Great Night! Great Turnout!

Thanks to Randy & Marilee for all the work they did to host over 60 people for Team R.E.D on Thursday.. what a great night!

The rain came just before game time, but then, the skies cleared, and it was wonderful outside!


The slide shows are again broken into segments...
The route talk....


On the course... I do believe Tom took some video, I'll share it when possible.



Post run fun... so much fun!

Hot Night on the Track!

What a great turnout at the track Wednesday night... 19 R.E.D. members showed up for the speed session!   Many enjoyed a bit of time at Ladies Night at the Bears Den post workout.  

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Be sure to check the post below for details on Thursday's Team R.E.D. gathering... surely setting up to be a fun night!

Thursday's R.E.D.

Routes for Thursday's Team R.E.D. are posted along the right hand side of the blog.  Be sure to check check them out.  We don't want anyone lost in Quints neighborhood, as we know at least one of his neighbors is packing!

The Theme is:  Nothing (or No Theme)   What does that mean?

• You don't need to bring any food... as it's provided! There will be burgers, dogs, beans, snacks, baby food and more!
• You don't need to bring any drink... as it's provided!
• You don't need to wear any special outfits... just wear whatever you like!  Or wear nothing... that fits the theme too.
• Route talk is at 6pm at Randy's home.. 1363 Woodland Dr SW.... three routes are available in the neighborhood of 2, 4 & 6 miles... should be lots of fun!  

This Week!

Be sure to check out today's Post Bulletin. Brett Boese is doing a story on Warrior Dash, and how so many area people attended. This is not a RED centered story, more the Dash from his view as a Warrior. One thing we do know, is Lori and Angie's mud wrestling pic was used to tease the story!

Tuesday Night Trails: 6:15pm... Meet in the parking lot at Essex park for a nice run through the trails.
Wednesday Speed: 5:30pm... Meet at the track in Byron. It's located behind the middle school.
Thursday Night R.E.D.: 6pm... we'll gather at Randy Quints home at 1363 Woodland Dr SW.  The Theme for the evening is "Nothing!"

•  It's a theme where you have to do absolutely nothing. Nothing to prep for, nothing to bring, no special clothes to wear, you don't even have to work out... Just show up... and have a few laughs

Warriors - Lots of Pics!

Warriors.. all of you! Thanks to all the contributing photogs.. some great shots! I've broke the slideshow into 3 sectons.. pre-race, on the course and post race...

Additioally, Warrior Dash produced one brand new Team RED member! Welcome Dave to the Team!  (I'll post a picture of the Shirt presentation, once we figure out which camera it's on!


Pre-Race... getting ready to become Warriors!



On the course...



Post Run... what fun! (I'll add some name labels later.. gotta go!)

R.E.D. Warriors!

Wow! What amazing great fun at Warrior Dash! The course.. the energy.. and most of all.. Team R.E.D!

You were all truly fantastic and seized the fun! A couple notes, and couple pics..  I'll also add slide shows as I get them built.  We have tons of pics.. from multiple R.E.D. members..

On Saturday, in a field of 10,000 plus Warriors....

• Chris Chen took 5th place
• Shane Nepstad took 11th place
• Eric Anderson took 12th place
• Shane O'Leary took 41st place
• Aaron Nepstad took 160th place

 By all accounts from R.E.D. members.. this is a must do event!  The pics below are from Tod & Woo... the slide show is also a mix, I even took some..



Meg in the Mud! 



Edie's Conquer the Wall!

Lori & Angie... Mud Fun!


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Team R.E.D. Warriors!



Meeting Place for Warrior Dash

Parking is $10 and they will shuttle you to near the start. Look for a giant black helmet. That is where Team RED will gather. The name of the park we are camping at is St. Croix Bluffs County Park. Come and join us there after everyone races.

Warrior Dash Gathering area

our meeting location at the Warrior Dash is still TBD... check back tonight, if we identified a gathering spot, we'll post that information here.

Another Great Night!

