Shane O Buries Tom O

Just a couple more pictures of Shane putting the old man to bed... at least I made him suffer to beat me! By the way.. Shane is wearing a JDRF Roll & Stroll shirt.  It's an event held in May that Wendy and I chair, raising funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  

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The Track...

A few of us went to the Byron track tonight. There was some light rain on and off, and a light breeze... but once you started moving around that track, the temperature was fantastic! Also, stopping by the track but not pictured were Charro and Emily (I'm also not pictured, but believe me, that makes for a better slide show!)

As is the norm at the track, quite a variety of workouts took place. Lots of hard effort.. always feels good! If you're ever interested in learning how a speed workout works, drop me an email at byron.teamred@gmail.com

I know some other Team RED members (Randy & Renee) elected to go inside tonight at the RCTC field house for a track workout as well. I'm not fully sure who was all there, but chances are we'll see some updates at Ramblin' Renee's blog! http://ramblinrenee.blogspot.com/

Track - Quick Note

It's time for Tuesday night track once again... and there are a couple options.

A handful of R.E.D. members are electing to do speed work outdoors tonight. They'll meet at 6pm at the Byron track (located behind the Middle school on 4th Street). And a few members are staying at the RCTC indoor track, starting at 5:30pm. (some will actually start earlier.. they always do!)

More to come on this post later today....

Party & Race

It was a pretty full weekend around the O'Leary household.  Following a long run Saturday morning, that contained several Team RED members taking an early start for extra miles -- Paul M, Tom W. Renee, Charro, Bri, Kris & Randy -- a nap was in order.  Upon waking and doing some serious potato decorating and limerick writing, we completely soaked in KP & Rachel's St Patrick's day bash!  They clearly know how to throw a party!

In the series of pics below, Rachel is getting ready to get her Irish Jig on... KP is awarding Renee her prize for Top Potato... and then, I included a view of the winning limerick, I, personally have no idea who would write something like that!

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Then... On Sunday, we rolled up to St Paul for the St. Patrick's Irish Tradition's 5K. It was two laps around Lake Como... so afterward we were fortunate to spend some time at the Como Zoo & Conservatory. If you've not visited, you should! It's a donation based zoo... visit and enjoy!

We had a great time.. yet personally and unfortunately, Shane beat me by 2 seconds. Every time I tried to pass, he put up a solid surge to battle me back. That dog! On the good side, we got to see Casey.. that was fantastic! She warmed up with us, and then ran the course in the opposite direction to catch us a few times. Along with with our biggest fans, Megan & Wendy, it was great to have another friend on the course.

Great Rainy (foggy) Night!

Just like Eddie Rabbitt, Team R.E.D seems to Love A Rainy Night!



After some minor adjustments to the routes, due to the heavy fog, we got out and put down 4 to 6 miles.  Of course we gathered at the Bears Den to celebrate our efforts.  
What else is new?  Well, we have 4 new members!

Pictured below is Emily... she had to scoot before the festivities inside the Den.

The other 3 new members are... Marilee, Kris & Tim are pictured with me during the ceremonial shirt presentations.

Welcome to Team R.E.D.!

Renee showed up after we returned from our run/walk... and of course, she was carrying quite the variety of cookies!   She also made a few new friends last night, as people throughout the bar have been hearing of these delicious cookies!  Here she is sharing a laugh with Mike. 

Routes are out!

Check the right hand column for Thursday's routes.   I am so looking forward to it already! 

**One Note:   If it's dark when we start due to overcast or rain, 

we will adjust the route to get off the frontage road**

Additionally, I've added a search gadget.  If you try it, I'd be interested to know if you found what you were looking for.   It should let you search this site... and then it includes tabs for "links" and "the web"... I think it's a good tool, but would like feedback if you think you would use it, otherwise, it's simply taking up space... kind of like the salad bar at a pizza buffet! 

Tempo Runs

I've referenced Tempo Runs as part of the track workout a few times lately.   Below I'll try to answer a few of the questions you may have about it.

What is s Tempo Run?  Well, one way to describe a Tempo Run is to say you're running at a hard pace that you can run and sustain over a period of time.  It should not feel comfortable, you should not be able to chit-chat while holding a tempo pace.  

If it's not comfortable, why should I do Tempo Runs?   You will see why in your race results. This workout increases your Lactate Threshold, which in turn will allow you to run with higher speed/intensity, while suffering less muscle fatigue.  

How do I know how fast I should run my Tempo Run? You can calculate your target pace at http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm  
To do so, simply enter a recent race result and distance of the race, then press calculate.   This will produce results that show you many things, with Tempo Run pace as one of them.   
For example, if you've run a 24 minute 5K, McMillan would calculate your Tempo pace to be between 8:07-8:28 per mile

How do I execute the Tempo Run?  If you were to try this on a 5 mile run, you might start with about a 1 mile warm-up.   Then pick up the pace to your tempo pace... maintain that hard steady effort for 3 miles... then slow down for a 1 mile cool-down.   Of course, the first time out you might want to shorten the distance, just to get a feel for it.  

