New week a few more runs

Not much to report this week. I got in a few nice run and felt pretty good overall. With the holiday and all it was a little more crazy than normal let just say.

I did get to run with a few good friends. Patrick "PR" Russell and I got in a short run. I met his part of the way during his run. It was great to see him and check in. I guess they have like 70 inches of snow up in the UP of Michigan already !! I only wish I was able to go longer so I had more time to talk. I guess next time. Maybe if all goes well I might head up to see him and get in some great snowshoe running.

I also got in a nice run with Paul down on the river bottoms. The trail was in pretty good shape and the screws in the shoes worked great. It was Paul's first run in some time as his foot get better. We had some post run coffee so that was nice as well. We figured hell normally we run 2+ hours every Sunday so we get that time even if we just run 4+ miles.

During coffee we talked about doing more weights and cross training this year. We that in mind I hope to start in on Monday with some of this.

Also got a Leadville 100 trail run entry in the mail yesterday. Is that a sign ? We will see.

A Start I Guess

SO I got out this morning for my first run. Man nothing like starting out once more when it is -8 and -28 windchill outside !!! I will have to say it was nice to be out there once more. Kind of like a supper nice Christmas present to myself. I did find it funny that It might have taken me longer to get all dressed as such than my run. I just ran the 1 mile down to the lake and back. I figured it was a good run to do since that is where I did my first run post surgery last year as well. It took me just over 15 mins to get in my 2 miles. Heck I felt like I was moving super slow and easy and still ended up at like 7:30 pace or so. I guess I might not have lost as much as I thought ? I think I will see for real when I try to go for a longer run. Day 1 down people !!!

Great girls xc race

So last weekend was the Foot Locker H.S. cross country champs. I love this race and look forward to it each year. It has been fun to see people like Ryan Hall, and Deena Kastor run this as a high school runner. This years girls race was great !!! Check it out.

It's a green light !!

Today I went to see the doctor for my first check up after surgery. It will be 2 weeks tomorrow since I went under the knife. I have been feeling pretty good each day. I am still pretty sore where I got cut but I am told that is normal. I guess I kind of remember feeling sore like this last year as well. I was thinking Saturday would be the first run of the comeback. Maybe a big old mile or two !!! But in true Kurt fashion I had something go wrong and ended up getting in a big 1/2 mile tonight in my jeans.

While picking up Evan at daycare which is like 1/4 mile from home Summer was sleeping in the car. I left it running so she would stay warm and then lock the doors to keep her safe while I got Evan inside with the idea of knocking on the window to have her let us in. Well one problem she was sound asleep with her ipod playing music in her ears. I knocked so many time on the window real hard I was thinking I was going to break the window. Sound sleeper huh.

So it was then I picked up Evan and ran with him in my arms to the house. At this point I left him with Sonya and ran back to the car with a spare key. When I opened the door Summer woke up !!! Man what a night. It was fun to feel like a runner even if it was only like a 1/2 mile or so.

Kurts Top albums of 2008

So since I have so much extra time on my hands I thought it was time to put together my top picks for 2008 in no particular order.

Blitzen Trapper- Furr
Kings of Leon- Only by the Night
The Hold Steady- Stay Positive
Ryan Adams- Cardinology
Mike Doughty- Golden Delicious
The Raconteurs- Consolers of the Lonley
Old 97's- Blame it on Gravity
R.E.M- Accelerate
Dead Confederate- Wrecking Ball
Mason Jennings- In the Ever
Metallica- Death Magnetic
Bloc Party- Intimacy

ok this is funny

So I really like watching SNL. I think the group they have going now is real good together. One thing I do when I do not get to watch it is go to there web page and watch there skit's online. Now I found this one very funny. Glad I miss it as I am sure my stitches would have come out after my surgery.



It is up there with this one...

To do or not to do ?

So one of the things I have been thinking about as of late is the great question of do I go back to Leadville 100 in 2009 or choose a different one and go back some other year. This is my dilemma.

One one hand I really would like to go back and try to rock this course out and in my mind get a little pay back. It is a great part of the country so that is a plus. The course is very pretty so that is cool. There is great history as far as the race goes.

