Turkey Leg 5K

My brother and wife and I traveled to Willmar, MN for the Turkey Leg 5K. It was a morning which was crisp with a light dusting of snow falling as we ran. The opening pack took off quick and I maintained contact with the lead group until just before the first mile. I held out for a 7th place finish with a time of 19:16. I was first overall in my age group. My brother and I haven't had the chance to do too many races together, so this was a fun race to run with him. I took the picture of the postrace food, which I thought was unusual since this was a race with many children present, and you can see from the way the food was presented that it wasn't the most safe (the knives were present on the table in which they were presenting the food to the finishers). This picture also started the other trend for my brother and I to try to take the funniest post race food pictures at any races we do which we still continue to this day.

Rocky's Run

Dan and I did this double race day which is the first time I have done two races in the same day. Actually, I treated the first event as a race and then my brother and I jogged the 8K after the 5K. It was a beautiful course. The University of Minnesota Golf Course is well maintained with lots of undulating hills. It is also the site of the famous high school and college Griak race. In the 5K race, I finished with a time of 20:14 and was 33rd out of 214 overall. My pace was 6:31 min/mile and 4:03 min/km. In the second event, we slowed up to enjoy the 8K route and was 82nd out of 128 with a time of 40:08 for an 8:04 min/mile and 5:01 min/km pace. I actually ran into my old high school calculus teacher on the course as he was the official time keeper at the finish line of the event.

Tater Trot

Up until 10 minutes before the race, I was planning on running the 5K race. I was excited to try to set a PR in the 5K, but as I heard that many of the cross country runners I coached who were members of the National Honor Society were out at the water stations, I thought it would be fun to see them. I changed gears and attempted to run the half marathon instead. I hadn't run many long distance runs in several months, but I did manage to finish 6th overall, with a time of 1:28:15. I held 3rd place until the top of some hills at mile 7, and gave up two more places in the last mile of the race. But for not training for this distance, I was not too far off of my PR for that distance from Baldwin-Woodville's Uff Da Run.

Chequamegon XXV

This was my first mountain bike race. I raced the race on a rental bike as my bike was in the shop. Not ideal to be riding a bike you are not familiar with, but at least I was able to ride. I stopped two miles in to adjust my seat post, which was too low and I had not noticed that when I initially picked up the bike. It was a beautiful day and was wonderful for being able to gain some experience handling the trails. Luckily I didn't have to stop once, but I did have to walk the bike up the Firetower Hill. I think if there wouldn't have been such a big mass of people walking their bikes, I probably could have pedalled up the hill in low gear, but I will never know that. Unfortunately, that is an area where there tends to be a big bottleneck of riders since everyone slows down at that point. My goal was to finish in under 3 hours and my time was 2:52:52.8. I was 498th out of 1742 overall and 74/175 in age group.

2007 Cleghorn Harvest Fest 22 mile race

This was a relatively short 22 mile race, but was fairly hilly. The pace started off very slow. No riders wanted to share in trying to take the lead, so I pushed the pace. A couple of riders jumped on behind me and rode my wheel for the rest of the race until right before the finish. It was a good strategy for them, as I finished third overall with a time of 57:25.9, which was 1.7 seconds behind the first place rider.

Brill Woolly Mammoth Classic

This was a run in conjunction with the Brill Harvest Fest. 5K and 10K runs were run simultaneously on an out-and-back course. The 5K turn around-point is before the 10K turn-around point and happens on the scenic Ice Age Trail. My wife and I participated in this event. I did the 5K and ran a 19:20 time which was first overall. It would be nice in coming years to see this event grow, as it was a small race, but food was good and there was a nice awards ceremony afterwards.

Chris Kerr Memorial Race

I didn't bring all my aces to the table on this race. The Chris Kerr Memorial Race is 45 miles long and winds through the hills and countryside around Cameron, Wisconsin. About 3 or 4 miles into the race, I got dropped on the opening hill and couldn't maintain the speed of the rest of the group. I fought wind most of the ride and rode solo for much of the race. I felt great in that even though it was very windy and I rode solo, I still average over 20 miles per hour. My time was 1:49:48.0 and I was 41st out of 91 riders. I was seventh in my age group and the leaders were not anywhere in sight most of the race.

Boyceville Cucumber Run

The Boyceville Cucumber Run is a small race, but very challenging. There are some hills through the course which tends to wind through the countryside. I ran the 10K distance and had my PR for this distance of 39:19. I was 3rd overall out of 10 entrants. The winning time was 37:15 and the second place guy came in at 37:17, so I just missed second by seconds. The trophies you win for being top person in the race are cool. . .they are a model of a giant pickle crossing the finish line. I'd love to have one.

Firehouse 50

The pinnacle of the summer was the Firehouse 50 weekend. I participated as a biker and a runner. I am the third from the right side on the biking picture and am wearing red. The ride went well aside from a crash about 7 miles from the finish. I crashed out, and then was luckily able to get up and back on my bike in time to then pedal like a madman to the finish. Amazingly, I was able to keep a small group charging to the finish and I only lost a minute time on the peleton after the crash. I finished in 1:56.39.5 (58th overall out of 444 and 10th overall in my age group). The average speed for this race was 25.7 mph. The crash wiped out or slowed down probably 20 or 30 people. The following day, I ran the 9.5 mile hilly course in 1:03.10.1 (16th out of 104 and first in my age group). My pace for the run was 6:45 min/mile. In the Best of Both competition, I finished with a total time of 2:59.49.6 (4th out of 54). Photos by Kelly Randolph.

2007 Chetek CaRunBi Triathlon

This was the first year of the Chetek CaRunBi triathlon. It started off with a 1 mile paddle, a 9.5 mile bike, and a 4 mile "Fishy 4" run. I gained an early lead in the bike race and ended up winning the whole event, beating even the teams. I don't have exact times, but I was about 1:08 for the event.

