It seems crazy to me that I ran 1,000 miles this year – that’s like running from Minneapolis to Bozeman, Montana. I’ve never tracked mileage for a whole year before now, though, so we’ll see what happens in 2010…

A friend of mine recently asked for a comprehensive listing of Minnesota races this summer and none of the sites I usually look at had everything in one spot. So here is a list of races I’m thinking about for next year, along with links:

Get in Gear 10K (or half) – April 24, 2010
http://www.getingear10k.com/

Stillwater Marathon/Half – May 30, 2010
http://www.stillwatermarathon.com/

Rochester Med-City Marathon/Half – May 30, 2010
http://www.medcitymarathon.com/

Heart of the City Half – June 5, 2010
http://www.safehavenmn.org/marathon.html

Minneapolis Marathon/Half – June 6, 2010
http://www.teamortho.us/Minneapolis_Marathon

Grandma’s Marathon/Half – June 19, 2010
http://www.grandmasmarathon.com/

Red, White and Boom TC Half – July 4, 2010
http://www.mtcmarathon.org/HalfMarathon/

Twin Cities Marathon/10 Mile – October 3, 2010
http://www.mtcmarathon.org/Marathon/

Monster Half – October 30, 2010
http://www.teamortho.us/Monster_Dash

I always do Get in Gear and the Heart of the City and will likely sign up for the new Fourth of July half (which opens for registration in a few days). I’ll probably pick one spring marathon (either Grandma’s or Minneapolis) and then run TCM with my brother. I was hoping to do one more winter marathon this year, but it doesn’t look like that will work out.

I was a little worried about the weather for this year’s Monster Dash half marathon in Minneapolis – it was near blizzard conditions the night before – but it turned out to be a decent day for a race. Temperatures were in the upper 30s at the start, with winds in the 14-17 mph range. The sun made an appearance and a lot of the course was sheltered from the wind.

The half marathon course was changed for 2009, starting on the north side of Lake Harriet and running the Lake Calhoun loop first, before following the west side of Harriet and the six or so miles out and back along Minnehaha Creek. The last mile was on the east side of Harriet, finishing right where we started.

Team Ortho provided pacers that were spread out at many intervals and I decided to sit between the 1:40 (7:38 pace) and 1:45 (8:01) runners, hoping to keep up with the 1:40 group. I ended up passing the 1:40 pacer after a few miles and stayed in front of him the whole race. He caught up to me at mile 12, but I had a little energy left and finished with a new PR time of 1:39:15 (7:35 pace).

Here are my splits:

• 7:45
• 7:33
• 7:29
• 7:29
• 7:24
• 7:41
• 7:42
• 7:13
• 7:31
• 8:08
• 7:23
• 7:38
• 7:27

There were 2,644 finishers (1,536 women, 1,108 men) and the average time was 2:06:29. The race won by Joseph Radosevich in 1:14:15 (5:41). The women’s champion was Nancy Buselmeier, who finished in 1:27:28 (6:41).

I actually placed 178th overall (17th in my division) and qualified for corral 1 at next year’s TCM. This was also my first half marathon run at a Boston Qualifying pace, so I’m trying to decide what to do next to meet that goal.

The confirmation cards arrived in the mail today for the 2009 Monster Dash events in Minneapolis. This year the races will actually be on Halloween morning – the half marathon I’m running starts at 8:30AM, followed by the 5K that Colleen and the kids are doing at 10:30AM. The plan is for me to finish in under two hours and join them for the 5K.

The field for the half and the 10 mile race is full, so parking will be interesting. The forecast looks good, though. More later…

Here’s what the 2009 editions of the Twin Cities Marathon finisher’s shirt and medal look like. I’ve added the medal to the background image here on the 7 Minute Miles home page (and also on my Twitter page).

Today was the big day – the 28th running of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. This was my sixth TCM (fourteenth total) and today I was running with my friend and neighbor Gina in her first ever marathon.

The weather was perfect (low 40s at the start, overcast skies and light wind) and the race went really well. Gina’s goal was 4:30 and we were on that pace until the last few miles, finishing in 4:36:19 (10:33 pace). I’m very proud of her – she went from her first 8K race last summer to a half marathon this spring to a full marathon today. Impressive!

There were 8,428 finishers today (3,539 women and 4,889 men), with an average time of 4:20:39. Jason Hartmann of Grand Rapids, Michigan, won the men’s title in 2:12:09 (5:03 pace), while Ilsa Paulson of New York won the women’s title in 2:31:49 (5:48 pace).

I’ll be back next year too – my brother will be visiting from Florida to run with me…

7MM 2009 Twin Cities Marathon Photo Gallery

UPDATE:
Link to KARE 11 finish line video (we cross around 30:50)

Today we got everyone out of the house for the Twin Cities Marathon Family Day events at the state capitol grounds. The weather wasn’t great (cold and rainy), but more than 5,000 other brave souls turned out for the 10K (new this year), 5K, Diana Pierce Family Mile, Half Mile, Toddler Trot and Diaper Dash.

Colleen walked the 5K with a group from Allina and finished in 59:02 (19:00 pace). The 5K was won by Mathew Chesang in 15:30 (5:00), while Meghan Armstrong took the women’s 5K title with a time of 16:45 (5:24). There were 1,989 finishers (850 men and 1,139 women), with an average time of 35:04.

Here are a few other results from people we knew in the 5K:

• Chris Hlusak, 20:45 (6:41)
• Trevor Huinker, 30:00 (9:40)
• Rebecca Schutz, 34:57 (11:15)
• Sarah Hlusak, 57:51 (18:37)

The inaugural 10K was won by Evgeny Beletskiy in 33:49 (5:27). Ariella Gottfried was the first women to cross the finish line with a time of 36:32 (5:53). There were 1,215 finishers (458 men and 757 women) and the average time was 59:50.

We also had a few friends in the 10K:

• Jake Schutz, 53:15 (8:35)
• Amy Schmidt, 1:07:09 (10:49)

Our kids both decided to run in the one mile race this year and we all had the opportunity to meet Diana Pierce before the race. Deerwood had a smaller crowd this year, but it was great to see everyone.

