Winter BeGone Duathlon Report

Or, “Holding Off The Bikers As Long As I Could”

Or, “Who Ordered The Wind And Hills?...”

Matt, Pharmie, and I left St. Paul this morning at 6 am to drive down to Oronoco, MN. We met Borsch down there:

Matt, Pharmie, Me, and Borsch

We got there EARLY (as I ALWAYS like to do), and there were only 3 bikes set up in transition. I love to have prime pick-ens’!

Pharmie and I were going to do the long course, which was a 3.1 mile run, an 18.6 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run. Matt and Borsch were signed up for the short course: 2 mile run, 12 mile bike, and 2 mile run. IT WAS GOING TO BE THEIR FIRST MULTI-SPORT EVENT! We got a sweet, sweet parking spot, about 20 feet from transition and 30 feet from “port-o-john row:”

The snow-fence just in front of my car is the corner of transition

I had one big goal for the day: to push HARD on the bike. In the past, during multi-sport events, I feel like I’ve left too much in my tank during the bike. I wouldn’t push enough on the bike, thinking about that run that I have to do when the bike is over. But not this time. Today, I wanted to bike harder and just try to hold on for the run. That was the plan.

So Pharmie and I got set up in transition and got ready to go:

It was REALLY SWEET being able to park so close - just after the pre-race meeting, when we were on our way to the starting line, we all did our final strip and threw everything in the car. It was about 31 degrees at the start, so it was the chilliest multi-sport event I’ve ever done. At least it was sunny!

Start: Pharmie and I started the long course 12 minutes before the short course started. It was a pretty small event - it was actually its first year. There were about 50 doing the long course and 110 doing the short course. I’ve NEVER been in such a small du or tri. My last tri was IM WI, when we started with 2,200 other people. This was much different.

Run: I was hoping to run the first 5K in around 20 minutes, but I didn’t know how hard I’d push myself. I ran most of the run in 7th or 8th place, and finished strong and feeling fine!

Bike: It was windy. And HILLY. And the “18.6 mile bike” was really just over 19.5 miles. That hurt. BUT, I stuck to my plan. Well, mostly.

I went out on the bike, and waited to get passed. See, I’m not a super fast biker. I didn’t get passed until about mile 2. I had dropped to 8th overall. A few more people passed me throughout, but I wasn’t getting passed as quickly as I usually do! I was pushing, and people were having more trouble catching me! But I started having a tough time around the middle of the bike leg. I was getting sick of the wind and hills. But when I saw the mile marker for mile 12, I kicked it in the butt and told myself to finish this ride hard and strong, just like I wanted to. And that’s what I did. I finished the bike in 11th overall.

Run: I hit the 10K run, and I went out at a good pace. I had worked hard on the bike, but I still had plenty for the run. I didn’t take official splits, but my first mile was about 7:10, and I hit the second mile marker in under 14 minutes.

Around that second mile marker, I finally caught up to the ONLY RUNNER IN SIGHT on the long course. There was no one behind me that I could see, and just this one guy in front of me. “Good morning,” I said. “Jeez, you caught me quick!” he told me. We made small talk for about 15 seconds. Then there was a pause. Finally, I just came out and asked it: “How old are you? Are we each others competition?” He laughed and said, “I was JUST thinking about asking you that!” It turns out he was in the age group above me. “Good thing...” he said. “I won’t be able to catch you!” We laughed again. I threw my hands up in the air and jokingly said “Not that it matters - we should each just be running our own race, right?” We parted ways, and I took off in front of him.

The run was tough. Besides mile 1 and 2, there were no mile markers. And my feet were a little numb from my bike shoes yet. And my knee was sore. And my Achilles tendon was really acting up. It was shooting pain at times. I just tried to keep my form proper and strong and work through it.

I didn’t see anyone else on the run. The Joe Plant 5K a few weeks ago where I ran all alone was good practice. I turned into the park, and booked it to the finish line.

