Picking my poison

It was SO cold out today Sonya and I decided to drop Evan off at my parents and go to the YMCA for our run. Part of me was feeling wussy about it all but figured it was only one run. When we first got there we went upstairs to the very small indoor track. It was 18 laps to the mile !!!! After 8 min's Sonya wanted to go to the treadmill. I went with her but after 10 more min's I was going crazy as well. It was time to pick my poison. I took the small track. So after like 60 some more laps I was done. I had hoped to get a few more miles for the day but had to stop. I just have to be free outside I guess. Better luck next time. I ended up with like 40 min's and like 5+ miles for the day.

Frosty Kurt

After taking Thursday off I went out for a easy before Sonya took off for work. When I left the house it was 4' with a windchill of -20' outside. I dressed pretty good for the weather. In some way's I felt to warm. The cold did not feel as bad as I thought till I got down by the lake. Then the wind sucked. On days like this I need to stay in the neighborhoods, or in the woods on a trail. I did not have a ton of time so I kept it to a easy 5 miles. I was trying to run some hills today. I hope to keep doing that over the next few weeks. I need to get stronger and running on the flat parkways by the lakes will not get that done.

On a side not I got the running movie Indulgence the other day. It is documentary on Anton Krupicka. It is pretty good. I think sometime some of the stuff you read make him sound a bit different. The dvd does a good job giving you some in site about him and his views on stuff. I also like the more minimal type shoes. Now not to the same leval is him, but he is onto something. The "extra's" has so real good stuff !!! I would recommend it to trail runners/ runners.

The Cold is comming

I ran tonight after work with Sonya. She was in the area after a work call so we ran from the store. I was feeling good after my dome run last night. It was nice to have that momentum. One thing that sucked was getting from the store down to the lakes and parkway. It was very icy on the sidewalks !!! Once we got to the lakes it was good. We looped both Lake Harriett and Lake Calhoon. We had lot's to talk about so the time just flew by. Sonya was going to add on at the end and by the way I was feeling I wanted to go as well. But I needed to get to my parents to pick up the kids and help Summer with some homework. Either way it was nice to get in a hour with Sonya. I wish we could run more often, but it is just to hard in the winter. I think it ended up being like 8 miles.

Dome sweet Dome

Tonight I ran at the Metrodome. The dome is a good way to be able to run in shorts in the winter time here in Minnesota. It is also a good way to talk with people you have not seen in a long time and sometimes get in a little speed work. I felt very good tonight. I new I had 1 1/2 hours till Sonya was going to show up and we would swap out Evan and she would have the last 1 1/2 hours to run there. It was a real family run outing for us. I bet no one else was swapping their kid at the dome. I ran for most of the run with a friend Mark who also does the 24 hour ultra runs like me. It was great to catch up with him. Like I said before I felt very good. I ended up with like 11 miles I believe. Happy night !!!

Kurt & Nicks hill loop

So this is the link to the hill loop my buddy Nick and I do in the Tangletown are of Minneapolis.

As for me no run today.
www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=188009

Weekend wrap 1/12- 1/13

Saturday I awoke to some light snow !! I for one was excited to see the snow because I feel like the snow we have had so far had made for a softer surface to run on, as well as add some traction on top of the ice. As much as that warm felt good I knew in the end it was going to lead to lot's of ICE !! I had to run after work since I decided that I was wanting to sleep in a bit. One of the things in the winter that sucks is that for both Sonya and I to run in the morning one of us needs to get up so early since we can't use the baby jogger. When I started out I thought I would just go say 5 miles at the most since I was running very long the next morning with Paul. But as I got more into the run I was feeling real good and was enjoying my time out there. I had my ipod rockin in my ears and my body felt good. I even at times did a few pick ups. I also felt real good on the hill climbs. It was one of those nights I could have gone on for a long time but I needed to stay the course and remember I had a big fish to fry the next morning. I ended up with like 57 mins which I am guessing is like 8 miles.

Sunday I met Paul down at the river bottoms in Shakopee to run on the snow trail. We met pretty early at 6:30am so we needed to use our headlamps for the first 30 mins or so. The footing was very good with the resent warm up and cool down, plus the snowmobils had packed it down real good. I had put like 6 crews in each shoe for extra traction. This worked real good !! Paul and I where looking at getting in 2 1/2 hours. I felt real good the first 3/4 of the run but could tell how my body was getting worn out after the 2 hour mark. I think the snow pack played a bit into this but I am also sure that the extra 20 min's more than I had gone before was part of that. In the end I think we got in like 19 miles. All in all a good day.

Trying to run the Hills

I got out this morning for a run with the idea of doing my tangle town hill loop. I was not feeling super good at the start but thought I would just let things unfold slowly. As I got into the hill loop I was feeling OK but not great. The first of many hills on this loop is a good 3/4 mile long, so it hits you hard at the get go of this run. Today was also one of those run's where I was not feeling good in my head as well. I do not know what it was but I just was not feeling it and the tiny voices in my head where beating me down. After two more of the hill climbs along the run I just gave up. It was not to be my day. Sometime I think it is just better to not force it. I was disappointed in myself but did not know what to do. One of the down sides of this great hill loop is that it is very close to home so it is VERY easy on these days to just toss in the towel. Oh well better luck next time I guess. I got a whopping 4 miles in today.