I stopped in at the expo two more times today – once to get an event poster signed by the artist and later in the day with my neighbor Gina (who will be running her first marathon with me tomorrow). It’s amazing how much free junk you get at those things – even more when you bring kids along.

Pictures from today have been uploaded to Facebook and the private section of the 7MM photo gallery – email me if you need access to either.

Pasta dinner tonight, then off to the Metrodome (er, “Mall of America Park”) in the morning for the 28th running of the Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America…

Tonight I stopped in at the TCM Expo in downtown St. Paul to pick up Colleen’s 5K bag and my marathon stuff. The family races are Saturday (the 5K is at 9AM and both kids are running the one mile race at 10AM), while the marathon starts Sunday at 8AM.

I was so sad to see the “M 40-44″ tag in my packet – I guess that makes me a masters runner now. Sigh.

More TCM news coming soon…

The participant guides for the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon are now being mailed. If you’d like to take an early look, you can download the 44-page, 15.6MB file here.

This will be my sixth TCM and fourteenth overall marathon. I’ll be running with my friend and training partner Gina, who is competing in her first 26.2-mile adventure. She says she plans to burn her shoes after the race, but I think she’ll like it.

After the last few hot races in Duluth and the rain here last year, my fingers are crossed for decent weather on October 4th.

Only 19 days to go!

Today, Colleen, Gina and I ran our first ever James Page Blubber Run 5K Run, Walk or Whatever race in Minneapolis. This event has been going on for a long time (18 years!), but I’ve never made it there until this year.

What a great deal – $35 gets you a T-shirt, two drink tickets (James Page root beer or craft beers), lunch, finishers medal and post-race snacks (apples, bananas, chips and salted nut rolls). They also have prizes for people running in costume and for the fastest runner.

Some of the costumes were really creative. I especially liked the baby running on the grandma (who might have also been the fastest), the patient in the bed (with multiple doctors), the Mario Brothers family and the shark with the legs sticking out of its mouth.

I was running this race to set a new 5K PR and I have to say, this was different from any other race I’ve done. Most of the people were there for the beer, so I ran with a small lead group that was running for time. I’ve never been with a lead group before, so that was weird. I finished in 23:12 (7:30 pace) all by myself and was maybe in the top 15.

After I finished, I walked back to the on-course beer garden near mile two and met up with Colleen and Gina. We all walked to the finish, had lunch, then headed home. Fun times…

My daughter and I ran our third straight Minnesota State Fair Milk Run 5K last Sunday under blue skies and perfect temps. Our unofficial “chip time” was 34:34 (according to my watch), but the official time was 35:24 (11:23 pace).

The 25th edition of the Milk Run had 1,327 total finishers (569 male, 758 female).

Here are the top three male finishers:

• 1, Daniel Murray, 22, Blue Earth, MN, 16:17 (5:14 pace)
• 2, Travis Hoover, 27, St. Cloud, MN, 16:27 (5:18)
• 3, Thomas Tisell, 42, St Paul, MN, 16:30 (5:18)

And the top three female finishers:

• 1, Kim Magee, 26, Bloomington, MN, 17:37 (5:40)
• 2, Amy Lyons, 24, Mounds View, MN, 17:52 (5:45)
• 3, Laura Roach, 21, Lakeville, MN, 18:14 (5:52)

7MM 2009 Milk Run Photo Gallery

My fifth Grandma’s Marathon turned into quite a scorcher towards the end. I found out later that the medical director actually came close to calling off the race, but I didn’t think it was that bad.

I had stayed overnight Friday in Grand Marais and got dropped off in Two Harbors early Saturday morning. The temperature when I left Grand Marais was 45, but by the time we got to the start, it was 67 and humid. The sun stayed out for most of the morning and there was very little breeze. I think the bank sign said 84 when I reached downtown.

Personally, my race went OK and I felt fine the whole day. I tried to stay with the four hour pacer, but she slowly faded into the horizon around the 11 mile mark. My final result was a 4:21, which I was perfectly fine with, given the conditions.

Here are the top three finishers in the main race:

2009 Grandma’s Marathon – Men

• 1, Christopher Raabe, 30, Washington, DC, 2:15:13 (5:10 pace)
• 2, Charles Kanyao, 33, Nairobi, Kenya, 2:18:36 (5:18)
• 3, David Tuwei, 30, Coon Rapids, MN, 2:19:49 (5:20)

2009 Grandma’s Marathon – Women

• 1, Mary Akor, 32, Lomita, CA, 2:36:52 (5:59)
• 2, Alina Ivanova, 40, Albufeira, Portugal, 2:36:58 (6:00)
• 3, Robyn Friedman, 36, Lambs Grove, IA, 2:38:03 (6:02)

Registration for the 2010 marathon, which will be held Saturday, June 19, 2010, is already open. Get $10 off the regular $85 fee if you sign up before September 7.

My running log at Runnersworld.com says that I’ve gone over 1,000 miles, most of which were probably on my old pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 10s that I bought last year. I’ve had some shin pain in my right leg since Grandma’s Marathon, so I did some research and decided that a new pair of shoes would be cheaper than going to the doctor, so I’m trying out this theory first.

The Wave Rider line was first recommended to me as a stable, light-weight shoe. I’ve really liked the old pair, but the 12s are now the current version. I picked them up at the new Run-N-Fun store in Burnsville, using a 25% off retail coupon I got from one of my recent races.

The new store is much roomier than the one in St. Paul, which I’ve shopped at for years. The staff has always been very knowledgeable and friendly and we had an especially good experience there with the kids last time I stopped in. Little things like that make me want to come back and spend more money.

Continuing the trend of races that happened long ago, here is a post about the 2009 Heart of the City Half Marathon, which took place May 30, 2009, in Burnsville.

This was the sixth running of this race and I’ve been able to participate in all six. This year I was joined by my neighbor, who was running her first half marathon. The weather was very nice and we finished in 2:10.