**So, if you have a solid running base beneath you, give it a shot!  If not, build that base first, or you will increase your risk of injury.**

You all rock!

It was another great night at the indoor track.  The track was pretty clear of other distractions until about 6pm when it got busy for a bit.  All manageable, but lots of activity, with people coming and going.

Turnout was solid and workouts were varied... yet just being there with others, creates some extra energy that many of us need from time to time.   I brought my camera with me, and never took a shot, however, I'm willing to wager if you visit Ramblin' Renee at  http://ramblinrenee.blogspot.com/ in the next day or so... you'll find some pics from the track, and from the Runner's Social at Beetles!

Thursday night we'll meet at the Bears Den at 6pm for routes in the range of of 2.5, 4, and 6 miles.   Routes will go up on the blog late Wednesday.   Hope to see you then!

It's Track Night!

If you want to look like Renee (a blur!) in your next race, it's time to head to the indoor track at RCTC.

Tonight people will arrive between 5-5:30 to warm up and roll into some speed work. There will be a mix of Tempo runs and various repeats taking place. If you've never tried speed work, I suggest you come check it out!

Also tonight, you can socialize with area runners starting at 6pm at Beetles on 2nd. Whether or not you hit the track tonight, you're welcome at this social... as there is "No Running Required!

Congrats Renee!

Congratulations to Renee Saxman for an excellent half marathon this weekend! Renee ran the Disney's Princess Half Marathon... she not only ran it, but won her age division! Additionally, her finish time is a Personal Record by a long shot!

The pic below is Renee enjoying the Bears Den.


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Bri Hamann shared a link to a fun looking event. In the pic below Bri is attentively listening to some line of (likely B.S.) from future Team R.E.D. member Tim.



The event she shared is the Warrior Dash and takes place in only a handful of cities across the U.S. Check it out... looks like something right up Team R.E.D.'s alley!

http://www.warriordash.com/index.php

R.E.D. Members hit the RAC

Several Team RED members were spotted at the RAC for the marathon training routes today. I hope I don't miss anyone, but sighted today were, Tom W, Paul M, Randy, Roger, Bri, Lana, John (our newest member!) and myself all taking on various distances. It was a wonderful morning for miles! Unfortunately, not all R.E.D. members are captured on the slideshow below.

It's warmer and we sure seem to have more daylight.... but still be careful! By the time our routes were complete tonight, it was plenty dark, and some of the melt was now re-freezing. Just a little reminder for us all... run carefully!

It was a good crew, and we sort of followed the routes. (the shortest route got a little switcheroo... but all is good!)

Want some group miles on Saturday? Join the runners meeting at the RAC a 7:15am. Half marathoners will run 6-7 miles, while full marathoners will go 13. Come on out! These runs are supported by volunteers to provide water/Gatorade and bananas. They just request you sign a waiver, and bring $1 to help defer the cost of the aid.

A great week!

Here we go... and wow, it's wonderful out there! Melby, Woo and myself sneaked in a little mid morning run today, and the temp is fantastic. I can get accustomed to this.

We'll meet this Thursday at the Bears Den in Byron at 6pm. Routes are posted on the right hand side of the blog. By all appearances, it should be a great evening for a run and/or walk. Looking forward to seeing you Thursday!

If you haven't gotten enough following Thursday's Team R.E.D. run, consider joining the full & half marathon training runs from the RAC on Saturday. Scheduled distances appear to be 13 miles for the full marathoners, and 6-7 for the half marathoners.

Solid Turnout!

Yet again, a solid turnout at the track tonight! I didn't count, as I must admit I was approximately 45 minutes late! Ouch! For many, the workout started with a 2.5 mile tempo run... that's a solid tempo distance... Nice work! Followed by some 800's and 400's.... I wish I could give you more details and some pics, but hey.. did I mention I was 45 minutes late?

Come on out to the Bears Den in Byron this Thursday at 6pm for the team R.E.D. 2, 4 or 6 miler (routes will be posted by Wednesday evening)... it should be a great evening for a run or walk!

Track options!

There are a couple of options for speed work this week. Renee and some others are meeting at the RCTC indoor track tonight (Monday) at 6pm. Another group, including myself, are meeting at the indoor track tomorrow (Tuesday) at 5:30pm.

Thursday at 6pm we'll be back in Byron, gathering at the Bears Den for routes in the range of 2.5, 4 or 6 miles. If the weather man is correct, it should be a great week of melting!

Below is a short motivational clip from one of my favorite episodes of The Office. The Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Rabies Awareness Fun Run For The Cure.

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