Life After Headwaters

Leaves are changing and starting to come down. Little daylight left for evening rides, probably have around a month of outside riding left. Pretty soon we'll start to think about skiing.

Monday

• Ran 7 at lunch Quick tempo as I was trying to catch the guys who were only running 5. Everyone is getting ready for Twin Cities.
  
• Lilly is getting good at riding her bike w/o training wheels
  
  
  
  
• Lilly got 2 fish! (Alice and Kylee)
  
  
  

Tuesday

• Sprinkler system was winterized - it's fall
  
• Rollerblade 1 hr at lunch.
  
• Kick the ball and badmiton w/Lilly & neighbor kids
  
• Out to dinner w/Teresa (Moon Rock)
  
• Long (1.5 hr) walk w/Boo
  
• Twins loose playin game to Chicago

Wednesday

• 8 mile Anoka/Coon Rapids run
  
• Lilly swim class
  
  
  

Thursday

• Rollerblade 1hr at lunch
  
• Saw Alberto Salazar talk at Medtronic over lunch
  
  
  

Friday

• 9 mile Champlin run (w/ a headlight)
  
• St. Croix boat cruise for work - nice colors, great day, a few beers - very nice
  
• Play in the neighborhood 'til dark
  
• Jimmy John's
  

Saturday

• Mountain biking w/ Dave Hoglund
  • Lebanon Hills (technical)
    
  • Murphy Hanerhan (roling single track)
    
  • Both were very fun
    
  • Dave hooked me up with some illegal beers
    
  • Great time - 1st time at both places
    
  • Maybe I'll race mountain bikes next year
  
  
• Boating trip with the neighbor kids
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Bike to campfire at Neil's
  

Sunday

• I did one lap around the park with Lilly in the trailer. Wet ground but no rain while we were riding.
  
• Bought and installed a new microwave (over the range)
  
• Mowed the lawn
  
• Lilly is...Bat Girl!
  
  
  

Headwaters

Headwaters this weekend. Somehow, for some reason I'm racing it again. It's all cool - I was just looking forward to it being lower key this year.

Monday
7 mile run - legs are a little hollow from the 175 this weekend.
Ride to the library w/ Holly & Lilly -
Monkey Lights blazing on the way home.

Tuesday
1hr walk w/ Boo (AM) - warm / light rain
2hr ride w/ Bernie & Neil (PM)
2+ laps in the park after the monsoon
Same ride as the week before Headwaters last year
(minus Bernie's blowout last year)

Wednesday
8 mile (Anoka/Mercy Hospital) run
Medtronic Daycare 1year anniversary


Old Chicago for dinner and a Sam's Octoberfest
Starting to feel sick

Thursday
Woke up with a screaming sore throat
Ran 1hr at lunch w/Boo
(he went to work so we can drop he and Lilly off afterwards)
Drive to St. James to meet Holly's family and
drop off Lilly and Boo.

Friday
Worked from home (sore throat, stuffy)
Rode an easy lap in the park to test out
the race bike.
Rode the Waverunner a while.
Packed up and drove to Park Rapids.
Holly and I ate at the Countryside Diner (Motley, MN)
Beer then bed.

Saturday
Headwaters 100
Great weather!
Rode well, off the front a couple times,
tried to animate the race a little towards the end.
Two strong guy off the front all day.
Dave went down in the last corner. Ugh.
I guess that's just racing.
Ate, bougth towels at Pamida and scrambled for the resort.
Showers, beers, dinner.
TSH Solo presentation by Tim Case.
Team videos by Jay.
Great time around the fire with a
quick game of "Bob Dahl"

Sunday
Woke up super stuffed up with a little headache
Ate eggs, toast, hash browns and coffee 12 minutes
before the mountain bike race.
Showed up to the race 1 minute late (everyone was gone).
Rode the race by myself.
Didn't do too bad considering...
Packed up and drove to Itasca State Park.
Toured around the park on bikes with Jay, Jorge and Neil.
Saw the headwaters and dipped a rock for Lilly.
Drove back to Anoka and ate at Billy's
Drove to St. James to meet Holly's parents with
Lilly and Boo.
Home at 10:30, bed time!
Ugh...drove 8 hours today.

Cyclocross Season

I don't have the Cyclocross bug. At all. Maybe that will change. I didn't want to race until after Headwaters last year. But then again I was racing at Headwaters last year. We'll see.