Unofficial Results:
5K Run (3.1 miles): 19:19 - 6:13/mile
T1: 1:36?
Bike (19.5 miles): 1:03:50 - 18.3 mph
T2: 1:09
10K Run (6.2 miles): 41:33 - 6:42/mile

Total Time: 2:07:27
10th Place Overall
2nd Place in Age Group

That’s right folks! I actually walked away with some hardware! The best part of the story is that Matt finished FIRST in his age group on the short course, and Pharmie finished THIRD in hers! (Borsch would have done better, but his bike broke 2 days ago, but he didn’t just throw in the towel. Borsch did the du today on his old, crappy mountain bike!) So, in our group, we had a full set of gold, silver, and bronze to take home!!

It was a fun day and a small, fun event. Now, we’re all hashed. Our butts are all sore. In fact, Matt made an inappropriate prison-man-bitch joke about having a sore butt. I don’t want to take it any farther, so I’ll just leave it at that. I’m going to lay in bed tonight and ice my knee and heel, and we’ll see what tomorrow holds.

Check back in a few days for official results and some official photos! Thanks for reading!

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It’s Unanimous!

Well, I’m going to wear my new Rudy helmet on Sunday during the Winter BeGone Duathlon. Everyone who voted in my last post thought I should. Thanks for you input. But a SUPER THANKS to Joseph who let me know that the chin strap should NOT be on the outside of the ear-thingies like I was wearing it in the previous post. That would have made me a super poser! (Not to mention that I just said “ear thingies” which makes me a poser anyway...)

I’m excited for Sunday. It’s the first duathlon of the year, and we’re taking a small army down to compete in it. Pharmie and I will be doing the long course (3.1 mile run, 18 mile bike, 6.2 mile run). The most exciting part is that Borsch and Pharmie’s brother Matt will be coming with to do their FIRST duathlon! They’re trying out the short course (2 mile run, 12 mile bike, 2 mile run). AND there’s a chance that Pharmie’s sister Steph will do it too! Should be a fun day!

The one thing that could really ruin the day is the weather. The duathlon is called “Winter BeGone,” which is ironic because Sunday morning it’s supposed to be about 35-40 degrees, windy, and rainy. Gross. We’ll see how it goes. Check back Sunday night!

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Long Run Update and a Question For You All

(Note: There are NO really gross photos in this post. Promise.)

So I took a proactive approach to my nasty foot blisters on my long run this past weekend. I had planned to go 17, and it turned out to be probably more like 17.4 miles. First, to get ready for the run, I invested in a Fuel Belt:

I suddenly felt like SUCH A RUNNER with that thing on. It really did the trick throughout the run, but it moved around a bit when everything was still quite full and heavy. I’m a fan.

I went to Running Room on Grand Ave, and I talked to the lady who worked there for ideas on keeping my toes in better shape. She recommended Body Glide on my toes. And these things called Toe Caps. Here’s my left foot smeared in Body Glide, with the middle toe capped with a Toe Cap:

It’s like a mini toe condom!

And you know what? After 17.4 miles, my feet looked great! See?...

So here was my hilly, hilly loop along the Mississippi:

And my pace was strong. I ran the 17.4 run in 2:05:21. That’s a pace of 7:12 / mile average. And THAT pace is good enough to get me to break 3:10 in a marathon. Let’s see if I can hang on to that pace for a bit longer.....

In other news, I just “won” a Rudy Project aero helmet with my BfitBay Challenge. Here’s how the beast looks:

What? I always wear a nice shirt when biking.

Now, here’s the question: Should I try out this helmet this weekend at my first duathlon of the year? See, I’m not a fast biker, so I’m afraid that I’ll look like a poser if I get passed while wearing a sweet, sweet helmet. At the same time, it IS the first duathlon of the season in our area, so it’s a good time to try out new things for the upcoming season. Right? What do you think? Wear? Or no wear?

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Three Signs of Spring

One: The bike rack found it’s way out of the basement:

Two: My (sorry attempt at a) beard is gone:

Three: My cats have started licking the sweat off of me again:

Welcome to Spring. Bring on the heat.

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Things That Make Ya Go EEEWWWWWW!!!

First, a little training note to get us all up to date. Two weeks ago, I had a GREAT long run. I ran 14 miles in 1:36:41. I ran it well, I felt great at the end, and I was really proud of that run. Last week, I had a HORRIBLE 15 mile run in the rain/snow/slush. It took me 1:50, so it was quite a bit slower then the 14 miler, AND I felt like crap for the entire run. Here I am soaked afterwards:

You really can’t tell I’m soaked because I’m
just soaked through everywhere.

