Feb 5, 2010 3:09 PM I am going to get my butt kicked tomorrow. Fortunately, all of you will have the pleasure of watching it on TV. Around 8:12am, I will take my first of many, many, many steps up 50 floors of the IDS Center. I'll make the trek alongside the State Patrol in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It's called "Climb for a Cure." But a better title might be "1500 Crazy People Getting Up Early on a Saturday Morning to Torture Themselves." The Climb started about 30 years ago, but law enforcement got into the game back in 2004. Tomorrow, 250 officers, paramedics, firefighters and troopers will join the "friendly" competition. From what I understand, the Minneapolis Fire Department generally crushes the event. The record holder is a Minneapolis firefighter named Dan Casper. He uses those cycling legs to get up the stairs in 6:19. Very few others even get within a minute of him. Yikes! "It started out as a machismo thing – who can get to the top the fastest," said St. Paul Police Officer Mike Polski. "Now, it's evolved into raising money for CF and the competition is in the backseat." Sure. The climb has a special meaning for Mike and his wife Donna. Seven years ago, their little girl Mikayla was born with cystic fibrosis. It's a respiratory and digestive disease. Back in the 50s, kids barely lived until kindergarten. Now, the average life expectancy is 38 years old. Both Mike and Donna think there will be a cure in Mikayla's lifetime. So, Mike's going to climb and recruited about 50 other St. Paul cops to join him. Donna will take pictures and Mikayla will watch. When I chatted with Mikayla this afternoon, I told she's going to need to give me a little oxygen when I make it to the top. The little cutie-pie just laughed at me. Apparently, it's a killer on your lungs because there's not much ventilation in the IDS stairway. One guy called it the worst 15 minutes of your week. Mike expects it to be the worst 20 minutes of his next few months. I'm sure the troopers will be nice to me. And, when you see me at the end all sweaty and gross, I hope you will too. You can still sign up tomorrow morning to climb – or you can just give money. Here's the info. Have a great weekend! Feb 1, 2010 10:48 PM Sorry I've been so MIA recently. I just got back from a nice little vacation in Hawaii. I'm still trying to figure out why I don't live there.
Anywho, it's been a big day here in the ole 'CCO newsroom. Right in the middle of our afternoon editorial meeting, we heard the news that Joe Mauer will continue his reign as Hometown Hero for another decade. Woo-hoo! x 100. Regular readers of this blog already know my warm and fuzzy feelings about #7. If you forget, please allow this video to remind you.
Just like he did with the "Favre is coming to Minnesota" news, Mark Rosen was the first to break the Mauer agreement. (Rock on, Rosie!) The way Rosen puts it: Sources tell him the framework is in place for a 10-year contract. The details aren't yet worked out, but Joe is staying.
When my assignment editor Petey Nelson (of Twins blog fame) heard this news, he jumped out of his chair and hugged fellow Twins fan Karna Bergstrom. I laughed because I knew he was genuinely full of complete and utter joy. As he put it in his mildly dramatic fashion, "I didn't think I could go through another traumatic loss to the Twins."
I like Joe. I've always liked Joe. But, I like him even more after reading this week's ESPN article entitled: "America's Fan-Friendliest Athlete." Apparently, writer Ryan Hockensmith (aka Joe Phan) HAND-wrote 479 letters to coaches, players and mascots associated with every NBA, NFL, MLB, and NL team asking for autographs. He got back some funny responses and odd paraphernalia. He also got back a letter from Mauer. Yes, a letter. A letter that he found "more thoughtful" than birthday cards from his Mom.
Mauer thanked him for his note, apologized for being delayed in his response (remember that whole Division Title thing) and his chance to meet the President. Hockensmith was so stunned, he called Mauer to ask if he actually wrote the darn thing. Turns out, Joe and his mom did. Every so often, the two meet up and figure out what Joe wants to say. Mom types it up, Joe signs it and off it goes in the mail to what I'm quite sure are many, many, many fans.
