Superior 25k Race Report

Well, I did it - and with a smile!

I actually had a blast on this run. Wore the heart rate monitor (though didn't pay too much attention to it except on the long uphills). Finished the race passing folks - on the trail portions - and pretty happy. Legs feel good (it is 5 hours later as I type this).

So, for those folks who do not know this race: It is run in conjunction with the Superior 50K on the Superior Hiking Trail between Lutsen and Oberg Mountain and back. (http://uppermidwesttrailrunners.com/superior/index.html).

The Superior Hiking Trail is narrow (18 inches) with a lot of rocks, roots and hills. This race starts and ends at the Caribou Highlands Lodge at Lutsen. This equates to about .6 miles of "road" at the beginning and end of the race. The starting elevation is about 1300 feet. You ascend to 1650 feet within the first mile or so, then descend back to 1300 feet and repeat a couple of times, with a descent to 1100 feet thrown in before hitting the turn around at 7.2 miles and 1296 feet. These are not gradual ascents and descents. if you look at the trail on a topographic map, the contour lines are very close together.

The great thing about trail running is that you are not expected to be able to run up all of those hills. Power walking is about the best you can do (unless you are a running god/goddess). Descents can be a blast though - if you can keep your feet under you and don't roll an ankle.

The race course was complicated by a lot of downed trees. Just as you would get a nice pace going on Moose Mountain you would come upon another downed tree that had to be got over, under, or gone around.

The race directors did a great job of marking the trail though and the only time I wandered off course was when I was cruising downhill and followed the trail rather then the reroute. This always ended in a tree top, so no problem with getting too lost ;-> I appreciated that the flagging was on the end of wires (straightened clothes hangers) stuck in the ground. There was not much opportunity to lift my eyes off the trail in front of me.

The start of the race was a bit crowded and I ended up running with groups of folks for the first 7 miles. I am not used to this and it is hard to watch the trail ahead of you when it is obstructed by feet.

A couple of miles from the turn around (and the only aid station) I knew I was having trouble with a blister on my right heel. At first I thought I might just have dirt stuck in the back of my shoe. I had taped the area before starting as a precaution as this has been a recurring problem with these shoes. I ended up pulling the tape off as it had bunched up and was making matters worse. Got to the aid station, begged some tape off of the folks there and covered up the bloody mess that was my heel. Retied my shoe, filled up my water bottle and headed back down the trail (really up the trail as it had been a descent into the aid station).

Had to stop three times in the first mile to retie my shoe as it was too tight and really hurting the top of my foot. Finally got it right and continued on. The sun was shining and temps must have hit the mid-60's , especially in the valleys. Hot!!! Well, at least to this girl from the north country.

One of the best parts of this race - and something not mentioned on the race website - is the spring wildflowers:
Dutchman's Breeches(http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DICU)
and
Carolina Spring Beauty (http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CLCA)
blanketed the forest floor alongside the trail for miles. The blue skies guarenteed the Spring Beauty's would be open, showing off their pink pinstripes. Saw lots of Marsh Marigolds - buds only. Heard Ovenbirds and a couple of warblers (don't ask species, I am terrible with warblers). I think I had a permanent smile on my face when I passed through the sections with all the flowers. Pretty sure I saw a couple of patches of:
Adoxa moschatellina(http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ADMO&photoID=admo_003_ahp.jpg) also.
Both the Adoxa and Carolina Spring Beauty have "Special Concern" status in Minnesota. This is due to their relative rarity.

I think I ran the second half at the same speed (or slightly slower) than the first half. Hard to tell as I was having issues with the chrono feature on my watch and didn't check it at the turn around. Felt great on the way back though and was able to pass a few folks on the downhills as well as the uphills (a rarity for me!).

I had a blast running down the last hill. Nothing funner than some technical single track!

Finished in 3:02. I am quite happy with that time. First race of this distance ever. First long-distance trail race outside of the NMTC series (longest of which is 9 miles and on a road).

Next up: Trail marathon?!

In 14.5 hours...

I will be starting up Moose Mountain in Lutsen on a 25k (15.2 m) race. What will you be doing???

In 10 - 12 hours I will be waking up, preparing some breakfast and coffee (the all important elixar of life), topping off the gas tank, picking up 3 other runners and heading up Hwy 61 for the 2 hour drive to Lutsen.

Right now I am contemplating what to pack for clothes. It is raining, not that I was expecting the trail to be dry anyway. It may be raining - off and on - tomorrow. Temperatures are predicted to bottom out around 40 and reach a high of 50.

Tights or shorts? Long sleeves or short? Vest? Rain coat? Pack one, wear the other? Layers are a good idea, until you try to figure out what to do with them while running through the woods. I think I may be safe to leave the mittens and wool hat at home. Maybe I will pack them anyway in case the wind is off the Lake.

My plan is to have everything packed and ready to go, with my base layer laid out and ready to put on. I am not a morning person (this may be an slight understatemnent), so cannot leave packing until the morning. I am still trying to figure out what to do about my orthotics.

They are custom-made, but only half-length. This means with every new pair of runnng shoes I take out the stock insoles, cut them, and use the toe bits for the front of my foot with the orthotic for the arch and heel. Works well except.... when my shoes (specifically my left) get really wet. Then the toe bit slides back and over the orthotic. Not too uncomfortable during short runs, but I am not sure I can put up with it for 15 miles.

Did I mention I wxpect to have wet feet tomorrow?!

Yeah. Options include:

1. Not wearing the custom orthotics, but using my as-yet-uncut stock insoles and hoping that the nature of this trail race and my motion-control shoes keep me from an injury caused by over-pronation.

2. Use my insoles and orthotics as I usually do, stopping on occasion to readjust if need be (mucking up my race time).

3. Gluing or taping the stock insole toe bits in place so they cannot slide over my orthotics.

Any suggestions???

Sometime within the next week look for a race report on my first Superior 25K (and my longest race ever).

Ran only one time since last Sunday - part of my taper plan, minus a couple of runs. Did bike to work today, and home - up hill. I took it very easy as I do not want to tire my legs out now.

The NMTC Goat Run was a good time, though I was swayed by my peers to follow a "new" trail that took us off course and may - or may not - have shortened our total run. Not sure of total distance, though I did not shave off that much time compared to previous years. I have been averaging about 5 minutes faster at each race this series.

The standings for the series have been posted on Northland Runner. Consistency and showing up really do pay off ;->

OKC: Still working on the Baby Surprise and still neglecting my other two projects.

Tick Number Two

Ran 15k today (9 miles). Longest of the NMTC "races". This one is all on roads, a mix of paved and gravel since the City decided to dump tar on parts of it. So, how did a wood tick manage to follow me home?

Must have been the short detour into the woods prior to the start of the race. This guy/gal was persistant! I didn't notice it until I had been home for awhile, showered and saw it climbing on my running tights which were hanging on the bedroom door. Needless to say, I have spent the rest of the afternoon and evening checking out any crawling sensations.

Run went well. Wore my heart rate monitor, though did not stay within my long run range (Zone 3 - 142-163 bpm). My average was 169 bpm, but I was chatting the whole time with another runner and never felt winded - even on the uphills.

Weather was better than predicted, but the "breeze" was a bit stiff at times. Funny thing was - on the out and back, hilly, winding course - we ran into the wind both on the way out and on the way back, with the wind being especially annoying near the finish.

No attacks by birds. Not much in the way of wildlife, other than the tick and some birds singing. Couldn't see any wildflowers from the middle of the road, though the woods surrounding this part of Skyline are full of wild leeks and they are pretty easy to spot at this time of year. Soon the large-flowered trillium will be out, and they are quite a show in this area.

Six days to the race. Only runs planned this week are a couple of two milers on Tuesday and Thursday and the NMTC Goat Run (5K) on Wednesday.

OKC: Few more rows done on the Baby Surprise, getting close to the neck decreases. I was asked today at the race about making a hat for one of the runners. I usually donate one for the end of the year potluck so he may just have to wait :->

It's the Little Things

Seen on runs this past week:

Hepatica in bloom (though closed due to the cloudy skies - more on spring ephemerals later) - Jay Cooke State Park/NMTC Bull Run

Violets (purple ones even!) in bloom - Superior Hiking Trail in the Piedmont area

Mertensia (Virginia bluebells) in bloom - my back yard (has been blooming for past week or so)

Daffodils in bloom - my backyard again

Lilac leaves are bursting out, how far behind can the flower buds be?

Cherry sp - leaves appearing.

