Weekend wrap

It was a pretty good weekend overall on many fronts for me. I got is a good two days of running and had some great time doing holiday things with Sonya and the family.

Saturday got off to a good start with a nice morning run. I did a good little 5 mile loop from home running some of the parkways and some neighborhoods. I really like running in the neighborhoods around Minneapolis. I guess the reason I like it is because to me they feel real. You know back in the day when not every 3rd house looks the same ? Do not get me wrong I did grow up in a western suburb, and I am very big on running in different places and appreciating them for what they are. I love running a great trail by the river, or running a nice dirt road, or a great city loop. But I like to mix it up. The same thing every day even if it seems great will get old to me in time.

Sunday was a day full of shopping for Sonya, Evan and me. We got to it pretty early, but had a lot of fun. Evan was a trooper that was for sure. We broke the day up wit a great run from my parents house. It was my longest run yet !! A big old 9 miles with my honey. It was so great to get to run with Sonya. With the weather and all we have not had many chances. It is hard to put Evan in the jogger when it is so cold and snowy out.

After the run we hit up a few more places for gifts and such. At the end of the day I felt like we got allot done. That is a great feeling to have. The only sad note of the weekend was Sonya's Steelers loosing !!! Oh well there is always next week huh.

Friday fun run

So far it has been a good week. My goal leading into the week was to run 6-7 days this week. Well after my Friday run I am on track for that.

Wednesdays run was from my parents house once more. Like last week, it was good to get a run in back on a loop at mom and dads. This works good to break things up. As much as I love my loops by the lakes it can get a bit old. When I went out it was very cold out. I was very happy to have my nice and warm Montrail Mountain Hardware team jacket on. I felt pretty good overall. The footing was good and there was some great holiday lights to look at along the way. I belive I ended up with like 5+ miles.

Thursday was a day off for me. I had wanted to run but after a long day doing stuff around the house with Evan I was not feeling up to it by the time Sonya got home from work. What's funny is that I used to love running after work and such at night but now if I do not get out during the day it becomes very hard for me to get out the door ? Go figure.

Friday was a great little fun run. I made it out the door in the morning. I felt great and was very happy that I took the day before off. As I was out there all the kids where getting on their way to school. Something about seeing that always makes me happy ? I belive in the end I got in like 5 miles. Like I said before I felt pretty good overall but my right hamstring was a bit sore toward the end of the run. I do not think it was much.

Great start

After having the weekend off of running with Sonya being gone and all I am ready to roll this week. I told myself I was looking to run at least 6 of the days if not all 7. I believe I am getting to that point. I have been feeling pretty good and am still keeping it slower and having some shorter days as well.

I got off to a great start this week wit a nice run on Monday with Liz after work. I ran to her place from our house and we did a real nice loop. It was great to talk and see what's up with her. I was feeling good and was very happy to get my longest run of like 7 miles that day !!

On Tuesday I ran with Nick after work. We had a great 5 mile loop from his house. What was nice as well was that the pace was pretty good to. Maybe just a bit over 7 min mile pace. It was nice to stretch my legs a bit from my 7:45- 8:00 min pace I have been doing as of late. Plus as a bonus I got to see his pretty little baby girl after the run !!! I love seeing my friends kids. It is also nice to see how much Nick and Cindy love her. They are good friends and are very lucky people.

I am looking forward to the rest of the week and maybe some run's with my friends Patrick and Paul in the mix ? We will see but it is great to be back !!

USATF Ultra running championships

So the list of races that make up the 2008 USATF ultra running championships is out. I think it is great that we have these. Now do not get we wrong, there is MUCH more to be done to make these " championships " more attractive to all the top runners out there. But it is a start and I am happy about that. There will be more on my opinion of the state of Ultrarunning as a sport soon.

2008 MUT Championships

March 2 – USA 50 km Championship
Caumsett State Park 50 km
Huntington, NY
http://www.newyorkultrarunning.org/caumsett_state_park_50k2004.htm

April 12 – USA 100 km Championship
Mad City 100 km
Madison, WI
http://www.madcity100k.com/home.php

June 8 - USA Trail Marathon Championship (pending)
Deadwood-Michelson Trail Marathon
Deadwood, SD
http://www.deadwoodmickelsontrailmarathon.com/

June 21 – USA Mountain Running Championship
Mt. Washington Road Race
Gorham, NH
http://www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com/

June 29 – USA 10 km Trail Championship
Steamboat Springs, CO

July 19 – USA 100 Mile Trail Championship
Tahoe Rim 100 Mile Trail Run
Lake Tahoe, NV
http://www.tahoemtnmilers.org/trt50/

July 26 – USA 50 Mile Trail Championship
White River 50 Mile Trail Run
Crystal Mountain, WA
http://www.seattlerunningcompany.com/WR50/

August 16 – USA 100 km Trail Championship
Where’s Waldo 100 km Trail Run
Waldo Lake, OR
http://www.wpsp.org/ww100k/

October 11 – USA 50 Mile Championship
Tussey Mountainback 50 Miler
Boalsburg, PA
http://www.tusseymountainback.com/

Hanging with Santa

OK so this morning I went with my Mom and the kids to the MN zoo for a little Santa time. It was a real cool thing that the zoo does for it's members. The kids had lot's of fun !!! It was real funny seeing Evan go crazy for Santa up till it was time to sit in his lap.

back in the hood

Ran tonight after work back in the old stomping grounds. At the parents !!! After yesterdays run I figured I would keep it to like 3 miles. Do not want to rush things you know.

I was very happy with how I felt. I was a bit tired and sore but nothing to bad. As excited as I am about running aging, I do need to take it easy and not get to carried away. Time is on my side.

On a side note my wife Sonya is going to Texas this weekend for the Sunmart 50 miler. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing but she has been feeling good since the Fall 50 miler in late Oct. I am excited for her but sad that I will not be there to watch. It was just to much $$ and we have things this weekend with the kids and all. I will let you all know how it goes for her.

Also it was 1 year ago Steve Hibbs and I went to Hawaii for the U2/ Pearl Jam show. Man was it a great show, and having front row was so cool. Now if only we did not have to spend 27 hours in a line in a parking lot to make that happen.

Miles for the day= 3

It's good to have friends

Tonight I got in my first run with people, yea !!! After taking Monday off from running I was looking forward to running with Nick and Sonya. We set it up the day before so I had all day to get excited. What I did not think was going to happen was us getting another 5 inches of snow. Now this made for some mess running at times.

Nick ran from his house up to the store then we ran down to Lake Harriet to meet up with Sonya. The sidewalks we pretty good for the most part, and once we got to the lake it was very good footing. I forgot how much I like running down there.

I felt pretty good overall. At the start I was a bit sorer than I expected but I am sure the deep uneven snow did not help matters. After 10-15 min's I was loose and ready. We did a nice loop around the lake picking up Sonya along the way then back to the store. I was nice to run in the snow. Much better than driving that is for sure.

I had forgotten how great it is to run with people. It was something I missed so much during the lay off. I am very lucky to have such great friends/ wife to run with. I will never take that for granted.

All in all I believe it was like a 5 mile run, which is my longest yet !! Lookout I am back people.

Miles for the day= 5