Beaver Freezer Registration Tomorrow!

That's right, here's your last warning. Head over to this site at exactly 8:00am tomorrow, Wednesday, February 1st, to sign up for the Beaver Freezer Tri.

Or you won't get in.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF FEBRUARY 13th TO FEBRUARY 19th

February 18th / Founding Fathers 5k / Lebanon, OR

February 18th / Run for Chocolate 5k / Sunriver, OR

February 18th / TraX Frosty Fun Run 5k / Chelan, WA

February 18th / Ft. Steilacoom Trail Duathlon, Long and Short Course / Lakewood, WA

February 18th / President's Day Weekend 15k, 10k, and 5k / Seattle, WA

February 18th / Woolley Runs Trail 50k, Marathon and Half Marathon / Sedro-Woolley, WA

February 18th / Hagg Lake Trail Run 50k / Hagg Lake, OR

February 19th / Hagg Lake Trail Run 25k / Hagg Lake, OR

February 19th / Birch Bay Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k / Birch Bay, WA

February 19th / NW Fort Ebey Trail Half Marathon and 10k / Coupeville, WA

February 19th / Heart Breaker Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

Tracktown Tuesdays In Eugene!

So as we count down to the US Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, starting on June 22nd, the local organizers are holding Tracktown Tuesdays.

The first date, tomorrow on the 31st, sounds like a good one. You'll be able to rub shoulders with the likes of Jordan Hasay, Luke Puskedra, Cyrus Hostetler and Sam Chelanga. Plus music, food, drinks...sounds like a good time.

If you have a chance, head on down, or up, and check it out.


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New RaceCenter Article Out Now

It's been a while, but there's finally a new article with the infamous R's byline at a Jamba Juice or running store near you!

Or if you're one of those crazy reading-your-news-on-the-web type people, you can head over here and read the whole stinking issue online. That's quality stuff right there.

So what awaits your prying eyes in this issue? Let's find out!

-First, we've got "Montana Destination Runs" and surprisingly enough, there's more than one. Just kidding there, Montana! No hard feelings, right? Don't send over any cows...or tumbleweeds...to rough me up. Joking! Again!

-Anyhoo, second is a bit on the Tri NW Rankings. Good, good...don't see my name on the list...moving on...

-Third, "Mud and Fire: the Rise of Obstacle Course Racing." Hey, that sounds like a interesting and well-written take on one of the most popular areas of running today! We should read this one immediately if not sooner.

-Fourth, a 2012 Multisport race preview.

-And of course, this is the 2012 Event Guide issue, so you've got pages and pages of race info. Sweet!

-Then you've got the usual stuff: gear guide, nutrition stuff, USATF stuff, Max King trying to outwrite me because apparently running twice as fast as me isn't enough, tri stuff from Chris Bagg, and so on.

Good, good issue. Check it out today. And tell them the R's sent ya!


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Exactly One Week to Beaver Freezer Registration!

I know, I know, you say you'll remember, but you won't remember.

So here I am...again. Reminding you that the Beaver Freezer Tri will open up for registration at 8:00am on February 1st. That's next Wednesday.

And I'm telling you...again. It will sell out. Even though they're talking about expanding the field once again, it will sell out. And probably fast. Like a couple hours fast.

So get on it!


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Don't Be That Awkward Runner!

The Flightless Bird rules. That's all I have to say.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6th TO FEBRUARY 12th

February 11th / Run to D.C. 5k / Albany, OR

February 11th / RainMan Sprint Triathlon / Issaquah, WA

February 11th / Heart and Sole 10k and 5k / Longview, WA

February 11th / Heart and Sole 5k / Pasco, WA

February 11th / Love 'em or Leave 'em Valentine Day Dash 5k / Seattle, WA

February 12th / Truffle Shuffle 4m and 2m / Eugene, OR

February 12th / Fragrance Lake 20k and 10k / Bellingham, WA

February 12th / Valentine Fanconi Anemia 12k, 8k and 5k / Portland, OR


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Best Running Song for January!

