The Snowmobile Trip With No Snow

Day 1

I took a 3 day weekend to get out and enjoy some snowmobiling in Northern Wisconsin. The only problem? No snow. We've had an amazingly mild winter in Wisconsin, leaving even the most norther spots bare.

Needless to say we were pretty depressed on the 4 hour drive as we traveled further and further north with no snow in sight. We also had a sledding birthday party planned for our 2 year old son. It's pretty hard to have a sledding party with no snow.

We made it up safely and got settled in. We woke up the next morning to see 3 inches of fresh snow waiting for us. We let Nana take over diaper duty and got ready to hit the trails.

We got the snowmobiles fired up and headed out on the in-laws 120 acres to head to the country trails. We zigged and zagged and pulled a few U-turns. We were completely lost. There are a few old logging roads and it can get confusing on which one leads to the trails. After an hour of getting lost we decided we were late for breakfast and finally had to give up.

Day 2

After consulting her Dad, my wife found the right path (a down tree was throwing her off). It was nice to get out onto the trails and open up the throttle a bit.

My wife wisely marked where we turn of the trial with some ribbon so we knew we wouldn't get lost on the way back.

While she tied the ribbon I decided to get a pic of my little buddy hanging out on my sleeve. After a great breakfast at our favorite diner we headed back.

I snapped a couple more pictures as my wife untied the ribbon we used to mark the trail. I never imagined, growing up in the city, that I would be having so much fun in 10 degree weather. I am really starting to love these trips we take. I even put my iPod on to listen to some music while I'm riding.

We made it back safe and sound. We had Nana get our son dressed and he road around the front yard with us on the snow mobile. My wife even hooked up his sled to the back of the snowmobile and took him for a couple cautious laps around the house. He was in heaven and so were we.

Northwoods Trail Race

I recently got the pleasure of participating in a 4 mile trail race in the Woods of Northern Wisconsin. I brought my phone with so I could snap some pictures to remember the event. The starting line was a drive way on a 120 acre farm in Pembine, WI. The runners took their position and the race finally begun.
I had a great start and before I knew it there was only one runner in front of me once the race got under way.

We got a hearty cheer of Moos from the spectators looking on.

As we ran along the fence line, the sprawling farm grabbed our attention as we ran through the snow covered course.

We made it past the fence line and found our way onto the old logging roads that made up most of the course.
The winding roads made for a gorgeous winter scene out of a movie. One other runner and I continued to swap the lead. As he took back the lead I looked behind me and could not see another runner in sight.
The road gave way to an old narrow path and we struggled to keep our footing in the sometimes rough terrain. Luckily I had my Yak Tracks on, without them I never would have kept up with my agile competitor.We both got a bit lost but stuck together and back tracked until we found the path again for our out and back course. As we headed down the stretch we got a standing ovation from our fans. They cheered on loudly as we gave them quite an entertaining finish.

As we neared the finish line, I realized that my competitor's endurance and speed was out of my league. I ran a good race and finished strong. I was happy with my 2nd place finish. (I did have a 1st place finish in my age group)

I moved indoors and warmed up after a great race. Here's my race recap:

What it lacked in Water Stops, a Timing System, First Aid, and Trail Markers, it made up for in Uncrowded Courses, a Unique Spectator Experience, Low Registration Fees and Ability to Win Your Age Group. I must say the complimentary Hot Chocolate was some of the best SWAG I have ever gotten at a race.

My First Sub Zero Degree Run

After being sick off an on for a month, I am finally feeling healthy and hitting the road again.

Tonight I ventured out for my first subzero run. The bank sign on my drive home read -3 degrees. I've run in the cold and snow before but never this bitterly cold. Part of me was really excited to try out my Smartwool samples that were sent to me as part of the Smartwool Ambassador program. I was pretty much covered from head to toe in Smartwool like a kid playing with his new toys the day after Christmas. I set out for the run and it was awesome.

It was so quiet out. Since this was the first sub zero temps of the year, everyone was staying in (except yours truly). The only noise I could hear was my shoes crunching over the snow covered road. I don't know about you but my entire body gets the shivers when I hear the sound of snow crunching. I am typing this as fast as possible because just thinking about it is making me shiver. It's like nails on a chalk board to me.

I finally decided to put in my headphones to drowned out the crunching snow sound. I try to maneuver them and they won't bend. The rubber had tightened up and they were as stiff as can be in the freezing temperatures. I finally shove them in and get moving. As I work my way down the road I can start to feel ice forming on my eyelashes. Between my hat and my face mask, my eyes are the only thing exposed to the elements. I decided to leave the ice crystals so that I can see what it looks like when I get back.

The most impressive thing during my run is that I don't fall once. Training for a marathon this past year was disastrous when it came to catching my foot on uneven sidewalks, or wooden planks sticking up on pedestrian bridges, or slipping on the wet wood at railroad crossings. The snow and ice were not issues. Believe it or not I had to stop and strip off a layer because I was getting too hot at one point.