Other than the first year fiasco of having the last mile go back up the hill (and running out of water), the Heart of the City has matured into a well organized race. The field is still relatively small compared to other half marathons, but the addition this year of the new Burnsville Performing Arts Center as registration headquarters might help improve race numbers in the future. Too bad the people working on race morning wouldn’t let people use the nice new bathrooms…

Here are the top three finishers this year:

2009 Heart of the City Half Marathon – Men

• 1, Josh Schoen, 28, Northfield, MN, 1:10:48 (5:24 pace)
• 2, David Thompson, 31, St. Paul, MN, 1:12:22 (5:31)
• 3, Scott Roby, 26, Minneapolis, MN, 1:15:49 (5:47)

2009 Heart of the City Half Marathon – Women

• 1, Michelle Lilienthal, 27, Minneapolis, MN, 1:20:23 (6:08)
• 2, Laura Roach, 21, Lakeville, MN, 1:25:19 (6:30)
• 3, Angie Voight, 32, Minneapolis, MN, 1:26:21 (6:35)

All proceeds from this event go to Safe Haven to help homeless youth.

Decided that it’s better late than never, so here is a post about the inaugural Stillwater Marathon, 20-Mile, Half Marathon and 12K that was held on May 24, 2009. The next edition will be held on Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 7AM.

My friends from Texas visited to run the half with me and they were a little upset with the hills (although they were fine with the weather, which was much drier and cooler than Houston).

All races started just south of downtown Stillwater on highway 95. The various distances broke off at different points, but the half marathon course went south about five miles before turning west, then north and back into town. There were large hills at the southern most point of the course and when we crossed over highway 36, but they weren’t too bad. I heard the biggest hill was on the second half of the full marathon course, which also looped north of town.

The half and the full had two different finish lines: the full marathon finished in Lowell Park, which is right next to the river downtown, while our race finished on the top of the hill overlooking downtown (Pioneer Park). We had to walk down the hill to get to the busses that took us back to Stillwater High School, but that wasn’t a big deal.

Speaking of the busses, there was no parking allowed in downtown Stillwater, so you had to ride a bus from one of the designated parking areas located off of highway 36. I thought this would be a pain, but this part of the inaugural year was well planned and operated very smoothly. In fact, the only things that didn’t really go well were the start of the expo (people just weren’t ready) and the actual start of the races (people didn’t know where to go and it started late).

Our group of three ran together and had a good run (2:25). This was the first half for my two friends and aside from the “last mile was worse than childbirth” comment, I think they enjoyed it. Future races are already being planned by both, so I think it was an overall positive experience.

Here are the top three runners for this year’s full and half:

2009 Stillwater Marathon – Men

• 1, Pete Hoyem, 28, Stillwater, MN, 2:50:32 (6:31 pace)
• 2, Steve Kalina, 28, Andover, MN, 2:51:46 (6:34)
• 3, Collin Anderson, 21, Mahtomedi, MN, 2:53:00 (6:36)

2009 Stillwater Marathon – Women

• 1, Jessica Mike, 26, Minneapolis, MN, 3:09:06 (7:13)
• 2, Kristi Trussell, 25, St. Paul, MN, 3:22:39 (7:44)
• 3, April Cole, 24, Roberts, WI, 3:23:04 (7:45)

2009 Stillwater Marathon Stats:

• Number of Finishers – 461
• Number of Females – 142
• Number of Males – 318
• Average Time – 4:14:30

2009 Stillwater Half Marathon – Men

• 1, Andrew Boldt, 23, Stillwater, MN, 1:13:06 (5:35)
• 2, Bart Johnson, 23, Minneapolis, MN, 1:14:04 (5:40)
• 3, Daniel Carlson, 47, White Bear Lake, MN, 1:14:38 (5:42)

2009 Stillwater Half Marathon – Women

• 1, Susanna Emond, 25, Minneapolis, MN, 1:23:47 (6:24)
• 2, Terri Emond, 25, Madison, WI, 1:27:44 (6:42)
• 3, Katie Morrissey, 23, Fridley, MN, 1:28:32 (6:46)

2009 Stillwater Half Marathon Stats:

• Number of Finishers – 898
• Number of Females – 534
• Number of Males – 364
• Average Time – 2:06:44

May was the month of the half marathon for me. Two of my friends wanted to run the distance for the first time this year, so I decided to play the part of trainer and attempt to get both to the finish line safely.

First up was my high school friend Bonnie and her husband Eric, who now live in Houston and made the trip back to Minnesota for the Inaugural Stillwater Half Marathon. Colleen and I had a great pre-race pasta dinner with them at Ristorante Luci in St. Paul, followed by a post-race celebration at the Champps north of downtown St. Paul. Several people from high school showed up at the latter event, which was great. So fun to catch up with people I hadn’t seen in years.

As for the race, the weather was perfect and the course was hillier than I expected. It started near downtown and ran south on 95 for about 5 miles. The end of that stretch had a big hill, which was followed by another big hill as we crossed over highway 36. It’s always hard to know what to expect when you’ve never run a course before, but I thought this one was pretty good overall. We finished together in 2:25 at a nice little park that had a great view of downtown Stillwater. Congrats to Bonnie and Eric and thanks for everything!

The following weekend marked the end of a compressed five week training plan I crafted for my friend and neighbor, Gina. Her race was Burnsville’s Heart of the City Half Marathon, which runs along the Minnesota River Valley. Gina just started running last year and had only one race in the books – the Grand Old Day 8K. Her very aggressive goal was to jump right to the 13.1 mile distance and run a 2:15, followed by the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon in 4:30.

Race day also brought great weather, although the sun made it feel a little warm towards the end. We started off pretty fast, running the first six or seven miles all under a ten minute pace. By mile ten, Gina said she couldn’t finish in 2:25, but I still had her on pace for a 2:14. She declined an offer to walk with half a mile left and crossed the finish line in 2:10:37. So proud of her – I think she’s a natural…

So everyone is safe and sound and training continues. I’m signed up for Grandma’s later this month, then Twin Cities in October with Gina (if I can keep up with her). May was a new mileage high for me (134.3 miles) and I’ve never felt better or more fit in my entire life. I’m even getting close to Things To Do Before I Die #2 – Hit the scales at my high school weight. Amazing.

More than a thousand kids are expected for Saturday’s third annual TC Kids Marathon Cross Country Event, to be held at Como Park in St. Paul.

The event consists of a mile and half mile run which starts at 9:45AM and a new two mile run at 10:20AM. Both events are open to all children from pre-school through high school and their parents. All participants receive a T-shirt and medal, followed by a picnic lunch.

Online registration is $10 and closes today. Race day registration will begin at 8:15AM at the course and is $15.

