Monthly Archives: January 2008

Minneapolis: A First Run

A nice easy run is a good introduction to any new city and this was no different.  After spending too many hours in a Penske moving truck, towing a car with my wife driving behind me, it was nice to stretch my legs out Sunday morning.

We arrived on Saturday evening and were able to move our stuff into our new apartment.  We knew coming up that we would be living in an extended stay hotel for a few weeks while the landlords finished doing some remodeling, but we really liked the location and they made it financially worth the wait.  So we’ll be staying in the suburbs until everything is ready to go!

We are spending today relaxing and lounging around the hotel, we’ll hang out with our friends and attend an evening Church service with them.

Running

It was a little chaotic trying to pack everything that we’d need for 3 weeks and at the end we were just throwing stuff into bags and boxes, so I had a little trouble finding some of my accessories for this morning.  When I looked at the temp it was a mild 35, so that is pretty nice for running.  Last week temps here were below freezing with the wind chill.

I had trouble finding my “warm pants,” you know, the thin ones! It turned out ok and I may have been a little underdressed upstairs (I was warming a tech shirt with a t-shirt over it).  The slight wind was a little biting, I also couldn’t find my hat, but my ears didn’t mind too much.  I scoped out the run on Google maps to get an idea of the neighborhood and then relied on my Garmin (I haven’t written about it yet, but soon will) to  actually measure the course.

It turned out that it was fairly hilly, so that was a little surprising. I did a nice easy pace and finished the 3.78 miles in 30:07 which is an 8:04 average.  I haven’t imported the workout so I’m not sure of the elevation gains and losses, but the hills weren’t little molehills!

Snow

There is lots of snow and slush! The roads are pretty much clear but the sidewalks haven’t been plowed to the cement.  I tried to run on one and changed my mind since there wasn’t lots of traffic and the roads were clear! It seems like the primary and secondary roads have been plowed to the surface while other roads and a lot of parking lots have only been plowed to make it passable.

These are just a few of my first impressions!

Loading Up & Moving Out

We are loading up the moving truck tonight and will begin our caravan to Minneapolis where new adventures await.  It has been a crazy last few weeks packing and visiting friends and family. 

We are excited to finally be moving but are sad to be saying our goodbyes. 

If you think about it in the next few days say a prayer for traveling mercies and blessings as we begin to get settled in to life in Minneapolis.

Thanks! Posting will be a little light for the next few days. 

 Yesterday’s Workout

I hit the bike again for 25 minutes, because that was the length of the endurance program I selected.  I was able to complete 7.8 miles in that amount of time.  This program was a long slow uphill battle! I decided to maintain my cadenance or RPM in the 95 area.  I was able to do that!

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Coming Soon to a Theater Near You!

The movie Spirit of the Marathon will be coming to Theaters around the country, but for one night only.  So mark you calendars for January 24, 2008. Fathom Events and Active.com are partnering together to bring the film to local theaters.

Don’t miss your chance to see the Chicago International Film Festival Audience Choice Award winner!

Spirit of the Marathon is the first ever non-fiction feature film to capture the drama and essence of the famed 26.2 mile running event. Filmed on four continents, the production brings together a diverse cast of amateur athletes and marathon luminaries. As six unique stories unfold, each runner prepares for and ultimately faces the challenge of the Chicago Marathon. More than a sports program, Spirit of the Marathon is an inspirational journey of perseverance and personal triumph; a spectacle that will be embraced by runners and non-runners alike.

Two of the celebrities filmed for this movie are Deena Kastor and Daniel Njenga:

The recognized stars are Deena Kastor of California, Olympic bronze medalist and American record holder, and Daniel Njenga of Nyahururu, Kenya, winner of several major marathons and ranked in the world’s top 10.

HT: Run to Win

Yesterday’s Workout

I ventured out into the cold, and I mean cold yesterday for an easy 5 mile run at Mounds State Park in Anderson, IN.  The temps were around 22 with wind chills in the single digits.  I wore lots of clothes, which made some segments pretty warm but was perfect for segments when the wind was blowing straight at you.  It felt good to be out on the snow covered trails, welcoming in the new year with a friend and an entry in the running log.  We ran it in 47:05 not too bad for the conditions and a lot faster than our last 5 miler out there!

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2008 Will Be Great!

Goodbye 2007!!

Hello 2008!!

Happy New Year!

My final 2007 Workout Summary is:

  • Running Mileage – 958.7 Miles for 103 hours 54 minutes and 31 seconds or 4 days, 7 hours!
  • Biking Mileage – 117 Miles for 8 hours 3 minutes and 56 seconds over 18 workouts
  • Swimming Mileage – .5 mile for 3 workouts
  • Elliptical Time – I spent 12 hours and 20 minutes on the elliptical over 29 times
  • Rowing Time – I rowed for a total of 40 minutes over 3 workouts
  • Stair Climber – I used the Stair Climber 2x’s for 15 total minutes.

My 2008 Workout Goals are:

  • 5K – sub 18:00
  • 10K – sub 40:00
  • Half-Marathon – sub 1:30
  • Marathon – 3:10 (Boston Qualifying)
  • I’d also like to increase my swimming and biking mileage.

All my workouts are tracked at Running Ahead. I didn’t start using it until the middle of the year but went and back-filled 2007 data so some of the stuff from earlier in the year may be a little off!

Yesterday’s Workout

I did a nice 30 minutes on the bike to end 2007. I did the endurance program which basically is a long slow uphill for 15 minutes and then a long slow downhill for 15 minutes. The middle couple of minutes really hurt and raise the heartrate. It was a good way to end the year!

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