Yesterday, I had to run an 8 mile tempo run. This was going to be the redemption run from the shitty run of last weekend. I went out pretty hard, tried to keep it fast, and tried to negative spilt it. Mission accomplished - 24:45 first half, 24:20 second half, 49:05 overall, 6:08/mile pace. My “relf-esteem” is back on the way up (That’s short for “running self-esteem.” Think it will catch on? I don’t.)

There was one problem with yesterdays fast run: my middle toes were paying the price in my new shoes. The “little piggy that had roast beef” wasn’t happy. (Side note: Mmmm...roast beef.) My right foot started hurting 2 miles into the run. At the turn-around at mile 4, it was REALLY sore. After a few more miles, my left foot was hurting too. I just muscled through it. When I got home, before heading in for some Recoverite (which is like crack to me), I grabbed my camera. Here was my right foot, the sorest one:

I created a blister and rubbed it off during the run. My left foot, which wasn’t as sore, looked like this:

Yep, that’s a super nasty blood blister. And notice the REGULAR blister that had started forming ON TOP of the blood blister! It’s a 2-for-1 special!

I went inside and got ready to clean up. Here’s a nice close-up of the carnage:

The blood blister was super squishy, like a boob. And the regular blister on top of it was like a nipple on the boob. I’m not a scab-picker, but I AM a blister-popper, so I grabbed a little scissors and went right through the nipple and boob:

The 2 sets of fluid (from the regular blister and the blood blister) combined in a marriage of pusy goodness. It was like when you use Draino that has 2 separate compartments of liquid that meet up in your drain to do their job. It was just like that. Only it stung more than when I have to use Draino. I squeezed that sucker dry:

If you didn’t have a foot fetish before, I bet you have one now! Seriously, I have so many gross foot photos that I could probably start up some “gross foot photo fetish” website and make TONS of money. There HAS to be a market for that!

17 mile run on the books for this weekend. I’ve got plans for taking care of my toes. We’ll see how it goes!

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Doughnut Run Results

Sorry this is so late...busy week. Anyway, here are the official results from last weekends EPIC 5K:

Time: 28:54
Doughnuts Eaten: 15
Doughnut Adjusted Time: 10:24
Place: 1st out of 300

I was shooting for a single digit adjusted time, but I underestimated how hard those last few doughnuts would go down. I had reached my limit, but was trying to force more inside of me.

And I want to thank you for all the SUPER FUN comments on my last post. You guys are all the best! Thanks!! More to come soon...

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Doughnut Run Race Report

Or, “Swallowing Hard”

Or, “Return of the Yellow Shorts”

Borsch and I got up at the butt crack of dawn, and grabbed some breakfast at 4:30 am. Then we hit the road for a 3+ hour drive for a 5K. The directions were basically to hop on Interstate 35, drive south for 210 miles to Ames, and then turn right. Here was our route into Iowa:

We were only about a half hour from Ames, when I saw a cop. Yep. You know where this is going. I looked down and realized I was going a little fast. The next thing I hear is “License and registration please.” Borsch snapped a photo with his phone:

And then he snapped another when I was walking back to my car after signing the paperwork in the cop car:

Not a great way to start the day. Dang. I told the cop about the Doughnut Run, and he LOVED the idea. He didn’t love it enough to rip up my ticket. He said he was going to tell all the guys about it over lunch.

So Borsch and I got to the race, got our paperwork, and tried to stay warm. Shortly after that, I saw someone drive into the lot. It was Danielle in Iowa, who was the one that told me about this event. Shortly behind her, was Laurie (who I’ve met through IM WI events in the past), and suddenly we had a little meet-up!

So here’s how the Doughnut Run works: You run a normal 5K. But along the course, there are 8 “pit stops” where you can choose to eat Krispy Kreme doughnuts (but you don’t have to eat any). For each doughnut you eat, time is taken off your 5K finish time. Here’s how many seconds you can earn:
• 1 Krispy Kreme - 0:15 seconds
• 2 Krispy Kremes - 0:30 seconds
• 3 Krispy Kremes - 0:45 seconds
• 4 Krispy Kremes - 1:00 minute
(so if you eat 4, that’s a total of 2:30 off your time)
• Every Krispy Kreme after that is 1 more minute off your time.
• At certain “major” numbers (10, 15, 20, 25, etc), you got an EXTRA 2 minute bonus off your time.