Off site parking will be available at Como Park High School (740 West Rose Ave), with shuttle busses running every 15 minutes beginning at 8:30AM.

As the email I received today reminded me, it’s less than a month to the inaugural Stillwater Marathon, 20 Mile, Half Marathon and 12K. I will be running the half with a friend from Texas and I’m anxious to see what race organizers have planned for the first year.

Two notes from the email:

• A 5-7 mile training run is planned for Tuesday, May 12 at 5:15PM. The run is open to runners of all abilities and there is no fee or membership required to participate. The note wasn’t exactly clear, but I believe the run will start and end at Anytime Fitness Stillwater.
• Parking on race day will be tricky, so make sure to read the information in the race packets. Runners will be directed to remote parking lots and bussed to the start, so allow plenty of time to get where you need to be.

Packet pick-up will be open on Friday from 4-8PM and on Saturday from 10AM-8PM at the Stillwater Area High School. All races start at 7AM on Sunday morning.

Race organizer Diane Tran contacting me about a race coming up at the end of the month:

Join Smoke-Free Dakota for the World No Tobacco Day 5K Run on Sunday, May 31, 2009! The run will benefit low-income children with persistent asthma to attend Camp SuperKids 2009, a weeklong summer camp sponsored by the American Lung Association in Minnesota. The USATF-certified 5K course will start at the eastern end (in Lilydale) of the Big Rivers Regional Trail, a nearly flat paved trail built on an abandoned railroad bed overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. Please spread the word to your friends, family and colleagues and don’t forget to register yourself!

For more information, call 651-789-0036 or visit their web site.

This was one of the fliers in the Get in Gear bag: the 7th Annual Time to Fly 10K run, 5K run, 5K walk and 1K kids’ fun run, to be held Saturday, June 27 at Harriet Island in St. Paul. Proceeds benefit the Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

For more information, call 952-224-8497 or visit ccrftimetofly.com.

The forecasters were off a bit, so this year’s Get in Gear events actually had very nice weather: low 40s, partly cloudy, not much wind and no rain or snow. The announcer said there were 4,000 people for the 10K run, 1,500 for the 5K and a full field of 1,000 for the inaugural half marathon. Women made up 57% of all entrants.

My race was very enjoyable, as I broke my personal best in the 10K by almost six minutes (official time of 49:02 – 7:54 pace). I started near the front of the pack, which helped push me to a quick 7:24 first mile. My watch says the other splits were: 7:47, 8:11, 8:14, 8:06 and 7:53. I sprinted the last two-tenths so I could get under 50 minutes and felt great afterwards. I came in 636th out of 3,419 finishers (57/221 in my division and 500/1647 among men).

** Half Marathon Race Stats **

• Number of Finishers: 807
• Number of Females: 378
• Number of Males: 427
• Average Time: 2:00:45

Half Marathon – Men

1. Thomas Sullivan, 32, Minneapolis – 1:18:18
2. Gerad Mead, 29, St. Paul – 1:19:33
3. Daniel De Grace, 40, Eden Prairie – 1:21:07

Half Marathon – Women

1. Elli Johnson, 28, Maplewood – 1:30:58
2. Kortney Haag, 30, New Hope – 1:32:16
3. Michelle Lebow, 40, Shoreview - 1:34:18

** 10K Race Stats **

• Number of Finishers: 3,419
• Number of Females: 1,766
• Number of Males: 1,647
• Average Time: 58:28

10K – Men

1. Sammy Malakwen, 30, Two Harbors – 29:17
2. Japheth Ngojoy, 21, El Paso, TX – 29:51
3. Antonio Vega, 25, St. Paul – 30:00

10K – Women

1. Alemtsehay Misganaw, 28, New York, NY – 34:47
2. Amy Lyons, 23, Mounds View – 35:39
3. Jenna Boren, 32, St. Paul – 35:59

** 5K Race Stats **

• Number of Finishers: 1,603
• Number of Females: 1,051
• Number of Males: 535
• Average Time: 35:26

5K – Men

1. Mike Scheller, 32, Carver – 17:35
2. Bill Kern, 50, Maple Grove – 18:07
3. Dave Ebel, 27, Minneapolis – 18:25

5K – Women

1. Nikki Borner, 23, Hastings – 18:39
2. Johanna Winters, 25, Minneapolis – 19:11
3. Elizabeth Johnson, 32, Woodbury – 19:37

Race results and stats from onlineraceresults.com.

Lots of people at Minnehaha Park at lunchtime to pick up Get in Gear race packets and (for the first time I can remember) T-shirts. This is also the first year of the Get in Gear Half Marathon, which has a different shirt from the one pictured above.

Packet pick-up is open until 8PM tonight and events get under way tomorrow morning at 8AM:

• 2k & FFF 2k: 8:00AM
• 10k Handcycle wheelers: 8:56AM
• 10k Elite: 8:58AM
• 10k & 1/2 Marathon: 9:00AM
• 5k: 9:20AM

The forecast calls for temps in the upper 40s, thunderstorms and winds between 8 and 13 m.p.h., so dress appropriately if you are heading out.

This year’s Monster Half Marathon (and 10 mile and 5K) will actually be on Halloween this year! Don’t miss one of the most enjoyable running events in the Minnesota running season – watch for registration info at the Team Ortho site.

Here’s another flier I got in the mail. I’ve never participated in this event, but my wife knows people who have done it and thought it was blast. Check it out at ragnargr.com.

Got this is the mail recently from the Twin Cities Marathon – mark your calendars!

Received my official confirmation of entry card in the mail today for the 33rd Annual Grandma’s Marathon, which will be held Saturday, June 20, 2009. My number this time will be 3669.

Online registration is still open as of today, so grab your spot if you want to run this year.

From our mailbox.

One of the best races of the year – sign up by March 29 for a discounted entry fee.

7 Minute Miles has totally been neglected for almost a month. Facebook and Twitter seem to get all the attention these days, but I need to get back to the original programming here too.

The holidays were great, but I got sick right before them and there is still this damn cough that just doesn’t seem to go away. This was especially bad, as I was signed up to run the 2009 Walt Disney World Marathon yesterday. I ran a total of 12 training miles the entire month of December and hadn’t run at all in more than 3 weeks. The lack of training, combined with a really hot and humid day, led to a very slow time of 5:07:51 (more details on my Facebook page – bah).

