Let's go Snow-Running!

Yep, the last time I ran the Nookachamps in Mt. Vernon, there was a LOT of snow. Was that two years ago? Three? Anyway, some of the run was on the road and it wasn't snowy, but it was sort of slick. No fun. Then we went off-road and the snow got much deeper! Mucho fun! I like running through deep powder - it's just about as different as you can get for running, and yet, except for tight corners, you really don't have to go much slower in the white stuff.

Weather report for Mt. Vernon on the 16th? Rain and 41 degrees. Well, that ain't gonna cut it. How are we going to run in snow with that?

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 11th TO JANUARY 17th

January 16th / Magnuson Run 15k, 10k, and 5k / Seattle, WA

January 17th / Nookachamps Winter Runs Half-Marathon, 10k and 5k / Mt. Vernon, WA

January 17th / Cascade Half-Marathon and 10k / Turner, OR

The Year in Review, Part II

All righty, let's take a little peek at the 2009 totals:

5k: One (it was the girls on the run...where they didn't turn us around on time - actually about a 7k)
12k: One (Brutally hilly, but I was happy with my run)
8.2 Miler: One (ahhhh, on the beach in San Diego...races don't get much sweeter than that!)
13.1 Miler: One (back in the saddle! Let me tell you, if you're going to do your first half in years, make it a flat one like the Cowtown!)

Sprint Triathlons: Two (Well, the first race out of the box, way early in April, was better than the second race in May. Hey, sometimes it happens like that)

Olympic Triathlon: One (Hadn't done one of these for a while. It was hard, but fun)

And for the writing? Five articles, all for RaceCenter Magazine. And yet another failed attempt at Nanowrimo...sigh...I'm not even going to link to that.

And for 2010? It looks to be fewer Triathlons (any? maybe not) and more runs as I build up to my first marathon since 1996! Eugene, here I come!

Looks like a good time for a...Training Run!

Man, this time of year...it's all about the training. And burning off the five pounds you put on from Christmas and New Year's. You don't have to worry about races...because there aren't any! Just get out there and put in some good training runs. It will all pay off later in the Spring. I promise.

Let's run!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 4th TO JANUARY 10th

January 9th / Resolution Run 5k / Oregon City, OR

January 9th / Lake Samish 6.5 and 13.1 mile Runs / Bellingham, WA

Aaaaaaannnnnndddddd, about 36 Team in Training meetings over the next month here and there, but other than that - nothing.

What can I say? It's that time of year. Until March, you just don't have a whole lot of options out there. Deal with it.


Thanks to Kaleb for the photo.

The Year in Review, Part I

Well, what do you know? It's twenty-ten. That's a fun one to say: "Twenty-Ten!" Let's face it, "two thousand and nine" was a bit wordy, so I'm happy to be in the new decade.

And now, we can look back at the year that was in running. Probably not as good as some years, but definitely better than others. And the most important part: it was mostly injury-free. Yes! After I spent the entire month of December 2008 not being able to bend over even enough to put on my socks, this year was a lovely change indeed.

So after studying the 2009 Nike+ numbers, it looks like this: slow start, strong summer, winding down a bit in the Fall, then a great December as I look toward 2010 and my first marathon since 1996! Fourteen years, baby! And I'm back! Look out Eugene! I can't stop using exclamation points!

Now where was I? Oh yeah, running...oddly, my worst month of the year, October, was the month I ran the Cowtown Half-Marathon in Sacramento. Shortly after, I shut it down for three weeks to rest my sore quad. And my best month was the month just ended, December, with 69 miles for the month. Not world class, but pretty good for me.

So for the year, I logged 583 miles on the Nike+, ran for more than 84 hours, and burned more than 75,000 calories!

That's nothing...just wait for the 2010 totals!

Resolutions

I've never been much for resolutions - I mean, if you're going to make some fantastic change in your life, why wait until Jan. 1? What's wrong with November 14th? Or September 3rd? Or June 24th?

I don't know, if you're serious, Jan. 1st is as good as any other day. Hey, who am I to judge.

But personally, I'd rather skip the resolutions, and sign up for a Resolution Run!

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 28th TO JANUARY 3rd

December 31st / First Run 2010 5k / Portland, OR

December 31st / First Run 2010 10k and 5k / Eugene, OR

January 1st / Capitol Mile / Salem, OR

January 1st / Resolution Run and Polar Dip, 2.6 miles / Bellingham, WA

January 1st / Resolution Run and Polar Dip, 5k / Seattle, WA

January 1st / Pooch and Pal Run, 5k and 1.5 mile / Pasco, WA

January 3rd / ORRC Y2kX, 20.20k and 10k / Forest Grove, OR

Merry Christmas!

Man, I feel like I've gained 10 pounds in the last two days! It's a good thing I've got a long run coming up tomorrow...I've gotta burn some calories here.

Hope you had a great Christmas. Now tomorrow, get out there and run!

Ho, Ho, Ho

Hey, it's Christmas week - no one expects you to kill yourself this week. Get in the spirit! Have an extra helping of pie!

And run a race! Well, maybe not. You see, there's only one race in the NW on the week of Christmas. If you're not ready to travel up to Rochester, WA...then you're out of luck.

Go ahead...have one more piece of pie instead. I won't tell anyone.

Besides, there are lots of races next week during New Year's!

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 21st TO DECEMBER 27th

December 27th / End of the Decade Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10 miles, 10k, and 5k / Rochester, WA (They say it will be run once a decade...I'm not sure if they're kidding or not)

Best Running Song for December!

Hey, I know you're happy to be out there running, right? Happy, happy, happy...who isn't happy?

Well, once in a while, when it's about 14 degrees outside and the wind is howling right into your face, and you're heading uphill (the first uphill of seven total on your route), well, right about then, happy just doesn't cut it.

But you know what does absolutely cut it? Yeah, the Deftones. Sometimes you need to run angry. Sometimes you need a song to just, well pardon my French, but you need a song to kick your ass to get you up that hill.

This is that song. It's called "Knife Prty" and of course it's from the amazing band, the Deftones. If you want to scream out in the middle of your run, in your best Mojo Jojo voice, "I rock SO hard!" Well, really, this is the only song that works for that.

And for something completely, utterly, and fantastically different...check out this acoustic version of the same song.

Get out there and rock those trails hard.

Past Best Running Songs:
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"

Race T-Shirt Review!

Yep, it's that time again. Race T-Shirt time! And we've got a winner today. The race shirt from the Sacramento Cowtown Half-Marathon (yeah, I know, I'm a little late here) is N-I-C-E, nice! First, it's a nice, neutral color, sort of an off-white. Hey, that's all good. Second, it's a quality New Balance tech shirt...and short sleeve. YES! Third, it's got cows. No, really...cows! I don't care what you say, you just can't go wrong with cows. Sort of busy on the back with sponsors, but hey, they're paying good money for this nice shirt, so live with it.

Overall grade: A

Manny Runs for Another Record!

My cubicle-mate, Manny, ran in the inaugural Rock n' Roll Marathon Vegas today. And he once again, for the fourth straight race, lowered his marathon PR. That's all you can ask for, right there.

It's nice to see a professional group come into Las Vegas to put on a marathon. There have been so many that have come and gone there; hopefully, this one will stick.

Might as well go to Vegas...runs are pretty slim around here this time of year. Ah well...

Let's run!

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 14th TO DECEMBER 20th

December 19th / Santa Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10 miles, 10k, and 5k / Rochester, WA

December 19th / Santa Runs Tacoma 10k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

December 20th / 12k's of Christmas 12k and 5k / Kirkland, WA

December 20th / Winter Solstice Run 5k / Eugene, OR