Rhubarb is up a few inches

Bloodroot in bloom - Piedmont area

Wild Leeks (ramps) - up at least 6 inches or more - Piedmont area

Wood tick (only one) - Jay Cooke State Park - NMTC Bull Run (last year I had 25)

Despite the cool temps spring is inching it's way into Duluth.

Have managed a run or two more in shorts though it has been a challenge of late. No more run-ins with angry hawks.

Rode my bike for the first time this year. Great thing about my neighborhood is the fast ride downtown. Bummer is the climb back up. Today I rode downtown to meet someone for coffee. By the time I headed home I had picked up Porter (got another meal out today) and the two of us "biked" back home. First we had to figure out a leash as Jon did not have one in the car. Lucky for me, rope seems to materialize on a regular basis around Jon and it was a long enough piece to work as a leash. Skijoring commands come in real handy when you are biking along side your dog.

I think the 50 degree temp (cooler by the lake with the northeast breeze) was a bit much for Porter. His tongue was hanging out pretty far at times, and we needed to slow the pace a bit, though he was threatening to leave me behind on the steeper uphill bits.

The low gear on my bike is a big help in getting up the hill, though I have yet to be able to pedal up 7th (third steepest street in Duluth according to the DNT). I do plan on running 9 miles tomorrow morning (Happy Mother's Day to me) so was not very interested in pushing it too much. From here on out until the 17th it is all about staying healthy and saving up some energy for the race.

OKC: Baby Surprise is coming along slowly. No other knitting has touched my fingers. Not much in Interweave Knits to get excited about...

Oh yeah - about spring ephemerals: this is a term for the wildflowers that appear early in the spring before the trees fully leaf out. Many of them will be seen while snow is still on the ground. They appear, bloom, go to seed and disappear all before the woods get shady from the leaves. Often you can find no sign of them by mid-summer, with one exception. Leeks/Ramps do not flower until July, but by then there are no leaves to be seen!

Many of the spring ephemerals have white to pink to purple flowers (though not all); and many of them have flowers that close up on overcast days (and in the evening). Energy conservation tactic? Quite a few spring ephemerals have interesting ways of directing insects to themselves. Spring Beauty uses infrared stripes to guide bees into the pollen. Wild ginger apparently smells wonderful to ground-dwelling beetles and other lovers of dead things.

Most of these plants are not very showy and are low to the ground, meaning they can go unobserved if you are not looking for them. Sunny days are the exception as then they are quite obvious in their presence.

My advice: Get out into the woods!!! Soon the trillium will be in bloom and that is a show worth seeing!

Adventure on the trail

Weather was so much better this weekend then the forecast! Friday it was pouring rain and windy. Forecast for Saturday was 30% chance of rain, cloudy, temps in the upper 30's. Perfect hypothermia weather. I started to re-think my plans to run Saturday while at the SHTA Annual Meeting.

Reality: sunny, windy (very windy), and warming into the 40's. Perfect running weather.

I headed out from Wolf Ridge with a group that was hiking a 6 mile out and back to "Fantasia" overlook. My plan called for a 10 mile run, so I needed to add on another 4 miles somewhere on the SHT. The Wolf Ridge trails were mostly dry, but they are up on a hill. Footing got wetter as I descended and it turned into a muddy, wet run once on the SHT. Heard the area got 1 inch of rain Friday night, so it was no big surprise that the occasional stream appeared on the trail!

This section was an interesting mix of puddles, mud and steep ascents and descents. It is technical singletrack, except for the Wolf Ridge trails (more akin to ski trails). Synopsis from the SHT guidebook: " ...one of the most challenging, varies greatly from the easy long stretches along the contours to steep, scrambling ascents and descents. There are many open ledges affording beautiful views of both Lake Superior and its shoreline, and inline lakes, mountains and valleys. "

I seemed to have missed out on the long easy stretches. The views are spectacular! Luckily the wind was blowing from the west, so no risk of being blown off a cliff edge ;->

Over 50% of the trail was under water, so trying to keep my feet dry was pretty pointless. Running on the SHT requires focus. I didn't get much of an opportunity to look up at my surroundings except while hiking up the steep ascents. I did manage to notice a few signs of spring including: violets just emerging from the soil and unfurling their leaves; columbine leaves along the steep stretches; marsh marigolds - both leaf and flower buds; and nesting birds (more on that later).

In one stretch of trail on my way out to Hwy 1 I came upon the remains of a deer. Interesting to run through puddles lined with deer fur. Not much was left other than a leg or two and a ribcage - and the fur.

After running west to Hwy 1, then returning to the trail junction with the Wolf Ridge trails, I headed east towards another overlook on the SHT (overlook = steep ascent/descent), turned around and headed back to the trail junction. Got a bit confused here, headed down a trail I thought would take me back to Wolf Ridge, hit an intersection with the SHT that I had been through already, turned around, headed back - uphill - and got back onto the right trail up to the environmental learning center.

That is when the REAL excitement of the day began! I was nearing the end of my 10 mile run, heading up hill and had just turned a corner on the trail when I heard a screech. Looked up in an attempt to locate the bird and see if I could identify it. A greyish, large bird flew over. Hmm, hawk of some sort... stopped to see if I could get a better look. Bird flew over again, this time lower, and screeching the whole time. Hmm, think it wants me to move on, must be nesting in the area. So, up the hill I go, next thing I know, a third pass is being made! Lots of screeching and the bird is much closer. By this time I am ducking, apologizing (swearing) and heading up the trail as fast as I can go. Out of the corner of my eye I see the hawk diving on me again, and by now I am worrying about her talons and wondering how bad it hurts to get attacked by a hawk and if I will freak folks out when I show up with a head wound! The fourth and final pass came within 6 inches of my head (near as I could tell while ducking and running) and by then I must have gotten far enough away that she felt confident I was no longer a threat to her nest because the attacks stopped.

What kind of hawk did I piss off Saturday? A Northern Goshawk. For a picture follow this link:

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/SPECIES/GOSHAWK/images/goshawknest.jpg


There has been a female nesting in the area of trail I was on for the past few years. Found that out after I got back to the ELC and spoke with staff. I was the only person that weekend to experience this unique sign of spring. Best adventure so far on a trail run!

OKC: not much knitting got done this past week. Long days spent at work and on board and family stuff. A little progress has been made on the Baby Surprise, no progress on the mittens or hat.

New Interweave Knits arrived while I was gone... just what I need more inspiration!

Thankfully the forecast was wrong

It was a beautiful day, if somewhat on the chilly side.

This weekend was to be another 16 mile long run (see Reality for what happened to the other 16 miler) . I had made arrangements with a friend to run on Saturday. Friday we talked and decided to delay the run to Sunday as the forecast was for "chance of rain" with less chance of snow and howling winds.

Saturday was nasty weather. Duluth did not get hit with the multiple inches of snow that got other parts of northern Minnesota, but it was very windy, alternating between snow and rain. Not even much fun to walk the dog in!

Today dawned sunny! Sunny! So nice to see the sun again. So what if it started out at 29 degrees F. Sun! By the time we headed out for the run it had warmed up into the low 30's and was still.... sunny. Can you tell it has been kind of gloomy this week (all made worse by the 70 degree day last Wednesday).

For a wonder we actually had the wind in our face on the way out. The course we chose was a mix of paved road, gravel road and paved biking trail. Lots of hills mixed in. Vernal ponds had ice on them this morning, so no frogs singing. Saw lots of birds including a "butterbutt" (yellow-rumped warbler), broad-winged hawk (saw it twice as it was hanging out in a tree along the trail), flicker, bluejays, robins, chickadees and heard the song of a white-throated sparrow and the call of a pileated woodpecker and a raven.

The aspen are all blooming as are the alders and the maples (harder to see their flowers as they are up a lot higher).

Run went pretty well. I was definitely pushing the heart rate up on this one. Usually I try to keep my heart rate between 142-162 on the long runs (avg. around 156 or so). Today the avg. was 168, with a peak of 183. I was talking with my running partner the whole time - not struggling to talk and run (except on the uphills) so may need to revise my max heart rate up, must be higher than 203.

We did walk several times; at the turn around, a steep hill or two. Good opportunity to eat and drink. Temps by the time we were done had hit the low to mid-40's.

On the knitting front:

Bird mittens - no progress made,

Bobble cable hat - cable strap cast on, three repeats done, set aside

Baby Surprise - yeah, I have a commitment issue right now. Cast on this morning using fingering weight main color held with some varigated sock yarn. Needed something to work on that didn't require a chart. Not sure who this is for, but I am sure it will become clear it all good time.

