Team Cross Runs

Twin Cities Marathon Weekend

It is still 3 months away but it is never to early to plan for race weekend.  For 11,000 runners the Twin Cities Marathon will be the culmination of many miles of pavement (and dirt) pounded throughout the summer.

The 26.2 mile race begins at 8am on Sunday, October 4th.  Earlier that morning at 7:05am 6,500 runners will take the “shortcut to the capitol” by running the TC 10 Mile.   Registration for this “shortcut” is via a lottery system that is currently open.  Registration for the 10 Mile lottery goes from Monday, July 6 to Wednesday July 15 at 10pm.  1,000 lucky runners of May’s TC 1 Mile event (including me) won a guarenteed entry into the 10 Mile.  I obviously chose not to use it. This is the 11th annual 10 mile race and is again the USA 10 Mile Championship event.

New this year to race weekend is a 10k event.  Held on Saturday, October 3 at 7:30am this will be an out and back along the last 3 miles of the marathon course (starting and finishing at the marathon finish area).  It appears that there is no limit to the number of 10k participants and offers race day entry.  This also is the first event of the 2009 race weekend.

The TC 5k is on Saturday as well  starting at 9am.  It is an out and back course along the last 1.5 miles of the marathon course, finishing at the marathon finish.  It too appears to have no limit to race entries and offers race morning entry.  Both the 10k and 5k events will be run on USATF certified courses and are chip timed.

Other family friendly events are scheduled throughout the day on Saturday.  All events offer pre- and race day registration. They include:

• Diana Pierce Family Mile which starts at 10m and is an out and back course finishing on the marathon finish line.
• Half Mile which starts at 10:30 am and is an out and back course finishing at the marathon finish line.
• Diaper Dash starts at 11am. Participants crawl from an inner circle to an outer circle, it seems obvious this is for the littlest of “runners” in the family. It doesn’t sound like this one finishes on the marathon finish line but does take place in the same area.
• Harry & Shelly’s Mascot Invitational starts at 11:15am and is a race amongst your favorite mascots.  I’m not sure which ones will be there, but I’m sure Brutus the Buckeye won’t be.   Harry and Shelly are the TCM mascots (in case you were wondering).
• Toddler Trot starts at 11:30 and is a 50 yard dash on the capital lawn.

Race fees start at $7 for the Toddler Trot and Diaper Dash and go up to $100 for the now closed marathon.

Last year I was quite happy to visit the Expo, pickup my number and chip, walk quickly through, purchase a shirt, and head home – less time on the feet the better! Some of my non-runner friends have taken their kids to the family events and had a blast.

If you’ll be here for marathon weekend, what event are you doing?  Me – I’ll be knocking out the 26.2.

Technorati Tags: Twin Cities, Marathon, Twin Cities Marathon, 10 Mile, TC 10 Mile

Running to Fight Cancer

Local runner and cancer advocate Matthew Flory recently created a Facebook group entitled 5Ks that Fight Cancer (Minneapolis/Saint Paul).

In the group he lists 10 5ks that benefit cancer research within the Twin Cities metro area.  In the group’s description he say:

Cancer is the number one cause of death in Minnesota, but there are many organizations and causes joined in the fight to defeat this disease. Many have 5k races as fundraisers.

We all know that most races have some charitable benefit to them.  Some of the best known national charity running events revolve around cancer research.  Almost everyone has been touched by this nasty illness.  The Team in Training group is a nationally recognized fundraising machine.

Flory limited his list for this group to just 5k races – they are the most common and most accessible for average people. Here is his list:

Get Your Rear In Gear, Minneapolis, April 19, 2009
http://www.getyourrearingear.com/
Proceeds benefit the Minnesota Colon Cancer Coalition

Twin Cities Race For the Cure, May 10, 2009
http://www.racecure.org/site3.aspx
Proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen Foundation

Brian Kraft Memorial 5k, May 25, 2009
http://www.usatfmn.org/brian-kraft-memorial-5k
Proceeds benefit University of Minnesota

Challenge Cancer 5K, Saint Paul, June 6
Proceeds benefit Charities Challenge

Twin Cities Lung Walk 5K, Saint Paul, June 7
www.lungwalk.org
Proceeds benefit the American Lung Association

Time to Fly Walk/Run, Saint Paul, June 27th
Proceeds benefit Child Cancer Research Fund

American Cancer Society 5K, Bloomington, August 15th
Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society

Silent No More Minnesota Ovarian Cancer September 13, 2009
Proceeds benefit the MN Ovarian Cancer Alliance

The Hartford Pace Case Run/Walk for Prostate Cancer, September 26, 2009
Proceeds will benefit the Prostate Cancer Education Council.

ACS Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Minneapolis, October 10, 2009
Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society

So if you like to run for specific causes this might be a helpful group to check out.

