She Do Run Run

The other day I had an early morning run through Downtown Minneapolis and took pictures of whatever appealed to me. Unfortunately, I only had the CrapCam, and as usual the pictures are out of focus. Sigh. Here's a visual, albeit blurry, tour of my city.

From my house, I ran through the Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. The image above is of Claes Oldenburg's Spoonbridge and Cherry. It's probably one of the most photographed sculptures associated with Minneapolis. The Basilica of St. Mary, the first Basilica west of the Mississippi, is in the background.

From the sculpture garden, I ran across the bridge to Loring Park. Here's a perennial garden in full glory.

As I ran towards the other end of the park, this "dandelion" greeted me. It is my favorite fountain and it always lifts my spirits. Just like the first robin is a sign of spring, I know that summer has arrived when this fountain is running.


Next, I ran up the Nicollet Mall, a pedestrian mall that extends about twelve blocks. If you're a local, you know to pronounce it "Nickel It", (don't cringe, Plods!), named for the Frenchman who mapped the Upper Mississippi basin. On this morning, vendors are setting up for the farmer's market. That enclosed bridge is called a skyway and there's a maze of them that allow you to get to various points without ever venturing outside. Very helpful when the temperature is minus 20F.


Further up the mall is this tribute to the character Mary Richards, played by Mary Tyler Moore in the early 70s. The TV show was set in Minneapolis, and the statue was placed near the spot where she threw her hat up in the air during the opening credits. I felt stoopid taking a picture of the statue, but I'll do anything for you people. :-)


Next stop is the new library, which opened in May. It was designed by Cesar Pelli, who also designed the Wells Fargo Center a few blocks away, one of my favorite buildings.


From the mall, I headed east, through an area that not too long ago was urban blight, but is now full of "lofts" and restaurants, centered around the new Guthrie Theatre. This is the back of the Guthrie; the large blue thrust is a balcony that gives awesome views of the river and Northeast Minneapolis.


The Guthrie used to be by my house, but outgrew its 40-years-old space so moved to the Mill District. This is where Minneapolis got its start--St. Anthony Falls, a waterfall in the Mississippi River, generated power for the sawmills, and later flour mills. Here's a sign leftover from one of those mills, Gold Medal Flour.


From the Guthrie I ran west along the river, back towards downtown, and through this Cancer Survivor's Park, an oasis of calm in the heart of the bustling city. It features sculptures and signs offering encouragement and support to cancer survivors and their families.

It's nice to not be in training this summer. For the last three summers I've trained for the Twin Cities Marathon and it really took up my summertime. On Saturdays, I would get up ridiculously early to run long, then come home and sleep the rest of the day. And on weekday evenings, when the weather was hot and steamy, I'd run hills and do track workouts. I'd run in rain and once even during a tornado (of course, I didn't actually see the tornado, but the sirens were going off and the wind was blowing pretty hard.)

My husband and I are planning to move to another state, and this will be my last summer in Minneapolis. That's why I didn't want to train for the TCM--I wanted to enjoy my last summer here. Summer is my favorite season, even with 90 degree weather. In June and July I worked to get the house market-ready, by repairing small items and cleaning. But mostly I had to remove the detritus of fifteen years. You can accumulate a lot of stuff when you don't move around.

The house is now on the market and there's a big "For Sale" sign blemishing the front yard. I'm excited about my new home, but it's hard to detach from the place I've called home all these years. Life there will be very different than what I've grown accustomed to. I currently live a mile from downtown and all sorts of conveniences--coffee shops, restaurants, theatre--are just a few minutes away. My new home will be on a subdivided ranch and the nearest city will be an hour's drive.

I never expected to feel sad about leaving Minneapolis. We moved here for my husband's job. I was quite happy where I was--I lived in the coolest house and the Pacific Ocean was in my back yard. I cried all the way to the state line when I left. But fifteen years is the longest I've ever lived in one house, even from when I was a kid, and with the various remodeling projects over the years, it reflects me. However, once you put your house on the market, it's no longer your home. You're just a temporary occupant and you'd better not get too comfortable. It's difficult to detach.