Aside from the physical pain of running a marathon, it’s amazing I haven’t keeled over from an anxiety attack at work. I spent hours and hours the week before I left for vacation trying to pin down some network problems at HSRA and was sure I had it fixed the day before I left town. Everything was humming along the morning I left, but the dreaded call came an hour before I was supposed to get on the flight. I’ve been on the phone a lot since we got here with a contractor, but I’m mostly mad at myself for not building a more robust infrastructure. I guess it is aging, but it makes me look stupid.

I’m trying my best to actually be on vacation the rest of the week. We are planning to just hang out tomorrow, then go to Animal Kingdom on Wednesday, dinner at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Wednesday night, lunch at the Canadian pavilion in Epcot on Thursday, followed by some additional time in the Magic Kingdom. We travel back to MSP on Friday, then head to Las Vegas on Sunday for two nights to celebrate my 40th birthday.

I’ll try to be better about spreading the news around all of the sites – although I might be busy looking for homes and jobs in Florida the next few months…

With today’s announcement regarding the Stillwater Marathon, has the Minnesota racing scene passed the saturation point? Combined with the new Get in Gear half marathon and the inaugural Minneapolis Marathon, there are a lot of options for runners to consider in this down economy.

Let’s look at the Get in Gear changes. The 10K has usually been my first race of the year and has often been the first real outdoor run of the year too. While the addition of a half might make me train earlier, I don’t want to give up the 30+ years of tradition with the 10K race. Too bad the organizers couldn’t keep the Saturday schedule the same and add the half marathon as a Sunday event on the same weekend, allowing people to run both.

Looking at May and June, we now have the following major regional races:

• Med City Marathon (Rochester), May 24, 2009
• Stillwater Marathon, May 24, 2009
• Madison Marathon (Wisconsin), May 24, 2009
• Minneapolis Marathon, May 31, 2009
• Heart of the City Half Marathon (Burnsville), Early June
• Grandma’s Marathon, June 20, 2009

There are just too many events all bunched up together. I know it gets hot here in the summer, but how about moving some of these longer runs so we have one marathon per month? It’s not really smart to run a marathon a month, but it’s impossible to run three on the same day. If they were spaced out, at least you could pick and choose which ones you wanted to do each year.

It will be interesting to see how these all shake out. None of the new events have released their course maps yet, but I do see that the Minneapolis event is promoting itself as iPod-friendly. Each will have to find something to differentiate themselves and persuade the limited number of runners to pick them in this crowded field of inaugural and established events.

Which events will you pick?

Yesterday I tried something that apparently I’ve missed out on for the past 25 years – winter indoor running at the Metrodome, sponsored by the Minnesota Distance Running Association (MDRA).

Aside from the hard concrete surface, this is a great opportunity to continue training during the harsh Minnesota winter. For only $1 per session, you can run from 5:00PM to 8:00PM most Tuesdays and Thursdays from now until March 12th. Parking is free outside gate D (which is also where you enter).

Participants use the upper concourse, with slower runners and walkers on the outside and sub-seven-minute-mile runners on the inside. The outside flow goes counter-clockwise, while the inside runners head the other direction.

The outside wall distance is 0.40 mile, so two and a half loops will give you one mile. I ran 18 loops (7.12 miles) and encountered perhaps 50 people there the first hour – definitely not crowded with plenty of room to maneuver.

Bathrooms are open for men and women and serve as ad-hoc changing areas. Water fountains are also available and people just leave jackets and bags along the wall. I did not see any posted rules against headphones, but it seemed most people did not have them.

For more information on this program, contact Rick Recker at 612-375-0805.

Last Saturday, I participated in the 2008 Team Ortho Monster races in Minneapolis. Distances this year included the half marathon, a new 10 miler, a 5K and a 5K-K9.

I picked the half marathon as a nice follow-up to TCM. The weather was great and the size of the field (1200) made for an uncrowded morning. Until the end, that is. The race starts were staggered, but it seemed like everyone finished at the same time. The line for water and food afterward was dangerously long – glad no one passed out.

I also encountered lines at Marathon Sports on Friday during packet pick-up and the organizers ran out of hats, which they said will be mailed. A friend of mine said there were issues with shirt availability on Thursday too, which seems weird for a group that has been doing this for quite a while.

This was my first time running this 13.1-mile course, which started and finished near the Lake Harriet band shell. The course wrapped around both Harriet and Calhoun, with an out-and-back stretch along Minnehaha Creek thrown in between. Several sections of the TCM course were covered, although often in the opposite direction. Very nice layout overall that helped me set a new half marathon PR with a chip time of 1:51:20 (8:30 pace).

Next up: the Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando – 6 a.m. on January 11, 2009.

Aside from Boston, here are a few races I think would be fun to try sometime:

• Hong Kong Marathon (February)
• London Marathon (April)
• Everest Marathon (May 29)
• Vancouver Marathon (May)
• Madison Marathon (May)
• Portland Marathon (October)
• Reykjavik Marathon (October)
• New York City Marathon (November)
• Honolulu Marathon (December)

OK, the Everest one might not be fun, so to speak, but wow…

The 2008 Twin Cities Marathon was much cooler than last year, but was also accompanied by way too much rain. I managed a new PR and couldn’t believe how many people still came out to cheer in the unpleasant weather.

