Portland's Shalane Flanagan on the East Coast!

Over at Competitor, they've got a nice little interview with Portland's Shalane Flanagan, who's over on the other coast getting ready to run the Philadelphia Rock n' Roll Half Marathon. And that, of course, is just a warm up as she runs her first New York Marathon in November.

Good luck Shalane!

Some Inspiration for Nanowrimo...

If you're looking for a little inspiration for Nanowrimo, I've got just the read for you: Devils in Exile by Chuck Hogan.

Waaaaaay back in 1995, a young writer named Chuck Hogan put out an absolutely fantastic novel called The Standoff. The Standoff was a fictionalized retelling of the Ruby Ridge Standoff. Considering Hogan wrote it when he was 26, you knew there were a number of good novels waiting to be written by his hand...

But it took a while.

Hogan followed The Standoff with The Blood Artists in 1999. I'm not sure why it took him four years to write it, because - let's face it - it's not very good.

Then you're got Prince of Thieves, which Ben Affleck is coming out with in theaters under the name "The Town". Great novel. Has a bit of Dennis Lehane to it, which is never a bad thing.

Then Hogan co-wrote The Strain and The Fall with Guillermo del Toro. Haven't read them. I mean, vampires...right?

Anyway, Hogan just released his newest, Devils in Exile, and it's his best. I've always had a soft spot for the "revenge" novel and this one has layers and layers of revenge. Hogan has a real talent in showing his criminals and police as real people, and as he plays them off each other, showing just how similar they are.

Don't miss this one.

Summer is Sad...

but Fall seems quite happy!

I'm not sure if it's the increasing popularity of the triathlon - or maybe just my imagination, but it seems there are fewer and fewer running races in the summers months (but lots of triathlons), and more and more running races in the Fall.

Did it used to be that there were more running races in the summer? It sure seems like it. I know there didn't used to be three or four different triathlons on certain weekends in the summer like there are now.

Hmmm, who knows? But Fall seems to be the time...

Let's race!


RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20th TO SEPTEMBER 26th

September 25th / Priest Lake Marathon and Half-Marathon / Priest Lake, ID

September 25th / Black Diamond Long Course Triathlon and Duathlon / Enumclaw, WA

September 25th / St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration 5k / Boise, ID

September 25th / Arlington Airport Run for Hope 10k and 5k / Arlington, WA

September 25th / Run for Honor 5k / Lincoln City, OR

September 25th / Habitat for Humanity 10k and 5k / McMinnville, OR

September 25th / Cedar Creek Beach Challenge 5k / Pacific City, OR

September 25th / Run4US 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 25th / Indian Summer Half-Marathon and 5k / Richland, WA

September 25th / Valleyfest Run to Fight Hunger 10k and 5k / Spokane Valley, WA

September 25th / Freedom 5k / Bainbridge Island, WA

September 26th / Corvallis Fall Festival 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

September 26th / Running Water 5k / Sherwood, OR

September 26th / Black Diamond Olympic and Sprint Tri and Half-Marathon / Enumclaw, WA

September 26th / Fall Celebration 8k and 5k / Eugene, OR

September 26th / Rec the Capital 5k / Salem, OR

September 26th / Bellingham Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5k / Bellingham, WA

September 26th / You Go Girl! Half-Marathon and 10k / Tacoma, WA

September 26th / K-Rod Memorial 10k and 5k / Vancouver, WA

September 26th / Winthrop Marathon / Winthrop, WA

Best Running Song for September!

The year was 1992 and the band was STP.

These guys have the ultimate stereotypical rock band story: extremely popular with the public right from the start, with their first album, Core, but never critical darlings. The second album, Purple, was huge too, but then the drugs started. The lead singer, Scott Weiland, was in and out of jails and rehab centers for years in the 90's and the band only was able to put out four albums in eight years. Then fist fights between band members, the breakup, and all the side and solo projects. This year, nine years after their last album, a new release...

And it's their best album.

And here's the best song on their best album: Cinnamon. Sorry for the lame video, but the song is pretty new. I read they just did a video for it, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. I'll post it when I see it.

Back to the song. Very poppy for STP - nowhere near as rocking as some of their previous stuff, but it's just so catchy and happy! Not only is it a great song to run to, but It's a fantastic song to blast in the car as you're cruising down the road (sunny day required).

They played a different song on Letterman a while back, but I wanted to post it just so you can see how good Weiland looks. Let's hope he stays clean and healthy!


Past Best Running Songs:
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"

Eugene Women's Half Marathon Results!

Need your results?

Head over here!

Bonk Happy with FRS Healthy Energy!

Or not.

Hey, it sounded good. Citrus Pomegranate flavor. First couple ingrediants are Water, White Grape Juice and Orange Juice. Supposed to have a bunch of antioxidants.

How could it go wrong?

Well, if you didn't open the can, I guess it wouldn't...but I did.

As soon as I poured it in the glass, I noticed an "off" smell. I'm not even sure what it is, but it didn't smell good. So I took a taste. Same deal. There's a taste in there that shouldn't be in there. What was it? I'm not even sure. It just didn't taste...right.

So I went back to the ingredients. Hmmmm, only things on there that are possibilities are Inulin and Quercetin.

Wikipedia says Quercetin is a flavonol which may have inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Sounds good. Of course, it doesn't mention if it tastes like foot sweat, so I'm not sure if this is the culprit or not.

OK, Wikipedia says Inulin is a plant-based sugar replacement. Supposed to have some properties that are better than sugar. Also, does not mention how awful it may or may not taste.

So I still don't know why the FRS tastes funky, but I know it does. I couldn't choke down the whole can, that's for sure.