It's not just the house though, it's the community. I know a lot of people and they know me, at least superficially. Today I ran along the lakes with the running group, and a local radio station was staffing a booth for people training for the TCM. They had water, Power-ade, and Clif-shots. Because of that, there were a lot of runners out, not just LTF, but other running clubs as well.

After my run, I was hanging out at the water stop and I saw a woman approaching. Her body looked familiar and I asked if she was "Martha." It was her. Last summer I ran a half-marathon and for a little while I was drafting behind this woman, using her as a pacer. I'm a heavy-footed runner and breathe loudly, so she heard me and turned around. I told her what I was doing and we chatted for a little bit, until she took a walking break. I saw her again at the Twin Cities Marathon and she was walking backwards. She explained that it helped reduce fatigue, so I tried it. I don't know if it worked, but I finished the race so what the hey. In both races she had her name on her shirt, which is how I knew her name.

Martha remembered me and gave me her e-mail address. She's a coordinator with another running group and told me she'd let me know when Dick Beardsley is going to address the group. I'm looking forward to that.

Since I'm still recovering from Grandma's Marathon, I've just been taking it easy. The other day I ran through downtown and took pictures all along the way. Talk about taking it easy; it took me an hour to run three miles! I'll post the pictures another time, but it made me realize how many things I like about living here.

Here's a link to a video clip for an upcoming movie, "Land of the Gods. Legend of the Marathon." It contains footage of last year's Chicago Marathon, and interviews pro's like Deanna Kastor as well as ordinary people. It's under 5 minutes and worth the visit. Let me know how you like it.

For an added bonus, click on Films, Land of the Gods, Trailer 1 to view archival footage of Frank Shorter, Deanna Kastor, Steve Prefontaine, and others. Very inspiring.

Last week, I wrote about not signing up for a race that I had wanted to run, because I was too intimidated by the crowd. I had a lot of excuses not to run, but the real reason was I was embarassed to run so slowly in front of people who were there to see the parade, which started after the race. Many of you wrote very supportive comments and I appreciate them.

It seems I had the date wrong! The race was actually today, not last Wednesday, and since I clearly was disappointed that I didn't participate when I thought I had missed it, I had to run it tonight. No excuses.

It's interesting how many people I'm getting to know in this running community as a result of the various clubs I've trained with. I recognized a lot of faces as I wended my way to the sign up area. I registered, got a race number and a free singlet, then went to the downtown fitness club that I belong to. The running club was going to assemble there and then do a warm-up run the one mile back to the starting area.

I saw my coach from the Grandma's marathon training and learned that she qualified for a free entry to the Twin Cities Marathon because she's so fast! I had no idea I was in the presence of an elite athlete. I knew she was fast, but I didn't know she was that fast.

I ran with some other back of the packers to the sign up area, then we all got separated. I drank some water and used the portalet, then walked four blocks to the starting line. I still had a half-hour to go, so I sat down and talked to the woman next to me. Then we began to line up. I headed to what I thought was the back, but it turned out I was pretty close to the starting line. Oops! I felt as if I had inadvertently danced into the mosh pit. It was too hard to navigate to the back, so I stayed there and tried to keep out of the way of people that wanted to pass. But there were plenty of slower runners ahead of me.

Fears never seem to materialize the way we think they will. I had pictured myself running alone on the parade route, far behind all the other runners, my fat legs shaking like Jello as I propelled myself forward. The reality was that I was enveloped by an ocean of runners, and you wouldn't be able to see me if you tried.

This race is called the Torchlight Run and it coincides with the Aquatennial, Minneapolis' summer festival. It runs through Downtown, along some of the same routes as other races I've run, such as the TC Marathon and the Arena 5K, only in a different direction. It seemed like a fun race to run, but for the past three years I've been in marathon training and I didn't want to miss a training run. Now I'm not in training and this will be my last summer here, so that's why I wanted to participate.