Toward the end of my run I can feel my self finishing a bit stronger in anticipation of looking in the mirror at the ice crystals that have formed on my face. When I got inside I looked like I had just climbed a mountain. It made the run that much more rewarding.

Trail Running is Amazing!

I spent Thanksgiving Day with my Dad in Kansas City. I was very thankful that my wife and family are supportive enough to let me leave for a couple hours to go on a trail run.

I scouted it out and after a short drive I was out on my first ever trail run. It was on the mountain bike trails in Smithville Lake Park, North of Kansas City. It was a gorgeous trail. It didn't take me long to ditch the iPod. It was clear I would need my ears open and my mind focused.

My legs were working but my brain was working even harder. The trail had my mind doing back flips when it usually zones out. I had to be aware to run around rocks, over roots, under trees, and through small streams. I heard some noises in the woods and I looked up for a biker. That's when I saw them. Big. Strong. Intimidating. They locked eyes with mine. He wasn't ready for anyone to come between him and his girl. He must have been a six pointer at least. Both deer, as if on cue, took off into the woods at the same time. They must have been about 30 yards away. It was an amazing feeling to be that close to nature.

As I continued running through the woods it reminded me of my childhood. Running through the woods with my older brother was a staple of my summers growing up. My brother and I haven't been close for nearly two decades. We really couldn't be anymore different. For some reason during that run, I couldn't help but think it would be nice to have him there. We have so few pleasant memories of each other. It would have been nice to share this experience, however simple it is, with my big brother.

Maybe I'll send him a text and see how he's doing.

Quitter 30k

I've always wanted to organize an event that discourages you to finish. I think the running community is so supportive it would be fun to turn things on their head and have as many discouraging aspects as possible.

I imagine drill instructors with bull horns shouting things like, 'you can't do it, just give up,' and 'you are nowhere near the finish line.' or 'quit now, there's cold beer right here.' What would be the most mentally defeating thing for you? Here are some of my ideas;

Cold beer if you quit, warm NA beer if you finish.

Tons of hills, Out and Back, Out and Back, again.

Cold weather and Hoses at every water station.

All mile markers are set .10 mi. shorter.

Fake finish lines. 'Just another 2 miles to go!'

Massages if you quit at mile 15.

Loud horrible music, everywhere.

Feel free to add your own.

My Maiden Marathon

Five straight days of work meetings that ran from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. No real control over my diet, including carb intake. Running in a climate I'm not accustomed to. Running an unfamiliar route. Ignoring the advice to get a good nights sleep two days before the race. Choosing to not have friends and family cheering me on in the stands.

These were a few of the many mistakes I made leading up to the Rock N Roll San Antonio Marathon. But we all make mistakes. The important part is that we all can learn from them. So here's my recap of the event.

I say goodbye to my co-workers and head to bed the night before the race. It was tough to do when you only get to see these people once every 4 years. But it had to be done. It was a long day. We had a day full of meetings and even volunteered at Camp Camp outside of San Antonio. It's a summer camp for kids with disabilities that allows them to get the camp experience and more importantly gives their families a much needed break for a week/weekend.

Going in I had no idea I would be swinging a pick axe to take out fence posts and hauling wood for repurposing for several hours the day before my first marathon. But you have to do what you have to do. With the company motto of being "All In," there was no way to skirt the task at hand.

So after making my rounds to say good bye at the hotel bar I head back to my room. I get everything laid out for the race in the morning and head to bed. During this corporate trip you get the pleasure of having a roommate. Mine snored. I laid awake listening to my iPod for the next 6 hours as I desperately tried to fall asleep. No use.

I "wake up," get ready, and head down to the race. I find my corral quickly and get ready. I've decided to take a friends advice and write my name across the front of my shirt. People along the race yelled out my name, cheering me on and it was pretty nice to have the support.

It takes about 40 minutes for my corral to get to the start. I can hear as they announce that the lovely Shalane Flannigan is running. A running podcast I listen to, 3 Non Joggers, mildly stalks her via social media (in a safe and good hearted way). I know very well she will have showered and eaten lunch by the time I cross the finish line and it has nothing to do with the 40 minute head start.

We get to the starting line and I feel fairly calm as I start out on my first ever marathon. The first mile was tough. My calf and shins are burning quite a bit through the first mile or two. It's unusual for me and made me a bit nervous that this race isn't going to go well. But it fades. As it does, my anxiety fades as well.

I hit my sweet spot. From mile 2-10 I feel great and enjoy the race. The Rock N Roll series does a great job of putting bands throughout the course to entertain both the crowds and runners. I am a little disappointed when I see the GU station has been ransacked by the previous runners. 19,000 of the 24,000 or so that ran are half marathoners. I am not too upset that the station is empty. I brought my own GU.