So the idea is to balance speed with doughnut consumption. I could eat 10 and finish fast, but if someone finishes a few minutes behind me but they ate 15 doughnuts, they would have a better “doughnut adjusted” time.

So the 3 of us lined up (Laurie wasn’t there to run – she is the one responsible for all of the upcoming great photos!). They shouted “go,” and we were off. My goal was to TRY to eat 2 doughnuts per station, which would be 16 doughnuts. Here’s what the first “doughnut station” looked like before the race started:

Yep, that’s BOXES of Krispy Kremes stacked under the table

I was about the 10th one to the first table, but most of the people in front of me didn’t stop; there were a number of people that just ran a normal 5K (with those delicious doughnuts, I don’t know WHY). Here I am running into the first doughnut station on the far right:

I ATTACKED a box of doughnuts:

The first 2 doughnuts were inside of me. And I was going strong. Except for between stop 2 and 3, I was passing a group of women, and one leaned over and spit on me (accidentally). It landed on my arm. It was pretty hot. She felt sooo bad. I laughed it off, told her it was no big deal, and kept bookin’ it.

The “2-per-stop” race strategy was working OK until the very end. On the second to last stop, it took me 2:38 to eat 2 doughnuts. They went down hard. I had reached my saturation point. And I technically lost 38 seconds by stopping. So at the last stop, I was only going to eat 1 more, which would take my total to 15 (and that extra 2 minute bonus). So that’s what I did.

And the run from the last station back to the finish line was HELL. I nearly coughed a little doughnut back up, so I had to swallow hard to get it back down. Gross. But I crossed the line in 28:46 total, having consumed 15 doughnuts along the way.

Here are my, umm, splits:
Run: 3:09
Eat: 1:29
Run: 1:46
Eat: 1:01
Run: 1:52
Eat: 1:41
Run: 1:03
Eat: 1:25
Run: 1:56
Eat: 1:24
Run: 1:05
Eat: 1:25
Run: 1:49
Eat: 2:38
Run: 1:50
Eat: 1:00
Run: 3:04

Total: 28:46
Eating Time: 12:03
Running Time: 16:43

Don’t get too excited by my running time. It was like running intervals, so I could run pretty hard between stops, and then catch my breath while eating.

Intake: 3,000 calories consumed (15 Krispy Kremes)
Output: 350 calories burned (5K run)
Results: Ummm, I’m not good at math, so let’s just call it a wash...

Laurie snapped a photo of me all sweaty and hairy (and surprisingly glaze-free):

Have I mentioned I’ve started a little beard?...

Here’s my doughnut hand all “glazed-up:”

Then I saw how nasty my watch was from all the glaze. So I cleaned it up. With my mouth, what else?

Laurie and I hung around and watched Danielle and Borsch finish. Yeah! There was no puking! We looked for finishers that had ate a TON of doughnuts, but no one came in with any great numbers. So thought I might have a chance at breaking into the top 3! The 4 of us hung around and hoped to win something in the drawing. None of us did. But then something else happened. They listed off the winners. Guess who took first place. Come on. Guess.

Holy crap, they read my name!! I placed first, with the best "doughnut adjusted" time in the pack!

And I didn’t even need my secret weapon:

I was all ready to do Pepto shots if I had needed to...

Well, I have some photos (from Laurie) of Danielle and Borsch, and I’ll send them off to each of them so they can post the photos if they’d like. And the official results aren’t up yet, and I'll have those as soon as I can.

On the way back to the Cities, Borsch and I stopped in Albert Lea for a lunch at McDonalds with my folks. And yes, we both actually had a burger. We were feeling fine! It was actually kinda gross how not-gross we were feeling. We had a nice chat with the ‘rents (do the kids still say that now days?), and we finished the drive back to St. Paul.

