First cross-country skiing!

First cross-country ski outing! Drove to Como Park, parking at my usual corner of Arlington and Huron, right by the sledding hill. 19 F, kick-waxed accordingly with Swix green extra and off I went. I was one of the first ones out there this morning and the track was ill-defined. The layout had changed a little since last year and I lost the trail a couple of times. More confident during the second loop, but I felt a heel blister coming on my left foot: I should have rejected the sock with a hole and it went to the garbage when I returned home. Pretty slow on account of the un-groomed track, the many wrong turns and the growing blister, next time will be better. It was good, though! Take a look at my first two loops this year!

Brainerd Pewee C Hockey Tournament

First and only hockey tournament out of town for James. Boys are growing up. Colin has a tournament with Como HS JV team, in Park Rapids at the same time, Parents do not need to be present ...

Drive without incident, 2:30 hrs, shorter than I expected. Of course I forgot my Forerunner 305 and decided to take my iQue 3600. It worked, though something weird happened when I jogged on Paul Bunyan trail. Anyway, Bushwhacked NNE from Holiday Inn Express on 371 to CR49, followed 49 E to Beaver Dam Rd. S, Followed this to Excelsior W, crossed the arborethum to join Paul Bunyan trail N, crossed the golf course and ran vaguely along 371 back to the hotel. Here is a link to the map.

Left hip and lower back are a pain, worse than usual. After Game 2 (Game 1: Highland 1-Edina 7, Game 2: Highland 6-Elk River 1) I took a quick dip in the whirl pool, the jets and heat seemed soothing.

Second week of December

Had a decent run on Sunday and every intention to run this week. Instead, went for walk with dog, interesting but not altogether legal route along the bluffs along St. Paul's Westside. Sad to walk by the location where a boulder took out the 191 step tower connecting Wabasha Street at the bottom of the bluff to Prospect and Hall streets on top, the "Green Stairs." (see also http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/19086154.html, http://www.fmr.org/news/current/wabasha_stairs-2008-06) Very sad, I hope the neighborhood groups are successful in getting their way to rebuild the tower. I loved climbing this puppy 4-5 times during my kids' hockey practices at the Ken Yackel Arena ...
Returning from the walk I stumbled over a person sitting on the stairway leading down from Delos Str. to Isabelle Str. Mellie was quite concerned by the lonely, motionless figure sitting on the snowy steps. In passing, I asked "are you OK?" As there was no response, I turned around and asked again, "you sure you're alright?" Then she answered loud and clear and with an older voice than I anticipated, "Thank you, I am alright."

No Garmin log for this one, since I did not run and left the trusty Forerunner 305 at home.