Maybe saying "best band ever to come from Victoria" is faint praise, but I'm going to say it anyway.

Hot Hot Heat is truly the best band to ever come out of Victoria. Probably best band ever to come out of B.C. Canada? Well, I'll leave that to your judgement, but they are indeed a fantastic band.

Hot Hot Heat puts out jumpy, poppy, dance music that is perfect for running. My own personal favorite running song from HHH is "Bandages."

Check out the official version.
And a surprisingly good phone-recorded live version.

Hot Hot Heat has a bunch of other great running songs:

Talk to Me Dance with Me
Middle of Nowhere
Goodnight Goodnight

Time to bust out a new iTunes gift card!

Past Best Running Songs:
December: Camp Lo / "Luchini aka This Is It"
November: Wolfmother / "Joker and the Thief"
October: Phoenix / "1901"
September: Matt and Kim / "Daylight"
August: Collie Buddz / "Holiday"
July: Pretenders / "Tattooed Love Boys"
June: The Wombats / "Moving to New York"
May: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros / "40 Day Dream"
April: Foxy Shazam / "Unstoppable"
March: Pharrell / "Fun Fun Fun"
February: Puff Daddy / "Come With Me"
January: We Are Scientists / "The Great Escape"
December: Cee Lo Green / "F**k You"
November: Tokyo Police Club / "Breakneck Speed"
October: Two Door Cinema Club / "Something Good Can Work"
September: Stone Temple Pilots / "Cinnamon"
August: Louis XIV / "Guilt by Association"
July: Devo / "Fresh"
June: Saliva / "Your Disease"
May: Metric / "Gold Guns Girls"
April: OK Go / "This Too Shall Pass"
March: The Hours / "Ali In The Jungle"
February: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs / "El Matador"
January: White Rabbits / "Percussion Gun"
December: Deftones / "Knife Prty"
November: The Kooks / "Always Where I Need To Be"
October: At the Drive In / "One Armed Scissor"
September: Silversun Pickups / "Lazy Eye"
August: Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros / "Johnny Appleseed"
July: Deathray / "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)"
June: Raconteurs / "Salute Your Solution"
May: Tea Party / "Save Me"
April: Bloc Party / "Like Eating Glass"
Ever: The English Beat / "I Confess"


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Running in Winter!

A very, very, timely article in the Seattle Times about cold weather running. As someone who suffered through a horrid run in the slush and the snow on Sunday, the R's heartily approves!

Let's Race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 30th TO FEBRUARY 5th

February 4th / Freedom for All 5k / Eugene, OR

February 4th / Game Day Rival Run 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

February 4th / Outback River Run 15k, 8k and 5k / Springfield, OR

February 4th / Friendship Run 5k / Olympia, WA

February 4th / Orcas Island 50k / Olga, WA

February 5th / Gridiron Downhill Run 1m / Redmond, WA

February 5th / Zena Road Runs 15k, 6m and 3m / Salem, OR (44th Annual!!!)

Great photo by Michael Penn at the Juneau Empire.


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Take a Photo of Your Running Shoes!

Now send them to my wife.

No, this isn't some weird foot fetish thing we've got going on here - she's actually going to use the photos in a painting.

No, really.


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Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday!

Big day for running this Saturday as US Olympic hopefuls will toe the line in Houston. Both men and women will have their Marathon Trials on the same course: men starting at 8:00 and women at 8:15.

Here are a few more links for the big event:
-A good preview of the men at Let's Run.
-And a good preview of the women at Let's Run.
-It will be on TV...but delayed, not live! If you can hold off, and not look at the internet all day, you can watch it on NBC.
-Let's Run discusses ten long shots on the men's side, including Oregon homeboy, Max King. I'd love to see Max in the top three, but there are just too many other guys that are slightly faster than him. Still, a top ten finish would be impressive for King. Go Max!
-Lots and lots and lots of Trials coverage at Runner's World.
-Great piece by Scott Douglas at Runner's World, knocking down the trend of everyone predicting a huge batch of PR times at the Trials. Really, this happens before every Trials, but when the actual race takes place, very few runners come away with PR's.
-Want to predict the winners? Let's Run has a contest going for just that.