What a day! What. A. Day. It’s the first 5K that I’ve run that I would consider to be “epic.” A 4:30 alarm, a 3 hour drive, a speeding ticket, meeting up with blogger buddies, running and eating like crazy, winning the dang thing, driving back 3 hours, and being treated to McDonalds by my folks: Yep, that’s an epic race day.

Now the tough decision: do I make that BORING drive again next year to defend the title? Thanks for reading everyone!!

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Two Important Things

First, a big THANK YOU to everyone who voted for my video!! I finished solidly in second place, which I tend to do in online voting competitions (note the silver ribbon on the right side bar).

But I’m not going home empty handed. The winner gets a years supply of Drymax socks, and I’m going to get a half a years supply for coming in second! Don’t ask – I don’t know what a “half a years supply of socks” is either...

Anyway, thanks for all your votes, blogger buddies!

Secondly, I’ve been thinking about the Doughnut Run 5K this weekend (a 5K with 8 “doughnut stops” where you can stop and eat donuts – each donut consumed on the run subtracts time from your overall finish time). I’m TOTALLY doing the run, but I’m wondering how good of an idea it is. Case in point, the following is a poem that I posted nearly 2 years ago. It was my 11th post on my “new” blog. It shows how food and running don’t always mix. Some of you have read this, but many of you haven’t. Enjoy:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The following poem is a true story,
and I apologize if it gets a little gory.

I was happily into my 6.2 mile run.
I was having a good time; it was fast and it was fun.

At about mile 3, my stomach gave a twitch.
I shrugged it off; it was just a minor glitch.

Before mile 4, the little pain was back.
“Is this going to be a problem?” I thought as I clenched my crack.

The pain kept getting much worse,
And I was afraid that I was going to burst.

A few blocks from home, I started flipping through my keys.
I needed to get into the house fast and with great ease.

I picked up the pace; I was running with all I got!
It was either get home now, or duck into the bushes and cop a squat!

I was running so fast that I actually wheezed.
I didn’t think I was going to make it; my butt cheeks were squeezed!

Two blocks from home, my stomach really began to hurt.
And down my leg, I nearly felt a little squirt.

I got to the house just in the nick of time.
What I was about to do could probably be considered a crime.

Sprinting to the bathroom, I almost dropped to a knee.
I shouted to Sarah as I slammed the bathroom door, “Don’t stop loving me!!”

I had made it in time! I had made my goal!
And I concentrated hard as not to look down into the bowl. (gross)

It was a sad, sad sight: I had horrendous squirts!
It felt like the cast of Sesame Street was parading out of my ass, complete with Ernies and Berts.

What happened in there I can only describe as a gush.
It was such an incident that it called for a courtesy flush.

Had Sarah heard what just happened in the bathroom?
If she had, she is now reconsidering ever taking me as her groom!

But her love is unconditional, like the love a child has for her doll;
Outside the bathroom door sat a brand new bottle of Pepto Bismol.

The significance of this story holds true, whether near or far;
The moral being, “Ten minutes before a fast run, DO NOT eat a Klondike Bar!”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

By the way, that poem is completely true. I DID shout "Don't stop loving me!" as I ran into the house, and Sarah DID have a bottle of Pepto waiting for me outside the bathroom when I was done. Oh jeez, what have I gotten myself into this weekend? Check back late Sunday or Monday to see how I handled the Doughnut Run. It might not be pretty...

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PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!

Jeez, I always feel like I'm asking everyone to vote for something that I've done. I guess we are in an election year...

Anyway, I was asked to be part of the "Drymax Challenge" where I test drive some Drymax socks. These socks are supposed to keep your feet dry and comfortable in ANY conditions. Here's my video submission (make sure to check out the 3rd test!):

The general public (AKA, you) can vote for your favorite. The person with the most votes will receive a YEARS WORTH of Drymax Socks!! Sweet! You can only vote once per computer, and you need to go to Wil's blog to vote. Voting closes on Wednesday so PLEASE go here and vote for Steve: http://www.throughth3wall.com/

Tell your friends! Thanks a bundle!!

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Workout Updates and Upcoming Race

First, I have some people to apologize to:

If you were walking, running, biking, or driving down Summit Avenue this morning, I’m very sorry you had to see my pale, hairy chest. It was a HOT morning (49 degrees [shut up, that’s HOT here]), and I was running a fast 14 mile run - my long run for the week. Apparently, when it breaks 40 degrees, I start to burn up. I nearly had my shirt off 4 miles into my run, but I didn’t want to seem like a jerk. So I held off until I had about 4 miles left, and then it just HAD to come off. I’m sorry if I blinded you. So sorry.