That's so cool. So cool in fact, I'm going to write my own thank-you letter to Joe and see what happens. I tried this once before with Justin Morneau. I wanted to wish him luck when he seemed to be a little nervous during the All-Star game back in 2006. Unfortunately, I didn't have the right address and it got bounced back. Bummer.
So, I'll try again. This time, I'll try harder. I might even write to Mikko Koivu too. I'll let you know how it goes.
Photo credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images Jan 14, 2010 10:33 PM
You people
are quick. Registration for Grandma’s Marathon
opened just this morning and by 5pm, 2800 of you had registered! You guys
have already filled about 30 percent of the race. Congrats! I like
how you operate. Keep up this pace and you might fill the whole thing. I
chatted with Bob Gustafson, the media guy for Grandma’s, this afternoon. He
told me last year was the first year in 15 they didn’t fill the 9500 spots for
the race. Let’s just go ahead and blame the economy and all those
Minneapolis/Stillwater inaugural marathon go-getters for that one. Bob
is optimistic they’ll fill up the marathon this year. So, you better get
cracking if you want to jump on the Grandma’s bandwagon. It’s about $90
plus the cost of a hotel room in Duluth.
Be forewarned. Prices are “at a premium” that weekend. You can also
stay at the UMD, UW-Superior or St. Scholastica dorms. My friends did that last
year and had a grand old time. I’m thinking of doing the
half. I just can’t get myself in marathon shape over the winter. All the
power to those who can! I’m just going to have to cross my fingers I get
accepted into the half-marathon lottery. They take 5000 people, but have
to turn away 4000. Now, that’s what I call popular. You can enter the
lottery online between February 17 and March 1. Registration for the Saturday
night 5K starts March 17 – Bob tells me that usually fills up in two and half days. I’ve
never done Grandma’s but I’ve always wanted to. The course is flat (130
elevation drop), runs right along Lake Superior
and supposedly has some die-hard awesome fans for the last seven miles. (Downside
– I understand the first 19 can be pretty lonely.) They also get cool
speakers like Dick Beardsley (so cool) and one of my all-time faves, Duluth native Kara
Goucher. And, for those of you who are inclined to rock out with your iPod,
they’re allowing headphones this year. Bob calls it “a world-class
event with small-town charm.” Who could say no to that?
Jan 12, 2010 10:15 PM
I’m eating
m&m’s right now. Which is kind of funny because I just wrote a story
about how some Austrian coaches called Minnesota
superstar skier Lindsey Vonn heavy. They said her weight gives her an
edge over her smaller competitors. Ouch. Now, I’m not
about to compare myself to Lindsey. I think I’ve made it quite clear in this
blog my athletic skills leave much to be desired. But, as a runner, I do
understand why she was so upset. When you train so hard for every
millisecond you can shave, you’re kind pissed off when someone says you’re
better at it because you’re skinny or fat or short or tall. Here’s
what Lindsey said in her blog at the Denver Post. “It's frustrating as an athlete to be called overweight in
any way. There definitely are girls on the circuit they could be pointing at, but
not me. I pride myself on how hard I work out and how physically fit I am. For
them to say that was extremely aggravating.” There’s no doubt. Lindsey Vonn has a nails body. She’s
5’10” and 160 pounds of a whole lot of rock-solid muscle. (What I wouldn’t give
for just a little of that… ok, I guess there’s a lot I wouldn’t give… starting
with the 7 hours of intense working out every day…) But, she knows it’s
that body that lets her take those turns, hurtle down the mountain and have to
mental strength to want to come back for more. When my boss suggested I do this story this
afternoon, I’ll admit, I wasn’t all that pumped. I mean, duh, people are
talking about pretty female athletes’ bodies? What’s so newsworthy about
that? But, then I got to thinking about Michael Phelps. How many
conversations did I have about how his web-like hands and feet, extra long
torso and crazy wingspan helped him dominate the pool? A lot. But,
that discussion was almost always linked to how hard Phelps trained or how many
calories he burned. We talked a lot about how his super-intense focus
helped him win. His big hands, feet, arms and torso were considered a good
thing for a man. In our society, “heavy” for a woman is not. (Don’t
even get me started on that!) As U of M sports scientist
Nicole LaVoi said, “The critique wasn’t, oh, she looks muscular and fit and
ready to do her best, it was she looks a little heavier.” I’m
don’t know what was going through the Austrian coaches’ minds when they said
what they did. Where they trying to psyche Lindsey out? Was something lost
in the language translation? Were they apologizing in advance for their
own skiers’ performances? Maybe they do think more height and weight
equals more momentum. I don’t know. Even Lindsey admitted, the journalists
probably sensationalized the remarks. (Darn journalists!) What
I do know is that she felt like they took something away from her hard
work. So, she responded by kicking a little tail and sweeping her races
this past weekend. You go, girl! I can’t wait to watch you in February. Lindsey
finished off her remarks by saying, “If adding weight was the key to downhill
success, everyone would be stuffing their face with food.” I
knew there had to be a good reason I’ll never run in the Olympics. I’m
pretty sure I can’t give up my m&m’s.
