2019 Goal Results

Another year in the books and another set of goals to review. Here's how my 2019 goals turned out:

1. Run a PR in the 50K

Like a lot of my goals over the past few years, this one was derailed due to injury. I wanted to do the Afton 50K in July, but ended up spending February through April with a foot injury, during which time I averaged 30.5 miles a month from February through June. February was the month my foot really started bugging me toward the end, and I only ended up running 80 miles that month, all during the first three weeks, and then I only ran three miles in March and seventeen in April. There was no way I was going to PR in a 50K in July, and though I toyed with the idea of running the Surf the Murph 50K after I ran Twin Cities Marathon, I had developed a new foot injury, so I (with the help of Laura) decided against it.

Result: 0%

2. Write 52 blog posts

I almost feel like I cheated on this one. I was way short of posts coming into December, but I had a bunch of book reviews sitting in my drafts that I wasn't sure if I was going to publish or not (I still have a few more). Since I really wanted to hit this goal, I decided to go with them and reached 53 posts by the end of the year.

Result: 100%

3. Submit two stories to Runner’s World

I submitted two, and I felt pretty good about them. Alas, they were not accepted.

Result: 100%

4. Raise $1310 for Team World Vision

Thanks to the generosity of friends, family, and acquaintances, I raised over $1500.

Result: 100%

5. Break 18 minutes in the 5K

I did it, though I just squeaked under 18 minutes with a 17:59 at Juliette's Race. I'm a little proud of this one because with a quarter mile left I was almost certain I couldn't get under 18 minutes and thought about slowing down. Instead, I pushed myself as hard as I could and made my goal for the year.

Result: 100% 

This was one of my best years for meeting my goals. I spent some time looking over past goals, and it was nice to get some perspective on my past goals and to get some ideas for goals moving forward. 

By my count, this year I met my goals by 80%. A good number as I don't want to set the bar low enough that it's easy to clear, but I also want goals that are attainable.

In my next post, I'll lay out my goals for 2020.

Happy New Year!

The Lighthouse Trilogy

I've previously wrote about Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy series. I thought that this post would make a good segue into some fantasy novels. McKinty is also the author of "The Lighthouse Trilogy," which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Lighthouse Trilogy is definitely less well-known than some of his other novels, but I was totally hooked on this trilogy.

The Lighthouse Trilogy is aimed at middle school students. I often enjoy reading/listening to young adult and middle school fiction simply because I can totally turn my brain off. While there are often young adult and middle school novels that end up feeling too simple, this trilogy did not.

The premise of the Lighthouse books is intergalactic travel between two planets via a mysterious device. The genre combines fantasy with science fiction and pulls off elements of both genres easily. The main characters, Jamie and Ramsay, travel to a distant planet, and the world McKinty creates is interesting and immersive. The characters on the planet are not as developed as Jamie and Ramsay, but are interesting nonetheless.

While some reviewers don't agree, there was a lot of this trilogy that was well-done. First off, the characterization was believable and interesting. The main characters were rounded and felt like real people. Their dialogue was authentic and the characters' actions were consistent with how they were developed.

The plot was also well-done and definitely page-turning (although I was listening to it, so there was no page turning involved). When I finished the first book, I had to listen to the next one right away.

Joe Pickett Series

C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series has kept me entertained for a while. The series follows a Wyoming game warden, Joe Pickett, who gets involved in mysteries that have little or nothing to do with being a game warden.

Because of his propensity to become involved in law enforcement issues beyond his scope as a game warden, it is sometimes a little more difficult to suspend my disbelief on some of these novels. However, if I just go with it and don't pay attention to the unbelievable situations that Joe gets into, these books are enjoyable.

I will say, however, that compared with the other mystery series I've reviewed, the Cork O'Connor, Walt Longmire, and Sean Duffy series, the Joe Pickett novels aren't as compelling.

Still, if you're looking for somewhat brainless entertainment, these novels aren't a bad way to go. Though there's several flaws, including unbelievable situations and some unnecessary politics injected into some of the more recent novels, they've still kept me interested enough to keep up with the series.