The temps cooled.. but still plenty warm! A moderate turnout for the run, yet people kept coming for the Eat, Drink! 2 out of 3 ain't bad!   There were 3 new faces in the group, look for them in the slideshow, and be sure to introduce yourself when they come back....

We held a "it's sooo hot..." contest.. and the winner was Adam, somehow with this group, putting a naughty squirrel into your story, increases the chances of winning.    Congrat to Adam!  Additionally, Tom & the other Adam went head to head for the championship in rock paper scissors.   Tom Wins!  woo hoo!   Actually, so did Adam, same prize for 1st or 2nd... congrats to all!

R.E.D. at the Den!

Team R.E.D. gathers at the Bears Den in Byron tonight at 6pm... come on out!  Routes will be from 3ish to 4ish to 6ish..      Seems slightly 'cooler' then the past couple days!   

Also, a small group is meeting at 7am for a run starting along the Douglas trail near those funky colored town homes, just south of the trail bridge over 50th Ave.  Come on out and join us.

Be sure to check out the pics from the track and park last night in Byron.  Both pieces of the evening amounted to quite a workout!  

Who Knew?

With the heat index where it is.. who knew anyone would show up for the Wednesday Night Track workout in Byron. Well they did!



Then following the sightly sweaty track work... the team gathered at Team R.E.D.'s newly adopted Brooklawn Park, and spread out the wood chips under the playground equipment. This turned out to be great fun!... oh and a lot of effort.. we utilized it all, pitch forks, garden rakes, garden shovels, snow shovels, Fantastic work R.E.D.!  You do great things! 

Good Neighbor Days

What a great turnout at Good Neighbor Days!   Team R.E.D. did really well, in pure participation, as well as PR's and Age Group awards!  Nice work all!   There were a lot of pics to sort through.. so I've divided them into Pre-Race, Race & Post Race... many thanks to Wendy, Tom & Joe for snapping the shots!  

A huge congrats goes to Brevin Ryan!  (son of Sara & Joe)... Brevin won the 2.5K! 

This Week & Help Wanted!

Again no shortage of stuff going on... including a new contest for Team R.E.D. Thursday! 

Tuesday by Midnight:  Register for the Med City Full or Half Marathon for a $30 entry to the event! 
Wednesday 5:30pm:  Speed work on the Byron Track.   Bring plenty of fluids... after the track, we'll rake to spread some mulch at the newly adopted Brooklawn park.   This should take about 15-20 before we refuel with feremented carbs.
Wednesday 6pm:  20 Minute Challenge at the Running Room on South Broadway in Rochester.  This is a free event aimed at helping people get and stay active!  You're welcome to bring family & friends and walk or run for 20 minutes.  Participants receive a free Running Room hat!
Wednesday by 10pm:  Last chance to enter the TC 10 Lottery.  A lot of Team R.E.D. members are participating in this event via guaranteed entry for a race team, while many others are tossing their hats in the lottery.  Good luck all!
Thursday 6pm:  Team R.E.D. at the Bears Den in Byron with a theme of "how hot is it?".  Come on out prepared to compete for a $15 gift card to the Bears Den!  As well, as two $5 cards.... how do you compete?    The contest is interactive and goes something like this.  

• Contestant says:  "it's soooo hot... "
• Judges (you guys) say:  "how hot is it?"
• Contestant says "... It's soooo hot  -- insert one liner here ---
• Judges either laugh, clap or groan... and later vote on the winner of the $15.. the other $5 cards will go out via a different contest.

Friday/Saturday:   Camping and racing at Warrior Dash!  Lots of variables on arrival time and race time, but the pictures should be fun!   FYI...  A reporter from the Post Bulletin is attending with Team R.E.D. during the noon wave.  

• Help Wanted:  Is there anyone going to Warrior Dash who is available to drive Joe Ryans vehicle up?   Maybe a crowded carpool could gain some space this way?
• Help Wanted II:  Is there anyone who has a Large Van or Suburban they would rent out to Lori's   Ragnar Team?   They have rented one 10 passenger van, but are still short 1 vehicle.