Finisher totals for 2008: 7,970 (4788 male, 3182 female)
Average Time: 4:22:20

Here are the top three finishers for each of the events:

Twin Cities Marathon – Male

• 1, Fernando Cabada, Gray, TN, 2:16:31
• 2, Matt Gabrielson, Minneapolis, MN, 2:17:38
• 3, Edwardo Torres, Boston, MA, 2:17:54

Twin Cities Marathon – Female

• 1, Olga Glok, Tampa, FL, 2:32:27
• 2, Silvia Skvortsova, New York, NY, 2:32:38
• 3, Elza Kireeva, Miami, FL, 2:39:47

TC 10 Mile – Male

• 1, Josh Glaab, Superior, CO, 50:27
• 2, Chris Erichsen, Bloomington, MN, 51:14
• 3, Justin Grunewald, Merrifield, MN, 51:18

TC 10 Mile – Female

• 1, Kara Goucher, Portland, OR, 53:16
• 2, Katie McGregor, St. Louis Park, MN, 55:04
• 3, Kelly Liljeblad, Niwot, CO, 57:06

TC 5K – Male

• 1, Dan Fadgen, Rogers, MN, 14:48
• 2, Mike Hanlon, St. Louis Park, MN, 14:54
• 3, Travis Burckstrand, St. Paul, MN, 15:20

TC 5K – Female

• 1, Annemarie Iddins, St. Paul, MN, 19:35
• 2, Julia Anderson, St. Louis Park, MN, 19:49
• 3, Nancy Schmelzle, St. Louis Park, MN, 20:21

The 2009 Twin Cities Marathon (the 28th) will be held Sunday, October 4, 2009.

I’m a little behind on posting about last weekend, but Twin Cities Marathon weekend was a blast. TCM continues to be one of the best run events in the country – now all they need to do is get USATF to modify their headphones policy and it will be perfect (as Portland Marathon race director Les Smith said in a Pioneer Press story – “what a bunch of dorks”).

My kids participated in the family events on Saturday for the fourth or fifth year in a row: the older one in the 5K and the younger one in the one mile. Two things surprised me in the 5K – the winning time of 14:49 was pretty amazing and 11-year-old John O’Hagan of Denver beat the entire women’s field, with a time of 19:18.

The expo at RiverCentre was great – quick and easy number pick-up and lots of good vendors and freebies.

More on the big race coming soon…

My trend of getting faster as I get older continues. I set a new half-marathon PR in June and today I broke my marathon PR by almost 30 minutes – 4:13.19.

The weather at the 27th Annual Twin Cities Marathon wasn’t ideal – heavy rain, wind and temps in the 50s. I actually didn’t mind it that much at first, but as the rain got heavier, it caused bleeding in spots that I’ve never bled from before. Pretty embarrassing when you are wearing a white shirt…

The rest of me feels pretty good after an afternoon of rest. Thanks to everyone who came out to cheer me on in the rain: Alan Page (and his tuba), Mark Nistler, Colleen and the kids (in four different spots), Jean Kane and the Pozarskis and my parents (who brought beef jerky from Greg’s Meats that pulled me through the last two miles).

Thanks also to my training partner Gina, who helped keep me on track over the summer. I guess running almost 400 miles before a marathon really does lead to faster times…

Next up is the Monster Half on Saturday, October 25 in Minneapolis, followed by the 2009 Walt Disney World Marathon on January 11 in Orlando. I’m also thinking about the Madison Marathon (5/24/09) and using my automatic entry into the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon (6/20/09) in Duluth.

Last Sunday kid one and I ran the 24th Annual Minnesota State Fair Milk Run 5K in Falcon Heights. This was our second straight year and we ran this one four minutes faster than 2007.

This event is so much fun–you get a T-shirt, admission to the fair and a coupon for a free malt afterward. The 3.1-mile course starts and finishes near Heritage Square in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds and runs back and forth through the St. Anthony Park neighborhood and the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus.

Here are the top three men’s finishers:

• 1, Daniel Murray, 21, Blue Earth, MN, 16:33 (5:19 pace)
• 2, Thomas Tisell, 41, St. Paul, MN, 16:46 (5:24)
• 3, Michael Nawrocki, 36, Minneapolis, MN, 16:56 (5:27)

Here are the top three women’s finishers:

• 1, Kim Magee, 25, Mounds View, MN, 18:06 (5:49)
• 2, Angie Voight, 31, Minneapolis, MN, 19:07 (6:09)
• 3, Becca Nichols, 17, Lakeville, MN, 19:24 (6:14)

Full Results: Men | Women

7MM 2008 Milk Run Photo Gallery

Here are the Minnesota Runner’s World Race Series races for September 2008:

• 09/06/2008, Kaila & Grace’s Hope & Hearts Run, Minneapolis, MN
• 09/06/2008, “Run the Bug” Minneota Boxelder Bug Days 5K Run/Walk, Minneota, MN
• 09/07/2008, Steamboat Days 5K Run/Walk, Carver, MN
• 09/13/2008, TC Lung Run/Walk, Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis, MN
• 09/13/2008, Dave Huffman Memorial Run, Chanhassen, MN
• 09/13/2008, Bear Water Run, White Bear Lake, MN
• 09/13/2008, Kimball Lions 5K Run/Walk, Kimball, MN
• 09/13/2008, Pride 5K Fun Run & 1-Mile Walk, Mankato, MN
• 09/14/2008, Inver Grove Heights 5 & 10 Miler, Harmon Farms Park IGH, Minneapolis, MN
• 09/17/2008, Bridging the Gap, Minneapolis, MN
• 09/19/2008, Wild Adventure Race Fall 24-hour, Biwabik, MN
• 09/20/2008, Applefest Run to the Edge Scenic 5K, La Crescent, MN
• 09/20/2008, Bolder Options Bolder Dash, Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis, MN
• 09/20/2008, Jacks Run for MPS, Eden Prairie, MN
• 09/20/2008, Walker North Country Races, Walker, MN
• 09/20/2008, Alexandria Fun Run, Alexandria, MN
• 09/21/2008, Rally For The Refuge, Ft. Snellng State Park, St. Paul, MN
• 09/21/2008, Woodtick 12K, Grand Rapids, MN
• 09/27/2008, Pace Race 5K Run/Walk for Prostate Cancer Awareness, Minneapolis, MN
• 09/27/2008, Renewable Run – Renew the Earth, Renew Yourself, Sandstone, MN
• 09/27/2008, Norsemen 5k, Mankato, MN
• 09/27/2008, 25th Annual Fall Classic, Battle Lake, MN

Click on the race names for details on each event.