My goal is to someday run a 30 minute 5K. I knew I wasn't there yet, but I wanted to see how close I could get. I ran the entire time and when I got too winded I would slow my pace. This wasn't chip timed, but I had my Garmin so I just pressed start as I crossed the starting line. The weather was warm, but not oppressive, and I carried a sport drink. At the 2-mile water stop, I took a cup of water and poured it on me. That felt good.

We ran north on Hennepin Ave., then veered left to run through North Loop, a new residential neighborhood of former warehouses. From there we ran along the river, past the new Guthrie Theatre and then headed towards the Metrodome, which is where the finish and post-race party would be. The "Dome" is where the Twins play baseball and the Vikings play football, but neither team likes the facility anymore. It's also where the Twin Cities Marathon starts.

It wasn't a direct line to the Dome, so I didn't know where the finish was. I didn't want to sprint too soon. Then I could hear the crowds and knew I was close. Just as I was ready to rock, my shoelace came undone. Oh, man! I didn't want to affect my time by stopping to tie it, so I picked up the pace while trying to avoid stepping on my shoelace. Note to self: doubleknot shoelaces before racing. I made it across the finish line in 34:39. Not great, but still an improvement. I'm not sure what my best 5K time is.

Here are the splits:
Mile 1 - 10:43
Mile 2 - 11:03
Mile 3 - 11:00
Mile .13- 1:51

Maybe next time I can do 33 minutes.

Some of you have asked if there's a triathlon in my future. NFW. As I told AmyBee, there's no way I'm running in a bathing suit! But I rode my bike over to the race and then rode it home afterwards. Maybe someday I'll try a bike/run.

Speaking of bikes, while riding home I stopped and watched the parade for a little while. There were clowns, marching bands, and the usual floats with "princesses." Then a bunch of cyclists rode by; they had just participated in the Aids ride. I clapped long and hard for them.

Here are the few triathlon pictures I was able to take before the camera battery zonked.

Today I volunteered for the LifeTime Fitness Triathlon, and it was a fabulous experience. I had never been to a triathlon before, all I know about triathlons is what I read in your blogs. I checked in at 6:30 a.m. and Chef Vincent came over and said hi. I wished him luck, but I didn't see him again. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take his picture until he was already gone.

Mention you live in Minnesota and people invariably talk about how cold it is here. Well, it is, but we do have four seasons and we are full-steam into summer now. Today's temperature was in the high 90s, making for dangerous racing conditions. The water temperature was 82 degrees, but amazingly, a few people still wore their wet suits. They wanted the buoyancy, but I hope they didn't overheat on the other legs.

My job was to help at the start of the swim. I brought my camera, not the CrapCam but a better one. Although I charged my battery yesterday to prepare for today, it died after the first couple of pictures. Arrrgh! One of the pro's was at the starting area to warm up and she graciously allowed me to take her picture. It was one of the few I was able to take.

Liz Blatchford

While the pro's were warming up, waiting for the start, one of them kissed his wife, then bent over and kissed her pregnant belly. His mother-in-law was standing near me and I told her I wished I got that picture! I asked if he lived here, but she said he lives in Colorado and trains at the Olympic center there. I asked his name and it was Hunter Kemper. He came in first!

Before the athletes showed up, I raked the beach. Then I was told to keep people off it to keep it clean and free of debris that could hurt the athletes feet. We tied off the area and for the most part, people complied. Then a woman went through and I asked her if she would please keep off the sand. As I was explaining that we were trying to keep the sand clear, she flashed her all-access pass at me. I know, I said, but... Then she told me she was the race director. Well, alrighty then!

My next job was to help line up the athletes by their respective wave. Someone would hold up a sign displaying the next wave and I walked around with a megaphone announcing which group would be next. At first I was shy of the bull horn, but then a woman borrowed it to make an announcement. She moved with authority, so I just emulated her. It's all about attitude, people!

