MDRA on MPR

MDRA Past President Rick Recker & friends were interviewed by Toni Randolph of Minnesota Public Radio news the other day. The story is about Dome running & the various people it draws on a weekly basis. Check it out.

high resolution

Some New Years Resolution ideas I'm knocking around:

1) Actually doing hill repeats instead of just thinking about doing hill repeats.
2) Not talking, at length, about electrolytes or malodextrin with my wife, lest I put her to sleep.
3) Taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator.
4) Stretching my hip flexors more than once a month.
5) Saying the word "speedwork" without wincing.
6) Saying the word "fartlek" without giggling.
7) Not purchasing sports gadgetry made of carbon fiber if a suitable aluminum alternative can be found.
8) Making timely updates to the MDRA website.
9) Starting a metal band called "Bring Out the Gimp".
10) Arriving at Polar Bear runs more than 30 seconds before the group departs.

x-mas break racing

I've got a serious racing schedule lined up for the next four days. I'm gonna be racing to the bottom of bottles of Summit Winter. I should do well, as I've been training hard for the last month or so.

Happy Holidays, kids.

seriously, wow.

Metal band Manowar performs Nessun Dorma.


And the rock was brought.

I need these guys to follow me around during races on a flat bed truck & blast this out at high volume. I'd never bonk again.

At daybreak, I shall win!

Chin-cicle

Check this cat out


The man in the mask is Kyle Economy, a Sophomore at Chaska High School. His dad, Rob, snapped the shot after Kyle ran 11 miles on a 5 degree day.

I hope he stuck the mask in the freezer after his run. You gotta preserve something that cool.

funky christmas

Tis the season


How 4 white New Englanders took the world by storm with Funky Funky Christmas is beyond me.

And whatever happened to Arsenio Hall?

dang

A local legend died this week.

According to the Strib, Bill Andberg's philosophy was to "live long but die fast." Good advice.

Monomelic amyotrophy-tastic!!!

Run Blog runners, I need your assistance.

I was recently diagnosed with a lovely little condition called monomelic amyotrophy. It's basically like ALS of my left arm. You can find all the particulars on Wiki.

I learned from my wife's friend's husband (who is an MD, Neurologist & PHD) that fewer than 200,000 Americans have this. That puts the total number of cases in Minnesota at around 1,500 if my arithmetic is correct. The odds of getting this around 1 in 10,000,000. I'm one in ten million! Woot!

Long story short; there is like, zero info online about how to deal with this. If you know a physical therapist who has heard of this mamma-jamma, send 'em my way. If'n you have this condition too, I want to hear from you. We'll start a band. We'll be called "Bring Out the Gimp" or possibly "D-Squad" (the D is for disabled) and we'll play either punk or metal. It's going to rock. I'm already working on album cover art.

Aside from now-tricky activities like opening jars, tying shoes & buttoning shirts - I plan to keep as active as I have been for the previous 29 years. So, I'm welcoming all suggestions for affixing my hand to bike handlebars (road, tri and mountain) ski poles (classic & skate), and maintaining my swim technique. I'm guessing there will be lots of velcro & rubber bands in my sporting future.

The good news is that my running remains unaffected...as long as aid stations in longer events are always on the right side of the street. I'm grabbing nothing left handed. Oh, and as long as my shoes don't come untied during a race.

hoist the main sail

I decided ro run over lunch today. How bad could a 25mph wind with 35 mph gusts be?

Turns out it can be awful. Really awful. Like, insanely awful. There's tiny little ice crystals blowing around as well. I'm the mayor of Windburn City this afternoon.

I can't wait for my skin to grow back.

missing post

There was a post here about some minneapolis public officials and a decision they made.

It's gone now.

More on that later...

every time a bell rings, and angel gets new socks

Need new running socks? Why not try Holeproof, the brand endorsed by Jimmy Stewart himself!



I don't know what's creepier, the style of those socks, or Stewart's massive head floating in space. Freaky.

more on beards

News on the downside of beards, courtesy of Nathan:

1) Gets icey during runs
2) Look like a child molester
3) Significant other won't kiss you

It's true, my wife threatened to not kiss me if I grow a beard. Which is a bummer, 'cause kissing her is totally bitchin'.

Winter officially starts on Friday. Looks like it will be warmer by then. And there was much rejoicing.

I need a beard

I've never been a fan of facial hair... then I went to the Polar Bear run yesterday morning. Yowza. A beard would have been awesome. Not a ZZ Top beard, mind you. More like Al from the show Home Improvement. Just thick enough to insulate my face against -5 temps. That would have ruled.

In other arctic news, a runner commented that Brooks brand wind block underwear didn't quite cover everything that needed covering. Make a note of that.

screw shoes

Yesterday I found myself recommending (like I do every year) that a coworker screw some hex-cap quarter inch sheet metal screws in to her shoes for traction in snow & ice. Luckily, I don't need to explain it in detail, because someone beat me to it. Sweet.

This guy uses a power drill to insert the screws, which I find a little freaky. I'm a fan of using pliers. Either way, the screws will keep you on your feet instead of on your ass. Which is nice.

run today, just wear ski goggles

I banged out 6 miles over lunch in the time it usually takes to do 8. Not the best footing out there. Wear trail shoes if you have them. The poor footing wasn't helped by my lack of vision. Ski goggles would have been a great antidote to the blowing snow. I don't know how much of a pelting by those tiny snow flakes it takes to scratch your cornea, but I'm sure I came perilously close.

Could be worse, though. Runners on Superior's North shore are likely traveling by snowshoe today. Or dog sled.