My run was strong. I ran the first 7 in 50:44, and I ran the second half in 45:57 for a total of 1:36:41 for 14 miles (6:54 / mile). Good pace and nice negative split. I felt strong and the run felt great (I mean, it hurt - but it was a good hurt).

I brought along a PowerGel in my Under Armour shorts, and it lodged itself nicely in my thigh. I ate the gel with about 5 miles left. When I got home, I found out that the gel-pac rubbed a bit on my leg:

Oops. I’ll chalk that up as “lesson learned”

My speed work has been going well, too. I HATE running intervals, but I still look forward to running them and seeing what I can do.

All of this training is for Grandmas Marathon in June. I think it’s time to layout my goal. So here it is: qualify for Boston (sub 3:10). There. I said it. I’d love to break 3 hours, but that’s a little lofty. Breaking 3:10 is what I’m training towards.


In other news, I have just officially register for a race that I was born to run. Blogger buddy Danielle in Iowa told me about the Doughnut Run in Ames Iowa in 8 days (next Sunday).

Listen to this, and tell me that this race wasn’t MADE for me: it’s a 5K run that has multiple stops where you can choose to stop and eat Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Each doughnut you eat subtracts time from your overall race time. But it only counts if you don’t barf before you finish. Danielle joked that I could be the first to post a negative time, being I’m speedy and I like food (have you heard me rant about Chipotle, Pizza, York Peppermint Patties, and any kind of meat?)

Ames is a 3 hour drive ONE WAY, but I don’t care. I’ll be leaving home at 5 am for the 9 am start, running the race and loading up on doughnuts, and then I’ll drive 3 hours back to St. Paul. AND I’ll get to hang out with some bloggers while I’m down there, so it should be a great day!

I guess that poses this question: is 6 hours too far to drive for a 5K? I don't think so.

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5K Photos and Awards

Some people have commented on my 5K win that the course was short. I don’t want to believe that. It may be true, but I have no idea. I actually talked with the race official at the start. He told me that the “actual” start line was about 10 feet ahead of where we were, but as long as we ran (in his words) “a 5K or MORE,” he would call it official.

Also, for what it’s worth, that time seemed about right for how I’ve been training. Four weeks ago, I had to do a 3 mile tempo run. I mapped out a course and ran it hard in 18:15. This past week, a few days before the 5K, I had another 3 mile tempo run on my schedule. I ran the same course as a few weeks ago, and I ran it in 17:15 - 1 full minute faster. So on the morning of a race, with extra adrenaline and extra excitement, I’m not surprised that I could pull out a 17:27 5K.

So, I’ll have to still consider that an official 5K PR time. So much controversy.

Oh, and about the “400+” people that ran the 5K: well, it was more like “around 300.” The number of “400+” also took into account the people that did the 1 mile walk as well. Here were the official results:

Here are some photos from the Charities Challenge site that Gary (president and founder) snapped during the event:

Gary labeled this one “Overall Winner Steve Stenzel Cheers On Others”


Here you can see Jon, Steph, and me on the left


Steph and my yellow butt

Joel, best friend of the late Joe Plant, contacted me and said he has to get me a prize for winning. I thought it would be something small. But because so many people in the Twin Cities know Joe Plant’s story, there were some nice donations. Joel told me that I won a night in a NICE Minneapolis hotel and a dinner at a NICE restaurant! I couldn’t believe it! So, to be fair, the first person to comment on this post wins a night with me in that nice hotel! Game on!

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New Blogger Alert!!

Just a quick note: Jon Borscheid, the other fella in the photos from my previous post about the 5K, has just started blogging. In the blogosphere, he goes by “Borsch” and his blog is Du-Athlete in Training. He just got a bike, and between Pharmie and myself, we’re trying to rope him into the world of multi-sport!

Stop in on him and say hi! Tell him Steve in a Speedo sent you! (or not) You can always get to his blog from the "Bloggers I've Met" link on my sidebar.

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