Shop Downtown organization & Runner's Image

Thought I'd throw out a shout-out to my favorite independent running store, Runner's Image in downtown Rockford.

They are listed in the Shop Downtown advertisement.

8 mile trail run last Saturday

All I can say is TUCK AND ROLL, BABY!

Experienced my 9th career wipeout during our Coyote 8-mile trail run last Saturday morning.  Thankfully I did in fact tuck-n-roll and didn't hurt anything.

There were about 25 of us running all over the park.  I'm in the white hat with several fellow Coyotes.

400th mile in 2013

My goal again this year is to reach 1,000 miles, running only.

Jill helped me by running mile 400 with me in April.

Thanks, Jill!  

Arny 10 mile road race

Over the roads inside hilly Rock Cut State Park.  3rd in my age group and 32nd place overall.

Tour de Trails 5 mile trail race review

A fun race.  A good trail race course with plenty of hills to make it interesting.  The race began at the boat launch area of Rock Cut State Park and ended close by.  It was a nice sunny day, temps in the low-to-mid 20s.

This was the first of a new three race Tour de Trails series for 2013 (full disclosure, I'm on the TdT committee) and it turned out pretty well.  With little more than a month to put the race together it all came along nicely.  I believe there were 170 registered runners and racers.  There were a lot of positive comments about the race and the course.  My congrats to all of the committee members and to the Rockford Road Runners for doing all of the heaving lifting and race preparations.  Thank you also to the volunteers that helped on race day.

I finished 45th out of the 170 or so runners, finishing third in my age-group.  I am pretty happy with that!

At the finish...almost!

Photography by Ruth Campbell Photography(c).

Check out Trail Running Adventure blog

Great scenery and she is a good writer.  Check it out Trail Running Adventure here.  Enjoy!

Trail Running Film Festival

Lets see.  Running in 15 degrees, wind and snow...or this?  I pick this!  Coming in March.

Tour de Trails 5 mile Trail Run January 26th

The first Tour de Trails trail race/run will be held on January 26 at 11:00 a.m., Rock Cut State Park.

Go here to submit your entry online: http://www.runsignup.com/rockfordroadrunner-tour_de_trails

Or if you prefer to mail in your entry visit this link, print and send it in:
http://www.rockfordroadrunners.org/Races2013/Tour_de_Trails_2013_entry_form.pdf

This race is capped at a max of 250 participants so you'd better get signed up a.s.a.p.

2012 Wrap up

2012, all things considered it was a good year for running.  Milder winter and summer temperatures and a great fall running season with little rain and mild temps made me happy as I'm not a hot or cold weather runner.

My goal for the year was to reach 1,000 miles. I finished at 1,086 in spite of a couple of injuries. One was a hamstring earlier in the Spring which kept me from running for a couple of weeks.  The other was more severe when I tripped during a Hobo 20k trail race and hurt my ribs, resulting in a month layoff.  

I also ran several road and trail races which you can read about in the sidebar.

If any of you want to keep track of your running or walking distances this year, log on at www.dailymile.com.  They make it simple to register your workouts and, if you wish, you can 'friend' other runners.

And THANK YOU to all of my friends in the Rockford Road Runners and Coyote Trail running clubs.  It is a lot of fun to run with you all...in all types of weather!

Some of my favorite photos from 2012...

Rock Cut State Park where I run my trail workouts:

My 1,000th mile in 2012:

After a tough 25k trail race:

Running in Galena, IL:

Hobo 25k (#316):

Rockford Road Runners 2012 Turkey Trot course:

December Rock Cut Trail 8 mile run:

Just Run:

2012 Survivor 5k 12/22 on hiatus until further notice

You might want to check with the Rockford Road Runners regarding the running of the Survivor 5k on December 5k before showing up for the race. www.rockfordroadrunners.org

The RRR have announced that as of now there will be no RRR-sanctioned Survivor race until further notice.  If there is a race, according to the RRR club, it is not a RRR event.

For me personally one of the great things about this series whas been the special Survivor 'hoodie' that all runners who run the series for five years may earn.  Each year the 4-race series has included a 5k, 10k, 15k and 20k.  Each are held regardless of weather conditions.  It can be tough series, held in December, January, February and March and is quite an accomplishment.  This would have been my 4th year and I planned on not only receiving my 4th orange Survivor shirt after the end of this year's series but at the end of 2014 I would have earned the coveted  'hoodie'.

Now that all is in jeopardy. Not just for me but for many other runners who have also trained countless miles and hours with the goal of finishing each tough race.  A few have put their own selfish and childish needs ahead of the local running community and hundreds of fellow Survivor runners and finishers.

Now during group training runs the conversations are no longer just about training, injuries, food or excitement about the upcoming Survivor race.  Instead there now are whispers about which party is right and who is wrong, what the motives may be, who took what, who stole what, where race fees went, who do you like, who do you dislike...etc.  This is what these few have sown within our running community and I do not like it one bit.  Now people are thrown into choosing sides.  Some try not to, to their credit, but it is only a matter of time before they will have to.  Dissension has been sown.

So to those who are doing this to all of us runners and the RRR club while destroying a long tradition of Survivor and also Hobo series races I ask this.  Is it worth it?  Is it worth destroying all that you admittedly helped to build?  Is it worth the acrimony and division that you have created?  Is it worth your tarnished reputation?

I'll jump off of my soapbox in a moment.  Remember (unless there is a new announcement from the RRR) that if you run a 'race' at Rock Cut State Park at noon on 12/22 you are helping to support those who are causing this uncomfortable divide in our running community.

Is it worth it?

Selfishness

Why do people put their own goals ahead of the running community as a whole?

The more I think about the more pissed off I become.

Enough said...for now.

1,000 mile goal for 2012

On November 30 I reached my goal of running 1,000 miles in 2012.  I reached it by running on the trails of Rock Cut State Park. I was a 40'ish degree day and sunny.  A nice day to reach my goal. I thought I'd share some photos from the run.

The starting place of many of my runs. Lion's.

Dry!

I chose right.  I chose wisely.

This creek used to be calf deep at times.

Thanks, algore!

+ 1,000 and still crankin' 'em out...