Walt Longmire Series

Many have heard of Walt Longmire through the popular TV series, "Longmire," which is loosely based on the characters and novels by Craig Johnson.

I've listened to or read all of the Longmire series up to "Land of Wolves" (which I'm in line for at the library), including short story collections and novellas, and I've enjoyed just about all of it. The series has been very entertaining, and the Longmire series has had me hooked.

After the first few novels, I really got interested in the characters and their arcs. I've also really enjoyed the setting in Wyoming. The narrator of the audiobooks is also excellent, so I was somewhat disappointed when I had to read the hard copies of the recent novels since the audiobooks weren't available from my library (though if I would have been patient I could have waited for a couple months -- shows how hooked I was to the series).

If you're looking for a mystery series with well-developed, interesting characters and think you might enjoy a Wyoming setting, I'd definitely recommend the Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson.

The Cork O'Connor Series

I previously wrote about "Ordinary Grace," an excellent literary mystery by William Kent Krueger. After listening to "Ordinary Grace," I immediately looked for more books by Krueger.

What I found was the Cork O'Connor series, which I've really enjoyed. The novels are mostly set in northern Minnesota, and combine the worlds of a white town with an Ojibwe Indian reservation and characters from both settings.

Cork O'Connor is part Ojibwe part Irish and tows the line between both worlds, sometimes in conflict with each other. I really enjoyed Cork's character development, especially in the first few novels, as well as the development of several other characters, especially Ojibwe sage Henry Meloux.

The characterization and setting of these novels is especially well done, and really immersed me into the books.

This was one of the series where the novels later in the series weren't available on my free audiobooks library app, and I enjoyed them so much I had to check out the hard copies to keep up-to-date in the series. Sometimes there's a little let-down from the audiobooks to the hard copies as the voice acting can really bring a story to life, but I didn't find this to be the case with the Cork O'Connor novels. If you're into mysteries, this series is a must-read.

Happy Holidays from Twin Cities Runner

For the first time in a while, our family celebrated Christmas with just the three of us in Eagan. For those who don't know, we're expecting a baby girl any day now, so we decided it would be best to stay close to home, as the baby is due January 4.

It's been unseasonably warm for the end of December, so we've been enjoying some outdoor activities. Earlier this week, the little one and I played outside, shoveling some snow, playing
with the sled, filling the bird feeder, and going on a "hike."

I've been taking advantage of the warmer weather by running outside the past five days-in-a-row. Prior to that, I'd been doing a lot of running on the indoor track and treadmill, so it was a welcome change.

Today (Christmas Day), after opening some presents and eating breakfast, we went for a hike and then had hot chocolate at Lebanon Hills Regional Park. We followed that up with Chinese food, a game, and some Christmas movies.

Late this afternoon I went for a run along the Minnesota River. There were some really pretty icicles on the river bluffs, so I stopped to snap a picture.

I hope you had a nice holiday season and got to spend some time with people you love and doing things you enjoy!

The Sean Duffy Series

While there are several mystery/crime novels and series that I've very much enjoyed, the Sean Duffy series by Adrian McKinty may be my favorite. Set in the 1980s in Northern Ireland during the time referred to as "The Troubles," Duffy, the protagonist of the series, is a Catholic cop working on a mostly Protestant police force and living in a Protestant neighborhood.

There are quite a few things that make the novels in the series excellent. One is McKinty's absolute command of setting. As I listened to the novels, there was never a point where I couldn't visualize where the action was taking place. From the weather to the scenery, McKinty's descriptions are flawless. He also perfectly captures the historical setting--I felt totally absorbed into "The Troubles" of the Protestant/Catholic conflict in Northern Ireland which was carefully and skillfully weaved into the plot.