First were the Pro Women, then Pro Men. There was an equalizer formula that gave prize money to the fastest triathlete, regardless of sex. Three years ago a woman won it, then the changed the formula and a man won the past two times. Next came the Elite amateurs, then by age group. This was all for the Olympic course: Swim 1.5K; Bike 40K, Run 10K. After that was done, we repeated it all again for the short course: Swim .4 mile, Bike 15 miles, Run 3 miles.

Because of the heat, the Olympic course was shortened for certain divisions, which changed the starting times for some groups. Although it was announced over the loudspeaker, there was competition from the news helicopters and airplanes flying into the nearby airport, so not everyone heard the announcement. That meant some people missed their wave. But we assured those that were late that it was chip timed and not to worry.

It helped that I've raced before, because I could empathize with the nervousness of some of the competitors. One young woman was about to cry when she learned she missed her wave, but I tried to distract the tears by telling her to hurry to the front of the line and inform the officials what happened. Another girl (she was 14; I can't call her a woman) wanted to go out with a different wave but I told her she had to go out with her wave. She said her Dad was waiting for her at the start of the bike leg. Unfortunately, her wave was the very last (male and female 12-15, short course). I tried to console her by telling her she just needed to worry about herself, her Dad would be OK. I asked her name, then later looked it up in the results. I was happy to see that she finished.

Being at the start let me see people I knew. AmyBee said hi and asked me to hold her extra swim cap. I gave her a hug and wished her luck. Then Emdee and Nee walked up to me. I barely recognized them. They were in the short course and by that time I was slightly delirious. It was late, I was hot, and it was difficult to drink and hold the bull horn at the same time. But I wished them luck too. And I saw Elle, the young woman that I ran with once at Team Salubrious. I knew she was a marathoner, but I didn't know she was a triathlete. I think she said this was her second LTF Triathlon.

Another treat was watching the "60 and over" triathletes line up. My husband is 60, so I don't think of 60 as old. I didn't think it was fair to lump everyone over 60 together, but looking at the results, the age group awards were still every five years. I guess there were so few athletes, that they just started them together in one wave. For the short course, an 88-year-old woman named Mary Stroebe was in the group. Apparently she's done this race before, because the other's in the group knew her and made a point of saying hi. This woman looked like a frail old lady, but she did it! If you read the article, you'll see there's nothing frail about her. It was her 12th triathlon--she started in her early 70s!

Walk around with a bull horn and people think you're important. The mayor of Minneapolis, R.T. Rybak, was competing in the short course, and he was concerned about missing his wave because he had to do an interview a few minutes before the wave began. I told him not to worry, we would just get him to the front of the line of the next wave. He kept checking in with me (!), the last time to let me know he was in time for his wave and would just line up. Okey dokey.

After the last wave went out, I helped pick up a little bit then went to find some food. Somehow I got into the hospitality tent, which required a pass that I didn't have, and got some orange juice and a brownie. I wasn't very hungry but felt I should have something. Then I went to the finish chute to watch the runners come in. Some were running strong, some looked whipped, so I don't know if it was the mid-pack or back of the pack. But I just cheered and tried to give encouragement. I didn't know if my friends had already finished or were still cycling. I'm not even sure what time it was, but I think it was around noon.

The woman standing next to me said she was looking for her friend, Mary. She was referring to Mary Stroebe, whom she said inspired her to start running. This woman was nearer my age than Mary's. She told me that her son rides with her and gets penalties because he drafts behind her on the bike to keep others from running into her! She told me that Mary had broken her leg in February and didn't know how long it would take for her to come in.

Then AmyBee ran past! If you've read her blog you know she was nervous about the long course, so I was so proud of her for finishing. She looked strong. I ran over to the food chute and saw her and gave her a hug. She came out and we chatted. I realized I had the CrapCam, so I took her picture before she went to hook up with her husband. Then I left to see if I could find Emdee or Nee. I never did see them run in, but I did see Elle as she was approaching the finish line. I yelled out and waved to her, then saw her again as I was leaving. We chatted for a few minutes, then she left to find her boyfriend and I dragged myself to the car.

