Got out for a little cold acclimation this morning. Three miles under the setting (almost) full moon.

Couldn’t resist a post-dinner pull on fresh powder. Got a workout breaking trail!

Winter wonderland on my run this morning. Just perfect.

Amazing show tonight

Volunteers needed for 2026 SC40! stcroixwinterultra.com/2025/11/07/v...

The blessing of ski trail lights This morning I opt’d for a walk over at Elm Creek. It’s been a long summer with lots of travel, running, biking, and generally living life to its fullest. But even the joy that comes with living adventures doesn't happen without demanding sacrifice. Over this…

Some running race stats This weekend I’m pacing and crewing a friend of mine at a 100 mile race out of state, and as luck would have it, I was reminded that 6 years ago I completed my first (and only so far) 100 mile race. It got me thinking about how many races I’ve run over the years, and what…

St Croix 40 is going GREEN! That's right, our 2026 hats are a beautiful olive color with our distinctive blue and white pom. There are still 41 spots open so head on over to stcroixwinterultra.com/race-details... to get signed up! And start thinking cold and snowy thoughts!!

Vibes on the horse trail today

An Amtrak fail A couple weeks ago I needed to be in Boston for a big public transportation conference for work. I'm not a huge fan of flying, I'll do it if I need to, but it's not my favorite way to get places. I'll often plan longer driving trips just so that I can see the countryside, experience…

Sound of geese overhead on their migration path. Crickets and red squirrels chirping. Beautiful temps and no bugs. Ahhhh that’s Minnesota.

Grumplestiltsken disapproved of the fact that I wouldn’t give him any ice cream. But trust me, he was well fed. Found a cute farmette on the Dakota Trail just west of Lake Waconia. Self-serve ice cream, farm kittens, and goats. Also breakfast at the Fancy Farmer in New Germany.

One of the main reasons I wanted a deck on our new house. Nice cool August mornings with fresh coffee.

We're open! Head to stcroixwinterultra.com/race-details... to sign up!

Race Report: Philmont Trail Marathon I was never a Boy Scout, but Mike was and a few years ago he heard about a new trail race starting up on the site of the Philmont High Adventure camp. He had been there a few times as both a youth and a troop leader and was excited to experience the place as a…

Even our friend Red Skeleton from Voyageur is excited about St Croix 40! Registration for St Croix 40 opens on August 15th. Race dates this year are January 10-11, 2026. 📸: Ron Hendrickson stcroixwinterultra.com #stcroix40 #sc40 #stcroixwinterultra #winterultra #winterrunning #wintercycling

Biked over to Osseo to hear our neighbor's band play for the music & movies in the park night.

As a long time DC comics fan (Green Lantern tattoo on my arm) I constrained my expectations for Superman. I'm pleased to report that the film was a lot of fun, and for the first time we have a DC universe movie that's not dark and broody. Overall, a good time!

First foray into the BWCA Day 4 It takes a lifetime to find The life like the life you had in mind - Trampled by Turtles PC: Beth We all awoke early on our last day, even our birthday girl. When we were putting together this plan there was a happy coincidence that we’d be waking up on Beth Lake on…

Volunteer callout! We're looking for some awesome folks to help us create an unforgettable day in the woods for our runners. You can sign up on our website and come join the fun! firetowertrailraces.com/volunteering/ #ultrarunning #trailrunning #50womenrun50k #trailraces #ultravolunteering

Wildlife morning on my run. Sandhill crane, deer, and not pictured a momma otter with her babies.

First foray into the BWCA Day 3 I awoke groggily on day 3 to the final sounds of rain on the tent fly. The lightning had abated and left us with a pleasant night of rain that helped lull me into a deep slumber. Eventually though the bladder decided that it was time to see what the storm had left…

First foray into the BWCA Day 2 I awoke bright and early on day 2 after having a really restful night of sleep. The sun was shining and the lake was mostly calm. I began the morning with a little breakfast of oatmeal with granola and chocolate chips and proceeded to wander around the island to see…

Couldn’t pass up a beautiful afternoon like this.