Med City Bargain!

NOTE:  The registration system had some difficulties today, so the 1 day only offer, has been extended until Midnight on July 19th.  

Today marks Peg & Wally's 30th Wedding Anniversary, and as part of their celebration, they are offering a One Day Only reduced entry fee for the Med City Marathon & Half Marathon...

30 bucks to register! (+$3 processing fee).

You can register at http://medcitymarathon.com/registration.html

Douglas Trail Volunteers

Hey all.. Greg Hagen is the new race director for the Douglas Trail Run.... and he's looking for volunteers.  The race is an 11 mile and 2 mile event held on August 6th, starting at 7:30am on the Douglas Trail in Douglas.

Greg can use volunteers in many areas, including registration, race finish, course marshals, food, and lead cyclist or sweepers.  People interested in helping, you can contact Greg at gthagen@gofast.am

Oxbow Hike

Tonight's hike at Oxbow is cancelled due to a combination of things....   heat, humidity and the rescheduling of the Byron Good Neighbor Days parade.  

The Parade starts at 7pm near the Middle School... and travels west to east, along 4th street.. ending at the Elementry school.  Fireworks will follow at dark.  

Thursday's Festivities

Just a quick slideshow before I hit the hay in prep for Byron Good Nieghbor Days 5K!  

One important thing to note... the pics of us using the equipment at the newly adopted park, do not do justice to Sam.  I vote Sam, best pull-upper of those in attendance!   I simply didn't get a picture of it... 

Urgent Update - Volunteers

**NOTE:  This same message was sent via email to the Team RED distribution list**

Thanks to all of you who volunteered to help at the Brooklawn park this evening. However, I have some dissapointing news, our services are not needed tonight, as the city employees assembled the equipment themselves during the work day, today.


Plan B... since we were already planning picnic type fair, we'll go ahead with that. We can still celebrate our intentions! Rather then meeting at the park, we are invited to the Mesenburgs home at 1098 8th Ave NW, in Byron at 5:30pm for some grilled burgers, dogs and beer (if so inclined, bring a side dish, chips, soda or something of your choosing). Also, if interested, bring your running or walking shoes, as there will be a couple optional distances which will swing us past the park.

Again, many thanks to those who were planning to help... Team R.E.D. Rocks!

Please Read this post! Note: Change!

Team R.E.D. is offiically gathering on Wednesday this week.

• 6pm Wednesday at Brothers Bar & Grill... meet in the parking lot by the back door of Brothers... run 3, 4, or 6 miles.. or head to the track at soldiers field.
• 5:30pm Thursday at Brooklawn Park in Byron.. located at Cty Rd 5 and 9th St NW... Volunteer!  See the previous post for details of this volunteer opportunity.   If you can't make it right at 5:30, come when you can.... burgers, dogs and beer provided!
• 8am Friday on the back side of the Byron High School.  Come help build a bridge for the new Cross Country course in Byron!  Many hands will make it go quick!

Be sure to vote on the Warrior Dash outfits via the poll on the right hand side of the blog.  You can select multiple ites, i.e. Togas, tatoos & bandana's..

What a great night we had at the track in Byron following the All-Comers meet... the heat was up.. but we managed to have fun!  Check out the slideshow below. 

Additionally, some girls of R.E.D....  aka Nanci, Lori & Angie. sported RED colors across the chest.. very good call!

Thursday Night Special!

What a great night at the Track for Team R.E.D. last night. Turnout from the youth participation was light (due to heat?).... but turnout from a volunteer perspective was fantastic! Thanks to all of you!

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This Thursday, Team R.E.D. has a great opportunity to support the community and have a great party, all at once! We'll adjust this week's RED schedule to accommodate a running/walking/biking night, along with this chance to volunteer. See more details later in this post regarding the week's schedule of events.

Thursday 5:30pm (or as soon as you can get there) Join other Team R.E.D. members for approx 3 hours of volunteering in the park. What does that entail?