Monday
1 hr walk w/Boo - full moon was gorgeous off the river
Mow the lawn.
Curse at the moles.
Tore the microwave out of the wall (it is broken).

Tuesday
7 mile run - quick tempo (AM)
Trailhead ride (PM)
- What a great group - they all waited for me at the start.
- "The Local" loop in the dark after the ride
- Beer and pizza w/ Dave, Diane, Brecka and Neil

Wednesday
Rollerblade over lunch.
- roughly 10 miles in just over an hour
- felt like an easy bike ride
- pretty good addition to workout routines
Lilly swim class



Thursday
9 mile Champlin run
- ran through the park by the light of the moon
Lunch w/ Lilly, Rob and Wade


Waverunner rides for everyone! (all the neighborhood kids)
Walk through downtown with Boo.

Friday
Rollerblade loop at lunch.
Lilly built a geat tower at preschool.


"Frog" park w/ Lilly, Hailey, Jacob and Mia.
Hailey found a crawdad and a tiny turtle!




Saturday
100 miler from Trailhead
We all ate at the Herdman's Bakery in Cambridge
Back south to Anoka finishing on the trails
Great ride!



Mowed the lawn.
Gassed up the Waverunner
4square with the neighbor kids
Rocket Park


Sunday
Chili dog ride with the Daves. (Hemi & Groez)
Ate like I was at the State Fair.
Lilly and I rode the Waverunner to the "Frog Park."
Rode w/Lilly to UPS to drop off Holly's package
and to the "Target Park" for some fun.
4square with the neighborhood

Fall?

My father-in-law says we'll have snow on the ground by Halloween. Up until this weekend I would have said he was crazy.

Monday
8 mile Mercy Hospital run.
Soccer in the back yard w/ Lilly and Hailey.
Yard work while they played "prison" with the soccer net.
Caught another mole.
Dog Park after dinner.





Oil change on the 4Runner
- watched GB beat Vikes

Tuesday
Ride to the dam and back on the Anoka/Coon Rapids side.
Holy cow - it's 45 degrees.
Andrews Park w/Lilly before the Trailhead ride.



Trailhead ride. Only enough daylight for the 144.
Nice ride. Seemed relaxed but we averaged 21.

Wednesday
1+ hr Champlin ride on the green bike
Lilly's swim class (talked to Mike W).



Sorensen Park w/ Lilly, Mia, Jacob and Hailey.

Thursday
Patriot Day. Wow. 7 years.
Ran 9 mile Champlin route.
BW3 w/Justin & Wade.
Lilly rode her bike w/o training wheels again.
Had the neighbor kids over for dinner (homemade chicken noodle soup).



Holly had a flat and a used cartridge north of Elk River -
drove up to pick her up.

Friday
Biked to work/school w/Lilly!
Zantigo w/ Wade and Rob.
Stopped at the park on the way home.



The 1st Chamnoka ar Ride - with Monkey Lights!
- Started at 8:30
- Hit Moon Rock, 5-8, Mavericks
- In bed at 2:00
Pulled into Maverick's lot with the monkey lights blazin'.
Dude in the parking lot says,
"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen."
30 seconds later a guy comes into the lot riding a 2-stroke powered Igloo cooler with wheels.
No lie.
Dude in the parking lot says,
"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen."

Saturday
4hr ride from Trailhead
Rain starts north of Elk River, Jorge gets a flat (cut tire) and everyone
is ready to bag it (after Mike volunteers to be the "pussy").
Despite the rain it wasn't really cold.
Ride back to the shop and do a loop down
to the dam and back up the Coon Rapids / Anoka side with
Steve, Dave and Dave. In case you were counting at home
there were 3 Daves (out of 8 riders).
I was tired. My head hurt if we rode hard.

Sunday
French toast for breakfast.
Lilly and I played inside games as it was raining like crazy.
McDonald's Playland w/ Lilly and "the neighbor kids"



~14 mile (13.7, I think) run
- Anoka - Coon Rapids Dam loop
- The Dam(n) Run
I was soaked by the end and only cold in the last couple miles
Chicken & 40 Cloves for dinner

Beth and Geoff

Beth and Geoff are here this weekend from CO.
3-day work week!

Monday
Labor Day
9-mile run through Champlin
Lilly and I drove down to Albert Lea to drop off the
green boat with Forrest.
Dropped Holly off at work (she brought her bike to get home).
Swimming in the river.
Walked to the park.
Biked back to the park to get my phone bag.