Tonight I ran my first ever Grandma’s Minnesota Mile event at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in Falcon Heights. There were four different races:

• 6:30pm: Kids Race (ages 8-14)
• 6:50pm: All-City Mile (for those expecting to finish 5:46 or longer for men and 6:46 or longer for women)
• 7:30pm: St. Paul Mile (for those expecting to finish between 4:41 and 5:45 for men and between 5:41 and 6:45 for women)
• 7:50pm: Minnesota Mile (elite runners with times faster then 4:40 for men and 5:40 for women)

The races were chip-timed, although there was no mat at the starting line. Official times are now available here. Richard Kandie won the men’s mile in 4:09, while Katie McGregor won the women’s race in 4:49. Wow, that’s impressive…

The course was fun, looping around the food and horticulture buildings twice. Not sure why it needed to be a loop course when there is so much space available there, but it wasn’t bad. I was wishing some of the food vendors were there, though.

Mile races seem to be back in vogue, especially as a way for the two big marathons in Minnesota to raise more money by giving away entries to their always-in-demand shorter races (250 random finishers of this race will be offered the chance to enter the 2009 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon).

Personally, this was an interesting race for me. I haven’t run a timed mile race since high school, so I had no idea what to expect. I’ve done a lot of distance runs this spring and summer, but no speed work at all. My only benchmark was an 800m PR time of 2:12 back in 1987.

Unfortunately, twenty years changes a lot in the speed department, it seems. I ran the split in 2:40, but totally ran out of gas at the end. No kick whatsoever and a weak finish in 6:34. The bar has been set, though, and I’ll definitely be adding some speed work to my marathon training.

The Duluth version of the Minnesota Mile will be held Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 9am.

Here are the Minnesota Runner’s World Race Series races for August 2008:

• 08/02/2008, Encore Wind Ensemble 5K, Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• 08/02/2008, Hanover Harvest Festival 5K, Hanover, Minnesota
• 08/02/2008, Race for Oromia, Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• 08/09/2008, Northwoods Triathlon, Nevis, Minnesota
• 08/09/2008, Yellow Rose 5K Walk/Run, Warroad, Minnesota
• 08/23/2008, Athletes in Action 5K Run/Walk, North Mankato, Minnesota
• 08/23/2008, Officer Sean Silvera Memorial Run, Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• 08/23/2008, Rockville Rock Run, Rockville, Minnesota
• 08/24/2008, Stiftungsfest 5K, Norwood Young America, Minnesota
• 08/31/2008, French Club 3-Miler, Canyon, Minnesota

Click on the race names for details on each event.

For the second year in a row, I didn’t make it to Duluth for Grandma’s Marathon. My local housing contact has moved and the thought of $500/night hotel rooms has scared me away. I do miss it, though–maybe next year…

Finisher totals for 2008: 6,874 (4342 male, 2532 female) out of 7,103 starters (229 DNF)
Average Time: 4:34:01
Weather: sunny, 59 degrees and humid at start, 72 degrees at noon

Here are the top three finishers for each of the events:

Grandma’s Marathon – Male

• 1, Lamech Mokono, Kenya, 2:13:39
• 2, David Tuwei, Kenya, 2:13:44
• 3, Benson Cheruiyot, 2:14:20

Grandma’s Marathon – Female

• 1, Mary Akor, Hawthorne, CA, 2:38:50
• 2, Margaret Toroitich, Kenya, 2:41:43
• 3, Sally Meyerhoff, Scottsdale, AZ, 2:42:58

Wheelchair Marathon – Male

• 1, Krige Schabort, South Africa, 1:29:33
• 2, Ernst Van Dyk, South Africa, 1:29:35
• 3, Mark Ledo, Maple, ON, 1:35:25

Wheelchair Marathon – Female

• 1, Amanda McGrory, Champaign, IL, 1:49:59
• 2, Tricia Downing, Denver, CO, 2:26:16
• 3, Jacqui Kapinowski, Point Pleasant, NJ, 2:48:37

Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon – Male

• 1, Mathew Chesang, Kenya, 1:04:48
• 2, Fernando Cabada, Gray, TN, 1:05:07
• 3, Michael Reneau, Rochester Hills, MI, 1:05:21

Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon – Female

• 1, Liza Hunter-Galvan, New Zealand, 1:13:29
• 2, Caroline Rotich, Kenya, 1:14:40
• 3, Kate Smyth, Australia, 1:16:32

William A. Irvin 5K – Male

• 1, Jordan Tucker, Omaha, NE, 16:22
• 2, Mike Kramer, Cloquet, MN, 16:23
• 3, Adam Zais, Hudson, WI, 16:36

William A. Irvin 5K – Female

• 1, Michelle Oman, Mankato, MN, 18:35
• 2, Raynee Degrio, St Paul, MN, 19:14
• 3, Laura Hughes, Mankato, MN, 19:29

The 2009 Grandma’s Marathon (the 33rd) will be held Saturday, June 20, 2009.

The storm clouds moved south and the sun came out for the finish of the 2008 Heart of the City Half Marathon in Burnsville on Saturday.

Top three male finishers:

• 1, Pascal Dalseth, 35, Burnsville, MN, 1:16:27.0
• 2, Bennett Isabella, 25, Burnsville, MN, 1:16:55.0
• 3, Gerad Mead, 28, St. Paul, MN, 1:19:12.0

Top three female finishers:

• 1, Tonya Reed, 36, Rosemount, MN, 1:29:03.0
• 2, Kate Lovrien, 33, St. Louis Park, MN, 1:32:07.0
• 3, Kate Tavakley, 33, Burnsville, MN, 1:32:23.0

Finisher totals for 2008: 532 (249 male, 283 female)

Photos are available for order from Pro Pix Imaging here.

Runners at this morning’s Grand Old Day on the Go races were greeted with sunny skies and warm temperatures.

Events included an 8K Inline Skate at 7:45 AM, an 8K Run at 7:50 AM, a 5K Walk/Run and two youth runs.

The 8K run was won by 41-year-old Wade Bergner of Maiden Rock, Wisconsin in 27:25 (5:31 mile pace). Angie Williams of Minneapolis won the women’s division with a time of 30:14 (6:05 mile pace).

Congratulations to family friend Gina Cook, who ran her first ever race, finishing the 8K in 48:45 (9:48 mile pace). Awesome job!

Last week was the 13th Annual Med City Marathon in Rochester (with a start in Byron). The men’s winner was Mark Ott of Jackson, Michigan, in 2:54:33. On the women’s side, Kara Arzamendia of St. Paul won with a time of 3:12:19.

Family friend Debra Miller was 18th among women, with a time of 3:58:23. Way to go Deb!