• We'll be assembling some of the park equipment. Nothing too difficult, and remember, we need supervisors too! The more the merrier... come on out!
• O'Leary's are providing hot dogs, burgers and a grill to grill them on.
• Mesenburgs are providing the beer.
• Bring a side dish if you like.
• The rest of us, just need to Work. Eat. Drink. Fun!

It's not available yet, but we will also be installing a sign, stating to the effect, Team R.E.D. has adopted the park, in loving memory of our dear friend, Paul Melby. 

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The week as a I know it...

Tuesday 6:15pm:  Trail run with Jim Mason.  Jim has set up a run at Bill Barnacle. Meet at 6:15 at the BP in Marion on Tuesday evening.. then carpool or follow to the park!

Tuesday Soldiers Field?  I have not heard anything on the weekly Soldiers Field Grillin' & Chillin'... I'll update if I do.

Wednesday 6pm:  Team R.E.D. gathers at Brothers Bar & Grill for routes of 3, 4 or 6 miles!  There's also an option of getting over to the Soldiers Field Track for some speed work.   Then we'll come back to Brothers for some social time!

Thursday 5:30pm:   Team R.E.D. Volunteer at the park!   Details above....

Saturday 8am:  Byron Good Neighbor Days 5K and 2.5K.  Come on out and race, or drop me a note if you'd like to volunteer!
Saturday 7am:   Full & Half Marathon training long run from the RAC. 

Sunday 6pm:   Oxbow Park evening hike!   Meet at the 1st bridge (2nd parking lot on your left as you enter the park) and off we'll go... We haven't done this in a long time... should be fun!

.... be sure to check back as I'll be updating with more details... 

Sunday Options

Before we get to Sunday, I just want to say, what a great night Thursday... !   40 people, running, walking and riding from the Bears Den in Byron!  Here's a peek at the slideshow.



There's quite a bit going on Sunday.   Here is what I know... wooo hooo!

•  Sunday 8am:   A facebook post from John Shonyo:  In case anyone is interested, there is a group of runners meeting tomorrow (Sunday, 7/10) at Panera south at 8:00 AM. Sounds like most are going relatively short 6 to 10 miles.
• Sunday 1:05pm:   The following note came from Mike Schmitt: Every Sunday home game in July is an "Active Transportation Sunday" brought to you by the Olmsted County Public Health Department. Park in one of two pre-determined parking lots, and get free tickets to watch your Rochester Honkers. Bike to the game and also get a free ticket! Let's all get Active and get out and watch your Rochester Honkers!
• Click Here for a map of the two parking lots!
• Active Transportation Sundays
• July 10th @ 1:05pm versus the Duluth Huskies
• July 24th, @ 1:05pm versus the Thunder Bay Border Cats  
• One thought was a group might want to meet at Brothers Bar & Grill.. then run to a selected parking lot to pick up a free ticket, then proceed to the game.   I am not available personally, either one of these dates, but it sure seems like a great idea, if anyone wants to take the lead  (sort of a late lead for the 10th.. but something for the 24th possibly?  especially for any non-warrior dash participants). 
• Sunday 6pm: Byron All-Comers Track Meet. Please bring your kids for a great night of racing on the track, or come out and volunteer!   Team R.E.D. provided a lot of support for this event the last time out, and it looks like many of you are interested in this weekend, that's fantastic! 
• Sunday approx 7:30pm: Team R.E.D. Track Meet! Even if you can't make it for the all comers, come on out and compete in a handful of Track & Field events.. it's a hoot!

More of the Week Ahead .. plus some other good stuff!

A great Team R.E.D opportunity within the community....

As you may or may not yet know, Team R.E.D. is adopting the newly remodeled Brooklawn Park in Byron. The park is being fitted with exercise / stretching stations along the running path (located on along Cty Rd 5 and 9th St.) The long route runs past this park quite often.  

We have been approved to place a marker in the park in memory of our dear friend, Paul Melby.

