we found a way to score additional free beers, shhhh... they were very good).

Making the trip were Paul Melby, Tom & Alex Woo, Mike Schmitt and myself. We ran into a handful of other Rochester area people as well. Tom & Alex ran the 1/6 barrel in which Tom proceeded to run very nicely, taking 5th place overall and winning his age group! Way to go Tom!

Paul, Mike and myself ran the 1/2 barrel, it had some hills, and was much warmer then one would anticipate for November 7th! Yet it was a blast.. this race is one that truly felt like an Event! It was very well organized, had fun music, and of course, great food and beer!

Results can be found at: http://www.tyranena.com/beerrun/website.htm

While Tom W was the fastest of us, I can say, I was the bravest, as I sported my Minnesota Vikings polo shirt during the pre & post race festivities. It was a great time.. traveling with other runners is always fun! It's on my calendar for next year, for sure!

More Opportunities!

11/07 - OSS Panera south at 7:30 AM. John has put together what he is calling a "interesting" route. The run is approx 10 miles, with places that you could add or subtract miles. He'll have maps available. By the way, huge congrats to John , pictured left, as he just competed in the New York City Marathon! Sweet!

11/07 - Bear Creek Predict Your Time 5 Mile at 9am. (race day registration starts at 7:30am). Additional Details at rochestertrackclub.com Hand crafted Trophies to top ten runners closest to their Predicted time. This fun event is directed by Team Red's own Chris O'Brien.

** It's entirely possible to run both of the above events if you're interested. You could log some miles with OSS, then head over to run the Bear Creek 5!**

11/14 - 1st annual Grahaminator at Oxbow. Casey Graham (another team RED member!) is running the show on this one. There is no entry fee, provide your own aid on the run, and she'll have bananas and oranges available at the finish. Prizes for the top male and top female finishers as well.

11/21 - Living History Farms Urbandale IA. This is billed as the largest Cross Country Race in North America. 7500 runners on a 7 mile course, containing 8 creek crossings! You will get wet! So far, we have a group of 4-5 officially signed up, and others considering. If you're interested, get signed up, and let me know, so we can work out the details of a carpool.

Additionally, good luck to those racing at Lake Mills WI this weekend!

Let's Run!

This Thursday, Nov 5th, we'll meet at Bears Den at 6pm. Routes will be posted Wednesday... another post with details to upcoming events will go up tomorrow as well!

The picture to the left clearly shows that Woo might not have finished at St George, aside from the fact I kept him moving! With that said, Tom just finished his 3rd marathon in 6 weeks this past weekend.. ahem... finishing 1st in his age group! He is a machine!

It's Dark!

Well, we've moved up the start time a couple times now, and I just don't think we can gain much by moving it any earlier, now that the darkness begins sooooo early!

Of late, we've been meeting at 6pm.. unless there are objections, I propose we stay right there!

If you're looking for a race opportunity there's a very fun one this Saturday. It's the Bear Creek Predict Your Time 5 Mile. It simply doesn't matter how fast you are... the person who predicts their finish time the closest, without finishing faster then the prediction, wins! Team RED member Chris O'Brien is the race director... go give it a shot! (I stink at predicting, by the way!.. haha.. but it's still fun!)

http://rochestertrackclub.com/Calendar/Calendar-Detail.aspx?raceID=233

Thursday 10/29 at the Den

Thursday 10/29 is another great night from the Bears Den. Let's meet at 6pm... all of the routes are posted on the right hand side of the blog. I suggest we start out heading west on the frontage road, so the bulk of frontage road running will be complete before it gets real dark.

Sounds like a new event is in the works, Casey Graham is planning to organize a trail race at Oxbow Park on Nov 14th, details will follow. Learned this great news while out for a run at Quarry Hill with Casey, Mike Schmitt, Jim Mason and Renee Kottschade. If you've never run or hiked at Quarry Hill, I suggest you take some time to take it in.. very nice!

That leads me to upcoming opportunities in the area:

10/31 - Spirit Run 5K & 10K at Holy Spirit School. Details at rochestertrackclub.com
10/31 - OSS at Dunn Brothers on Elton Hills drive at 7:30am for an 8.3 mile run.
11/07 - Bear Creek Predict Your Time 5 Mile. Details at rochestertrackclub.com
11/14 - Grahaminator! (I'm sure I spelled that wrong!)... details to follow!
11/21 - Living History Farms (Iowa is local)

Sections Cross Country - Go Bears!

The Byron Bears Boys Cross Country team is competing for a shot to go to State. They need to finish in the top 2 of Section 1A (20 teams competing). Additionally, while the girls team is not as likely to advance this year, there are some top individual performances you can witness as they chase the starting line at State!