Jan 1, 2010 9:35 PM My
fingers and toes aren't quite back to normal. I think they are still partially
frozen. I guess that's what happens when you jump into a frozen Lake Minnetonka
on New Year's Day. Yep, I did it again. And, this time, I convinced my friend,
Holly, to jump with me ... Sucker! :-)
It's
just what you'd expect, except colder. Much colder. The water wasn't so bad. It
was the air. At 2 degrees, it was a good 30 degrees chillier than the water. That
makes the little swim quite pleasant (ok, maybe not pleasant) compared to what
was like when we got out. Think iced-up sneakers and frozen hair!
That
said, it was just as much fun as I remember. The ALARC folks that organize the
Ice Dive are some of the coolest people around. I love that Bill Wenmark, the
Ice Dive's fearless leader, gives me a big hug every time I see him! I love
that everyone wears their excitement right out in the open. I love that all the
people there will help a stranger in need. I still credit my new friend,
Tracky, for saving my little toe from frostbite two years ago.
I
know the Ice Dive is not for everyone. In fact, it's not for most people. That's
clear from the many comments I've received today that echo a theme very similar
to "Are you crazy?" But, for me, it's a great way to start off the
New Year. Not only did it test my physical limits, it got me up and moving
early. I spent some QT with a good group of people and I'll have some funny
stories to share throughout the year. I can't think of a better kick-off to
2010.
Happy
New Year everyone!
Dec 31, 2009 10:15 AM Ah, the Ice Dive. Is it already that time of year
again? The time to jump in the frigid waters of Lake Minnetonka
with about 800 other crazy people? Darn. I thought I had a few more
weeks to ponder the sensation of millions of needles stabbing me for the five
seconds I'm under. Nope. No more time. New Year's Day is
Friday. Where did 2009 go? Earlier this week, I thought I had made the decision to
just say no. I've done it twice before, I'm doing the Polar Dash, it's going
to be really, really cold ... blah, blah, blah. Excuses. I'm
starting to rethink my decision. You might remember when my good friend, Jeanette
Trompeter, and I took our first dive in 2007. She's from
California. I had just moved here from South Carolina. People
thought we were insane, but we both had so much fun that we did it again in 2008.
It really is a great event, minus the stinging water part.
 I started to reconsider around 2 this afternoon after
watching 20 guys cut a huge hole out of Lake Minnetonka. It was pretty
darn amazing. They worked for three hours straight in some not-so-warm
weather, chain sawing and lugging 100-pound chunks of ice. By the end,
they took about 3 tons of ice out of the lake. They also tried to peer
pressure me into jumping Friday morning.
 So, I'm going to sleep on it tonight. Should I
start off the year with a big bang? Or should I sleep in my warm bed a
few hours longer? I'll let you know. Until, feel free to offer up
your thoughts. I'm listening.