This race doesn’t have the high profile that Grandma’s and TCM have, but it attracts more than 1,000 participants. This was the first year the race was organized by the Rochester Area Family YMCA.

The 2009 race will be held Sunday, May 24th.

The 2008 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon reported today that the 11,000 runner field is now full.

If you still want to run, there will be 150 entries available beginning Thursday, May 22 at 12:00 p.m. via the Fundraiser Entry Program. These entries cost the regular $95 entry fee, plus a $100 tax-deductible donation that will support kids’ fitness and wellness through several youth fitness partners:

• Bolder Options mentoring program teaches youth to succeed in all of life’s races, and the vision to build a community of caring relationships in support of our youth, nearly 350 youth have benefited since 1998.
• MIGIZI Communications effects and contributes to the American Indian community through social justice and positive change by committing resources to telecommunications, education, health/wellness, and other areas that contribute to capacity-building within the American Indian community.
• YWCA of Minneapolis works to fulfill their mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. YWCA of Minneapolis’ girls and youth programs focus on the strengths of young people and challenge them to expect and create great things in their lives.

“Runners looking for a great fall race come to the Twin Cities for the terrific community support, the beautiful fall weather and for a top-quality marathon experience,” said executive director of Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. Virginia Brophy Achman. “We are excited to offer a limited number of additional spots in the marathon as we help raise funds for our community partners.”

Received an email from Runner’s World this week listing local races in their race series. Here are the Minnesota events:

• 07/05/2008, Chicken Run, Bricelyn, Minnesota
• 07/12/2008, ACMC 5K, Redwood Falls, Minnesota
• 07/12/2008, April Sorensen Memorial Half Marathon, Albert Lea, Minnesota
• 07/12/2008, Monticello River Fest 5K, Monticello, Minnesota
• 07/12/2008, Saint Urho Run, Menahga, Minnesota
• 07/19/2008, Dutch Fun Run, Edgerton, Minnesota
• 07/19/2008, Rails To Trails 5K Fun Run, Watertown, Minnesota
• 07/19/2008, River City Days Triathlon, Chaska, Minnesota
• 07/19/2008, Rondo Days 5k Run/Walk, St. Paul, Minnesota
• 07/19/2008, Run ‘Round the Rose 12 Mile, Vergas, Minnesota
• 07/26/2008, Boston Scientific Heart of Summer, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• 07/27/2008, Chisago Lakes Half Iron, Sprint Triathlon and Kids’ Triathlon, Chisago, Minnesota

Click on the race names for details on each event.

The registration flier for the 2008 edition of the Minnesota State Fair’s 5K Milk Run arrived in the mailbox yesterday. Last year was the first time I ran this very fun race and look forward to running it again this year.

The course starts on the edge of the fairgrounds near Heritage Square, criss-crosses the St. Anthony Park neighborhood, runs through the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota and returns back to the fairgrounds.

The $20 entry fee is a bargain: you get a T-shirt, admission to the fair and a coupon for a free malt. Where else can you run a 5K, then eat like a pig for the rest of the day to celebrate?

The field is limited to 1500, so hurry if you want in. Online registration is available here.

For more information, call 651-288-4418.

If you aren’t already registered for Thursday’s TC 1 Mile race in downtown Minneapolis, you’re too late. Although there was no stated race limit, registration is now closed. Guess I’ll try earlier next year (and run this one instead in July).

Snow, winds gusting to 35mph and a temp just above freezing greeted runners at today’s 31st running of the Get in Gear 10K in Minneapolis. Despite all that, thousands turned out to run and had what turned out to be a comfortable race.

In my run, the wind really only hindered coming across the Ford Parkway bridge. There was also one period just after crossing the Lake Street bridge when the ice pellets started hitting us in the face. I took off my gloves and hat pretty quickly, though, and didn’t feel cold at all.

My clock time was 59:20, so I’m guessing my chip time was around 58:30 (my late registration seems to have excluded me from the online results, but they did announce my name as I neared the finish line). UPDATE: John Magnuson from ChampionChip Minnesota emailed me and confirmed my official time as 58:30 (9:25 pace).

The top 5 men’s finishers were:

• 1, Sammy Malakwen, Two Harbors, MN, age 29, 30:51 (4:58 pace)
• 2, William Serem, Coon Rapids, MN, age 32, 30:57 (4:59)
• 3, Richard Kandie, Coon Rapids, MN, age 23, 31:18 (5:03)
• 4, Zablon Mandere, Minneapolis, MN, age 32, 31:21 (5:03)
• 5, Eric Hartmark, Duluth, MN, age 30, 31:29 (5:04)

The top 5 women’s finishers were:

• 1, Kimberly Magee, Mounds View, MN, age 25, 36:50 (5:56 pace)
• 2, Stephani Houk, Robbinsdale, MN, age 34, 37:01 (5:58)
• 3, Calleen Areba, age 34, 38:03 (6:08)
• 4, Kristen Painter, New Brighton, MN, age 22, 38:08 (6:09)
• 5, Bonnie Sons, Shorewood, MN, age 42, 38:19 (6:10)

The Minnesota running season has officially begun!

Today I stopped by Minnehaha Park to register for the 31st running of the Get in Gear 10K, to be held tomorrow morning at 9:30am. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to run this year, so I waited until the last minute. And even then that decision was hard, looking at the forecast. I’ve run the last five in a row, though, so I had to keep the streak alive.

The fee for registering on the last day this year was $38. Two nice additions for 2008: T-shirts were available for pick-up right away and the race paid the parking fees in the lot.

The forecast calls for cold and windy with a chance of snow, so this may not be a stellar year. Watch for updates later this weekend…

The next website in my Minnesota media empire launched today, Run in Minnesota.

Inspired by yesterday’s Boston Marathon, I registered for the 2008 Twin Cities Marathon today and decided to finally launch run.mn. Just like Golfing in Minnesota and Hockey in Minnesota, posts about running topics that used to appear here will now appear on the Run in Minnesota site.

This will be my 11th marathon and I’m very excited to get back into shape. I’m pledging now to be more serious about training this time and have set a goal of beating my personal best time of 4:42. You can track my training via the Runner’s World widget in the sidebar.

Ran a 5K tonight, so I’m off to a decent start.