From the Back of the Pack
I might always be in the back of the running pack, but I'm addicted to it! When I miss more than a day it affects my energy, attitude, and the rest of life in general! I have had a lot of "character" building runs in the deep snow, extreme nose hair freezing cold, ankle high rain, and gale force winds over the past twenty five years and find some of those days to be the most peaceful rewarding outings of all! I'm one of those runners who is slow and steady, but goes forever and ever without ever getting tired.
December 30, 2007: FLAT DRY AND TRAFFICLESS
I remembered a place I used to like to run and went there today with the pooch. This place is as flat as a pancake, free of snow, free of ice, and has virtually no cars. You can run forever it seems on this one very straight road. If you go towards Superior Municipal Forest, go down 28th from Kame apart and turn left one road turn prior to the parking lot, there it is...no ice, no snow, no cars, and no hills. Kinda really boring, but it is a place to run. If you park in the lot for skiing, just turn right out of the lot when you run and take your first road to the right.
Anyone find any other good places? I'd love to know!
Skiing is awesome everywhere too! Anyone want to skate ski with me?
December 25, 2007: Nordic Sprint Races
THE CHARACTER BUILDING NORDIC SPRINT RACES AT TOOK PLACE AT SNOWFLAKE NORDIC CENTER TODAY, DECEMBER 23RD AT 10:00AM WITH A COUPLE MODIFICATIONS DUE TO THE BLIZZARD-LIKE CONDITIONS. THE REGISTRATION FEE WAS WAIVED, THE RACE FORMAT WAS MODIFIED, AND A SPECIAL WAIVER WAS CREATED BY NIKOLAI THAT READ:
“YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS COLD AND WINDY AND YOU SHOULDN’T RACE BECAUSE IT’S HARD AND YOU COULD HURT YOURSELF, BUT YOU ARE LOW ON BRAINCELLS AND WANT TO DO IT ANYWAYS.”
THIS WAS A UNIQUE TYPE OF WAIVER IN THAT EVERYONE JUST SIGNED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ABOVE STATEMENT.
DOUG THE WONDERFUL VOLUNTEER GROOMER CONTINUED PACKING DOWN THE TRAILS REPEATEDLY UNTIL IMMEDIATELY PRECEEDING THE START OF THE FIRST OF FOUR HEATS. SNOW WAS COMING DOWN AT SUCH A FAST RATE THAT THE GROOMING WAS UNAPPARENT DESPITE THE OVERZEALOUS EFFORTS!
THERE WERE 8 BRAVE MALES AND 4 WEATHER RESISTANT FEMALES IN THIS SNOWY COMPETITION. THIS 1K EVENT HAD FOUR HEATS, EVERY SKIER PARTICIPATED IN EACH OF THE FOUR HEATS. WOMEN STARTED ABOUT 30 SECONDS OR SO BEHIND THE MEN EACH TIME. SOME OF THE TOP SKIERS IN THE COUNTRY WERE PRESENT AT SNOWFLAKE TODAY!
VIDEO CLIPS OF THE BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS DURING THIS RACE CAN BE VIEWED ON YOUNEWSTV AND YOUTUBE. RESULTS AND PICTURES ARE POSTED ON SKINNYSKI AND DULUTHXC.
December 21, 2007: OCEAN RUNNING??
If you have not yet run at Park Point...this is the time to do it! The crowds are missing, it's peaceful as heck, and a great place to run with the dog! Way back by the airport you can go through the fence to the dirt road and run down to the end of it. Once you get there, if you go left up the wooden bridge, it takes you into the woods on a trail that has been well packed by others so it's awesome for running on! Once the end of that trail is reached, I like to cross out to the beach on one of the many packed trails to the water. In the winter the beach is nice and firm, not much if any snow or ice, it's great footing! Even if it's windy, when you run in the woods, the wind doesn't get to you! You can run on the beach with the wind at your back and then go to the woods to run into it!
Now that the description part is over...every time I run there, the ice and water present my eyes with spectacular new views. Last year many times it was like the white tundra of the Arctic...it seemed to transport me to a winter wonderland other than Duluth. Last week when we were there, There were about four feet of sculpted ice around the "edge" of the water. Today the ice on the water was absent and there were various mini ice sculptures on the beach. It sounded like the ocean with the waves mildly crashing onto the sand. It was like the best of both worlds...crashing waves, good footing, and cool temperatures with snow! Paradise for the winter lover?
I personally prefer Lake Superior over the ocean because nothing will eat you ,sting you, and the water is nice and crispy clean!
If you need an escape and revitalization from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I guarantee this will take care of it!
December 5, 2007: SNOW AND WAVES
What a unique experience it was tonight running along the lakewalk in the near zero temps that were actually below zero if you factored in the wind, which made it like -5 or something and then remembered that it is the "new" windchill chart so it was really like -15 or something like that...that feeling in combination with the sounds of crashing waves...and the wondrous sight of a giant red ship sitting in the middle of the lake waiting for something.
Only in Duluth?? It sounded like the ocean, felt like Antarctica, (or what I assume it feels like on a warm day) and looked like well, Duluth.
It was neat...I know I passed Lisa and were those eyes sticking out behind the mask you Kris? I think they may have been?? Laambeaux makes me easy to spot!
It was a great run, snow instead of ice, no wind, and beautiful experiences for the senses!
December 1, 2007: PEACEFUL SNOW RUNNING!
Today Laambeaux and I decided to run on the Lakewalk for the first time. She did a great job with her harness and the footing was not a bit slippery as I had feared. The snow was coming down at the rate of about an inch an hour or more and the growing winter wonderland was absolutely beautiful! I was very suprised that we only ran into two other people during our entire 4 mile journey! It's Duluth! Aren't people supposed to run outside and enjoy it when it snows? Oh well, it made for a great peaceful run!
Now I have a question...where have people found good places to run in the winter that are lit and ice free? Now that I have a four legged friend to run with, I need to find more safe places to take her where she can be on her harness and I can stay on my feet!