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:
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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
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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.

Rochester Half & 5K!

Good luck to all of you running in the Rochester Half Marathon & 5K on Saturday! Looks like it could be a great day for running and spectating alike! This is a great event put on by the Rochester Track Club, they do an excellent job with all their races.... pictured here is Lana recovering from last years Roch Half. (at least I think it was last years race!)

Team RED is operating the Aid Station at Mile 5 for the Half Marathon and approx mile 1 of the 5K. Stop on by and say "Hi" if you're in the area! (we'll be located on a bike path, near the intersection of 4th ST SE & 6th Ave SE.

I found this interesting nugget within an article about "living longer"on msn.com

You run for 40 minutes a day.
Scientists in California found that middle-aged people who did just that—for a total of about five hours per week—lived longer and functioned better physically and cognitively as they got older; the researchers tracked runners and nonrunners for 21 years. "What surprised us is that the runners didn't just get less heart disease—they also developed fewer cases of cancer, neurologic diseases, and infections," says study author Eliza Chakravarty, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. "Aerobic exercise keeps the immune system young." If you don't like to run, even 20 minutes a day of any activity that leaves you breathless can boost your health, she says.

The full story can be found at the following link.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100243267&gt1=31036

Prayers and Support

I'd like to ask you to please send your prayers and thoughts to Paula Patterson and her daughters regarding the passing of their husband and father Bruce. Bruce passed due to his battle with pancreatic cancer. Paula is a friend I've gained through running.

Wendy and I are attending the Fight For Bruce fundraiser scheduled 4-10pm on Friday, 8/21 at Somerby Golf Club in Byron. Along with prayers and support, the event will include dinner, silent auction and a bake sale. The benefit will continue as planned in his honor.

Here's a comment added to the benefit website this morning:
Update: (8/18/09, 9:12am)
Bruce passed away last night. In Paula's words, "Bruce, my husband, my hero, is now resting in peace. We love and miss him and will hold him forever in our hearts."

Below are a couple web links, one with Bruce's story.. another will let you know how you can help, even if you can not attend the Somerby fundraiser.
http://fightforbruce.com/index.html
http://fightforbruce.com/help/index.html

Rochester Half Marathon & 5K!

Hey.. a quick good luck to all those Team RED members participating in this Saturday's Rochester Half Marathon & 5K. This race is simply one of the best in the state of Minnesota! For those of you who would like to spectate, and I encourage you to do so, the race starts at the Holiday Inn Express, downtown Rochester... and finishes behind the Mayo Civic Center. Come on out and cheer them on!

Also a great Thank You to those of you who are volunteering at the aid station! Should be lots of fun! If anyone is interested in joining the volunteer crew, we always have room for more!

No Fear!

Team R.E.D. showed no fear venturing out Thursday despite the looming rain, and it paid off! There was indeed a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, in the form of food and drink in the safety of the Barons home! A very enjoyable and well deserved social time.

As you may have heard by now, Team RED is staffing a water station for the Rochester Half Marathon & 5K. Please drop us an email at byron.teamred@gmail.com if you're interested in joining the fun! It's a curbside seat for one of Minnesota's premier races. Many of our runners are participating, it will be great to cheer them on! Additionally, in response to hearing we're volunteering at a station, we received this message from Lin Gentling of the Rochester Track Club.
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Yea!!! For Team RED!!!!!!!

THANKS so much. Details to follow.
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Interesting Study

The link below is about a study on runners and the impacts to their knees. I found it interesting. See you tonight at Anne's place!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/phys-ed-can-running-actually-help-your-knees/?em

Baron To Host 8/13!

For this week's Team R.E.D. we'll gather at the home of Anne Baron. (pictured here with Wendy O'Leary). Anne will provide water, beer and wine for the social after our fine workout! Thanks Anne!

Routes are posted on the right side of this blog, and as you may know, Anne lives on a hilly side of town... soooooooo.... all these routes contain some elevation challenges!

I've sent a separate email with Anne's address. Also in that email is information about a Rochester Track Club beer run the same night as our Team RED get together! It's possible to pull double duty, but it'll be tight! If you haven't received that email and would like to be added to our distribution list, please drop us a note at byron.teamred@gmail.com

Below is a great link, provided by Rochester runner Mike Schmitt. This tip could come in handy for anyone who runs both events this Thursday. I love practical advice!

http://food.theatlantic.com/abroad/running-under-the-influence.php

Team R.E.D. from the Bears Den

The humidity was more then anticipated, but hey, if you're going to sweat, you may as well sweat together! This weeks routes ranged from 2.5 miles to 4 miles to 5.1 miles. Then of course, many stories and laughs enjoyed at the Bears Den afterwards!

My camera work was shoddy at best! Lots of blurry pics that I sent to the recycle bin. The slideshow represents all I could salvage.

Treadman Duathlon at Risk

The Treadman Duathlon has announced cancellation of the event, due to extremely low registrations. They will consider re-opening registration if they hear from potential registrants soon! If you're interested, please contact Bill Nevala at wnevala@yahoo.com or WINMultisports@gmail.com right away.

The event needs to have 100 confirmed registrations by Aug 16th or it will be cancelled altogether. You can follow this link for continued updates on the event. http://www.winmultisportevents.com/treadman_duathlon.html

Kasson & Chatfield Races This Weekend - Bears Den Tonight!

Hey all.. more opportunities to catch a local race this weekend. And of course, we get to catch up with each other tonight at the Bears Den at 7pm!

Chatfield's Western Stampede Days offers a 10K / 2 Mile & 1 mile fun walk/run. You can find more details at http://rochestertrackclub.com/Calendar/Calendar-Detail.aspx?raceID=293

Kasson's Festival Run provides a 10K & 5K. Race details are at http://rochestertrackclub.com/Calendar/Calendar-Detail.aspx?raceID=290

Congrats on a great 11 Miler!

Congrats to those who took part in the Douglas Trail 11 Mile on Saturday. There was a great turnout of Team RED members, and they produced some excellent results! Below you'll see Anne and Renee charging to the finish in the Metro of Douglas! Also racing in Douglas on Saturday were Al, Paul M, Tom W & Tom O'




We're on for the Bears Den at 7pm this Thursday 8/6. Routes will be posted Wednesay... of course, they will vary in distance. See you then!

Check out the slideshow below, and you'll find it was a great run and social last Thursday. Come join us this week!