Another Fun R.E.D. Night!

We had a great turnout at the Rochester hosted Team R.E.D. tonight! According to Renee S, the count was 22, but later it was discovered she was counting how many pitchers of beer were ordered, rather then actual head count. The picture above doesn't show all the run/walkers, as we took off right at 6pm, and some people just are not on time! Yet, they are dedicated and caught up to get in the game!

The trail had several icy spots, but was well lit. As far as I know, nobody fell tonight, not even Woo!

Conversation at Brothers was all over the board to say the least. Many members were carded tonight, and I don't think a single one was offended by it, in fact, I sense many took it as a compliment! The shot below shows the carded victims, and the very mean (not really, she's super!) Jessica who carded them. Just doing her job....



We also had one new member sign up tonight. Welcome Jean Murray! She's wonderful! There's a long story as to how her membership came to be, but none the less she is here! It's a lot like the Vikings signing of Brett Favre, so we captured the "Shirt Presentation"



The slide show is below, have a great night, and good job staying active all!

Thursday's starting line!

For a change of pace, we're taking Team R.E.D. on the road, heading to Rochester for a night. Let's meet at Brothers Bar & Grill at 6pm Thursday, 2/25. We'll keep the routes similar in distance, 2, 4 & 6... then head back Brothers for our social!

I lifted the pic below off Renee's blog... that's Paul, myself and Marv enjoying a post track cookie Tuesday night. Thanks Renee!

Cruisin'!

Another strong turnout at the track tonight. Let's see if I can remember who was all there! Bri, Melby, Woo, Mason, Renee S, Randy, Andy, Jim L, Dan S, Roger, Marv and myself. Marv recently joined Team R.E.D. (finally got his shirt tonight) and Roger joined tonight, and got his shirt immediately! Also we gained two new members Sunday Night when Andy & Tracy Becker joined at the party Welcome aboard all!

I forgot my camera tonight, but I know Renee was snapping pics.... I would hazard to guess they'll be on her blog in short order at http://ramblinrenee.blogspot.com Renee also provided some great cookies, once again! Thanks Renee!

Tonight's workout started with a warm-up, followed by 2 miles of extended hard effort, then recover... and from there, many people did many things! Mostly 400M's and 800M's of speed with recovery.

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An email and blog update will follow tomorrow with details, but given we were at the Bears Den twice last week, I'm going to take our Team on the road to Rochester this Thursday! Should be a nice change of pace for one week. Stay tuned and keep on moving!

Round and Round!

What comes around goes around.... and that's true at the RCTC indoor track tonight. Come join us at 5:30 for some speed work. This group has been gaining traction, and it's a lot of fun to put in the work with others!

We'll nail down details of the workout once we're there. One suggestion is to follow up last weeks work out by extending the first mile of speed, to 1.5 or 2 miles. We'll chat it up at the track and come up with a plan.

• Tuesday 5:30pm
• RCTC Indoor Track (Field House)

See you there!

Slideshows

No run - Great fun!

Below is a slide show from tonight's Team R.E.D. festivities. I sure hope you all had a great time, I know I did! Spring is on the way, let's keep the mo-jo rolling!

I'll do a real math check in the morning, but from my count, we were around 40 people enjoying the spirit of the evening, and that was awesome! I'd also like to thank the Bear's Den for their continued support. We sometimes take up a lot of space (which I'm sure they appreciate, yet we sometimes don't smell so good!).

Tonight, we played slide shows (set to music) of some of the things we've done these past 10 months, and all in all, it shows you people are amazing people! Nice work!

We also had a chance to give out $60 worth of Bears Den Gift cards. How do you win them? Well, tonight, we played rock/paper/scissors, we also had a round of trivia, then we had a random drawing. Everyone had a chance! (and I again, didn't win!)

Team R.E.D. Party!