One the other hand I do kind of feel that a race like the Leadville 100 for someone like me being from MN in a no win situation. You can train so hard and be in great shape and simple get out there and not perform at your best because of the great elevation difference of where I am from. I have read many posts on the web from other runners thinking the same thing as well. Maybe that is one reason when looking at the results each year like 80% of the top 100 or so are from Colorado. That is a tuff one to swallow knowing that you will most likely be beat to the finish by many people who are not as good of runner as you. So one thought is hell just wait and go back when all you care about is a finish and not racing to the fastest time possible.

So I know that I will do Leadville but the question is do it now or in the future ? I really feel torn. So let me know what you would do. Vote on the new poll I set up on the side bar and tell me what you think.

Alive and kind of kickin

Well I made it !! I know it had only been a year since last years surgery but man I forgot how much it can hurt in your mid-section. I am sure the good 4 inch incision has something to do with that. Plus get this I ended up having double hernia surgery. While in there to fix my left side sports hernia the good doctor found a normal hernia up inside me as well. So I got twice as much mesh as I thought I would get !! Better now that later. I am hoping to be done with all this hernia surgery stuff.

All in all I have been doing good with the help of my great wife Sonya, the world best nurse and some good post surgery drugs. I have been laying low, sleeping and watching many movies as I rest up. I am pretty sick of watching T.V. for now. In fact I have been spending my time thinking about how to attack next years running season. Nothing like having the thing you love taken away to spur you on to wanting to get after it in full force. Plus with this great snow falling each day it makes me want to get out there so bad. I love running in the fresh snow.

Well I just wanted to check in and say hi and tell you all to enjoy your running !! I hope to be at it soon.

Minnesota Music- Soul Asylum & Trip Shakespeare

Since I am not sure if I will be able to blog much for the next week or so and I am having so much fun going down memory lane and looking up some of my favorite local bands of the past. I for one will say the music scene in this state is great. I could go on forever about all the greats past and present like the Suburbs, Prince, Gear Daddies, Low, Arcwelder, Tapes and Tapes, Mason Jennings and on and on.

But for today I would like to talk about two great's that I for one had so much fun going to see them play live time after time during high school and the years after. I would have to guess between these two band I have seen them like 50+ times for sure. Heck I can think of one week back in 1989 that I saw Soul Asylum 3 times !!

Soul Asylum was a great live band that played hard every night out. To me they where like the next go around of bands like the Replacements and Husker Du. For most people they think of songs like Runaway Train, but for me I loved all the stuff before that time the most. Albums like Made to be Broken and Out of Time are classics. These guys are still playing around some which is cool. It has been years but I hope to see them once more in the future.



Trip Shakespeare was a fun kind of quirky band. I loved seeing these guys because they where so funny. Matt Wilson made me crack up all the time. After there first album Matt's brother Dan joined the band. Some know of Dan from the band Semesonic or his writing of songs with the Dixie Chicks. Dan is a great song writer as well but I always like Matt better during these years.

Last Call

Well this morning I got in my final run pre surgery. While I was a sad to knowing I could not run for a few weeks now I was reminded that this is a good thing as I ran every step of that run with this nice pain in my gut. Plus not to mention it was like 6 degrees outside windchill wise. I guess I will just have to wait to run in this " fun " weather a little while longer. I ended up with a good 5 mile run and a big 15 miles for the week on three runs. Thanks to Nick for meeting me for part of this run. It is always nice to get out and head to the lake knowing Nick will meet me just a few miles into the run. Got to love running with friends. Take care and see you all soon.

Minnesota music- The Jayhawks

This week I wanted to share some video's of the great Jayhawks. Man these guys are good. While I like the rockin type of music alot I am a sucked for some great Singer/songwriter type of stuff as well. Now to me I would say there was two different times with the Jayhawks. The first being with singer Mark Olson in the band trading lines with Gary and the years after Mark left the band and Gary did all the singing. Both great but in some way different. I think with Mark the band had a more country type feel to it at times. I saw these guys many times over the years and every time I loved them. A few years ago for New Years Eve Sonya and I saw them at the 400 club play a great " suprize " show. I have even heard that they might all get back togeather soon ? I hope so. I would also suggest looking into there solo records as well.

First with Mark


Now the years after with Gary leading