Quick Post - II

Try again... last version lost to a freeze.

Yesterday it was raining and in the mid to upper 30's F, despite a forecast that predicted only a 30% chance of rain. Oh yeah, and as is usual this close to the Big Lake, an east wind. Combined with only 4 hours of sleep and an evening obligation I decided to scratch the long run and move it to Sunday, when the forecast was for sun and temps hitting the low 60's away from the Lake. Sounds much nicer for a 16 mile run, doesn't it?

Here is today's weather observation:

Location Time(cdt) Sky/Weather Temp.(ºF) Wind(mph)
Duluth International Airport 14:55 Fog 38 E 16 G 25

The fog was so thick climbing out of Duluth that you couldn't see more than a 100 feet or so. Had to use my windshield wipers to see due to the drizzle/fog combo. Good thing I had woken up to an email inviting me to a 15 mile run with a couple of friends! These type of weather conditions make it too easy to delay/skip a run.

Headed out to Esko and we ran on the Munger Trail (Rails to Trails paved path) for 7.5 miles and then turned around and headed back - into the wind. At times there are some straight stretches heading due east.... Company makes all the difference.

As is typical of Rails to Trails paths (and railroad grades in general) this was a fairly flat course. My legs were tired of it after a bit, but having someone to chat with really helped.

One more 16 mile run and then the taper begins :->

Signs of Spring

Photos from yesterday's hike on "my" section of the Superior Hiking Trail, starting in my yard where the rhubarb and daffodils are up:





Trail conditions yesterday (a bit dryer today):



Trees are starting to bloom:



Can you guess what these are?



Sunset at Sky Harbor:

Spring!!

Yesterday it was sunny and 59 degrees F. as I prepared to leave work. "Blizzard" just 5 days ago. It was still quite windy, but other than that, hard to tell the city had shut down just a few days ago due to a snow storm.

The wind was out of the south, gusting into the mid 20's mph. Where to run?? Headed for Skyline and it's curves and hills, started at the end that had me headed somewhat towards the south and took off. In shorts and a t-shirt! And I was warm enough during the run to contemplate losing the shirt ;->

Quads were a bit stiff at first, just more proof that 13 flat miles is harder than a similar amount on varied terrain - at least for me. New shoes are still causing pain and issues with my right heel, which is a drag as I think my long runs would feel better in new shoes. Able to run a negative split and took about 3 minutes off my return trip on this out and back course. Wind aided?!? Maybe - though I had the wind in my face at least part of the time on the way back also - nature of a curvy road.

Lots of water is running down the hillside! This is good as I believe Duluth is still a bit low on water from last summer's drought. Probably not a lot is making it into the soil at this point, but lake levels are low so this should help a little.

Saw my first caterpillar of the year! Wooly Bear (Isabella Moth). Creeping across the road. Usually my first sighting is of the caterpillar creeping across some snow.

Also saw an osprey! Of course it flew over as I was just heading out after my run - down a very steep, curvy road! My birding skills are quite rusty so I was dividing my time between memorizing the birds markings and keeping the car on the road as there is nowhere to pull over on this stretch - think mountain pass. I didn't get a chance to confirm my initial ID until this morning when I could look it up. Obviously the bird books and binocs need to come out again!

This morning it is still sunny, winds seem to have died down and it is already 48 degrees. The birds are singing away outside - including the cardinals (common to the south, still enough of a rarity up here that folks get excited). The trees are starting to bloom - aspens, maples and who knows what else. Can't wait to see which flower in my yard is first to bloom.

PS - the chipmunks are awake and feisty - making lots of noise too.

Reality

Got to Burnsville yesterday (Saturday) in early afternoon after driving three hours in the snow. Nothing was really sticking, so the roads were fine, but with the winds it got tough to see at times. Greeted my sister, brother-in-law and niece and nephew, double-checked the directions to the Regional Park, changed and headed out, with a promise from my sister to bring me back to my car if I decided to run home from the park.

Found my way to the park with only one mishap. Pulled into the parking lot for the horse/pet trails (13.9 miles) only to find it posted: Trails closed. Okay... drove on to the park headquarters. Trails closed. Hmmm. Every trail head along the way was also closed. I thought about heading out anyway, but decided against it as my bright blue car sitting for three hours outside a locked gate seemed a bit obvious. Besides, did I mention it was snowy, wet and windy? Yeah, made it easy to bail on that run.

Headed back to my sisters and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting, then after dinner headed out with Jenny to REI. Like a candy store. She was looking for a "purse" that could hold a couple of diapers, wipes and the other essentials of parenting young children as well as her license, debit card and some cash. After meandering around the store (big one in Bloomington) for an hour or so, we finally found something that was "just right". Turns out it is very similar to the bag I have at home. Mine fits a book and a small knitting project as well as wallet, checkbook and other essentials.

Also left the store with some clothes and the perfect little wallet/key holder thingy. Bit more expensive trip then I had planned.

Made it back to Duluth early this afternoon. Sunny skies, temps in the upper 30's and wind from the north at 5 mph. Where to run? Ended up meeting a friend and running 5 miles on the Lakewalk, oggling at the crib that had been moved at least a 1/4 mile onto the a new beach and already was half-buried, and dodging lots of people. Once that first 5 miles was over I planned to run the rest of the Lakewalk to the Aerial Lift Bridge, cross that and run down the point past the airport and on to the trail. If I ran all the way to the Wisconsin entry and back to my car it would have been over 17 miles. I planned on cutting some corners here and there, turning around before reaching the end of the point and walking once I got back to the bridge to cut the mileage back a bit towards 16. Had food (Cliff Shot Blocks) and water with so was all set, or so I thought.

Made it out to the old Lighthouse ("The 50 foot high tower was build in 1855, was the first high powered light beacon on Lake Superior and cost $13,835.00 to build. In operation for only 20 years its lens came from the Bordeau Company of Paris, France and it is still in use in the light on the west pierhead of the Superior Entry. In 1975 the lighthouse was designated a national historic monument and the base serves as the zero point for survey maps of Lake Superior." City of Duluth Parks and Recreation website). That served as my turn around point. Headed back and made it past Sky Harbor airport and onto the pavement for about one block before my legs protested and I took the easy out. Jon was at the airport and I had a ride back to my car.

I had forgotten how much running on Park Point's road (flat, flat, flat) beats up my legs. I had felt great on the trails but just couldn't face 4 more miles back to Canal Park and my car. Total mileage: 13.3

Did manage some quality time in the car working on the Bird Mittens while being chauffered north by my daughter.

Blizzard?!?!

Pictures from April 2008 "Blizzard"

Not a lot of snow, just a lot of wind. They were predicting a foot or more of snow, starting at 7:00 pm last night. We waited and waited... 10:00 pm and no snow, winds were picking up though. Radar showed an interesting development. There was a 'doughnut' over the head of the lake, no snow falling in Duluth/Superior. By midnight the snow had started to fall - finally! It was wet and heavy and combined with the winds led to this:



The following pictures were taken in Lincoln Park during our afternoon walk. Porter LOVES weather like this. He was acting like a puppy today, big improvement for a guy who has been moving pretty slowly of late.





The walk wasn't too bad, despite winds gusting past 40 mph from the northeast until we started heading home and hit a stretch of trail with no protection. Then it was a bit of a struggle! The drifts were interesting, sometimes there was hardly any snow, other times I was in drifts that went past my knees.

Jon and I took it upon ourselves to free a few trees from their burden of snow - and sometimes other trees - while hiking up the Lincoln Park trail. It still amazes me that I live in the middle of the city and have areas like this within walking distance.

Miller Creek (the river in the above photos) is already roaring, and if the predicted temps become reality it will be in flood stage by early next week. Most of the streams in this area are "flashy". They don't have much in the way of headwaters, so rise and fall fast in response to precipitation.



Porter is jumping over Coffee Creek. Jon had to coax him over, then had to coax me over ;-> I was launching off of a piece of snow-covered ice and wasn't 100% convinced I could make the leap without landing in the creek (with the camera).

My feet are dry.

We headed down to Sky Harbor after dinner to ensure the airplanes were still tied down. The waves on Lake Superior could be seen crashing onto the shoreline from a block away. there is a reason they warn folks away from the Lakewalk and breakwaters in a nor'easter! Check out mnbicyclecommuter.blogspot.com to see some great photos of the lake and what it is capable of.