John Resman puts in a lot of time and effort to make this a great section race. If interested, you can volunteer by contacting John at jresman@gmail.com

The event is Thursday 10/29 at Northern Hills golf course. I would suspect you'd be locked into the time frame of 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM and then be able to buzz back to Byron for Team RED! If you're available, consider some volunteer time at this meet, and watch out for the Bears!

Spirit Of The Marathon - Melby Style

There has been plenty of chatter about Paul's marathon photo... and before viewing, keep in mind, he ran an awesome race!

drum roll please.....

continue....

don't miss some of the grand details....

the eyes....

the mouth....

the fingers...

enjoy...

Doesn't it just look like fun!

Living History Farms

Sounds like we have some interest is going to Urbandale IA for the November 21st running of the History Living Farms 7 Miler. It's billed as the Biggest Cross Country Race in North America! (limited to 7500 runners).

Please email me at byron.teamred@gmail.com with your confirmation if you plan to attend, so we can figure out a car pool plan. Also, some options to consider would be to go on Friday Nov 20th, and get one nights lodging, or leave approx 4am on race day.

http://www.fitnesssports.com/November_races/LivHistFarms/lhf_index.html

Thursday 6pm @ Bears Den

Here we go again! We'll meet this Thursday at the Bears Den at 6pm -- that keeps us from being entirely in the dark! Routes will be posted by this evening.

If you're interested in a Learn how to Run Clinic, the Running Room is kicking some off next week. They are offering clinics for 5K, 10K & Half Marathon distances. A friend of mine, Mike Schmitt is teaching this winters Half Marathon class, in preparation for the Lace Up Against Breast Cancer Half Marathon & 5K on Feb 14th.

http://luabc.org

Dr. O'Leary Answers Your Tough Questions

Q: Doctor, should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. What are these? Vegetables. So, steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to system.

Q: Doctor, how can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: If you have a body and you have fat, ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: Doctor, should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine. That means they take water out of the fruit a bit; you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: The heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... Don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up the heart will not make you live longer; that is like saying you can extend the life of a car by driving faster. Want to live longer? Take nap.

Q: Doctor, what are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Cannot think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy: No Pain...Good!

Q: Doctor, is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for you're figure, explain whales to me.

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WARNING: Some portion of this post is blatant plagiarism and not intended to steal the thunder of any other wise men or women.

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Lots of Options!

Everyone is welcome to join any of these events below! Consider participating!

10/15 -- 6pm... Team RED at Bears Den in Byron, choose from a 2, 4 or 5.3 miler. Maps posted on the right side of this blog.
10/16 --- 7pm ... Friday NightLights 8K at Soldiers Field Best Western
10/17 --- 7:30 am... Breakfast Run from Renee Saxmans home 2026 Kal Lane SW in Roch. This is a kickoff to the Off Season strider season, a great chance to meet some Rochester Track Club folks.
10/17 --- 9am... Big Wood Run (half marathon, 10K & 5K) Fairibault MN
10/18... Des Moines Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K

Thursday 6pm!

Please note an earlier start time this Thursday... 6pm at Bears Den! This will get us back to the warm and friendly confines of the Den by 7pm (almost before it's too dark!). Routes will be posted Wednesday.

Congrats to the 1st Timers!

Congrats are due to Al and Paul! Each of them completed their first marathons! Al at the Twin Cities Marathon, and Paul at Whistlestop. Great job you guys... it's a fantastic accomplishment!

New Running Blog

I have added the following blog to the Running Resources section of the Team RED blog.

http://runningrochester.blogspot.com

This new site is maintained by Dan Strain. Dan is a friend of mine that I met through running. He will be assisting with the Marathon / Half Marathon training long runs from the RAC (they will resume in Winter/Spring). Check out his blog, and other links from the Running Resource section.

Good Luck Paul!

As many of you know... Paul Melby is running his first marathon on Saturday. He's ready! Go get it Paul!

Thursday 10/8

Join us this Thursday 10/8 at the Bears Den for a Team RED social evening. No running/walking required! Of course, it's optional for you die hards! It's always good to hear stories on everyone. (even if we have to make them up!)

I'd like to take some time to get a feel what the club wants out of the Winter season. Personally, I'll continue running year 'round, and suggest you do too. Let's talk about it! If you can't make it Thursday, but have input, please drop me an email or call me at 775 7054 and let me know what you're thinking about winter running/walking - as it relates to Team RED.

Also Thursday, I'll have sample long sleeve and sleeveless shirts. You can try them on, check them out.. let me know if you want to order another Team RED shirt to compliment your fine short sleeve version!

Oct 1st Team RED - 6:30pm

Reminder: Team RED kicks off at 6:30pm from the new location of the Bears Den on Thursday Oct 1st. Routes are posted on the right hand column of this blog. Bears Den pictured behind the handsome fella.

Go Long. Go Short. Have Fun!

Fast Performances!

