Join the Polar Bears for a Run at Lake Calhoun this Saturday

Finally! Finally, the weather gets cool enough to actually warrant the name "Polar Bears." Speaking of which, how about some polar bear trivia? Did you know polar bears can run as fast as 40 kilometers per hour—but only for short distances. Younger, leaner bears are the best runners. They can cover two kilometers without stopping. Older, larger bears quickly overheat.

Unlike the real polar bears you're invited to join us to run slightly more than two kilometers; we'll run somewhere between 6 and 12 miles. You don't have to run 40 km per hour either. All paces are invited and you're sure to find someone who'll run with you.

We're meeting Saturday, November 20th, at the Lake Calhoun Executive Center, located at the northeast corner of Lake Calhoun. Start time is 7:30am.

Newbies are always welcome! See you there!

Join the Polar Bears for a Run at Fort Snelling This Weekend!

What up, running peeps?

If you're looking for 6-12+ miles of running action this weekend, you have to look no further than Fort Snelling at 7:30am Saturday, Nov. 13th. We'll be meeting in the parking lot near the intersection of Hwy 55 and Hwy 5. What's a good sign you're in the right place? There will be lots of runners standing around waiting to...run.

All speeds are welcome so join us!

Join the Polar Bears for a Run at Lake Nokomis this Saturday!

Tired of running alone? Looking to run with some new friends? Run with the Polar Bears this Saturday morning, Nov. 6th.

Location: Lake Nokomis Community Center parking lot, 2401 E. Minnehaha Pkwy.

Time: 7:30 a.m.

Distance: 6 -12 miles

All runners are welcome!

Come Run with the Polar Bears!

Just because the fall running season is almost behind us doesn’t mean you need to retire your running shoes for the long, cold, Minnesota winter. Instead, come run the Polar Bears!

The Polar Bears are a group of runners that meet every Saturday morning for, you guessed it, a run. All paces are welcome. Distances typically range from about 6 miles to 14+. Locations change from week to week. Here’s a quick list of why you should join us:

• · What better way to get in a workout than with some new friends?
• · We’ll help you get your long run in from October to February.
• · If you haven’t experienced running with the group dynamic, you should try it. It’s free!
• · You’ll meet some MDRA regulars, who are more than willing to talk about running, racing, sports, politics or…just about anything.
• · It’s a great way to become familiar with the MDRA

So how do you sign up? Simply go to http://groups.google.com/group/mdra-polar-bears and select either “Sign in and apply for membership” if you’re already a Google Group member or select “Apply for Group Membership” if you’re not. You’ll need to become a Google Group member one way or the other, but that’s relatively pain free. When applying for membership be sure to mention a few words about how you heard about Polar Bears. It’ll help us differentiate you from the spammers.

Once you’ve joined you’ll receive an email during the week about where we’re meeting the following Saturday. It’s that easy!

Wanna 5K, or perhaps 10K?

MDRA has partnered with the Twin Cities Marathon to offer a training program aimed at preparing runners to race the TCM 5K or TCM 10K run on the day before the marathon, Saturday, October 2, 2010. If you are new to racing, or you want to improve your time, this is the class for you!

The first class met this past Wednesday, August 11, however, there are still 7 weeks left! The class meets every Wednesday evening in Edina from 6:00 to 7:30 pm (the next class meets at TC Running Co in Eden Prairie). Each class will focus on a different aspect of running and training including injury prevention techniques, proper nutrition, core strength and race strategies!

The cost of the class is $60, which includes a special training program designed for you, USATF-certified coaching, a running singlet AND MDRA membership. MDRA membership entitles you to major discounts at local running stores, the official Run Minnesota MDRA magazine and the always popular training log book (retails for $15). This is an incredible deal!

The four coaches represent the best and most experienced Minnesota has to offer:

Kathryn Benhardus A USATF Certified Level One Coach and competitive masters runner, Kathryn is captain of the MDRA grand masters women’s USATF team circuit team and the grand masters women’s relay team, Do Not Go Gentle. They run ultra relays all over the country and have set age group course records. She has run many local races including 25 marathons, and won her age group in the MDRA Grand Prix for 2007. She coached track at the middle school level and has coached beginning runners for 11 years. Kathryn is currently the secretary of the MDRA board.

Nobby Hashizume Co-founder of the Lydiard Foundation (www.lydiardfoundation.org) to promote the Lydiard method of endurance training. Please check out the website or Google if you’re interested. A former professional running coach for Hitachi, Ltd. in Japan, he is currently coaching several ladies including a 2:50 female runner from Albuquerque, NM, and a couple of young ladies in Chicago via email/phone. He has been involved in running for over 35 years.

Gloria Jansen USATF Certified Level One Coach and a nationally recognized masters runner from White Bear Lake who has been running since 1986. She has completed 49 marathons and participates in many road races of all distances. She started coaching beginning runners in 2000 and has served as MDRA president.

Phyllis Stokke Phyllis is living proof that the MDRA beginning running program works! She started running with us five years ago. Inspired by the camaraderie and love of running that all the runners have found through this program, she keeps coming back. A cancer survivor who lives and works in Eden Prairie, Phyllis focuses on 5K runs.


If you're interested, check out the website for more information! If you would like to sign up, contact Heidi at hmiler (at) hotmail (dot) com. Or you can just show up to the next class which is meeting at TC Running Company in Eden Prairie at 6pm, August 18.

Christopher McDougall, Author of Born to Run, To Visit Gear West

To claim Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run is a popular read among runners would be a serious understatement. McDougall tells a fantastic story about the running secrets of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyon. This story alone is enough to read the book. But, it's one of their secrets has had a huge and dare I say controversial impact on the running community – that, according to McDougall, running with minimalist shoes or barefoot (or in the case of the Tarahumara, in sandals) is the key to enjoyable and injury free longevity. Since then, countless coaches, shoe companies, and runners have weighed in on the topic. So you want to join the discussion?

Here’s your chance.

Gear West and The Bookcase are hosting Christopher McDougall to the Gear West Store in Long Lake on Wednesday, September 15th at 6:30 in the evening. The store is located at 1786 West Wayzata Boulevard. Tickets are only $5.00 and are available at either Gear West or The Bookcase.

Check it out and see what all the fuss is about!

Tuesday Trails: I'll be back in 2 weeks

This week and next week I need to devote my full attention to my other job (the one that pays). I'll be back in 2 weeks with another trail report!