The Team R.E.D. party is set for 6pm Sunday, 2/21 at the Bears Den in Byron! We are reserved in the Pool Table area, less the pool table. Should be lots of fun as 34 of you have rsvp'd to attend!

I've pulled together a few slide shows set to music that capture some of the Team gatherings since we started. I sure wish I would remember my camera more often.

Officially Starts Now!

The much anticipated, and incredibly enjoyable (really, I love this time of year!) Marathon & Half Marathon Training runs start now! Why do I love this time of year? Well, for one, it puts a new focus on the prize at the end of the training. It offers up that carrot many like to chase. Additionally, I think it will mean there will be a lot less pictures that look like this!



The picture courtesy of Mike Schmitt, while we were about 8 miles into a 10 Mile Run in -30 windchill! Photo from left to right, Randy, Nacho, Tom, Paul (not pictured of course is cameraman Mike)

If you're preparing for a Half or Full Marathon this spring, you really should consider joining the group that takes off from the RAC each Saturday at 7:15am. It's a well planned training program that helps many many people successfully complete their first full or half... it's a great energy place to be!

These training runs are open to all. You don't need to be a member of any club, don't need to be registered for the 'training class'. You just need to show up and run! If you're not a member of the official class, they do ask for a $1 donation each week, to help cover the costs of the aid they provide... yes.. there is aid! Fantastic volunteers take time out of their Saturdays to staff aid stations with water, Gatorade, banana's and sometimes even additional treats!

The weekly long run mileage is geared toward two specific races (Med City full & half marathon and Grandmas full & half), so if you're running another one, you may want to adjust a bit. If you want to use these runs as base, but need some adjustments to mileage, I'll surely offer my opinion week by week.

I confess I haven't looked real close at the training document yet, but I believe tomorrow mornings run will be something to the effect of 60 Minutes for half marathoners, and 8-10 miles for those training for the Full.

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I learned of an event I was not aware is coming up March 13th (Thanks Michaeleen!). The event is called the 5-a-day-5K and it looks like a lot of fun. It contains a 5K and a Tator Tot Trot for the kids (50-100 yards). The event is priced nicely, and supports the Channel One Food Bank as well. Plan to attend if you're available! The race starts and finishes at the Running Room in Rochester.


Follow this link to the details in the Flier:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTXcfHhh20rh-d80tldNbirpRy14r9ZWDYCnqn3CZMgXl8z8pwx0u6DYVQ5wvarjksh1ELclEVb_l5lnnrlpFxYeSiB0Si21B0LIytMXnZsAWBxNshaeEiCek0QWk5TpT3ARXMEcWMM38/s1600-h/5Kflier.jpg

and click this link for more information, including several pictures from last years event!

http://www.5aday5k.org/

Great Night... again...

Nice work everyone! Routes were traveled at distances of 2.75 miles, 4 miles and 6 miles... Everyone navigated fine mostly, even the people with Randy found their way back!



We started the night at City Hall, checking out the Stagecoach State Trail, and options that could impact Byron and other communities. They are requesting input by March 5th. I'll have forms for you to provide that input on Sunday, and will mail them to the DNR. (if you can't make it, please email any input you may have on this trail to byron.teamred@gmail.com and I'll be sure to forward , once I find that business card I received tonight!) I received an email from Anne Baron, who also visited the Open House after a workout at Snap Fitness, she referenced that the running group made an impression. Fantastic!

After putting in the workout, we hit the Bears Den for a series of laughs, and of course, a refreshment. It was a great group! Lots of variety and surprises every single time out. We know one thing, thanks to Bri... the geese in Iowa fly in perfect formation or they get shot! If you don't believe her, my goodness, you didn't hear the conviction in her voice!

Reminders.....

Details on Tonight's Team R.E.D. (starting and ending at City Hall) are in the post below and routes are posted on the right hand column.

Also, a reminder about Sunday's gathering... it's looking like over 30 people are coming! Should be quite fun. Details below... If I don't see you tonight, hope to see you Sunday!