Part of what makes a great series is great characters, and the Sean Duffy series is no exception. While all of the supporting cast isn't in the entire series, they are all interesting, believable, and well-developed. The protagonist, Sean Duffy, is a character whose complexity kept me interested throughout the series. Duffy is a deeply flawed with echoes of Sherlock Holmes, especially in regard to his drug use, but, for me, it was impossible not to like him.

Plot is also amazingly well-done. There's no superfluous action--the side plots involving Duffy's personal life all serve to develop his character and never seem too tangential to the main mystery. Some of the books in the series contain mysteries that are "solvable," and readers may solve the mysteries before Duffy, and some mysteries don't give you enough information to solve them (or at least all elements) until the novel concludes.

I don't think I've ever come to the end of a series feeling as sad that it was over. When I found out McKinty is writing three more books, I was beyond thrilled. The thing I'm worried about, however, is that it's either going to take a long time for my library to make the books available in audio form, or that they won't make them available at all.

With other series, I've decided to check out or buy a book in hard copy form to continue the series, but with the Sean Duffy series it's going to be a tough decision. I wouldn't think twice about just getting a hard copy if I didn't love the narration by Gerard Doyle. I can't recommend this series highly enough--especially the audiobook version.

Book Reviews

Sometimes I get ideas for blog posts and throw up a post or two, then don't really follow through. I've been meaning to write some book reviews, but have been dragging my feet. I've read and listened to a good number of books in the past couple years, so I thought it would be good to actually share some.

If you're an avid reader and/or looking for something to listen to on your run besides podcasts or music, coming up I will be sharing some books I've enjoyed.

Before I do, however, I want to share with you how I listen to books on the run and what types of books I listen to and why.

So here's the how: My library offers three apps for audiobooks, and checking out books is free. Your library may offer one or more of them as well, so here they are:

• cloudLibrary
• Hoopla
• RBdigital

With three of these apps, I've been able to find quite a few books to listen to. The only downside I've found is that sometimes these apps offer the first book or two in a series, but then the others are not offered. After this happened to me on about four different series, I ended up getting a subscription to Audible for a while. For me it was worth it, but since we've been working on saving some money, I'm putting a pause on the subscription and going back to free books from the library.

When I listen to books on the run, I generally stick to a couple genres. First, I like fantasy novels--especially young adult and children's fantasy novels, though I did get hooked on an adult series similar to "Game of Thrones."

I like fantasy novels because if they're well-written they draw me in and make time fly when I'm running. I like the feeling of being immersed in an alternate world, and that transportation is especially nice when I've been doing a lot of long runs by myself and would like time to go by a little quicker.

Another genre I enjoy is mystery. I used to not be big into mystery novels, but after getting drawn into a series and listening to the whole thing, I started to seek out other mystery series. Mysteries, like fantasy, can really make time fly. Besides that, they keep my mind active as I work with the characters to try and solve the mystery.

Coming up, I've committed myself to write reviews of several series. I hope those reviews lead you to a book or two you enjoy.

Cost of Running Bonus: Watches

I've been through all of what I see as the main costs of running besides one: watches. There's a reason watches weren't on my original list. There is such a variety of costs associated with running watches that it's impossible to rank. Some don't run with a watch at all, some use their cell phones, which I wouldn't count as a "running watch," and some use high-end, expensive GPS watches.

If you're going for a watch specifically for running, techradar's list of 10 best running watches lists watches from $120 - $450. Again, a huge range of prices. And, if you're not looking for a GPS watch or heart rate monitoring or anything fancy, a cheap watch with a stopwatch function is all you really need for running.

So, you could spend $20 on a cheap watch that will tell you how long you ran, or you could spend $450 for a watch that will tell you a hundred other things.

Even if you do decide to drop the $450 on a watch, it's still barely cracking the top five when it comes to costs of running. Why? If you spend $450 on a watch, assume that watch is going to last at least four years, so the yearly cost will be around $112. I suppose that might beat clothes when you average out costs, but not by much.

So there they are -- the costs of running. I hope some of these tips have been helpful if you're looking to save a couple bucks on running -- especially if you're new to the sport.

Run well.