Tuesday
1hr ride (AM)
Bought a wakeboard from Pinewski's
Trailer train around the neighborhood
2+ hr ride around Champlin
Picked up my RAAM finisher's jersey from Trailhead

Wednesday
Slept in (Holly had to work early)
Run at lunch with Joe, Todd, Eric, Patrick
Lilly's swim class

Bought a used Waverunner

Thursday
Nothing in the AM as Holly had to go in early again.
Ran at lunch with Todd and Eric.
Learned how to use $100 Cera LF ski wax (coffee grounds).
Rode the Waverunner. It'll do 60mph. Whoa...
Wakeboarded on new board.
Probably came the closest I've ever come to having a concussion.
Zantigo burritos.
Picked up Beth and Geoff from the airport.

Friday
2 lapper in the park on my green bike
Now it has bar ends. Man, I love that bike.
Disc golf.
BW3.
Tubing on the boat (Grandma tubed!).
Sunflower chili.
Holly and I got spanked at volleyball by Beth and Geoff.
DQ.

Saturday
9-mile Champlin run.
Pancakes.
Fleet Farm w/Dad and Lilly.
Weeded the landscaping while Lilly rode motorcycle w/Grandpa.
Waverunner - check out the hair!


Tubing on the boat.
Geoff and Beth rode the big tube sitting up. Hillarity.
I rode the big tube and was airborne. More hillarity.
Caught in the downpour in the boat right before the bridge.
Beer in the sunporch.
BBQ at Q-Fanatic.
Movie w/Rusty and Reggie.

Sunday
Saw everyone off.
Rode ~2 hrs on the green bike while
Holly and Lilly watched a movie.
Mowed the lawn.
McD's playland.
Waverunner w/Lilly.
Pizza.

Good weekend!

State Fair

Our state fair is a great state fair.

Monday
9-mile run through Champlin
Half day for the State Fair!
Food, rides, animals, art exhibition,
activities (sewing/cooking/super awesome kayak)
Lilly fell asleep on the bus on the way home






Tuesday
1+ hr ride - 610 and back (AM)
Lilly came super close to riding w/o training wheels!
3 loops in the park (PM)
Saw Tom C and talked cyclocross, waterskiing and chili dogs

Wednesday
5 mile run w/Wade at lunch. Very nice.
Rode with Lilly to the library after dinner.
Lilly beat me at Candyland.

Thursday
1 hr run in the park (about half was in the dark)
Dropped Rob off at the cycle shop in Ramsey.
Pulled over for "illegal U-turn" on hwy 10.
"Summer sledding" (big wheels down the grass sledding hill)

Friday
Biked to work w/Lilly.
Forgot her helmet at home so she rode in the trailer
on the way to work and borrowed her "school helmet"
for the ride home.

Saturday
Biked to Elk River to mountain bike.
Met Rob for a lap and a half.
~ 1hr up there (15 mi),
3 laps (21 miles),
~ 1hr home (15 mi) (WINDY)
Had to make a choice right away in the morning
as the mountain bike trails are a right turn:


Boated with kids (swimming off the boat)
Gopher football game w/Neil, Craig, Kyle.

Big 10, Town Hall (never again) for food and beers
Walked through campus

Sunday
Took the green boat out of the water:
Lilly and I drove the trailer to the landing,
played at the park and walked home. Started up
the green boat and drove down to the Rum River.
The boat died and I couldn't restart it.
Luckilly the wind was blowing just right to take us to
the Point Park docks. Tied it up and walked home.
When Holly got home from the Chili Dog ride I walked
back over and got someone to tow me up the rum.
One person denied me saying, "I would, but we're not going
that way." Jeez, thanks - it's all of 5 mintues.
---
Golfed at Green Haven with Rob.
Rob and I met Holly and Lilly at Moonrock afterwards.

End of Summer?

I've heard a few people talk of the end of summer. Even one who believes we're in for a very early winter. All I know is it is dark longer.

Monday
1 hr ride through Champlin
Swim (wade) with Lilly and Hailey - they caught minnows
Made quesadillas on the grill
Mowed (baled) the lawn
Setup the mole traps...we've gotta have an army of moles out there

Tuesday
9 mile Champlin run - felt great - nice cruising pace (AM)
Rode to St. Paul and back (~ 60 mi) - from Mpls to Anoka in the dark

Wednesday
1 easy loop in the park
Swimming w/Lilly
Trailer train to Rocket Park
Rode the trail-a-bike over some ramps in the skate park

Thursday
1hr run in the park

Friday
1hr ride AM
Badmiton with Hailey
Slow night bike cruise through Anoka.

