Duluth, MN. I find myself there fairly often, either passing through on my way further north, or as a destination in its own right. Duluth serves as the gateway to the North Shore of Minnesota. Highway 61 stretches for over 100 miles along Lake Superior from Duluth up to the Canadian Border. Most of highway 61 is a two lane road with occasional stop lights, but the first 20 Continue Reading
How Do I Cheerlead an Open Water Swim?
You might have noticed I like to encourage people. We are capable of achieving unbelievable things, if only we work hard enough. But sometimes the going gets tough, and our commitment and energy fades. I like to be the positive voice that says, “You can” when your own voice is telling you, “I can’t.” Last fall, I spectated the Twin Cities Marathon. My brother-in-law and his Continue Reading
How to Finish After Hitting the Wall
Have you ever “hit the wall”, as runners say? That feeling that your energy is gone. There is no more. Hitting the wall always comes when we are not quite done. There are still several miles left to run, bike, or hike. And we must complete those last few miles. We have to get home, or at least back to the car and motorized transportation. Hitting the wall isn’t limited to Continue Reading
The Reward of a Sunset at the End of a Long Day
I am not looking forward to tomorrow. If all goes well, I will be driving 9 hours and covering over 500 miles. If I get up at my normal hour, I am scheduled to be driving through or around Chicago at rush hour. Great timing. Did I mention that I will be doing the drive alone? So I planned something special with which to end my day. I hope to end tomorrow by sitting on a Continue Reading
Alone in a Tent, or Am I?
There is something in my tent. I know there is. For two nights now, that soft scratching noise has come from that corner of the tent. That corner just happens to have the supposedly empty stuff sacks the tent was packed in, all jammed inside the largest stuff sack. I look anxiously at the bags. Yes. The sound is definitely coming from there. Wait. Did the bag just move? Is Continue Reading