Here are my predictions:

Men:
1)Ryan Hall
2)Dathan Ritzenhein
3)Brett Gotcher

I know Meb might be there, but I just have a feeling he'll be a step slow.

Women:
1)Desiree Davila
2)Kara Goucher
3)Shalane Flanagan

Also, throw out some big love to the Northwest Runners that have basically no chance, but are still in the Trials, which is a HUGE accomplishment...there are too many to name, but the NW is well represented. Check out a list here.

Like Meghan Arbogast, 50 years old, and running in her fourth straight trials. Meghan, you make Corvallis look good!


photo by Andy Cripe.


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Triathlons and Duathlons...Already?

Yes, there is a Tri and a Du on the schedule for January. Pretty early, I must say, but hey, no sense waiting around.

Let's Race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 23rd TO JANUARY 29th

January 28th / Willamette Mission Trail Challenge 10k and 5k / Salem, OR

January 28th / Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival 50k, 10m and 5m / Kirkland, WA

January 28th / Ft. Steilacoom Trail Duathlon / Lakewood, WA

January 28th / Sporty Diva's Half Marathon, 15k, 10k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

January 28th / Lake Youngs Nuts Run 50k, 19.2m and 9.6m / Renton, WA

January 28th / Orcas Island Trail Run 25k / Orcas Island, WA

January 28th / Madras Madass 50k and 25k / Madras, OR

January 29th / YMCA Haselwood RainMan Super Sprint Triathlon / Silverdale, WA

January 29th / Dash N Dine 15k and 5k / Eugene, OR


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Beaver Freezer 2012 Registration Coming Up!

Has it been a year already? Apparently so...

As I do every year, I'm making a concerted effort to warn R's readers and triathletes that:

a) the Beaver Freezer is a well-organized, fast, early-season, sprint triathlon that everyone should aim to race, and
b) it sells out faster than frigging hotcakes.

So on February 1st, at 8am, you must, MUST, head over to the Freezer website and sign up immediately. It will, I repeat, it will sell out within two hours. That is, by 10:00am on Feb 1st, if you're not signed up, you're not racing in the Freezer.

Don't forget!

Photo: yes, that's me at the 2011 Freezer...looking sort of chunky, I must say.

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Drag My Dead Body Across the Finish Line!

"I have left specific instructions that if I die on the course, my friends are supposed to drag my body down the rest of the course and across the finish line. And then lie about the results."

That's an absolutely awesome quote from R. Laurence Macon, a 67 year old Texan who ran 113 marathons last year. Yes, 113. That's more than two per week. I can't even imagine.

Anyway, check out the article. It's quite amazing.

A few more races this time around.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 16th TO JANUARY 22nd

January 21st / Freeze Your Fanny 5k / Lewiston, ID

January 21st / Roaring River Run Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Scio, OR

January 21st / No Sun Fun Run 5k / Puyallup, WA

January 21st / Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival 50k, 10m and 5m / Kirkland, WA

January 21st / Vancouver Lake Half Marathon / Vancouver, WA

January 21st / Capitol Peak Mega Fat Ass Trail Run 34m and 17m / Olympia, WA

January 21st / Winter Cross 5k and 3k / Tumwater, WA

January 21st / Resolution Run 10k and 5k / St. Paul, OR

January 21st / Winter Predictor 13k and 5k / Eugene, OR


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The Road to Boston 2013!

After a 2011 Year in Running that consisted of a huge, sweeping goal of running every race and tri in Corvallis, costing me more than a few dollars and eating up more than half the total weekends of the year, I've decided to go simple in 2012.

Qualify for the Boston Marathon.