Congratulations to Paul Melby and Matt Schrader! Each turned in excellent results in races this weekend!

Paul PR'd in the 5K with a time of 18:34 (that's 5:58 per mile!) Matt notched a PR in the Half Marathon, nailing a 1:22:43! That's 6 minutes faster then his previous best! Way to go guys! You're cruisin'!

Good luck to those of you with upcoming marathons. Team RED members that I'm aware are marathoning this weekend include, Tom Woo, Jim Raasch and myself running the St George Marathon, while Al Jorgensen is heading to the Twin Cities Marathon. The following weekend, Paul Melby (and possibly one other) goes to Whistlestop in Ashland WI. Let me know if I missed anyone on this list.

The Show

Team RED members ran well at last weeks Mayo Open 5K. I highly recommend this race for your 2010 calendar. Results can be found at http://rochestertrackclub.com/Results/Results-Detail.aspx?resultsID=176

Extra kudos to Jim Mason and Matt Schrader, they ran this tough course less then a week after completing a grueling trail marathon! Power power power.. way to go guys!

Reminder: Tonight Team RED

Reminder: Tonights Team RED is at 6:30pm, starting and finishing at the Legion in Byron. The new Bears Den opens tomorrow, so next week we'll be back at the Den!

Thank You from Roch Half!

We received a nice Thank You card today from the Rochester Track Club's Jean Murray, one of the organizers of the Rochester Half Marathon & 5K. I thought I'd share the note here:
************************************************
Dear Tom and all the Team Red volunteers who helped us out at the Rochester Half Marathon this year.

THANK YOU!

Your beer sign elicited positive comments and good humor! It was great having you host station #2. Every runner and a lot of people heading to the farmers market, now know that Team Red is one fabulous group of people!

Thanks again.
Jean Murray
*************************************************

So, from the mutual admiration society, I'd also like to add, you were awesome volunteers at the aid station! And for more admiration, you'll likely not meet a more supportive and friendly runner in Rochester, then Jean Murray (although there are many friendly and supportive, she's top notch!). Jean, along with John Shonyo organize some great group runs called Off Season Striders (OSS) on Saturday mornings. If you're interested in being added to Jean/John's distribution list, please let me know -- I've got connections and can make it happen.

fyi... Jean and I are also co-race directors of the Spring Classic 15K & 5K (hope to see you there!)

Mayo Cross Country 5K

Those who were able to join the Mayo Open had a great time! The course was a challenge to say the least. It's two loops around Eastwood golf course, complete with hills, grass, dirt and a great crowd of High School runners to offer support for the suffering. Pictured above is Tod as he approaches the finish line... a sweet downhill finish! Slide show coming soon...



Congrats to Anne for winning her age group at the Lupus Walk For Hope and 5K Trail Run on Saturday! She ran a strong pace, after her 17 mile training run! Also congrats to Mark as he ran his first race! The picture here is courtesy of Mark.

Shots from the Track

Thursday Night 5K

Hope to see you at the Mayo Open at Eastwood Gold Course this Thursday, 9/17. This is a 5K race on the same course the High School teams will race on for the Mayo Invitational Cross Country meet. Registration is from 5-5:30pm... and the race is currently scheduled to start at 6pm. Come on out and have some fun! In fact, come early and see some of the best High School runners in the state! The boys from Byron are ranked 7th in the State!

For those interested in some social time, we'll gather at McMurphy's Sports Bar following the race.

Getting Faster!

If you want to build speed, there is nothing like the track. The pics in the slideshow tell the story, it's fun! hahaha.. ok ok.. it's real hard work, but fun to test and build speed.

Axel Johnson - Passing

As some of you may have heard, Axel Johnson, age 17, passed away Friday. Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers at this time.

You can check out the May 29th post and see the slide show from the night we supported the Action For Axel fundraiser. Thanks to all of you who were available and participated, the family and organizers were very appreciative that we took part.

Do you have a need for speed? If so, Monday & Thursday are for you!

• Monday 9/14, some Team members are gathering for a track workout in Byron. If you want to join us, come to 805 1st Ave NW in Byron at 6pm on Monday. We'll run an easy pace 1 mile warmup, then roll into 400 Meter repeats at the Middle School track. Our plan is 12 X 400... however, you can start with any qty of 400 meter repeats you're comfortable with. Then we'll run a 1 mile cool down back to 1st Ave.


• Thursday 9/17 at Eastwood Golf Course is the Mayo Open (5K). This event follows the High School Cross Country meet and is open to all-comers. There is no charge for this 5K. Keep in mind, it's run on a golf course, so it's on grass, and hilly, but.. it's not like running trails, the grass is of course well groomed.