Along with this, comes an opportunity to help install some portions of the exercise equipment. Over two evenings, Team R.E.D. is invited to help. The dates are July 12, 13, 14 (with one date being a rain date).   Start time is yet to be determined, but here's a note from Dan Mesenburg as to what our volunteers are asked to do.  This can be lot of fun!  I'll bring the Karaoke!  

• Basically, we will need 6-8 persons on night one, to set the posts in the holes dug by the city and attach the cross pieces… maximum of 2 hours.  Then, on evening two, we will need 10-12 persons to attach everything else… maximum of 3 hours.   Supervisors with coolers should be encouraged to attend.

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Hats off to Meredith for helping her friend Sam, accomplish her first Half Marathon!  Way to go Sam & Fuse!  It's awesome to share such an experience with friends!

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Below are some great pics from our bravest R.E.D. member, Jim Li.   As you may recall, Jim earned the title of "Bravest" when he wore his Team R.E.D. shirt in Tianamen Square, while surrounded by machine gun totting police!   Recently Jim traveled to Alaska..and here are a few shots from an incredible looking trip! Thanks Jim!

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.... and Finally, as promised... a look at some of this weeks opportunities.

• Wednesday 5:30pm : Byron Track (located at the middle school on 4th St.) Come on our for some solid turnover.. speed speed speed!
• Thursday 6pm: Team R.E.D is at the Bears Den in Byron. Routes will hit the blog on Wednesday, and be the anticipated 3ish, 4ish and 6ish mile routes.
• Friday 7pm:    The Spartan 5k & Kids 1/2 Mile is held in Rochester and starts and finishes by the Mayo High School Track (1420 11th Ave SE, Rochester).   The evening lays out as follows.  More details are available at http://rochestertrackclub.com/Calendar/Calendar-Detail.aspx?raceID=413 
• 5:00-6:30 p.m. - Race day Registration
• 7 p.m. - 5k Race Start
• 7:05 p.m. - Kids 1/2 Mile Start
• Saturday 7am:  RAC run for Marathon and Half Marathon training.   This group meets at the RAC in Rochester all summer long!  The route has not yet been posted, but you can check back at the following blog  http://runningrochester.blogspot.com/  to see the official distance.   I suspect the full marathon training route will be in the neighborhood of 12 miles.  
• Sunday 6pm:   Byron All-Comers Track Meet.   Please bring your kids for a great night of racing on the track, or come out and volunteer!  
• Sunday approx 7:30pm:   Team R.E.D. Track Meet!  We had a blast with this the first time around.  Should be even more fun now that we know what we're doing, sort of!
• Also Sunday Stay Tuned:  Mike Schmitt shared a fun idea that would include Free admission to the honkers games on July 10th & July 24th (day after Warrior Dash).

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A look back at the Stewartville July 4th Run! Thanks to Tom Woo for many of the pictures, and thanks to those I was able to sneak off facebook!

Next couple things..

Hey all..  I'm running late on posting the Week Ahead plan.. so here's the short view.. more details to follow.  You'll also want to check back for Friday, Saturday, Sunday notes...  lots going on this weekend.  as well as some special opportunities early next week.   In the next post.. you'll also find some pics from Stewartville, and Red, White & Boom.. the pics look great!

• Wednesday 5:30pm :   Byron Track (located at the middle school on 4th St.)   Come on our for some solid turnover.. speed speed speed!
• Thursday 6pm:   Team R.E.D is at the Bears Den in Byron.  Routes will hit the blog on Wednesday, and be the anticipated 3ish, 4ish and 6ish mile routes. 

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

I know a lot of R.E.D. is racing this weekend! Stewartville Runs are fun... you can still get registered. Visit rochestertrackclub.com to download a registration, or register online.


No matter where you run.. run well.. have fun!  Have a safe and fun Independence Day! 

Below are some pics I've combined from Tuesday's picnic night, and from Thursday's R.E.D.  .. both were plenty warm, and both very fun!