Spring Into Spring Team R.E.D. Party
Sunday, Feb 21st @ 6pm Bears Den
Buffet Style Appetizers & Pizza
Reserved tables
Just $5 a head

Thursday Night - Change of Pace!

Thursday night we'll start and finish at the Byron City Hall. The run walk will start at 6pm as usual, however, if you can come early, say approx 5:30pm, you can attend an open house regarding the Stagecoach State Trail, and the potential of connecting it to Byron, as it runs from Rochester to Owatonna.

Please consider joining us at the Open House! If you can't make it, that's ok, join us at 6 and we'll still get our exercise on! And for those of you who mostly enjoy the E.D. portion of the evening, we'll swing over to the Bears Den for refreshments post run/walk.

All this talk of Stagecoach has me thirsty! Stagecoach Ale is brewed by the Mantorville Brewing Co.

Fast Track!

Wow! I'm not sure what was in the water, but people were moving on the track tonight! Essentially we executed the following workout with fantastic results for all involved.

• Warm-up
  
• 1 Mile fast ( and the times were smokin'!)
• Recovery
• 800M fast (again, some great results!)
• Recovery
• 400M out of control fast!
• Recovery
• 200M like you were on fire!
• Recovery
• 60M sprint! Luckily, no one seemed to pull a hammy on that one!
• Cool down
• Beer at Brothers

Really a great night at the track, hats off to all who participated! Many had just completed a half marathon 2 days ago, even more tips of the hat!

Team R.E.D. members in attendance include: Paul Melby, Matt Schrader, Tom Woo, Renee Saxman, Randy Quint, Jim Mason, Jim Raasch, Marv Misgen and myself. Roger, Andy and Jim were there, only a matter of time before they join us with Team R.E.D.

Also spotted at the track, and preparing for her first half marathon was Team R.E.D.'s Mary Dykes. This is the 2nd time I've spotted her there, she's reaching new Personal Records each week for distance! Way to go Mary!

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An email (and another post) will follow with details, but regarding the open house in the post below. I think it would be great to have Team R.E.D. show up and support this trail system, and have the opportunity to ask questions, provide input/feedback. I'll work out the details, but please prepare for possibly an earlier start time from the norm this Thursday. After maybe 15-30 minutes at City Hall we could start the run/walk portion of the evening, then rally at the Bears Den for social time!

Track Night!

It's on again... Tuesday Night Track at 5:30pm at the RCTC indoor track. We haven't completely locked in a work-out, so we'll discuss during warm-up. The doors to the track are open at 5pm in case you want additional warm-up.

Dave Sletten sent me this link, it's got information on the Stagecoach State Trail. The link includes dates/times of some Open Houses at which you can see the proposals, ask questions and offer feedback. This Thursday 2/18 there is an Open House on the subject from 5-8pm at Byron City Hall. As exercise enthusiasts (runners/walkers/bicyclists/rollerbladers).... this trail is something we could really enjoy!

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/input/mgmtplans/trails/stagecoach.html

Lace Up Against Breast Cancer

Press Release

It's only a matter of time before such big news as this hits the presses! So, I thought I'd share it here before you read it someplace else.

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Breaking News
Associated Press
02-14-10

On this 14th day of February, Two Thousand and Ten, having finally achieved my life long dream of beating Tom Woo in a race of any distance (never mind that this was his 2nd race in 2 days), I, Tom SLO'Leary officially retire from road racing, auto racing, hot air balloon racing, go-kart racing, downhill ski racing, horse racing and any other form of racing that comes to mind. However, I'm still in for another trip to Living History Farms!

Having announced this retirement, I will continue in my role with Team R.E.D.(Run. Eat. Drink) less the R portion. Thank you.