Dec 29, 2009 7:44 AM  It's
getting harder and harder to drag myself out of bed for a run. Every single
morning, it's cold, dark and icy. I don't mean to complain, I'm just trying to
state the truth. And that truth is, we chose to live here, so we have to find
ways to deal with it. We need to figure out how to make ourselves put on our
sneakers a few times a week to run, bike, ski, or skate out the door.
Fortunately,
this problem can be solved. Enter Team
Ortho a local foundation established in 2004 to get people active and
keep them that way all year round. Over the years, they've raised $100,000 for
local orthopedic associations. They've also organized lots of races to keep
people moving throughout the year.
This
year, they are planning the Monster Marathon Series. It's a series of four
events, where people and dogs can do everything from a full-on run to a
leisurely walk. They want "Every Body" to feel included. The idea is
just to keep you motivated to stay active by signing up for all four races now.
The
first event is the Polar Dash 5K/10K on New Year's Day. Then comes the
Minneapolis 1/2 Marathon/Marathon in June, the Minneapolis Duathlon in August
and the Monster Dash in Halloween. (That's the medal in the upper right corner
of this blog.) Each race you complete, you add a piece of the pie.
I'm
signing up tonight and expect it to cost around $250. (BTW, you get a fleece,
the medals and a bike jersey with that fee. And, some of the money goes to
charity!) The deadline is actually tonight (yes, I'm a procrastinator), but the
organizers told me they'll extend it until January 15 if you do the Polar Dash.
They already have 800 people ready to go. I think I even convinced my producer/newbie
runner, Tracy, to
jump aboard.
I
need the motivation. I need a race to keep me going. Bring it, winter. We can
handle you.
Dec 18, 2009 8:34 AM Listen
up procrastinators! If you're anything like me, you'll start your holiday
shopping bright and early tomorrow morning. It should go by quickly because I've
already made the lists for all the important people in my life. I hope to
finish by early afternoon, then sit by a fire, smell my decorations/evergreen
candles, sip apple cider and listen to Christmas songs. Yes, I love this time
of year that much. I really do.
  
Therefore,
I'm going to offer up a few last-minute gifts ideas for the runners in your
life. Maybe you have one in your family or know someone who wants to join the
craze. Maybe you're just looking for a little gift for yourself for job well
done. Whatever it is, here are some cool ideas.
1.
An ID bracelet. I don't know why I didn't
think of this invention. It's a brilliant idea. How many people go for a run
without any ID? Here's a not-so-fashionable piece of jewelry that's safe and
sensible. I like it.
2.
Ipod gloves. Use your Ipod with your
gloves on! I love this so much too. You know I've already asked for this, but I'm
going to do it again. I just got off the phone with Mom and discussed the
family lists. It was quite clear she hasn't read my blog in a few days. Tsk tsk.
3.
Anything lululemon. My sister turned me
onto this gear last year. So comfy. So cool. A little on the pricey side, but
you can splurge on one piece.
4.
A
subscription to Runner's World magazine. Any runner will tell you this
is, by far, the best running mag around. Great writing, powerful stories,
fantastic tips. A good read for new or long-time pavement pounders.
Happy
Holidays, my friends. Be safe out there.