Technorati Tags: Running, Cancer, Charity

World No Tobacco Day 5K

Want to help low-income children who suffer from persistent asthma? While running a fast 5k?

Check out the World No Tobacco Day 5K Run to be held on May 31, 2009.  Smoke Free Dakota County is hosting this first-year event that will run along the Big Rivers Regional Trail starting in Lilydale.  The 5k starts at 8am or take part in the group stretching event at 7:40.  Registration begins at $15 before May 1 and tops out at $20 for race day entry.

Their will be prizes for the top 3 male and female finishers along with a Sprint cellphone give-away that is open to all runners.

Diane Tran, race director, summarized her thoughts about the race for me:

We’re so excited to celebrate World No Tobacco Day 2009 with a 5K race on a beautiful trail in northern Dakota County! The course overlooks the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers and will be a lot of fun for the runners. Also, our t-shirts are pretty rad!

From their website:

Join Smoke-Free Dakota for the World No Tobacco Day 5K Run on Sunday, May 31, 2009! The run will benefit low-income children with persistent asthma to attend Camp SuperKids 2009, a weeklong summer camp sponsored by the American Lung Association in Minnesota. Asthma is the leading serious chronic illness in children in the U.S. and is the number one cause of student absences related to chronic conditions. Campers will learn to better manage their asthma and gain confidence through building relationships with their peers to ensure a future of better health!

The USATF-certified 5K Run (Certification # MN-09010-RR) will start at the eastern end (in Lilydale) of the Big Rivers Regional Trail, a nearly flat paved trail built on an abandoned railroad bed overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississppi Rivers.

Check out their “rad” t-shirt design:

Technorati Tags: Dakota County, Smoke Free, 5k, Asthma, USATF

USATF-MN Team/Championship Schedule

The 2009 USATF-MN Team Circuit and Championship Race Schedule was voted on awhile back.  Here is the schedule:

• March 22nd St. Patrick’s Day Human Race 8k – St. Paul USATF Minnesota 8k Championship  Last year’s review I ran a 31:27 which is a post-college PR.
• April 25th Get in Gear 10k – Minneapolis USATF Minnesota 10k Championship  Last year’s review I ran a 41:30 which is 2 seconds off my PR in terrible conditions.
• May 7th Medtronic TC 1 Mile – Minneapolis USATF Minnesota 1 Mile Championship  Last year’s review
  I ran a 5:27 which is a post-college PR.
• May 25th Brian Kraft Memorial 5k – Minneapolis USATF Minnesota 5k Championship  I missed this one last year to watch my sister graduate from high school.
• June 20th Grandma’s Marathon – Duluth USATF Minnesota Marathon Championship  This is a new one back on the circuit this year. I’m still looking for a spring marathon…
• July 25th Lumberjack Days 10 Mile – Stillwater  This is another one being added back to the schedule.
• August 2nd Hennepin Lake Classic 5k – Minneapolis  Last year’s review of the 10k. The Team Circuit requires a certain number do the 10k, the 5k, and also some doing the double! I ran a 41:59.
• August 9th MDRA 15k – Edina USATF Minnesota 15k Championship  Last year’s review This is my first road 15K and I ran a 1:03:24.
• September 13th City of Lakes 25k – Minneapolis USATF Minnesota 25k Championship  Last year’s review I ran a 1:48:40 for my first time at this distance.

I recognize at least two races are missing from the schedule which is good! Last year I ran the 5000m championship on the track and that wasn’t very exciting. The Earth Day Half Marathon was also on last year’s circuit.  It was the weekend before Boston last year and I imagine that is why it got left out of the schedule this year. It is a little odd that there isn’t a half-marathon on the schedule at all though.

Here is an interview with USATF Minnesota Long Distance Running Competition Chairman Ed Whetham from Down the Backstretch about the 2009 circuit.

Technorati Tags: USATF-MN, USATF, Championship

A Monumental Marathon

The Indianapolis Monumental Marathon has officially opened registration. The inaugural event will take place on November 1 and will highlight

a number of great buildings and features in our beautiful and convenient Indianapolis downtown including: the Indiana State Capitol, the Arts Garden, Lucas Oil Stadium, Circle Center Mall, Monument Circle, a number of federal monuments, the Cultural trail and the Mass. Ave. District. We are also happy to showcase several interesting and lovely neighborhoods including the Old Northside, Fall Creek Place, Meridian-Kessler, Butler-Tarkington and Broad Ripple.

The event is being organized and hosted by some of the best in Indianapolis racing. The official management company is Ken Long & Associates who have an excellent reputation in the community with support from the likes of Bob Kennedy.

Billed as a flat and fast course, this would be a good marathon. If I still lived in Indiana I would probably sign up for this one. The Indianapolis Marathon is a few weeks earlier and is also an excellent event that is well-established. The IM is a little hillier but also provides more natural scenery, while the new IMM is flatter and showcases some of the history of the city.