Finished the KnitPicks Gloss mittens and have even wore them on a run. Very nice. Contemplating a Bobble-cable hat with the remaining yarn.

So, I am supposed to be running my first 16 miler tomorrow/this weekend. Ummm, about that. It is still very windy in Duluth. By very windy I mean:

Tonight: Snow, mainly before 1am. Low around 22. Windy, with a northeast wind between 25 and 35 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Blustery, with a north wind between 20 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
(From the National Weather Service)

On top of this I need to drive to the Twin Cities to pick up my daughter early Sunday morning at the train station.

I have some choices:

1. Run in Duluth on Saturday before I leave for the Cities, fighting the wind for at least half of the run or so, depending on how I arrange the loop.

2. Run on Sunday when I get back, (Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. North wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. ) when the winds will be lessened and the the sun will be out. Again, fighting the wind for part of the time at least.

Note: options 1 & 2 involve running on the roads as the trails are in a very fragile - and snowy - state right now.

3. Leave for the Cities early tomorrow (as soon as the roads are safe) and run down there at one of the regional parks on... trails!!!

I have been investigating option 3. I am tired of pavement and am concerned that I need to get my legs and feet and brain used to running long distances on trails. I have just over a month left to prep for the Superior 25K.

Any thoughts?

Spring in Northern Minnesota

Gotta love it. One day the crocuses are blooming, the irises are poking green sword tips above the soil, grass is greening up along the sides of the house, nets are being put up on the tennis courts and then the next... depends on where you live. Parts of the Iron Range got hit with 20 - 30 inches of snow today. So far Duluth has less then an inch.

Winds have been stong today. Got out for a short run (3.5 miles) on the Lakewalk with a friend. Wind was out of the northeast blowing 24 mph. This meant there were some impressive waves rolling into the head of the Lake. I love watching the waves break over the barrier between the water and the Lakewalk. Not that many years ago a nasyy nor'easter took out parts of this path. Puts things into perspective about who is really the boss.

For a change, we were heading into the wind at the start of our run. A bit grueling at times, but the reward at the turn around was a nice tailwind on the way back. At one point we raced a set of waves coming in as we had recently watched a similar set break over the path and were not all that interested in a Lake Superior shower.

Yesterdays long run (12.5 miles - it's a step-back week) was warm. Forecast was for temps topping out in the mid-thirties and rain. Reality - it was in the upper 30's to low 40's at the start of the run, barely any wind, and sunny. And the temps went up from there. Good day to practice drinking and eating on the run! I had brought a holster-style pack along for my water so had no where to stash my hat, gloves and vest. Ended up with things tucked into the waist belt.

Saw my first turkey vultures of the season over the hills of Brewer's Park on the run home. Lots of robins are showing up and I've even heard male red-winged blackbirds singing. Pileated woodpecker was drumming out a number on a telephone pole along the edge of Proctor (or was I in Duluth by then, so confusing). Love is in the air (or at least the defense of breeding territory).

So far no wildflowers in bloom yet. Though I suppose those pussy willows I saw a week or two ago could count. I was looking for the first strawberries or violets on my walk down the SHT to the house. Still a little too soon, but the hillside does have a way of warming up quick. (Break here - imagine sudden darkness as the power suddenly goes out. No warning. Then, just as suddenly pops back on. Gotta love the electrical service in my part of town)

Trails are now entering that lovely time of year known as "mud season". And you thought there were only four seasons! Not only the trails are muddy, so are the roads (gravel by the house) and the yard. Probably should have taught Porter to wipe his feet before coming in the house. This means no trail running for a couple of weeks at least, depends on the weather. I miss the trails and can't wait to get off of the pavement again.

Anyway, I think that just before the power cut out on me I was going to give a knitting update:

I am finishing up the third mitten in the Knitpicks Gloss. Third?! Yeah, well, somewhere during the first mitten I went from the "large" to the "medium" size. Didn't realize it until I had reached the decreases for the top and my stitch count was all wrong. finished them anyway, as I was only off two stitches and knitting stretches. Cast on the second mitten, kept to the right number of stitches, finished all but the thumb and decided that the fit was much better and I would fix the first mitten. Off to the frog pond I went, ripping back until I was at the cuff (the error was quite early on) and I proceeded to reknit that mitten (okay - so really it was a third attempt at a mitten). I am back to where I started earlier today. One mitten completed, one just missing a thumb.

I still have a goodly portion of the first skein of Gloss left after all of this knitting, ripping and reknitting. What to do with it and the second skein?!?! The bird mittens are peeking out of their bag, quietly reminding me of their presence....

Temptation got the best of me...

The KnitPicks Gloss won. I gave in. But, really I had to, it wasn't my fault! The only knitting I have available requires charts and concentration. Lots of both. What tipped me over the edge was a bus ride home on Thursday. Idle hands and all that. Plus I seem to have lost one of my silky-wool mittens (favorites for running) and need a replacement. The washer, dryer or someones clothing "ate" one of the mittens (oh yeah, if I have not mentioned this before, Elsbeth Lavold silky-wool does just fine in the laundry).

So, the Gloss got wound into a center pull ball Thursday night (Thanks Jon for holding the yarn!) and a pair of mittens was cast on. This stuff is NICE!!! Soft, soft, soft. It is almost a shame to think of what use it will end up being put to (mittens double as kleenex on the run, which is why soft mittens are especially nice).

I promise not to forget the Bird Mittens entirely. I have cast on and started the cuff of the second one, really I have. They just aren't very portable and I needed a portable project.

Needle review:

I have been using the KnitPicks wooden double-points while working on the mittens. Size 0's for the Bird Mittens and Size 1(2.25mm) for the Gloss. Very nice. So far I haven't snapped one. Interesting flavor. Knitting needles have flavor!? These do. I'll call it "Taste of India". Not sure what I am tasting: the wood; the stuff used to laminate it, or the oil used to finish the needles. Kindof spicy though. The reason I know is that needles occasionally end up in my mouth when I need to set one aside for a second (my hair is not long enough to stash a needle in). The colors of the needles are a nice too: natural, purple and green in my set.

On the running front:

Temps are much warmer now, started a run in the mid-20's, ended it near 40 degrees F. Strong wind blowing from the south-east to south. Big improvement over many of my runs this winter. Today my schedule said to run 14 miles.

Normally on Saturdays I meet a group in Proctor and run 5 miles, then get breakfast. With my long runs needing to happen on Saturdays I have been either arriving early and doing some extra miles or - my favorite - getting dropped off in Proctor, running the loop with my friends and then running home, tacking on additional miles as needed.

I had mapped out a route home that would be 9 miles long, ending above my house with a nice cool-down walk to the house on the Superior Hiking Trail (www.shta.org). Then I found out my trusty driver would be unavailable. Hmmm. I didn't want to leave my car in Proctor all day, so I started looking at my options.

I am not a huge fan of multiple loop courses (easily bored), but that was what I resigned myself to doing. I sat down with gmaps-pedometer and figured out how to cut the five mile loop into four miles. Sounds easy, but Proctor is fairly rural and the "blocks" can be a mile long. Three loops would end up giving me a 14.2 mile run. Nice and hilly too! Exactly what I need for the upcoming race.

To break things up I ran the second loop in reverse. Interesting perspective. You never really notice the gradual descents until you run them in reverse ;-> It was nice to have company the first five miles, the second five were taken up with the novelty of seeing all the hills in reverse, and the third loop... well, lets just say I concentrated on form a lot.

Remember the wind? I ended my run with over a mile into the wind. Uphill. Lets just say the split for the third loop, not so impressive. I had run the second loop in the exact same time as the first, so was optimistic about finishing in around 2:10. I finished in 2:15. Not bad really for a long training run. Last week I ran 12.5 in 2:00. I did take a break between the second and third loops to drink some juice and water. It was a nice change to run without a lumbar pack - one huge benefit of multiple loop courses.

I have reached the point in my long runs where I need to get fuel into me while running. I have not figured out what I should try yet, hence the juice. I need to find out what the race will be serving as far as electrolyte replacement and give it a try on my long runs to be sure I can tolerate it, otherwise I will need to bring my own. Generally I have done all of my longer runs without eating (and it may be showing). I have a little over a month to experiment with food and drink before the race. I am expecting to be out on the course for around 4 hours. Depending on who you read/talk to, that is long enough to require some fuel intake.

Any thoughts?

