Autumn Woods Classic

A tradition for us in the fall is running the Autumn Woods Classic in Elm Creek Park. We bike there as a family, Holly does the 5k, I do the 10k, Lilly does the 1k and we all get to play around with all the games and music.

Monday

• Speed work running:
  • 6 X (3:00 on, 2:00 walk/jog)
    
  • Loop around Sorensen Park
    
  • 1 mile hard back home
  
  
• Lilly rode her bike again (one block)
  
• We drew huge chalk pumpkins on the new driveways
  

Tuesday

• Rainy and cold
  
• 1 hr ride at the gym at work
  
• Indoor soccer
  
• Library
  
• walk with Boo
  

Wednesday

• Holly got a new job!
  
• Nice, cruising run at lunch
  
• Lilly swim class:
  
  
  
  
• Bike to Moonrock w/ Holly and Lilly for party after last Wednesday night ride. Fun to see everyone.
  

Thursday

• Long walk with Boo (AM)
  
• I went on roughly a 3 hour ride from 6 - 9
  • Route: my house, across the bridge and into the park, left turn and 1.5 laps throug the park, assorted roads through Champlin, by Dave & Diane's house to the dam, across the river to Coon Rapids and back up that side to Anoka
    
  • Elm Creek was testing out the lights on the ski trails. Boy, winter must be close. There was a point where I stopped and saw a really big buck standing right under one of the lights. I should have snapped a pic.
    
  • The Coon Rapids Dam walkway at night:
    
    
    
    
  • Anoka Halloween pumpkin:
    
    
    
    
  • I tested out my nice mountain bike lights to see if they still worked. I was pretty sure the battery was shot but it held out for 2+ hours at the lowest setting. They're a dual light head Light and Motion set with the low beam bulb burnt out. I'm jazzed the charge lasted that long - maybe some more night riding is in the future.
  
  
• Mike Berger is trying to get me to cyclocross race this weekend by questioning my manhood. That may be all it takes.
  

Friday

• 7 mile run w/ Joe at lunch. He was really hurting after the marathon. Nice, easy pace.
  

Saturday

• Autum Woods Classic
  • Holly ran the 5k. She was dissapointed with her time. She hasn't run since the Firehouse this summer.
    
  • Lilly ran the 1k kids race:
    
    
    
    And beat "Scoopie":
    
    
    
    
  • I ran the 10k and got 3rd overall (2nd in my age group). It was my fastest time (36:49 - 5:57/mile pace) - 40 seconds faster than last year.
  
  
• Home for lunch then to the "Anoka Rope Park". This park is a park I never thought I'd see in the days of helmets for everything:
  
  
  
  Jacob and Amelia came too:
  
  
  
  

Sunday

• I went up to Elk River and did 3 loops mountain biking (~2:15). The trail was nice and tacky and I just cruised along mindlessly. Very refreshing ride. My mind wandered most of the time only to be jarred back to reality when a tire slid a little or I buzzed a tree a little too close.
  
• Back home in time to bike with Holly and Lilly to the post office and library.
  
• Took the Waverunner out for probably the last time this year. The colors on the river are great:
  
  
  
  Lilly likes Waverunner rides:
  
  
  
  
• Lilly and I made apple crisp and even the communist Holly had a little bit. Mostly because I put in some caramel.