Cost of Running: Clothes

I put this as the cheapest one on my list of the costs of running, but honestly you can spend quite a bit on running clothes, especially initially. Running socks, shorts, pants, shirts, jackets, and shirts can all set you back, but they don’t need to break the bank. Plus, if you take care of them, running clothes last a long time, so while the initial cost may be high, the average yearly cost of clothes can be pretty reasonable.

Here are some tips for saving money on running clothes.

1. Don't buy everything brand name.

Buying brand name clothing from a running store is fine, but if you're new to running or your wardrobe needs replenishing, it's OK to get some store brand gear. I had a few pairs of Target tech shorts over the years, and they worked fine. I still have a sleeveless running shirt from Target that's lasted years. Honestly, I've had Target shorts last longer than some of the brand name clothes I've had.

2. Watch for sales.

Look for running jackets and pants toward the end of winter when they go on sale. Watch for sales on gear near big events. Running stores sometimes host packet pickup for races and offer promotions like 10% off clothing and shoe purchases.

3. Check the clearance rack.

The best running jacket I own came from a clearance rack in the back of a running store. I can't remember the exact discount, but it was 50% off or more.

The nice thing about running clothes is that they last a while -- especially compared to shoes. I think my newest pair of running shorts in my rotation is about four years old, and since I have so many race shirts, I probably haven't bought a running shirt in about a decade (although one could argue that paying for a race registration includes paying for a shirt).

This post concludes my list of the costs of running, but guess what? There'll be a bonus post on one more piece of running gear that you may want to spend money on as a runner.

Stay tuned.

Cost of Running: Food

Of the things one has to spend money on for running, food is often neglected. The fact is, running costs extra calories, and those extra calories aren’t free.

I put food as the second least expensive cost of running before clothing, but depending on how you do it, you can replace your calories from running at a not-so-expensive rate.

Say you run 30 miles a week. Running takes about 100 cal per mile, so that equals 3000 extra calories for the week. If you want to go an extremely cheap route, a banana will cost you about 12.5 cents per 100 cal. That’s only going to cost you $3.75 per week. Multiply that by 52 weeks, and you are only spending $195 per year.

It is not, however, quite so simple. Your fat stores also become depleted when you run, and you need protein to repair your muscles, so bananas alone aren’t going to cut it. Replenishing your fat stores on the cheap isn’t too hard. Cooking oil costs between two cents and seven cents per 100 cal — even cheaper than bananas.

Protein is going to cost a little more, but some sources are calorically dense, so you can double up on your fat and protein. Peanut butter costs around five cents per 100 cal, and many types of nuts will be a similar price. However, there is not a ton of protein in nut products, so you are going to have to find other sources of protein.

Eggs cost around $.19 per 100 cal, but each egg provides only around 6 g of protein, so again, eggs won’t be adequate to fulfill all your protein needs.

Better sources of proteins like beans and fish will cost around five cents per 100 cal for beans, and between $.56 and $1.25 per 100 cal for fish.

Obviously the above is not an exhaustive list. Dairy products, whole grains, and meats can also be included in an economical diet that meets all macro nutrient needs.

For arguments sake, let’s say you spend about $.25 per 100 cal. If you’re running 30 miles a week, that comes out to only $7.50 per week, or $390 per year.

Obviously, there is a wide variety you can spend on food. I am for foods that are nutrient dense, but are also cost-effective.

Stay tuned for the next post in my cost of running series.

The Cost of Running: Races

I have run a ton of races. I’ve run 20 marathons/ultramarathons, dozens of half marathons, along with a good number of 5Ks and 10Ks. Though I was a pacer at some of these races, in which case they were free, I paid for most of those races.

Races range a fair amount in price, but let’s say the average to be around $60 a race. If you do just 10 races a year, that comes to $600.

Saving on races is probably the easiest thing to save money on as a runner. Here are a few simple tips:

1. Race less.

I know this is a bummer, but if you want to save money on races, the easiest way is to race less. I race way less than when I first restarted my running career. Rather than running a race every month or so, I’ve only been doing a couple a year. You can save money by picking the races you think you will most enjoy and running those, then forgetting about the ones that might not be as fun.