Tom O'

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On a side note: The Lace Up Against Breast Cancer Half Marathon & 5K had a fantastic turnout! Several Team R.E.D. members were spotted both running & volunteering! The list includes (I hope I don't miss anyone) Tom W., Casey, Bri, Chris O, Paul M., Shelly M, Renee S, Randy, Wally, Lana, Wendy and myself. Also spotted were a few people who have run with Team RED in Byron on occasion, but not yet joined Mike, Roger & Dalene.

The pics in the above slideshow are courtesy of Tom Woo & Jim Li... Thanks guys!

Request from our Friends

Our counterparts with the Rochester Track Club are seeking a donation of a monitor and printer that would be compatible with a reconditioned desktop PC (an HP mini-tower, with XP Pro , 1 GB memory and 100 GB disk). This equipment is designated for use in managing the membership roster.

The Rochester Track Club is a great organization supporting so many races in the area, if anyone has something compatible that they are able to donate, please contact me at byron.teamred@gmail.com

Thanks for considering!

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The Lace Up Against Breast Cancer Half Marathon & 5K has over 300 registered runners! It's going to be a great day, all while raising money! There is race day registration available tomorrow, starting at 7:30am (race starts at 9am at RCTC's Heintz Center).

Full Weekend

Plenty of opportunity to get out there this weekend!

Saturday is the last of the OSS (Off Season Strider) runs. They'll be meeting at 7:30am at Panera South. -- I'm planning to run short/middle distance, at an easy pace because....

Sunday is the Lace Up Against Breast Cancer Half Marathon & 5K. Not registered yet? You can do so at http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=5148 Additionally, race day registration is also available!

Sounds like registration has been fantastic! It's great to have a winter half locally, and add the fact it's for such a great cause, how can you go wrong?!

This is the last hurrah for Casey before she heads to St Paul on Sunday! Congratulations to her for finding a new opportunity in the city. Something tells me it's not the last we've seen of her!

Another Success!

Another great run / walk for Team R.E.D. tonight! What a fun bunch! The workout is good, but the laughter is non-stop!

Most people worked hard, but Randy and Melby decided to goof off at 6pm, and then join us for the Eat/Drink portion of the evening only. Hey! 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

The bike path was not clear, and the traffic was unreal on 10th Ave and the frontage road, but I'm happy to report everyone navigated it well. Oh, I so can't wait for spring.

Most people elected to go the advertised 5.5 miler (which came in a bit short at 5.3). Some considered a continuation of the run to hit 6 miles, but the traffic was really heavy and we were on the roads.... It just didn't seem there was a a good (safe) option for another .7 miles. The walking crew put down 2.86 miles! All in all.. solid for everyone!

There is nothing better then working out and laughing afterwards! Nice work everyone!

At Tuesday's Runner's Social there was some discussion as to who looks better during the marathon... Melby or Marilee.

We started a brief survey, and below the pics are the responses to date. Please feel free to email me at byron.teamred@gmail.com with your vote and comments, I'll be sure to add them as we move forward. Your comments will remain anonymous unless you request to have your name associated with it.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

• Marilee hands down
• This is not a fair comparison. You can see that Marilee is at mile 26, and Melby is obviously in mile 1, not even warmed up yet.
• I'll have to vote for Melby on this one. I can see Melby is extremely happy that he is about to complete his first marathon. Words cannot describe the cheer in his heart but his picture does.
• Marilee looks like she is sweating and Melby looks like he is hardly working at all. No one likes to sweat so I'm voting for Paul.
• Well, as far as the picture goes I would have to vote for Marilee; however, 20 years from now we're not going to recall anything about Marilee's race but we're all going to remember the banana stain on Paul's gloves.
• Well, if anyone thinks I look better than Marilee at ANY time, they need glasses. So my vote has to go with the one who is in the least amount of pain, and that isn't me.
• These photos are the funniest! Poor Paul looks miserable and I think he smells like banana. And Marilee looks wonderful (as usual). I'm sure she smells like a rose. :-)
• Melby looks AWESOME... he looks like 'SCREW THAT! I'm a runner!!'

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!