Race Report: Get in Gear 10k 2008

Once again this is the first race of the year. I was going to race in a duathlon but decided to run the Get in Gear instead at the last minute. Unlike previous years I wasn't looking at the race as any kind of fitness indicator for the spring. I just wanted to run a race I really enjoy.

Or I should say usually enjoy. Saturday morning turned out to be cold and snowy of all things! The wind was also howling out of the west. Fun times.

The first part of the race I was mildly sore in the legs which took 2 miles to loosen up. I think I need to do more warm up in the future as this has happened in the past.

The only part of note was when we approached the Ford Parkway Bridge for the final leg to the finish line. The 25mph wind was coming right up the bridge so I scoped out a big guy to draft. It was working until the guy really started to slow as he climbed the rise of the bridge into the wind. So I decided I needed to pass him. As I stepped out of his wake I was hit by the wind like a hammer. No wonder he was slowing! I did my best to sprint up to the next person, then the next. It sorta worked but I was really tired once we were back in the trees in the park.

In the finishing chute I was at a sprint. Suddenly I'm being hit on the shoulder by someone I passed. Turned out to be my friend Dan Lund. What a surprise.

In the end I ran the race strong and felt fine. But my time was a full minute slower then last year. Part of that was because of the conditions but I was also simpler slower as well.

Finish time of 47:41. 438th out of 1800 cold crazy runners. My friend turned in a nice time of 46:37.

Paper Making Class

In honor of our 6th wedding anniversary, Linda and I took a Japanese paper making class at MCAD. As with a lot of Japanese things, there is a long history and tradition in paper making. We learned how to beat the fibers and screen out the gossamer thin sheets. We then explored various techniques of dying and coloring the sheets we made.




We made a lot of paper in the five Saturdays we attended. We also made a giant 4x6 foot sheet which took the help of the 6 people.



Probably the most interesting thing I learned is that rice paper is a complete myth. Rice actually is not fibrous enough to produce paper. Most all Japaneses paper is made from a few different plants similar to cat tails or reeds.

20 Years Ago Today...

Today is my birthday. Big deal, everyone has one. But what is neat is that I had recently discovered that a piece of artwork I've had since college was actually a birthday gift. It's hard to make out but in the upper part of this photo is the date 04/10/88. It was given to me by my dear friend Jackie while I was in my senior year at UND. We used to call her 'Bunnie'.



And this is the artwork itself. Jackie is still making art that can be seen here.