First foray into the BWCA – Day 1 We got to spend a nice quiet night in the Sawbill Lake campground before our shuttle the next morning. We awoke early, with the sun, and started packing up our things into our new rental portage packs. The portage packs were WAY bigger than we had anticipated and…

First foray into the BWCA – Day 0 Growing up in Minnesota you would always hear about people taking trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in northern Minnesota. Even the church I grew up in would do a yearly men’s trip up there to fish and camp for a week. However, I was a nerdy little…

4 days in the BWCA done. Amazing adventure in an incredible place.

As the world fell apart we were running in the rain.

Pinned on a bib for a 5K for the first time in quite a few years. Went back to the ESTRS French 5K this week and had a great time. Was fun to push the body a little bit speed-wise and great to hang out with lots of friends I haven't seen in a while. PC: Scott Rokis and Mike Wheeler

Hey Fire Tower peeps, we’re here with news about a small course change for 2025! TL;DR, - We’re removing some gravel road, simplifying the Overlook intersection, and better spacing out the aid stations. You can read all the cool details in our blog post: firetowertrailraces.com/.../course-c...

Another weekend another Afton. This time 18 miles in some pretty annoying humidity. Got it done though and I’m moving well this afternoon so that’s what matters.

Not sure why bikers sleep in so much. The sunrises are what I'm here for!

Last minute decision to go for a run tonight after dinner. So glad I did. The sunset was spectacular.

Pseudo-triathlon today. Biked 25 miles to Utepils Brewery to run a free fun-run 5K with two of my kids and their friends. Then finished the evening out with some kayaking with Mike and Beth on Fish Lake. I think it’s time for a shower!

Afton did a prescribed burn two weeks ago. It’s already beautiful and green.

Beautiful morning running at Afton with Mike, Beth, and Jeff. Ran into so many friends out there as well!

Race Report: Le Grand du Nord – 50 mile Last weekend we headed to the far north to do our second gravel race of the season, the Le Grand du Nord 50 mile. My wife has participated in this event in the past, and I decided to give it a shot this year as it traverses some of the most beautiful…

The weekend finished out pretty OK. Got to chill and relax in Grand Marais after Le Grand du Nord, stopped by the famous waterfall on the way home, and then today picked up some kayaks and did a paddle at Fish Lake to test them out. Feeling pretty good right now.

Le Grand du Nord 50 miler in the books. That was an amazingly fun and enjoyable race despite how difficult the hills were. Didn’t set any PRs but had a solid performance and a good day on the bike.

Le Grand du Nord prep in full swing.

Cool crisp morning for a quick spin and bike check before Le Grand du Nord on Saturday

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Just over 4 months until showtime! The leaves are green, the weather is... well... it's Minnesota. And best of all, training season is kicking off! Not registered yet? Head on over to our website (firetowertrailraces.com) or Ultrasignup and get in on the fun! Spots will start disappearing fast.

My fragile constitution barely overcame the combination of hills + headwind, but we made it. achickadeetoldme.wordpress.com/2025/05/17/e...

Afton was beautiful this morning despite the cold. Full burn of the prairie means it’s going to be incredibly lush soon.

Little morning spin with the spouse before the clouds, wind, and rain today.

Bike to Work week! My work did their event today so I drove down to the train station in Fridley and rode the rest of the way from there.

Beautiful easy outing this morning. Mix of running and hiking after getting my shingles vaccine on Thursday. Feeling good though and the weather was amazing.

Race Report: Granny’s Gravel Grinder – 50 mile In an effort to expand my experiences beyond just trail running I’ve been doing a few more bike races in recent years. I’ve enjoyed my experiences at races like Freedhem and Heck of the North, and this year I’ve got two more on the docket. The first…

I raced a bike 108ish miles yesterday. I made it. I KNOW, it surprised me too! achickadeetoldme.wordpress.com/2025/05/04/i...