2. Register early.

The earlier you register for race, the cheaper the registration fee. Plan out your training well in advance, so you can register as early as possible for each race.

3. Think in terms of value. 

That 5K you want to run is only $40, and there’s another one on the horizon that is only $50. Run several 5Ks per year,  however, and you could be spending a lot of money by the end of the year. Those two 5K’s come with an average cost of about $15 per mile. A $100 marathon registration would cost about $3.81 per mile. If you’re really want to race, consider running a half marathon or two and maybe a marathon or two to get more bang for your buck. If you really enjoy 5Ks and 10Ks, aim for a couple per year rather than every other weekend.

4. Join a running club.

I can’t say enough about MDRA (Minnesota Distance Running Association). Not only does being an MDRA member come with discounts to races (and running stores), it also has several free races throughout the year for members. 

5. Find cheap or free races

Sometimes there are community races that are cheap. And, there are even free races. If you’re in the Twin Cities, come to Eagan and run the Eagan parkrun 5K, a free race that takes place every Saturday. Depending on where you live, there may be a parkrun close to you.

Of course there’s always the options to forgo races altogether. Those who can just go out and run a few miles every day are awesome. I can’t. I need a race or two on the horizon to train for, otherwise I get lazy and run less and less.

Stay tuned for the next post on the cost of running.

The Cost of Running: Doctor’s Visits

Of all the costs associated with running, doctor and physical therapy visits are the biggest bummer for me. Unfortunately, over the past few years visits to the doctor and physical therapist have become a somewhat regular occurrence.

Medical provider visits aren’t cheap. Even if you have good insurance, you probably still have to pay a copay, and those add up quickly. Over the past couple years, the costs of my medical visits have surpassed the cost of pretty much anything else running-related — partly because injuries have kept me from running as much which has kept me from running as many races and buying as many shoes.

If you’re looking to avoid medical bills related to running, here are some tips:

1. Run less.

It’s my least favorite thing to do myself, but the fact is that more running leads to more injuries. Don’t get me wrong: running is good for you. Runners actually suffer less from arthritis of the knees, so don’t let anyone tell you running will ruin your knees. Still, more mileage means a higher chance of overuse injuries, so if you are injury-prone, consider cutting back your mileage.

2. Cross train.

Cycle, ski, pedal an elliptical — not only will these activities improve your aerobic fitness, they can also help you avoid injuries if you’re using those activities to replace some running.

3. Prehab.

Do running-specific strength training to strengthen muscle and connective tissue to help make your body more resistant. If you can find a personal trainer who specializes in running-related exercises to help you set up a routine, all the better.

4. If you do end up injured and visiting the doctor and/or physical therapist, do your exercises.

Do the exercises you’re given and avoid future office visits.

Being derailed by running injuries is no fun. Neither is having to pay for trips to the doctor. I hope these tips will help you avoid injury and save some money.

The Cost of Running: Running Shoes

In my post about the costs of running, I mentioned shoes as one of the main culprits of the cost of running.

It’s interesting how many brands of running shoes there are and how many models there are within those brands. In the ten years since I restarted my running career, I’ve ran in K-Swiss, Hoka, New Balance, Asics, Nike, Newton, Brooks, Mizuno, Altra, and Saucony, and in a most of those brands I’ve run in at least two different models.

I’ve run in so many different brands and so many different models because I’ve run a lot of miles. A few years back, I was running around fifty-miles-a-week. Your average running shoe is pretty durable if it gets to 500 miles before it needs replacing (three to five hundred is what you can expect depending on your weight and running conditions). So, if my shoes were making it the full 500 miles, I’d need a new pair every ten weeks. 

For quite a while, I worked at The Running Room and got a discount on shoes, but for the average runner a shoe will cost $100 - $160 brand new. At $100 a pair every ten weeks, you’re looking at about $500 for a year’s worth of running shoes.