If you are undecided about a fall marathon I would recommend either!

Technorati Tags: Marathon, Indianapolis, Monuments

Are You Tough Enough?

You can run a marathon but can you finish the Tough Guy 7 mile race?

That is the question everyone wants to know at the beginning of what sounds like a very brutal race. You thought the last few miles of a marathon were agony – try battling hypothermia, climbing to the top of a tower, plunging into an icy lake and swimming 30 meters to cross the finish line.

Martin Dugard, an acclaimed author and sports junkie I’ve written about before, just wrote a review of the Tough Guy that will make you itch for more than an urban run down the Greenway.

This is my life after Tough Guy, a seven-mile odyssey of pain, suffering, and freezing-water immersion. The title is tongue-in-cheek, but the cruel severity of the competition is not. Since its inception in 1986, Tough Guy has become an increasingly worldwide phenomenon, beckoning otherwise sane men and women to the British West Midlands in the dead of winter to sprint through pastures, scramble through thorns, jitterbug through electric cattle prods dangling like Portuguese man-of-wars from ropes strung above knee-deep mud, climb and descend acres of cargo netting, and swim underwater through an icy pond.

If you can imagine an endurance race that combines the absurd best of Monty Python with the punishing numbness of Navy SEAL training, then you can comprehend Tough Guy. To go one step further: If you are the sort of person who doesn’t just imagine such a race but also hears an irrational voice in the back of your brain as you read this copy of American Way (which you plucked out of the seat pocket randomly but now wonder if it’s part of some act of fate) asking if you are indeed Tough Enough , then I am almost positive that one January very soon, no matter the status of your marriage or career or credit card balances, you will not consider your life complete until a Tough Guy finisher medal hangs around your neck. You know who you are.

So I leap. The free fall is short, and the seconds underwater are far too long. I sputter to the surface, swim to shore, and then fling myself down into the mud to low-crawl beneath barbed wire as part of an obstacle named for the Battle of the Somme. There is much more hardship to come (yes, more icy water), but finally crossing that finish line and sipping my cup of hot tea with shaking, hypothermic hands is a most amazing moment of happiness.

Excerpts taken from the American Way Magazine published for American Airlines. Did I mention Dugard got paid to compete in the race and write the story?

Technorati Tags: Tough Guy, American, Martin Dugard

One mile – $25,000

That is what is happening tonight in downtown Minneapolis at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile. A field including 2,600 average joes (or citizen runners) will compete before two waves of elite runners go for the gold. Well the gold in this case is $4,000 for the winners and a $10,000 bonus to the first male runner to go sub-4 and the first female to go sub-4:28. Can you do it?

This is part of the USATF circuit and I’m looking forward to racing a mile. It is an odd distance one that I have touched really since high school. Most of the college meets I was at only had the 1500 and since I was an 800 specialist I didn’t jump up much. How does one train for a mile race? Especially one that falls 3 weeks after a half-marathon and 2 weeks after a 10K. Who knows would be my answer! I did a lot of easy running with some strides so we’ll see what my body is capable of.

However there are a lot of athletes who are training for these middle distance events on the track and they will be in top form. The race has received a lot of publicity, especially since they have upped the ante with prize money. Race director Brian Mastel says, “The fields include two Olympians, a three-time NCAA Champion, an age group world record holder and nine men who have broken the four-minute barrier.”

12 men and 10 women will be competing in the elite fields including:

Joining two-time champion of the event, Luke Watson, will be Team USA Minnesota runner Brad Lowery, in addition to former Team USA Minnesota runner, Ryan Kleimenhagen. The field also includes two runners who’ve recently been added to the list of sub-four minute milers, Steve Sherer, ranked second in the United States at the mile indoors and Jordan Fife, ranked 6th in the United States at the mile indoors, as well as several runners from Kenya, including Haron Lagat, Vincent Rono, Josephat Kithii, Eliud Njubi, and Benson Chesang.
The women’s field will feature 2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson, her Team USA Minnesota teammate Emily Brown, former NCAA 1500 meter champion Tiffany McWilliams, and the top returning runner from last year’s race, Colleen Newhart. This year’s race will also have a strong international field with such runners as, Rose Kosgei, Margaret Chirchir, Meskerem Legesse, and Marina Munca.

Two of the runners are from Indiana: Luke Watson and Jordan Fife and three from Minnesota: Brad Lowery, Carrie Tollefson, and Rasa Troup.

It should be a fun night! Hopefully i won’t be so exhausted after my race that I will get to enjoy watching the elite race.  Waves start at 6:50pm with the championship male wave at 7:58.

HT: Down the Backstretch The Final Sprint Cool Running

Technorati Tags: mile, Medtronic, TC One Mile