Penokee Range Bike Classic

This race was very misleading. It was a wonderful ride through the hills of northern Wisconsin and should have been a predictable ride, but while it was labelled as a 45 mile ride, it was in actuality almost 48 miles. This made it very hard to predict the final stretch of the race. I wish the coordinators had made this known. This race was my best finish ever in a bike race, as I finished 4th out of 81 riders with a time of 1:52:26.2. I was also first in my age group. I am the sixth guy from the left in the opening pack in the picture of this race. Definitely a very hilly course.

Turtle Lake Turtle Trot

The Turtle Lake Turtle Trot was a 5K and 10K race which was held in conjunction with the Intercounty Fair. It is a loop course which is composed of some rolling hills and much open countryside. I ran the 10K race and finished in 40:16 which was a 6:27 min/mile average and 9.30 mile/hour average. I finished second overall. They have a nice pancake breakfast sponsored by the Turtle Lake Lions Club following the event.

Chetek Fishy Four

This was my first 4 mile race. The Chetek Fishy Four is a four mile flat (and hence. . .fast) course which travels south of town and is held in conjunction with the Libertyfest. I ran a 25:06 which equates to about a 6:16.5 min/mile time. I was ninth overall out of 345 runners. I am the guy in the upper left in the orange shirt. I was second in my age group.

Grandma's Marathon

3:29:06 chip time
666th overall
3:29:33 gun time
559th male
284th division place
sex place 559/4408
pace 8:00 min/mile
10K 42:42 13.1 mile 1:31:39
20 mile 2:29:56
last 10K 59:11

Rice Lake Aquafest 10K

My wife and I participated in the Aquafest 10K tonight. Local runner Tim Miller picked up the pace from the start and held a lead throughout the race. He cruised to victory, while I finished a close second and was first overall in my age group (30-39). It was a well-attended event, but it was very warm as it tends to be with this event. My time was 42:24. Four days later I participated in Grandma's Marathon, so I didn't want to wear myself out too much for this event. Pictures were taken by Valerie Leair of the Chronotype.

Cloquet Criterium

This bike race was one of the more challenging I have done. It was a race with 1 mile laps and the goal was to stick with the lead pack as long as possible. The race goal was to go 30 minutes and then to finish one more lap. Obviously the goal was to go as fast as possible and drop people quickly and make up ground. I finished 5th with a time of 32:49. I really got whooped on the last lap, as the lead people finished in 32:19. I was 30 seconds back and 2nd in the 30-39 age group. It was great as there were fast 90 degree corners and awesome downhills. At times, speeds hit upper-30 to lower-40 mph on the downhills.

South Range Cycling Classic

This was my first bike race ever. I didn't know what to expect. It consisted of two loops in the hills of South Range, Wisconsin. The pace started off very slow. Nobody wanted to take the lead. I lead the race the last several miles prior to crossing the halfway point of the race. Somehow I got blocked out as we were ascending the big hill in the picture and could not catch a breakaway group of seven riders who took off. I made an attempt to catch the breakaway, but to no avail. I was able to string a few other riders along with me but as the pace settled into a comfortable rate for the other riders, no one wanted to lead the race the last few miles, making this fall on my shoulders. With the finish line in site and making a gamble that the other riders in my group were content with not pushing the pace harder than they were, I made the decision to try a breakaway and it worked. I gained a separation on the group and no one in the second pack could catch me. A little bit of glory was found in a day where I was disappointed to miss the opportunity to finish in the first pack. I finished 8th overall in a time of 1:35:43.0 on the 35 mile course. I was second in my age group and had an average speed of 21.9 mph.

Baldwin Woodville Uff Da Run

Angela and I traveled to Baldwin for a second chance at the Uff Da Half Marathon. This was another year I planned to do Grandma's Marathon in Duluth. As always a nice preparation. I finished a little slower than last year at 1:28.19. I was fifth again overall, but first in my age group this year. I guess that's the benefit of getting older. It was a great run and the people at the run took lots of great pictures. Photos by Anderson Photography.

Boston Marathon

Probably the highlight of any distance runner's career is earning the trip to participate in a prestigious race such as the Boston Marathon. I promised my wife if I qualified for this race, we would go. I am glad I didn't disappoint her. This was a wonderful race with much history (111 years). I must say the amazing part of this race is that Heartbreak Hill really is as tough as they say. That point about 5-6 miles from the finish is where my energy was sapped. I could tell that I was the most tired at that point. The crowds, however, were awesome. So many people came out on this nasty day. A Noreaster storm came through the area and with such strong winds and rain, the night before the event they were unsure if it would even be held. Luckily, in the couple of hours before the event, things started to clear up, but it was not the nicest of days. I tend to thrive in the nonideal weather situations, however, so it didn't bother me. I was most proud of the fact that although going into the race I was bib # 5464 (which meant I was ranked 5,464th out of the runners in the marathon going into it), I finished in 3,138th place, so I made up more than 2,000 places relative to everyone else. I credit my training in Wisconsin's cold and snowy winters. It sometimes took a lot of ambition to get out and train on bad weather days. My time was 3:18:20 and I had an average pace of 7:34.

American Birkebeiner

The first Birkebeiner ski race I did almost didn't happen as a lack of snow kept everyone wondering if the race would be held. Race volunteers went so far as to scrape snow off of area lakes in an attempt to have enough snow to hold the event on. Even the day before the event, I had to keep checking the website to see if the race would happen. Because of poor conditions, the race was shortened to about half the distance and ended at Hwy O. No times were kept for this race except for the elite men.