2025 Activities year-in-review
This year I’m compressing my running and biking review posts down to just one post and talking broadly about the trackable activities I did over…
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Review: Fenix HM65R-T V2.0 headlamp
I started my running career using a Petzl Tikka+ headlamp that got the job done, but after a year I decided to up to a…
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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,…
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A little north shore bikepacking adventure
Earlier this year my wife suggested a trip up to the Superior National Forest to explore some of the gravel roads and campgrounds via bike.…
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First foray into the BWCA Day 4
It takes a lifetime to findThe life like the life you had in mind- Trampled by Turtles We all awoke early on our last day,…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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Navigating spring and fitness
Here in Minnesota we’re now solidly in early spring weather and that poses unique challenges for people who like to be active outside. In the…
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Let’s do a fitness stat geek-out!
Even though I’m a Liberal Arts guy, I’m a collector at heart and stats fill that inner need to acquire new information all the time.…
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Trying out Zwift
I’ve never been much of a fan of indoor workout machines, preferring to be outside if I’m going to run or bike. I can’t stand…
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The Arrowhead that wasn’t
When I said the odds weren’t in my favor for completing Arrowhead, I at least assumed I’d be starting the race. However, the universe had…
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Timp 5 GTX Hiker (mid-height) – another Altra failure
As long-time readers of this blog will attest, I’ve had a pained relationship with Altra shoes. When I was first introduced to the Timp 1.5…
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2023 Running year in review
2023 ended up not being quite the year I had planned when it came to running. I had some goals that I set at the…
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2023 Biking year in review
It’s time once again for my annual review of how I did in the biking and running endeavors that I do, and first up is…
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Exploring bike paths in my home town
Over the past few years the suburb that I live in, Fridley, MN, has slowly been adding more and more infrastructure for biking. The past…
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Some quick life updates
It’s been a couple months since I posted here, and so I thought it was about time for a general life update post. August through…
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It’s race week!
On Saturday I line up for my second 100 mile running attempt at the Badger 100 down south of Madison, WI. This is a rail-trail…
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Altra Torin 7 review: Why are you trying to be HOKA??
Dear Altra, I’ve been a fan of your shoes since the Timp 1.5 (2020) and have discovered a great lineup of running footwear that meshes…
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Peak week!
There comes a time in every training plan where you hit “peak week”. This is the week where you max out the longest distance that…
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Photographing Crit Races
Last night I got the chance to photograph the beginner races of the Tuesday Night Crit series at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. My wife was…
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Exploring Limits: Mountain Biking in the Southwest
My experience with singletrack has come in three areas. My first exposure to singletrack has come through trail running. One of the main parks where…
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Shoe Review: Altra Outroad
Ever since Altra made changes to my beloved Timp trail shoes, I’ve been shopping around a bit more. I still wear Timp 4s (finally settled…
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Surly Ghost Grappler – the 400 mile review
When the Surly Ghost Grappler was announced in February of 2022 I was intrigued. It was a weird mix of mountain bike, gravel bike, and……
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2022 Biking year in review
This year was another great year for me when it came to biking. Although I had to take a break in the middle, due to…
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2022 Running year in review
This year was a bit of a “lumpy” year when it came to my fitness. With a surgery scheduled in July (and COVID), and the…
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Quick and dirty bike stand
Over the years we’ve started to acquire a few too many bikes, and figuring out a good way to store them in the garage can…
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Altra Timp 4: The 130 Mile Review
This has been one of the hardest reviews for me to sit down and write. Ever since I started running in zero drop Altra shoes…
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Old Abe Trail biking, to avoid the rain
Sunday morning was meant to be a beautiful ride around the NW metro area with my wife, clocking in a 50 mile distance. However, as…
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A taste of the #vanlife life
Last Friday I began a three day journey from Minnesota to Las Vegas, Nevada. My wife had flown down a few days ahead of time…
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Layering in winter
Living in a cold weather area you need to be prepared for different weather conditions if you want to be outside and active. It’s not…
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Garmin fēnix 6S – Long Term Review
In June of 2021 I bid farewell to my old Garmin 735XT that I loved and upgraded to a brand new Garmin Fēnix 6S. The…
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2021 Running Year in Review
Although this year felt like it was an ‘off’ year, I still managed to put up a lot of miles on foot. This will be…
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2021 Biking Year in Review
Once again 2021 proved to a bigger than normal year for me when it came to biking. I didn’t top my 2020 stats, but it…
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Review: PATH projects Killam PX pant
I’ve been tremendously excited about the introduction of a PATH projects pant for a long time. As one of their ambassadors I’ve been privy to…
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Well that was dumb…
Because of the adventures I like to take via bike, I put a rear rack on almost every bike when I get it. I procrastinated…
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The end of the GravelKings….
In my first impressions post I talked about the weird issues of the Panaracer GravelKing SK+ tires and concrete with grooves in it. In the…
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First Impression Review: Panaracer GravelKing SK+
Update: I’ve since removed these tires and gone back to my old ones. About two weeks ago I decided to move over to tubeless, and…
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The Journey to Tubeless
Last winter I decided to try going tubeless on my fat bike, and had mixed results. I knew that the tires I was using were…
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Sidelined by smoke
Today was only the second time I’ve run since the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon a couple weeks ago. It’s not that I haven’t had plans…
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Parenting adults
Now that all of my kids are adults, parenting takes on a different feeling. Gone are the days when you’re scolding or cajoling because someone…
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Book Review: Stronger Than the Dark
The trail and ultra running world is often a place where you find people who are broken. There’s a paradox to be found in exploring…
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Adventure Van: In the wild!
This past week I spent three nights with the adventure van as I hung out on the North Shore with my buddy Mike, hiking and…
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Second Runnings 