Dec 16, 2009 9:35 PM
If you've had the unfortunate pleasure of chatting
with me over the past few days, you'll quickly figure out I'm not bringing my
A-game. I have one of these pesky head colds that won't seem to go
away. Friends have told me I sound like a cross between Darth Vader, a
12-year-old boy, and a phone operator you might hear on one of those
$1.99/minute calls. Nice. I spent most of yesterday on
the couch quite pleased there was a Law & Order S.V.U. marathon on
TNT. I barely had the energy to make it to the grocery store, much less to
the gym. But, this morning, after stocking up on lots of Tylenol Cold capsules,
I felt a ton better. I even thought about a run to loosen up my sinuses. I
know, that's gross. I've always been told about the "above
the neck" rule when it comes to exercising when sick. Dr. Mark
Seaburg, an internal medicine doc at Park Nicollet, confirmed it for me this
afternoon. We chatted for a few minutes about working-out when you're not
feeling great. He's run 84 marathons. He knows his stuff. He
said if your symptoms are above the neck – head cold, runny nose, sore throat –
then it's ok to go out for a little run. It's the below the neck stuff –
chills, chest colds, stomach problems – where you should really take a
rest. And, he said, whatever you do, don't work out at all when you have a
fever. Our internal organs require a specific temperature and exercising
increases that temp, so you could really do some damage to your organs. I
asked him if it was ok for me to work out. My cold is in my head, not my chest
-- meaning my cough is dry. (I'll stop here with the details. You get
it.) He said if that's the case, exercise can help because the adrenaline
opens up the clogged mucus. It clears out the sinuses. I can attest to
that. I did feel better this morning after a short, easy run. He
warned me, though, don't overdo it. He also said if you have asthma, avoid
exercising in the cold because it causes your airways to constrict. Dr.
Seaburg's advice is pretty easy to understand, "If you're short of breath,
you probably shouldn't be doing it." Good point.
Dec 10, 2009 10:23 PM  Man,
oh man, oh man, oh man, it’s cold out there. Not cold enough, though, for
some of you die-hard runners who refuse to let a little -11 degree wind chill get in
the way of your run. I just got off the phone with a nice guy named George who
works at the Running Room in Uptown. He’s been running around Calhoun and
Isles every day this week. He did admit to slipping on the
ice yesterday (“It wasn’t that bad because there was snow on the ground to pad
my fall”) and told me he’s not a huge fan of those first few steps (“For that
first mile, it can be pretty miserable"), but said once you get going it
feels pretty good. He doesn’t mind the chill because it keeps most people away
from the trails offering George and “quieter and more peaceful” run. I’m
not here to judge George because I’ve certainly run outside when others would
not. What I will do is share his advice because it was quite good.
And you (special shout-out to my girl, Lisa) have been asking for it. 1. Clothes Layers,
layers, layers. You might want to try a base layer that wicks away the
moisture like a poly pro, then add on a insulation quarter-zip or zip-up
top. If it’s really brutal, slap on a wind resistant Gore Tex
jacket. As for pants, you can go double layer too. For the dudes, George
suggests some wind briefs. Check them out for yourself. I’m
not going any further with that one. 2. Head Forty percent of your body heat is lost through your head, so a hat will do wonders.
I just picked up a nice one for $20 at Target and I love it. I can’t do face
masks or scarves because they drive me nuts, but they’ll keep you warmer by
protecting your face and warming the air you breathe. George recommends
Body Glide on your exposed skin to protect from the wind. 3. Hands 30
percent of your body heat is lost through your hands and feet. You could try
running gloves to keep the moisture away, but I’ve found regular, cheap cotton
gloves do the trick too. I hate that I can’t control my iPod with them, but I
am asking for the cool iPod gloves for Christmas. (I hope Mom, Heidi and
Katie are reading this.) Some people like mittens because they let your
fingers share the heat. Like the clothes, test them all out. I find
that I burn up when I wear too much stuff. 4. Feet I’m
cool with my regular old socks because I don’t let my feet get wet. You
could try wool socks, but I bet you’d get hot. As for not falling on the ice,
check out the Yak Traks or spikes. You can take on and off
easily. George says you don’t even notice them much when you’re walking or
running in the ice and snow. He also said they’ve sold a whole bunch at
the Running Room today. 5. Miscellaneous Wear
sun glasses. It might not be warm, but it’s still sunny. Drink water.
It might not be warm, but you still sweat. Dress in bright, reflective
gear when it’s dark. It might not be warm, but cars still can’t see you. Most
importantly, be safe. Know your limits. I know I can’t run in zero
degrees, but that’s ok. The gym is ready and willing to have me use their
stuff. I know I’ll get back out there soon. I also know if I change
my mind and hit the trails tomorrow, I’ll have company. George told me a
dozen people showed up to run at the Running Room clinic tonight. Good
luck!
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