Additional Evidence

The following link provides further evidence that Team R.E.D. is on to something! Thanks to Mark Baron for sending the link to the story.

http://running.about.com/b/2009/09/03/drinkers-more-likely-to-exercise.htm

Upcoming Race Opportunities

Just wanted to post a few upcoming race opportunities! Details about these races, and more can be found on the Rochester Track Club website at http://rochestertrackclub.com/CALENDAR.aspx Countdowns to many of these are on the right hand column of this blog as well.

• 9/12 8:30am -- MMCF 5K walk/run for Blood Cancer Research. Starts at Essex park in Rochester.
• 9/12 6pm -- Chosen One Run for the Bella Adoption Foundation. This is a 5K/8K walk/run starting at the Firehall in Zumbrota.
• 9/13 9am -- Gift of Life Transplant House 5K run/walk. Starting near the Gift of Life House at 2nd St & 7th Ave SW in Rochester
• 9/17 6pm -- Mayo Open Cross Country 5K. This is a Rochester Track Club Grand Prix event and it takes place at 6pm at Eastwood Golf course.
• 9/26 8:30am -- Harvest Classic 5K walk/run and 1 Mile fun run. Located at Silver Lake Park in Rochester.

Great Run!

It was a great night for Team RED. Some people were late arriving (Wendy & Tom), but the Team waited for us! The temperature felt warm at first, but as the sun set, it cooled down perfectly!

I'd like to welcome 3 new faces to the Team, (although I again forgot the camera! so you can't see their faces just yet). Karl-Peter (KP), Rachel and Abby (that could be spelled correctly) joined us for the 1st time on Thursday. As is the norm.. one of the newbies won a gift card! Congrats Abby!

Remember, next week we'll be back at the Bears Den... and the 3rd Thursday, Sept 17th, we will move to Eastwood golf course for the Mayo Open (5K - Free Race). We can pick a Rochester location to meet for the E.D. portion of the evening.

Team RED - Sept 3rd!

Looking forward to another great night of Team RED! This week we start at 7pm from the Bears Den in Byron. Routes are posted on the right hand side. That 6.5 miler can be shortened a tad if you so choose.

A few of us are still pounding away some track workouts once a week. Our schedule seems to shift a bit week to week, but if you want to join, let us know and we'll keep you in the loop. The scheduled time and location both shift a little, it's a bit of back and forth before we agree where/when. Additionally, there is a group that meets for track workouts at the Running Room on Tuesday evenings. Please contact the Running Room for details if interested.

By the way.. the new Bears Den is progressing nicely! Should be ready by the end of this month (I think).

Oxbow & Team RED Notes

What a great evening for a Team RED gathering at Oxbow park! We had a few more people show up compared to the last time we visited the park. The short route folks added on to the route intentionally, while the long route people got duped into a longer then advertised route! I'm happy to report, everyone made it back to the 1st Bridge! In fact, 80% of the crew made it through the trails without falling! That's a great success rate!

Following last nights walk/run, we discussed a few items.

#1 -- It's getting dark sooner! We'll likely move up the start time to 6:30pm one of these weeks, surely an email reminder will come out with that information.

#2 -- I will send an email next week to get a sense as to how people feel about continuing our get together weekly, or if we should consider going back to twice a month. When you see this email, please respond so that your input is considered.

#3 -- We discussed additional Team RED shirts.. i.e. Long Sleeves and Sleeveless. I've placed a poll on the right side to sense how much interest there may be. Please take a moment to cast your vote!

I have also requested shirt samples from Pro Image so that we can have a good view as to how large they run. They will be slightly different material from your current tees, however still moisture wicking. If enough interest I would like to get them ordered in early Sept, as summer is surely winding down. Soon we'll be heading out in weather like Tom W and I battled with some others last winter.

Oxbow Tonight! 8/27

Hey all.. sorry for the delay in getting this posted. I've been out of town with the Byron Cross Country team. What a great group of young people! Should be another exciting season for the both the Byron Boys & Girls teams! They have a scrimmage at Oxbow park Friday morning, and the first meet is one week from today!

This evening we're heading into the woods! We'll meet at Oxbow Parks 1st Bridge (which is the 2nd parking lot on your left as you enter oxbow). The O'Leary's will provide high quality tap water. If you enjoy a different post run beverage, please bring your own, I suspect we will.

Here's a link to info on the park if you're interested in learning more. http://www.co.olmsted.mn.us/upload_dir/pw/oxbowpark.pdf

Great Day! Roch Half Marathon & 5K

What a great day to run and volunteer! Team R.E.D. did both, and did it well, turning in some fantastic 5K & Half Marathon results.... and rockin' and rollin' the Mile 5 Aid Station!

Race results can be found at: http://onlineraceresults.com/event/view_event.php?event_id=3985

Pictures are courtesy of Tom Woo... (thanks Tom!) you can view his full album at the following link. http://sports.webshots.com/album/574261995HFgJZs
I'll also try to pull some more Team RED related pics later next week.