Saturday
Ride to errands
Fast tempo run (Anoka-Coon Rapids 8 mile route)
Skiing

Sunday
Chili dog ride
Dave, Carol, Mike, Noah and me
I'm the only one manly (stupid) enough to do the chili dog
Beer at Dave's afterwards
Skiing
Tubing (Jacob tubed from the dam to the bridge)

Okoboji Vacation

Summer vacation at the "Iowa Great Lakes"
Tuesday - Sunday

Monday
1+hr run in the park
Jeez my legs are feeling tired

Tuesday
1hr ride (AM)
Trailhead ride (PM)
Holed out the rain shower in the Lion's club
shelter in Rockford.
Bernie rides faster the less he rides.

Wednesday
1.5hr ride (AM)
Drive to Okoboji.
Arnold's Park.



Made homemade pizza for dinner.

Thursday
Ran around East Lake Okoboji (14.5 mi).
Wizard of Oz play at Okoboji Children's Theater
Ate tacos at the Taco House.
Sat at the pool.
Swam with Lilly on the lily pads.
Boated & skied - realy calm for Okoboji
The Barefoot bar and Braco's for some LI Iced Teas.

Friday
50 mi ride with Holly.
Quiet Iowa county roads.
She pushed well and I was along for the ride.
My liver hurts.

Saturday
Ran 1hr on Iowa county roads. Very nice.
Drove to Sioux Center
Trampoline, sand volleyball, 4square, town biking

Sunday
Boating on Okabena Lake in Worthington, MN
Picnic with Holly's family
Pizza in St. Peter
Home around 9:30pm.

4Runner Took a Poop

Let's see how we do with one car. Thank goodness it's summer.

Monday
Rode to work.
Drove down to Rochester to pick up Lilly!

Tuesday
Rode to work w/ the trailer train, Lilly got a ride w/ Holly.
Rode home w/ Lilly.
1st to the store to get stuff for National Night Out.
Saw Erik @ MGM.
Home for party. It was great!

Wednesday
The 4Runner is fixed. The insert worked.

1hr run in the park
Caught a ride to/from work w/Holly.
Rode to the grocery store after Lilly went to bed.

Thursday
Trailer train to work while Lilly drove with Holly.
"Tour of Parks" after work with Lilly.
Saw a reggae band at Coon Rapids Dam ("The damn park")
Shared a cone with Lilly at DQ

Friday
9-mile run
Mowed the lawn
Beers at Neil's

Saturday
Rode to Duluth/Superior to pick up 4Runner w/ Dave
160 miles in ~ 8 hours ride time
Dave was really strong for almost the entire ride
Before Lunch:
We averaged over 20 for the first 70 miles (Hinkley)
Slight headwind
Then we "toured" (read: rode side by side at 19.5) on the trail
I bonked bad
Lunch:
I had a burger and Dave had a steak
at Peggy Sue's in Willow River
After Lunch:
The wind is now close to 20mph
I could hold around 18 or so into wind after lunch
but didn't have any more than that
Gatorade G2 saved me in Carlton
The bridge into Superior was super cool and pretty windy
The 4Runner is back!
A big Thank You to Dave for going along and keeping me going

Sunday
Ran an easy 4 miles
Waterskied close to a half hour (3x ~ 10 min runs)
Wow am I beat

Firehouse 50

Firehouse is this weekend. Should be a great time.

Monday
1 hr run in the park - felt great
Tubing on the river
Bike to "Pumpkin Store" for Sunset Wheat

Tuesday
Trailhead group ride
Last day of Lilly going to Diane's

Wednesday
9-mile run
Dropped Lilly off with Grandma Julie
Got to Rochester early and played at a park before Roscoe's

Thursday
Rode to work.

Friday
Rode to work.
Left early to mow the lawn and head up to Grand View.

Saturday
Firehouse 50 2 person TTT w/ Holly
Finished around 2:20 ~ 21.5 mph
6th in our age group
Hilly - really accentuated our biking differences
4Runner broke down after the bike

Sunday
Firehouse 15k run
1:00:54 ~ 6:30/mile
Finished 10th overall, 2nd in age group
Hard, Hilly, Hot
Limped the 4Runner to the Toyota dealer in Superior, WI @ 35mph
Caught a ride home with Dave and Diane.