I am fighting...


the urge to start a new project (with the Knitpicks Gloss) rather than finishing up the mittens for Sarah. She is starting to wonder if there will ever be a pair or, really, if they will be finished before summer. Good thing we live in northern Minnesota next to nature's icebox!

I had this idea that I would snap a picture of the mittens I am making so you all (okay - really my one loyal reader) could see my progress. Then I attempted to slice the tip of my thumb off. Not on purpose, mind you; and not so badly that stitches are needed (though I may have thought about applying them myself after the amount of money I - a healthy person - have spent on healthcare this year alone).

Lesson: brand new, really good bread knives are overkill for dinner rolls!

So, no pictures for right now. I did discover as I worked my way up the thumb tonight that I should have looked at the originals more closely. I was just about to start the second bird. Unlike the pattern, I have only one bird on each thumb. The bird on the right-hand thumb faces left and vice versa. Out came three rows of 28 sts each (not quite sure how many stitches to the inch I am getting right now - but you can probably guess that it is close to double digits as I have small hands) and I picked up all those stitches and started incorporating the needed decreases for the top of the thumb.

In the process I did finally get the new wooden knitpicks needles out and in use. Very nice! So far they are holding up well (tempting the knitting gods and goddesses by saying that). I am using the size 0's BTW.

Tonight I worked on the mittens while listening to Sarah's harp lesson. The thought crossed my mind that listening to Celtic music on a Scottish harp is a nice way to spend a half hour knitting Fair Isle ( well, in this case Norwegian-inspired stranded knitting). Need to get her to practice harp more when I have time to knit.

The pressure is on for me to get off the computer so that the modem can travel to another computer.

I promise pictures will appear soon.

Spring Watch: last Thursday (3/20/08) pussy willows spotted along the snowmobile trail I was running on; broke through the snow and ice into water - brrr - on the same run; cardinals are singing; eagles are all over the place as are the deer and rabbits (grrrr); grass is greening up when the snow isn't covering it; ice is accumulating on the sidewalk and steps overnight; and I have heard the sap is starting to run. Can't be long until the tulips and crocuses start emerging.

Training update: 12.5 miles in 2 hours. Heartrate in the 65 - 75% zone for at least half of the run. Pretty good with the hills that were involved. No walking!!!

Consistency pays off


First race of the season: 5k; 25:02; good for 2nd place in my age group ( F 40 - 49 yoa). www.chadwick5k.com

I have run in this race off and on for many years. It used to be held in December and then was moved to March to coincide with the Fitgers Bockfest. Unfortunately, this weekend seems to be a popular one for events in the Duluth area and I have had to miss the last few races due to other obligations. Glad to be back! Need to thank my running buddies for getting me out the door this year so regularly as it certainly paid off today. It has been many years since I have run so well in a race.

I have spent everyday since Tuesday coughing, so am happy I could do so well. Don't think I have the virus that has been going around, attributing it to an unfortunate exposure to allergens Tuesday night and an asthma flare. Other than the cough and some fatigue I have been feeling fine, running hasn't made it worse, so can't be illness, right? Am going to forgo the long run scheduled for today as I got in half the distance already and figure a race effort counts for the rest (runners - we can rationalize anything).

Oh yeah, race conditions: 30 F (or so) at the start, overcast, wind from the north/northeast, with the sun emerging mid-race and a finish with the wind at my back. Lakewalk completely clear of ice, so footing was excellent. Thank you race volunteers!!!

On the knitting front:

Finished

Lace scarf -just need to weave in the ends and block. It will be donated to the Superior Hiking Trail Association for the Silent Auction at their annual meeting.

Healing Shawl - again, ends to be woven in, no blocking needed. I think I know who it is going to finally, wished I could have finished it a bit sooner but this week has not been good for getting things done.

Bird mittens are now calling my name. The need to follow a chart is the only barrier to their completion. I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow and a kid with a permit, so there may be time.... that is if the Gloss does not get wound up into balls today and joins in with the new needles to insist on being knit up.

I am starting to see a lot of green around the house. The snow has been melting rapidly from our southeast facing sloped yard. Makes for tricky walking in the morning - all the meltwalter finds our sidewalk the perfect route down the hill - but it is nice to see bits of green again. It will be interesting to see when the first green shoot appears. Will it be the chives at the front of the house? The tulips or daffodils in the gardens? I don't have any spring crocuses, but the autumn ones usually send their greens up pretty early. Depending on how the melt goes there may be scilla blooming within a month.

Of course the melt doesn't just expose new greenery. Time to clean up the yard. Amazing what got buried in the first snowfall and then forgotten - or what has been deposited and covered up ;->

Get out and enjoy the nice weather and sunshine while it lasts!

Plan was to run 10 miles today.

Reality: 10.7 (give or take .1 or so).

Route: 5 miles in Proctor (usual loop with the Saturday crew) in 47 minutes, then after a quick stop to use the facilities I headed home via the roads and a snowmobile trail.

Wore my heart rate monitor, set it so it would beep if I went outside of a certain range. My goal was to keep my pace within the 65-75% range. I did pretty well. 71 minutes out of 109 were "in the zone'. Hills were the main reason for getting my heart rate up, topping off at 177 bpm (note, according to many formulas that exceeds the maximum heart rate for someone my age, but as I was not sucking wind at any time I think the formula isn't right for me. I use 203 as my max.)

Close to 4 miles of the run were on a snowmobile trail. The surface was great. Firm (not much snow lately, well-packed), with just a dusting of fluff in spots to add a bit of cushion. The last .5 miles or so was on the SHT near my house. I hit 10 miles and felt like I could do more so opted for the trail home vs running even more downhills on the pavement.

As I hit the snowmobile trail the only tracks I saw (other than snowmobiles) were from a fox. Looked like there may have been more than one fox even. I didn't see any signs of humans on the trail for quite a while. A raven passed overhead. The chickadees were very active. The benefit of trails and the slower pace is the opportunity to look around.

Oh yeah, temperature at start: 5 degrees F (-15 C).
Temperature when I arrived home: 19 F (-7 C)

Winds were quite light, though brisk when they did hit. I picked the layers right today and carried a lumbar pack so that I had someplace to put the shedded layers. The worsted weight mitts went quickly, within the first couple of miles. Depending on the direction I was headed the top layer of long-sleeved fleece got zipped down or up. I did end up shedding the base layer mitts for a while, then putting them back on (wind). By the time I had gone 7 miles or so I had peeled the long-sleeve fleece down and was running with my base-layer unzipped.

When I got home I pulled an adirondack chair out of the snow by the sauna, placed it in a sunny spot on the back porch and did my post race "stretch" (slouched in the chair, legs propped on the railing). Gotta love the sun when it comes back in the spring!!

This is the first time that I have done a long run and ended it feeling like I could have done more. Not that many weeks ago I had to do 7 miles and it was tough near the end. Funny how training does have an effect ;->

I think using the heart rate monitor to keep me at an easy pace may be the key. Average pace for the whole run was a bit over 10 minutes/mile. I will take that, especially with the hills on the last 4 miles.

Knitting update: spent some time working on the Healing shawl today, and for the last few days. Have worked a few rows on the scarf. Still no real inspiration for the merino/silk blend yarn, so less temptation to cast it on. Bird mittens are languishing. I probably should get a book on CD or something to fire me up about finishing those.

While the sun is still shining I think I will head outside to get Porter some exercise. Current temperature: 29 degrees F (-1 C)

Enjoy the sun while it lasts! Tomorrow sounds like a wet, gray day.

Quick post


The chickadees having been singing their spring song for a few weeks now. The sun is out much later in the day and it is getting stronger too. Strong enough to actually warm you up and take the edge off of the cold.

I have been running outside all winter and confess to now being a bit tired of the extreme cold. People wonder why I would run outdoors. Well, there are a number of reasons: sunshine is a big one; fresh air; listening to the birds; seeing what is going on in the natural world (did I mention I work indoors all day); hills; trails; lack of membership to an indoor facility (which I find boring anyway, so not too inspired to join).

Granted, I have run on a few days that lacked almost everything on the above list and that included many of the things that I do not like about Duluth weather - howling winds topping the list!

Today I ran to work. Perfect day for it. Clear, so it was easy to see the uneveness of the trail; hardly any wind; and the snow is very firm. The temperature was around 5 degrees when I got up and had moved closer to 10 by the time I was getting dressed to leave for work. So, being the savvy outdoors runner that I am, I layered up.