It was exciting to be around professional athletes, but honestly, I think everyone who finished, regardless of their time, is a champion.

Baby got back!
Yeah, baby ... when it comes to females,
Cosmo ain't got nothin'
to do with my selection.
36-24-36? Ha ha, only if she's 5'3".

Sir Mix-A-Lot

Minnesota is known for its abundant women. I don't know what it is, but this area does have its share of big butts. I went for an early morning run, and there was a a man and a woman walking about a half-mile ahead of me. At first I was judgmental, looking with disgust at how much people will let themselves go. I'm not proud to admit that; I think it has to do with the way I feel about myself when I gain weight. Anyway, then they started to run and I noticed that the woman was wearing a water belt. I figured she must be training for a race, maybe the Avon 3-day walk that coming up next month. As I caught up with them, I asked her if she was training for a race and she said she's doing the LTF Triathlon this Saturday. I was stunned, but impressed. I wished her luck and went on my way.

There was a 5K race tonight, that went through downtown. I wanted to participate, but never signed up. What held me back is that the race was before a parade, and so the spectators would be there for the parade, not the runners. I was too embarrassed to run my snail's pace in front of people that aren't "runner friendly." I figured they'd be as judgmental about me as I am about others. Now I regret that I let fear keep me from doing something I'd enjoy. When will I learn?

I'm getting excited about this triathlon, and I'm not even racing. I signed up today to volunteer on Saturday. I don't know what I'll be doing and I've never watched a triathlon, much less participated in one. But it will be fun to be a part of such a prestigious event. And, of course, I have some running buddies that I can cheer for. I was reading the bios of the professional athletes; now I hope I get to be around them. I was told I could take pictures, as long as I was discrete.

The Lifetime Fitness Triathlon is this Saturday. There are two race distances: an Olympic course and a shorter course. AmyBee is racing in the long course. Go AmyBee!

And go Emdee and Nee, running companions and frequent commenters on this blog, who are participating in the shorter distance race.

Also racing is my favorite Frenchman, Vincent Francoual, an awesome chef who has a restaurant downtown. This man knows how to cook escargot! He races to raise money for a local charity and was featured on the LTF website a few months ago. Some people wanted to train with him and they were on the news the other night, waving baguettes as their "weight training." I was told that he was doing lifting of another sort while watching France play in the World Cup at a nearby bar. :-)

I ran six miles last night with Big M from my old running club. We met at her health club and left a few minutes earlier than the rest of her group. They were going to do hills and she didn't want to. She also wanted to avoid seeing her coach so she wouldn't get chastised for not sticking to her marathon routine. We had a nice run and did a lot of catching up, taking a detour from our planned route because a freight train was crossing our path. We actually did some hills, but it wasn't a "hill workout." Big M ran the Twin Cities Marathon last October and is training for it again. Emdee is turning 50 this year and is running Twin Cities to celebrate. Big M, and AmyBee, and a host of others, are running to support her.

When we got back from our run, the others were starting to return. We said our goodbyes and as Big M headed to her car she saw her coach! Then she had some 'splaining to do. :-0


*Saw on a t-shirt worn by my wholesome triathlete friend Emdee.

Good luck to *Jeanne* the running photographer, racing tomorrow's Calgary Marathon and Dawn the Pink Lady, running the half-M. I can't wait to read the race report and I'm sure *Jeanne* will have some great pictures as well. *Jeanne* is like the Eveready Bunny when it comes to marathons: she just keeps running and running them.