Around the 10 mile mark I start to get a bit cranky. Did the half marathoners really need all that GU? I do the math and I'm going to be one GU short. Grrr. I see a girl wearing a shirt that says 'I'm 13 and I'm beating you.' Yeah, well I have twice as much to run and I just passed you, I thought to myself. Just after the 10 mile mark we hit the point where the half marathoners turn left and we keep going straight for the full. I hit that split and what do I see...?

N O O N E !

The closest runner is about 75 yards in front of me. I glance back and the closest runner is about 50 yards behind me. I realize just how long of a day this is going to be. The crowds cheering us on thin out. Significantly. The heat becomes that much more noticeable. The neighborhood changes and there are no longer trees to shade us from the sun.

I should have known the challenge I had ahead of me when I saw the runners going the other way. They were on mile 23. They were tall, athletic, and shirtless. They were struggling. Some were walking. Some were sitting. I am not tall, athletic, or shirtless.

I continue to run at my snail slow pace. It's nothing new for me. But the heat that creeps over us is. My training runs were in 40 degree weather. I find out later it hits 87 F and 97% humidity. I believe it. It was hot. Every chance I get I soak my body in water in a desperate attempt to lower my body temp. I know my muscles have the endurance for the distance. I'm not so sure about the heat.

I drench myself in water. I put ice bags on the back of my neck. I rest in the City Busses they have provided as runner cooling stations. I keep moving forward. Sometimes I walk. Sometimes I run. I want to finish this race. I was smart enough to apply sunscreen but failed to realize I would be soaking myself with hoses every chance I get. My face starts to feel the Texas sun pounding on my cheeks.

At our meeting for work we had a motivational speaker come in and talk about how his life changed after a farming accident that left him a quadriplegic. It's hard to complain about your feet hurting when you realize the extent some people would go just to feel that pain in their feet. I keep moving.

It takes me a while. I take walk breaks, sit in the cooling stations, and even stop once to wring out my Smart wool socks after a hose operator intentionally sprayed my shoes and feet. Seriously? As I come to the last 6 miles I am grateful for the condition I am in. Some runners are limping on injured legs, refusing to give up. I see a young lady puke at the 26 mile mark.

I push on running when I can, walking when I must. I finally make the turn and run to the finish line. I cross the finish line and it doesn't quite set in that I just finished a marathon. I don't know if it's because I missed my target time by over 45 minutes. I don't know if it's because I'm desperately looking for water (they ran out at the finish line). I don't know if its because my feet hurt more than they ever had in my life. I still have to walk a mile to get back to my hotel.

As I catch my breath and pick up my swag bag I start to reflect on the journey that brought me to this moment. I ran 422 training miles to get to the starting line. I think of the hours I invested into training. I think of the hours my wife spent watching our son and worrying about me as I ran. On top of all that it was a long and emotional week. I fought back the tears. Had my wife and son been there, I probably would not have won that battle

Immediately after the race I swore I would never do another marathon. A couple days later I said maybe. Now that I'm home I'm already looking at which one I will run next. I want to shave an hour or so off of my time. Shouldn't be too difficult.

I get the chance to talk to some other marathoners at the airport. On one flight a marathoner tells me he turned left at the half marathon split, deciding to forgo the full and enjoy the beer instead. He is a wise man. One woman shares that she has run 20 marathons in 20 states. I ask her what was her best and what was her worst experience. She tells me this was tied for the worst.

So with my first and hopefully worst marathon in the books, it can only get better from here. Bring on the next challenge.

Marathon Mise en Place (Meeze-ah-ploss)

For those of you that don't know, my day job is related to the foodservice industry. On a recent visit to the Culinary Institute of America one of their Master Chefs talked to us about the most important thing to learn as a Chef. Simply put, his answer was Mise en Place.

Mise en Place, for those that don't know, is a french term meaning 'everything in place.' In the fast paced, zero tolerance for error, and high pressure environment set for top notch chefs, you can not afford to have things out of place. That plate that's late getting out or that corner you cut, might just end up in the hands of a food critic that could make or break you.

While getting ready for my first ever marathon, I couldn't help but feel I was practicing Marathon Mise en Place. Okay... I MAY be romanticizing it a bit (some do just call it a check list). But imagine setting out on your run without a crucial piece of equipment. No compression shorts, or sports bra, Glide stick, or Ipod?

Another important part of pre-race preparation is sleep. The key is to get a good nights sleep two nights before the run. I failed to do this. I had a long week. An emotional week. An exhausting week. I thought I'd be different. I thought, as tired as I am, I'll be able to sleep the night before the race. I could not have been more wrong.

Mise en Place, people! It's simple. Everything in it's place. And your butt's place, two nights before race day, is in bed.

The hardest part about running is that our harshest critic is always present for our runs.