My first hint that I may have been overdressed was when I stepped out the door and din't start shivering within the first 20 feet or so. By the time I had made it a half mile away I was sheeding the first layer of mittens. Within another half mile the neck gaiter came off. By the time two miles was approaching I had shed the last layer of mittens and had unzipped my long-sleeved fleece.

I made it to work without needing to stop and shed any more layers, but by then I was pretty drenched. I could have easily worn only one layer of tights and probably a vest over my baselayer. My, wind (or the lack of it) makes a big difference!

Lunar Eclipse



Near totality at about 9:00 pm CST.

It was a bit chilly trying to capture pictures of the eclipse tonight. Minus 2 F (minus 18.8 C). Hard to hold the camera steady enough for a good photo, but perseverance pays off.

Ran outside today, as usual. I think the temps were just above zero, mild wind from the north or west, depending on who you believe. Either way, not too much wind so windchill not to bad overall. Getting faster with each run! Todays run felt pretty good and came in just around 9 minutes/mile. Not bad for the conditions and this old body.

Training for the Superior Trail 25K is going well so far. Long run of 8 miles last weekend went well, felt easier than the 7 miles the previous weekend! This weekend is scheduled to be a "step back" week, long run of only 6 miles. Then back to longer runs. Luckily temperatures have been rising on the weekends so my long runs have been in the above zero range. Little easier to contemplate running for over an hour when the temps are closer to freezing than zero.

On the knitting front:

Not too much happening. Working on the scarf and the healing shawl. Keep eyeing up the hanks of merino/silk blend and the new doublepoint needles but no inspiration yet (plus I am trying to limit myself to three projects at a time - the bird mitten is getting lonely for its pair).

Stay warm!

I had this idea....


Mid-week I thought about posting some patterns that I have written. Technical difficulties got in the way. That, and lack of initiative to figure out how to create links.

What was I going to post? A pattern for a hat in fingering weight/sock yarn with a small peerie. Perfect for active outdoor sports (or, in today's "dangerous windchills" for wearing under the down hood). Also a mitten pattern that gives numbers for a variety of sizes. Interested? Email me.

Ran outdoors this morning. Even I was a bit daunted by the predicted windchills. Yesterday at noon it was near 30 degrees F at my house (thermometer is in the shade on the north side of the house), then the wind picked up and the temp began to drop.... Woke up to -18 at the "big airport" (where official records are now kept) and -14 at the house, with temps a tad warmer at Sky Harbor (little airport) which is at the same elevation as my running route. Winds gusting to near 30 mph from the west. We shall not discuss windchills, but they were in the -40's, so I hear.

What to wear to protect my face? My last run with nasty winds my cheeks were getting 'nipped' and any efforts to pull my neck gaiter over my face resulted in me feeling as if I was suffocating. Last night Jon suggested I get the hood off of my old down coat. Perfect solution. It zips off, the bottom has a velcro piece that is at least 3 inches wide, and there are - gasp - hood strings - so that it can be cinched down. I wish I had brought a camera along! I am sure I reached some kind of fashion height with my outfit. Umm, did I mention this is a rather puffy coat? Yeah. Held it all in place with the aforementioned neck gaiter and topped it off with my LL Bean pullover windbreaker (forget what they call it - mountain anorak maybe). Had my usual layers underneath, though added another pair of winter-weight tights (though lighter than my sporthills) to the mix, topped off with windpants. Even managed to shave some time off my usual pace for this distance - despite the layers. Warm and toasty the whole time, even had to vent the hood while running back into the wind.

Huge change from the run on Friday! I was wearing the minimal winter gear for temps below freezing, and ended up shedding one layer of mittens early on. I am building mileage for a race in May, so am committed to doing some long runs on the weekend. The forecast was not pretty for Saturday so I opted to get my 7 miles in Friday afternoon. I had plotted a course that was about half roads, half trails and included lots of hills (the goal race is very hilly) and started at my front yard. Then Jon called and suggested I just run down to the airport and he would give me a ride home. Hmmm. Got on gmaps.pedometer and started looking at route options. Easiest was to leave home and run to the airport. Worst thing about that route: first mile is downhill. You pretty much lose 500 - 600 feet in less than a mile. Yeah, I live just about at the highpoint of the ridgeline in Duluth, Sky Harbor is on Park Point, just about at lake level.

I took this as an opportunity to put the heart rate monitor on and try to run a nice easy run. Did pretty well, though what feels easy to me still has my heart rate up in the mid-to-upper 160's. One of these days I will take the time to figure out my true max heart rate. I think it is a bit higher than the 173-178 that the formula's predict. Other than the hill, the next worst part of this run is that it is flat for the next 6 miles. I considered bringing along a cd player, then discovered the headphones had been borrowed. Well, lots of time to think and listen to the world around me.

One thing I noticed as I ran the roads - truckers gave me the widest clearance, young people, especially young women, seemed to be oblivious to my presence on the road. I could touch their cars if I had reached out, and I am short! I like the idea of encouraging drivers to give pedestrians and bicyclist "three feet" (http://bikingduluth.blogspot.com/). Most often there was not traffic in the oncoming lane, so no reason to be so close.

Not much to see in the way of wildlife - some rock pigeons perched on the powerlines along Railroad Street and a bald eagle (they seem to be around a lot this year).

On the knitting front:

Bird mittens languishing in their bag; scarf has taken a back seat to a healing shawl, because I can work on it while reading and I wanted to break into the Quarry from Knitpicks. Finally got the right needles and stitch count for this. Still no idea who the recipient is to be. I am sure by the time I am finished that will become obvious - usually does.

Entertainment for the day:

Freeze drying my running clothes.

I try not to put my technical fabric stuff in the dryer and our basement is way too cold to get stuff to dry in any type of reasonable time frame. Seems odd that hanging it out on a below zero day would dry it faster, but it does. Gets rid of a lot of moisture, so that the clothes are only damp once they thaw out. Almost didn't need clothes pins today, the stuff was freezing as I walked out the door. Had to be pried off this evening.

Stay warm!

Not going to jinx it this time


Once again, nice weather on the weekend. Low to mid twenties in the morning, cloudy, tending towards fog, barely any wind. But I will not mention how nice it is to run in conditions like this. Look what happened last time!

So far, so good with the training. Legs holding up, energy holding up, even with the addition of soccer on Sunday afternoons. Did cut back on the length of the Sunday run to accomodate the running during soccer.

Tried using my heart rate monitor to slow myself down today. I tend to go out and run the same pace for every run. According to the books, you should vary it a bit. So the plan for now is that at least my Sunday runs will be done at a low intensity. I tried to bring Porter along today to keep me at an easy pace - he walked out the front door with me (rather reluctantly) then sat down in the yard, looked up the hill to where the SHT is, looked at me, looked back up at the trail.... the message was clear - he stayed home and I headed to the Lakewalk.

With no wind, ice is able to form on the lake. It is interesting to watch the patterns in the ice. Often very geometrical, highlighted by the dusting of snow we received yesterday.

On the knitting front:

Lace scarf coming along well, have about 20 inches done with plenty of yarn left. Hard to work on while I read though, so have of course casted on another project that is a bit more mindless.

I broke into the box from Knitpicks (yes, it finally arrived, right after I left for work - on the night I had to work until 8:30 pm; twitch, twitch) and pulled out a skein of Quarry (75% Superfine alpaca. 20% peruvian wool, 5% nylon) and cast on for a healing/prayer shawl. It took me a few tries to find the right number of stitches to cast on so it would end up being wide enough. Not sure who this is meant for... yet. I have missed working on these, they are a very satisfying project on many levels. Plush this yarn is - so far - very pleasant to work with.

Just a reminder that in only three months we will be seeing things like this again:



Large-flowered trillium on the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) in Duluth

A little past its prime, but beautiful nontheless.

Enjoy the returning light!

Embossed Leaves Socks





Details of toe shaping:



On the needles right now: another scarf. I had used up most of a skein of vintage stash yarn working up a scarf only to discover that I was going to run out of yarn before the scarf was of appropriate length. So, off to the frog pond I went (dragging my daughter along) and the scarf is being reborn in a lacier, narrower pattern. Hopefully this solves the lack of yarn problem.

The bird mittens are languishing in their bag, waiting for my undivided attention.

The box from Knitpicks is still not here. Apparently it needs to sit in Brooklyn Park for many days before making its way to Duluth. Thank the knitting spirits that I live very close to the main post office in Duluth or who knows how long it would take to traverse the city! My guess is it will arrive tomorrow when I am at work, though there is the possibility that it will be delivered before I have to be to work at 11:30.