Thank you for the birthday wishes. My husband took me out to a fabulous dinner last night. It was supposed to be 5 courses, but when the chef learned it was my bday, he added a course! Dessert was a rhubarb creme brulee, that didn't quite work. It was topped with a goat cheese ice cream; its texture was very creamy but too tart for that dessert. When it comes to the classics, I say don't mess with them! The check came with freshly baked Madeleine's, so it was like having two desserts. Yum.

I worked off all that carbo loading with a 6 mile run this morning with my new running group. It's still LTF, but a different location, which means different people to run with. I hadn't met anyone yet, but was told there were some "slow" runners in the group. It was a store run, which means we met at a running store, and when we got back the store gave us 30% off. Too bad I didn't need any shoes. I tried on some running skirts, but the only one that fit came about two inches above my knees. Great for around town, but too long to run in. Plus, I could not bring myself to purchase a size 12-14. I'm an 8, dammit! Pass the chocolate.

While waiting for the run to begin, two girls asked me who everyone was. I explained that there were runners from a couple different locations (I read the e-mail). We introduced ourselves and I learned that they were from the same club that I plan to run out of. I told them that I was looking for a group that had some runners more my speed and they say they were slow runners. I looked into their low-20s faces and said, No. You're not. It wasn't until they said 14 minute miles that I believed them. They are new runners but they won't be 14 minute milers for long.

However, there were a couple of women who I think I'll be able to run with. Praise the Lord and pass the body glide! They started out ahead of me, but towards the end we were running together. I'm hoping they'll see the wisdom of Galloway and walk a minute for ever 9 minutes of running. This was my longest run since Grandma's and I felt strong. BTW Jeanne, you're right. I should not put the word only in front of mileage. We will be training for the TC 10 Miler; it's the same day as the Twin Cities Marathon. It's by lottery, so I hope I get in.

Today is my 53 birthday. Inside every old person is a young one wondering what the hell happened. But I'm OK with my age, except when someone (usually younger than me) points it out by calling me "young lady." Or when I gain weight while training for a marathon. And I'm not talking muscle weight. Sigh.

To celebrate, I went for a run! I want to be one of those people who is running strong well into her 80s. Maybe then I won't be last in my age group. :-) This was my 4th run since the marathon and I only went 3.5 miles. For some reason, I've been afraid to go running. I don't understand how I can run 26 miles and then be afraid to run 6, but it's been holding me back. So I made myself go out and of course it was fine. I was a little sore before the run was over, but I definitely took it easy. No hills, no speed, just a jog around the lake. My quads are sore now, though.

For my birthday, my husband got me some personal training sessions for O2 training. It was what I asked for and I'm looking forward to starting. I'm hoping it will increase my metabolic rate and help me to run faster. I didn't even know what metabolic rate was when I was younger!

My good friend Little P called this morning and had her family (husband, daughter 8 and son 6) sing Happy Birthday to me over the phone. She does that every year and if I'm not home they record it on my answering machine. I've saved two renditions and I play them during the year. It always puts a smile on my face.

Sister Smile tagged me while I was out of town.

4 Jobs I’ve had:
Dishwasher, Hotel Maid, Applications Programmer, Software Sales

4 Movies I watch over and over: No movies, but I've read the following books at least three times: Noble House, Gone with the Wind, Atlas Shrugged

4 Places I have lived: NYC, L.A., Santa Clara, Newport, Oregon

4 TV shows I watch: Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal; 10 P.M. news

4 Places I’ve been on vacation: Kyoto, Japan; Paris, France; Guadalajara, Mexico; Vancouver, Canada

4 Websites I visit every day: Hotmail, Yahoo, Blogger; I only obsess on email on a daily basis.

4 Favorite Foods: Dark Chocolate truffles, Gnocchi, Quiche, Escargot

4 Places I'd rather be right now: On my sailboat; Saint Peters Square in Rome; On a beach in Hawaii; At a sidewalk table at Cafe Einstein on Unter den Linden in Berlin

4 Favorite Bands/Singers: Rolling Stones, Oingo Boingo, The Cure, Eric Clapton

Amy B:Tag--You're it!