OK, I said simple, not easy. Simple in that I have one goal and one goal only for this year: to make sure I'm qualified to toe the line in Boston in 2013.

Now, those of you that know my recent running history, and know my recent times, and have seen my performances at my two previous marathons, might be thinking, "what is the R's smoking? And how can I get some?"

And I wouldn't argue with you.

It's true I've only run two previous marathons. And my times at those marathons (Seattle and Eugene) weren't even in the BQ ballpark. If you want to know how close, or how far off I really am, just punch in one of my recent race results here and see how it adjusts to a marathon-length race.

If you're too busy, I'll just tell you. A 5k time from Fall of 2011 for me grades up to a 3:42:00 marathon. To qualify for Boston, I'll need to run under 3:25:00. Yeah, that's a pretty big difference.

Yet strangely, I feel I can do it.

Let me see if I can talk you into it, the way I've talked myself into it.

First, I'm here, starting the New Year, in the best January shape I've been in since, well...since I was in my early 30's probably. Which was, I hate to say, more than 10 years ago. Running 26 races over 2011 has at least given me a nice base to work with.

Second, I'm turning 45 this year. While the BQ times are tightening by five minutes this year, I'll also gain 10 minutes by jumping into the next age group. And I feel that this is the time - I feel pretty good for 45. I feel like I can still be fast. Will I feel this way at 50? Maybe, but who knows?

Third, I've got one of the best Boston Qualifying courses in the Nation, less than an hour from home, right here at the Newport Marathon in Newport, Oregon. Even Runner's World thinks so. I'm already signed up, but Newport always sells out, so if you want to join me, hurry up and register.

If for some reason, Newport doesn't work out, I'll regroup and work with the Skagit Flats Marathon in September, then the California International Marathon (CIM) in December, another Runner's World favorite (although this one would put me in Boston in 2014, not 2013).

Fourth, my last six weeks have already been focused on marathon training. I've been kicking up my mileage and tossing in some speed work. I've already seen my shape and times improve from the training. I think another five months of hard marathon-specific training will get me there.

So...yeah, not much really. I just think I can do it.

And what's more important than that?


Absolutely awesome photo from Dana Hursey Photography - check them out!

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Super-Fast 2011 Year in Review!

First, let me say, I hope you all had a Happy New Year. Second, let's make 2012 the best year yet for our new goals. PR's for everyone!

So, I just wanted to give a quick run-down of my running (and tri) year in 2011. I'm a big believer in keeping track of every workout and every race, comparing monthly totals, tracking what works and what doesn't, and trying to make improvements year after year.

So let's see how 2011 went...

First, you already know the numbers on the races, right?

Running Races: 24
Triathlons: 2

Total Miles Run (Workouts and Races): 994.65 miles
Best Month: December - 119.50 miles
Easiest Month: January - 62.10 miles

That definitely won't be the case this January, as I'm transitioning into my marathon training schedule.

Total Distance Bike (on roads and stationary): 1350 miles
Total Distance Swim (in the pool...and in the ocean in Hawaii): 90,000 yards (approx.)

My biking and swimming numbers started out very well, early in the year, but as I got in better running shape, these totals really fell off by the end of 2011. I just was running more and cross-training less.

By far the best swim of the year was a 60 min epic in a very rough surf off of Ka'anapali, Maui during our summer vacation. I was totally beaten and battered by big waves and wind during the entire swim. And I absolutely loved it. There's nothing better than swimming in warm ocean water. Ah Hawaii...

Beginning weight: 197.0 (January 3, 2011)
Ending weight: 176.4 (December 27, 2011)

And now, of course, comes the hard part. I'd like to drop about another 10-15 pounds by summer 2012. I'd really like to run my goal races this year at 165 lbs or less. We'll see...

I hope your 2011 went as well as mine. Only bigger and better goals for 2012...which we'll discuss very soon.


Photo: I've got to admit, I don't remember this movie at all (maybe a 25% at rottentomatoes.com would explain why), but 2011 was a good year, so it seemed appropriate.


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