Weather could be a problem, they are predicting a return to the cold, with snow and winds. Obviously I got too excited about the opportunity to run in warm(er) temps and am now going to pay for it. Send warm thoughts tomorrow and Wednesday as the plan is to be out there putting in the miles ;->

Running Above Zero

I have been looking forward to this day for a week!

Rumours abounded that the mercury was going to rise above zero, even hit the twenties by the end of the week. Thursday morning dawned to -16 degrees, though did warm up to above zero... eventually. Lucky for me I had other plans and was not running that day. Friday was also a day off, so when I got up this morning I was very pleasantly surprised to see 18 degrees on the thermometer. 18... above... zero... And, as frosting on the cake, barely a breeze blowing! I almost didn't know how to dress for this mornings run. A quick check of the National Weather Service website showed that it was a tad cooler over the hill, 14 degrees, so I didn't go crazy and wear my "warm weather" running clothes. ;->

Layers today still consisted of my Sporthill 3SP tights and top, and two layers of mittens (handknits are so awesome) but rather than a long-sleeved fleece, I wore a fleece vest, and topped it off with a thin (handknit) wool hat vs my nylon covered fleece hat and neck gaiter. No wind pants either. And no need to slather my face with Warm Skin. I felt light as a feather! It is much easier to contemplate adding long runs in when the temps are warmer.

I am preparing to branch out to longer races and have my sights set on a 25K trail run in May. Knowing myself as I do, I need to build up my mileage pretty slowly so have started my race training this week. I also know that, unlike what many of the training plans tell you, I do need to run the full distance of the race at least once in training. This was brought home to me during last October's Whistlestop half marathon when things started to tighten up a lot after 10 miles (my longest training run). So the plan is to build up to running 16 miles at least twice before race day, with a good two week taper leading to the race. At some point I also need to start running more hills in preparation for this particular race (Superior Trail 25K - www.superiortrailrace.com). I have been doing a lot of my runs of late on the Lakewalk which has a grand elevation change of 50 feet!

Enough of running and the cold, at least for now.

On the knitting front I have finished a pair of socks (Embossed Leaves Socks, Interweave Knits, Winter 2005). Due to their lacey nature a blocking would be helpful. I have been looking at various homemade blocking devices as the ones I made years ago are showing their age.

The "bird mittens" are progressing very slowly. I finished the hand on one, need to fasten off the top stitches and work the thumb (carefully writing down what I am doing as I go) and then start the other one. I may finish them yet this season ;->

I cast on for a scarf out of some well-aged stash yarn. Needed something mindless for reading and watching movies, etc as the bird mittens are anything but - what with the three charts and all.

Anxiously awaiting a package from KnitPicks. First time I have ordered any knitting things from a catalog/website in years. I was sucked in by the laminated multi-colored DP needles, though refrained from buying the set. Did order a few sizes of the DP's, six skeins of Quarry to use on a healing shawl, and two skeins of Gloss (wool/silk blend) for an undetermined project (socks?, scarf?, hat?, mittens?.... so many possibilities).

Saw Spirit of the Marathon Thursday night (limited release, one night only but may be shown again in theaters in February). If you are at all interested in running, go see it. Good documentary on marathoning, covers both world-class atheletes and "regular" folks, including a few first timers. Takes place around the 2005 Chicago Marathon. Very inspiring! Last week was a big movie week for me as I also saw Juno (another good movie). Normally I do not go to theaters, so this was quite the change for me. It helps that we now have a theater located downtown and that something of interest is actually being shown.

Enjoy the warm(er) weather and wish for snow.

Running in below zero temps.


Apparently I only blog after running in the cold ;->

They were predicting brutal windchills for this weekend. It is warmer than predicted: The National Weather Service says -9 at the big airport; -2 at Sky Harbor (by the Lake) with a windchill of -30. Now, the thermometer at my house says it is -0.7.

I headed over to the east side of town to run this morning, rather than my usual Saturday morning run in Proctor. The group wasn't going to meet, and with temps this cold it was nice to delay the run until the sun was well up in the sky! I ran at Hawks Ridge. The road is closed in the winter and used by snowmobiles, walkers, runners, and skiers so the snow is well-packed and makes for a nice running surface. Porter joined me and was thrilled to be out! He gets quite the frosty chin at these temps.

I went with my usual sub-zero layers of:

Top - sporthill winter top with a long-sleeved fleece over the top covered by a windbreaker; fleece neck gaiter; fleece ear flap hat with nylon around the lower half for wind protection; two layers of handknit mittens- silkywool base layer, topped with worsted weight mitts.

Bottom - sporthill winter tights; sporthill wind pants; smartwool running socks, saucony stabil shoes with sheet metal screws in the soles for gription.

My hands were pretty warm, but it took almost two miles and a potty break for my toes to finally thaw out. This was all complicated by my standing around looking at the underside of my car to try and figure out why it was making a horrible screeching noise. That got the feet cold to start with and lead to a longer time before they warmed up.

Gotta love Raynauds!!!

Today many folks are in a panic about anyone exercising in the cold. Questions about frozen lungs abound. Really, if humans were that delicate we would have never made it as a species this long. Just a hundred years ago we could not count on a well heated home or the ability to sit indoors until it got warmer out. It is all about dressing for the weather.

While out today I was thinking that it should be a "right" to have appropriate, affordable clothing for the climate you live in. I was thinking about all of the people that I see without adequate clothing for this climate. Good, warm boots, coats and mittens are expensive! Our family has always made them a spending priority, even in the lean days, but I know there are many families that just can't swing the cost of quality winter clothing. Any solutions?? We donate outgrown gently used gear, and could probably stand to thin the closets again. Clothing stamps??? Winter clothing safety net??

Happy New Year!!

Got out and ran today at Hartley Park. Air temps were below zero, but not much, with the wind picking up and becoming quite brisk by the time the last folks came in. I put an invitation out on Northland Runner and ended up having 8 runners and 7 snowshoers come along for the fun (and two dogs).

The sun was shining and in the woods the wind wasn't noticeable. The trail had been pretty packed down so was quite runnable without snowshoes over all, though there were a few spots that provided challenging footing. The deal with winter trail running is that you need to slow down and enjoy your surroundings. If you get too hung up on time, then you get frustrated by the footing and cease to find the beauty that is northern Minnesota in the winter.

Sorry no pictures - again. It was too cold to be messing around with my camera and I forgot to ask the kids to borrow their smaller one. You will just have to use your imagination.

OKC: still working on the Embossed Leaves Socks and the "Bird Mittens", with a few washcloths on the side so that I can read and knit.

Wish I could get this picture uploaded....

Ran this morning on the Lakewalk. Around 10 degrees above with NW winds gusting up to 28 mph. We shall not discuss windchill. It wasn't too bad, except that first 1/4 - 1/2 mile into the wind! After that the wind was - mostly - blocked by the walls of the freeway or coming at us from the side.

By the time we thought about turning around we were close to the 2.5 mile mark, so kept going and got the full 5 miles in. Yesterday it rained briefly before snowing and there was ice under the snow, so the footing at times was "interesting". Nothing like black ice and a wind gust to make your feet go in different directions and your heart rate go up.

I was right though - they do plow the Lakewalk before they plow the roads!! As we were heading out around 8:10 or so we saw the plow trucks coming towards us and were later passed by them heading in the opposite direction. Nice to know that the Duluth Parks and Rec folk take access to the Lakewalk so seriously!

We were not alone in venturing out this blustery morning. We saw a total of three people (not counting the plow drivers): a couple walking towards Canal Park and a gentleman and his dachsund(?). No one else though. Pretty quiet overall.

By the time we got back to the cars I had quite the buildup of snow and ice on my lashes. When I got into the car and got a look at myself I realized that my eyebrows were also caked in snow and ice. Utilizing modern technology (in the form of a camera phone), and the review mirror, I was able to get a picture, but don't know how to upload it. Let your imaginations run wild.

It is hard to tell how much snow we are really getting. It is pretty fine-grained stuff and the wind is blowing it into some impressive drifts. Skiing should be a lot better once the winds die down. Wishing the driving was better as I would be tempted to head to Boulder for a skijor.

Blizzardy-type conditions are also good for reading and knitting. The star production line is in full force as we speak. It is hard to read much while producing these though. Lots of decreasing happens in just 5 rows to get from 55 sts down to 5. I realized today that none of my current knitting projects makes for good 'reading while knitting'. They all entail either two-color knitting, lace, or decreases on every row. I suppose I could start a fourth project and get some dishcloths done.....