On the positive side, Payton drank quite a bit of it and said it tasted "pretty good." And he's more picky about food than I am, if that's possible.

So...I'm going to give it 3 "bonkers" purely on the taste. Who knows, if you can choke down the whole can, it might cure both cancer and the common cold, but I just couldn't do it. Payton says 7 "bonkers."

I guess we can average it out and give it 5 "bonkers" total. Good luck and Godspeed.

Ah, a boy's first pair of running shoes...

Truly, a moment to cherish forever.

You see, the oldest R child, that would be Payton, is heading off to middle school. And, after much cajoling, and...well, let's face it, bribing, he decided to join the middle school cross country team. And so, it was to pass that he needed to get his first pair of running shoes.

Real running shoes.

Sweet.

He picked out a pair of Brooks Adrenaline's - nice choice. And he's wearing a size 11.

A size 11...

Did I mention he's eleven years old?

Much like his Father, he is not going to have a marathon runner's build, I'm afraid.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 13th TO SEPTEMBER 19th

September 17th / Beaver Fever Sprint Duathlon / Philomath, OR

September 18th / Kirkland Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon / Kirkland, WA

September 18th / YMCA Hidden Springs Sprint Duathlon / Boise, ID

September 18th / Run Wild 8k and 5k / Eatonville, WA

September 18th / Free to Breathe 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 18th / Harvest Classic 8k / Nampa, ID

September 18th / Prefontaine Memorial 10k Run / Coos Bay, OR

September 18th / Good Samaritan Challenge 12k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

September 18th / Late Summer Madness Sprint Triathlon / Vancouver, WA

September 18th / Farmers Charity 5k / Hillsboro, OR

September 18th / Plutonium Man Half-Iron Triathlon / Richland, WA

September 18th / Oktoberfest Road Race 10k and 5k / Mount Angel, OR

September 18th / RunWenatchee River Run Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Wenatchee, WA

September 18th / Newport Half Marathon and 10 mile / Newport, OR

September 18th / 'Round UP on the Bluff 5k / Portland, OR

September 18th / The Grand Columbian Half-Iron and Olympic Triathlons / Electric City, WA

September 19th / Scenic Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Sandpoint, ID

September 19th / Trek Women's Sprint Triathlon / Seattle, WA

September 19th / Champoeg Half Marathon and 5k / St. Paul, OR

September 19th / BD50k and LD25k Trail Runs / Issaquah, WA

September 19th / Salmon Run 10k and 5k / Leavenworth, WA

Best Written Book of All Time?

With Nanowrimo right around the corner, I've been thinking about well-written books. What it takes to plan one, what it takes to research one, and of course, what it takes to write one.

And tonight, after reading The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, I think that particular children's book may be the finest example of writing of all time.

No. I'm not kidding.

Yes. I'm completely serious.

If you don't own a copy (and shame on you!) then go ahead and check it out from the library. Bring it home. And read it.

But don't just read it; read it out loud. Read it out loud like I did when I read it for the 101st time, to my daughter, tonight. Read it out loud and feel the flow, feel the rhythm, feel the energy and the heart that's poured into it.

Then think about how you could do something just as wonderful and powerful and fantastic yourself starting on November 1st.

Imagine the lives you could touch with your writing...

"Have no fear, little fish."


Some fun facts about "The Cat in the Hat", and the word cloud, come from best-children's-books.com. Thanks!

Autumn? Really?

Man, where did the summer go? Here we are, looking at the first week of Fall races. Talk about depressing...

But there are still a few triathlons out there...don't despair! In fact, this has got to be one of the busiest weekends of the year. Don't these people know we're back in school? Look at all these races!

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 7th TO SEPTEMBER 12th

September 11th / Aluminum Man Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / The Dalles, OR

September 11th / Seek Justice Challenge 10k and 5k / Sammamish, WA

September 11th / Glendive Badlander 10k and 5k / Glendive, MT

September 11th / Dayton Fiesta 10k and 5k / Dayton, OR

September 11th / MAC Dash Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon / Madras, OR

September 11th / Walk, Roll 'n' Run 8k / Portland, OR

September 11th / Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15k / Bellingham, WA

September 11th / Lake Stevens Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / Lake Stevens, WA

September 11th / Columbia Crossing 1.5 Mile Swim / Pasco, WA

September 11th / Seattle Swim Across America 2 mile and 1/2 mile swims / Seattle, WA

September 11th / Xtra Mile 11k / Vancouver, WA

September 11th / Cottage Lake Tri and Tri Again Sprint Triathlon / Woodinville, WA

September 12th / Aflac Iron Girl 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

September 12th / Pints to Pasta 10k / Portland, OR

September 12th / Seattle Escape from the Rock Sprint Triathlon / Mercer Island, WA

September 12th / Bank to Bay 10k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 12th / Rotary's Max Tri to End Polio Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / Vancouver, WA

September 12th / Skagit Flats Marathon and Half-Marathon / Burlington, WA

September 12th / Tri Turtle Tri Sprint Triathlon / Seabeck, WA

September 12th / Lincoln City Sprint Triathlon / Lincoln City, OR

September 12th / Spokane Olympic Triathlon / Spokane, WA

Watch Out! Nanowrimo Is Coming!

I know, it's hard to believe, but Nanowrimo isn't very far away. And take it from me, a three-time loser, it's never too early to start preparing for Nanowrimo! You can't be trying to think of a plot on November 1st....that just doesn't cut it.

So what's new this year? I'll tell you what - the wife of the R's, um, Mrs. R, is going to try Nanowrimo this year as well. Yikes! And she's challenging me - first one to 50,000 words! Double Yikes! And she says she has a plot! Yes! A Plot! Triple Yikes!

Hmmmmm, but what are the stakes of this little challenge...

To be continued...