There are, however, a few ways to cut down the costs:

1. Join a running club

Many running stores give a discount to running club members. I’m part of the MDRA, and I get a discount at several running stores in the Twin Cities. I highly recommend the MDRA because not only do you get a discount, but you also get several free or discounted races and a magazine that occasionally features articles by yours truly.

2. Ask for last year’s model

Often times a shoe store has the previous year’s model of a shoe for significantly less than the new one.

3. Shop online: with some caveats.

You can save at a couple websites like,  Road Runner Sports and Zappos along with some retailers like REI. However, keep a couple things in mind. First, it’s not cool to go into your local running store and get the expertise of an employee to help you pick a shoe, then leave the store and buy the shoe online. Pay the extra $10. Running stores usually do things like free group runs or speakers, and they support the local economy. Thing number two: Limit your online purchases to shoes you’ve worn in the past. Don’t buy something you’ve never run in before.

4. Get a part-time job at a running store..

I did this for several years. If you can get a part-time gig at a running store,  not only will you have a little extra money, you also will get a discount on shoes. 

5. My least favorite: run less

For some this might be a godsend: you don’t have to run a ton to stay in shape. Twenty - forty minutes a day four to five days a week is enough to stay healthy. Fewer miles on your shoes means buying fewer shoes. 

Stay tuned to my next post on saving money on running.

The Cost of Running

Running can get expensive. I have definitely spent quite a bit on running since I restarted my running career a decade ago. My beautiful wife is also a runner, so between the two of us our running expenses can get quite high. If you’re interested in some estimates of how much running may cost in a lifetime, I highly recommend the Runner’s World article, “How Much Does Running Cost Over a Lifetime?”

Before I go more into all the various costs associated with running, let me say a few quick things. I don’t regret a penny I spent, other than maybe some entries for races I didn’t enjoy. Running has helped keep me healthy, sane, and I’ve met lots of people and made several friends through the sport.

Now, let’s get into the costs. This will be different for each different runner, but here are how the costs break down for me:

1. Running shoes

2. Physical therapy/doctor’s visits

3. Race entries

4. Food

5. Running Clothes

You could also add one other cost associated with running: time. I can’t find the article, but a few years back I read an article that talked about how running takes time and that time spent could be spent making money. While there are some scenarios where this may be the case on a regular basis, the only one I see playing out for more than a few is taking unpaid time off to do a race.

In my next few posts I’ll look at each of these costs and how to bring these costs down.

Stay tuned.

Cramming

As the year winds down, I've revisited my 2019 goals, and there are a couple that I'm going to cram for. I had two goals this year involving writing. One was to write fifty-two blog posts, and I’m a little behind on that. I’m going to have to average three-a-week to finish by the end of the year. I think I can do it. I toyed with the idea of posting some book reviews and wrote several that are sitting in my drafts.

I wasn’t sure if book reviews on fiction were a good idea for this blog, but since Twin Cities Runner has expanded from being almost all about running to running and mental health, why not add some book recommendations? Besides, a lot of the books I’ve “read” I’ve actually listened to while running, so they relate to running at least tangentially.

Another writing goal was submitting two articles to Runner’s World. I was pretty stuck with that one for a while, but now I’ve got two that I’m almost ready to submit. I’m 95% sure that neither of them will get published online, and 99% sure they won’t make it into the print magazine, but hey, I’ll keep practicing.

Although this is a lame excuse, one reason for my lack in writing progress is our computer. It. Is. So. Slow. It takes forever to boot up, and often times freezes for several seconds to several minutes, and sometimes it freezes altogether and I have to restart it. 

So, I’ve been writing the vast majority of my blog posts on our iPad, which is OK with the keyboard (I’ve actually got pretty fast typing on it), but the app I use isn’t great for formatting, and I can’t add pictures as easily.

By publishing some book review posts along with trying to turn some ideas into actual blog posts, I think I’ve got a shot at those fifty-two posts.

Thanks for reading.