Mittens!!

Finally got around to taking pictures of the "bird mittens" in progress. Really, I got around to coercing the intended recipient into taking pictures of the mittens.

Back of the hand:


Comparison to the original:


The palm:


At one point in time, while working on the thumb gusset, I had three color charts going! Just the kind of knitting you want to take along to a holiday party.

No pictures of the socks yet. Making good progress, past the heel and working my way down the foot. They did come along to the holiday party as the chart is fairly easy to follow.

Photos from a ski outing:




Try clicking the last photo to read the sign. The Piedmont Ski trail is unique in Duluth for it's handmade wooden signs. They are fun to read!

Sorry about the poor light but it was 7:15 am and a cloudy day. Of course the sunrise got really good when we were most of the way around the loop and no where near the overlook (center photo). I have been trying to get out for a ski at least 2 - 3 times per week and run at least 2 times a week.

I even got Porter out for a skijor at Boulder last Sunday. His initial reaction on seeing his harness was less than enthusiastic, but by the time we got near the ski trail he was "smiling". The first 3.8K he was running, with tail high and taking any breaks to roll in the snow and act like a puppy. The last 2+k he was much more subdued, but a lot of that had to do with a negative encounter with another dog while we took a break at the parking lot. People with dog aggressive dogs should not bring them to public places, especially if they do not know how to control them. Everyone was okay, just shook us up a bit.

I have been getting out for a couple of runs (long for me) and really enjoying it. Duluth seems to take great pride in keeping the Lakewalk plowed all winter long, and as much as I dislike running on paved surfaces, it is a nice, lit, alternative to slogging along on snowmobile trails. Some of the hiking trails get packed enough to make a great running surface, but I haven't tried them out yet. Though with today's temperatures the trails will be soft, and skiing is out until it is no longer "klister" weather.

No pictures

Sorry, keep meaning to get pictures of the current knitting projects but have not had camera, projects, and good light all together at the same time.

OTN: A pair of mittens for my daughter Sarah. and a pair of socks.

Years ago I knit a pair of mittens based on a color chart from Knitting in the Nordic Tradition. My pair is knit in a robin's egg blue and cream color. The pattern is of birds, so of course I call these my "bird mittens". So creative! I think I even entered them in the State Fair.

In the ensuing years, Sarah has started to wear them (they are like the mitten's from the Jan Brett book - accomodating many sizes of hands, Sarah is at least 6 inches taller than I am) and I have started to say on an almost daily basis "Don't lose those or let anything happen to them, they are special (irreplaceable, precious.... you get the idea)".

Sarah has a winter coat that is two shades of pink. About a week or so ago she asked me if I would knit her an identical pair of bird mittens to match her coat. Sure I said - if I can find the pattern. Off I went to look. Found the color chart for the hand and thumb in one folder. Kept searching.... found the color chart for the cuff in another notebook. Kept looking.... ah, there were some written directions.

The problem with my designing is that I often work on the item without really noting what I have done. Then, years later when I am trying to recreate a design I have - if I am lucky - some sketchy notes to work from and maybe, just maybe the actual item.

I had to reclaim the original pair from Sarah so that I could use them to help me figure out the missing gaps in the original writtten pattern. I am trying to be more disciplined this time around and, at each step, record what I am doing.

I am working in Jamieson's 2 ply Shetland Spindrift on size 0 needles. I cast on 72 stitches so it is (was) moving along pretty quickly. That was until I hit the hand and the two seperate patterns (three if you count the thumb gusset) that I am working at the same time. One for the palm of the hand and one for the back. I am still trying to remember how I handled the charts for this one. Needless to say it does not make for good travel knitting.

A week or so ago the Yarn Harlot posted pictures of her sock in progress - Embossed Leaves I believe is the name. Anyway, I searched the Interweave Knits archive to find the pattern. It is in the Winter 2005 issue. I decided these would be my travel knitting. Not 100% sure who they are for. Maybe a Holiday gift, maybe not, we shall see.

Today we drove to the Twin Cities (just for the day) to visit my in-laws. Miracles of miracles I did not have to drive so spent the time on the way down casting on (learned a new cast-on) and working the ribbing and part of the pattern. Well-prepared knitter that I am I had packed my headlamp and was able to knit on the way back also (strapped the headlamp to the back of the front seat headrest and aimed it down). Got almost two repeats done.

Porter was very happy when we got back and greeted us with quite the vocalizations. He spent the day hanging out in his house which is located in a nice sunny spot of the yard, though it is currently overhung by some pretty spectacular icicles on my neighbors house (need to get some photos of those, too). His reward for being left: a big hunk of venison, a carrot and dog food soup.

Stay warm. Get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine!

Running - and walking - at 11 below (air temperature, windchill rumoured to be minus 24)

A before the run shot as we gathered:



What we looked like 45 minutes later:




Photos of a long-time UFO that was completed last night. Perfect timing as the temps are plummeting.




And the finished mittens of my own design. Realized that the contrast between the two yarns isn't quite enough. Guess I will have to make another pair :->




And the two projects together:



Note the snow - yup, we have about 3 feet of the lovely white stuff in the yard. Still have a barely plowed out road. But the skiing is awesome!!

For those wondering how you dress for these temps see my previous post but add: long-sleeved lightweight fleece over the sporthill running top, subtract the vest, add some Warm Skin applied to face and hands. I was toasty warm for the whole run without being too warm.

17 plus inches of snow!!!

Wish I had my camera out the last few days. West Duluth got over 17 inches of snow!! Got my car home the next day once they got around to plowing out my street. Today we got another 1 - 2 inches of snow.

So far I have not been back on my skis since Tuesday night. Yesterday was a running day. Met a friend down at the Lakewalk (original plan was to run trails, but too much snow) and we ran 4.7 miles. Temperature was around 5 degrees F (or so) with a bit of a breeze which we didn't notice until we turned around. The Lake is still open and there was a ship anchored out, lit up. Today was a rest day. Hoping to get out tomorrow for a ski after work.

Sunsets and sunrises have been quite spectacular the last couple of days - again wish I had my camera near by.

Not much on the knitting front to report.

13 inches of snow and still accumulating!!!

Yeah for a real winter! Yesterday I skied before work (early enough to catch the sunrise - so unlike me). Today I skied before work - 8K (two loops around the Piedmont Ski Trails in Duluth). As I was skiing it began to snow and by the time I headed out for the second loop signs of my first pass were already gone.

Headed to work on roads that were getting a bit slick but still okay. I arrived to work at 11:00 am, ready to stay until 8:30 pm. By 2:00 pm my car had snow halfway up the tires. By 4:00 pm a co-worker noted that the snow on top was so high it looked like two of my cars stacked up! Glad I had my skis in my car today as they became a necessary part of my commute home.

Bridges were closing by 4:00pm, Duluth Transit Authority announced they were shutting down service at 6:00pm. Staff started heading home and, per our policy, we closed at 6:00. Well, no one could get to the clinic by 4ish, so most of the rest of my time was spent returning patient calls and digging out my co-workers. I left my car at work as there was no way I would get it near my house. Hills are too steep, roads are the last to be plowed.

Nothing like skiing on the streets of Duluth! Especially through 13+ inches of fluffy light snow. Bonus: got home and the shoveling had already been done. The dogs' house is disappearing under the drifts as we speak. They are predicting up to another 7 inches of snow before this ends, but sunshine for tomorrow.

Thank you Lake Superior for the snow (apparently this is pretty localized to the Downtown, East Hillside and West Duluth areas). Thanks also for coming at a time of year that is cold and will keep the snow around for awhile.

OKC: the Celtic Cable Mittens are done and went for their first ski today, as well as some snow shoveling and pushing cars. Looking for the right yarn and pattern to start a pair for Sarah.

SNOW!!!!!

Yeah, it is really snowing!

The bummer is that it is snowing so much that there have had to be cancellations of a few events, one of which my daughter worked very hard at organizing (World AIDs Day - Harbor City International School).

The city of Duluth has far fewer plow drivers than they did 10 years ago. Guess what the roads are like?

On the bright side this means my cross-country skis may get some use this year. Today though, I think I will work on the "celtic cable" mittens. One done, one to go. I have already had a request for a pair of pink and white mittens - preferably in some type of colorwork pattern.

Stay safe and warm wherever you are!