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Planned to take a little time off this morning to do my yearly birthday run. It got a little delayed for work stuff but I did make it out. I didn’t plan for it to be as cold as it was when I started but it is a good start to another year around the sun. A serene lake scene with sunlight glistening on the water’s surface. The sky is clear and blue. Bare tree branches extend over the right side of the image, while a lone duck is visible on the water. The opposite shoreline is bordered by a line of leafless trees.

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Glad to be back home running on some familiar trails again. Decided to put in a short one before everyone was hungry for brunch and basketball games started up again.

A wooden boardwalk leads through a vast, dry field of tall grasses under a cloudy sky. Sparse trees and bushes are scattered across the landscape, with more dense trees visible on the horizon. The sky is overcast, casting a gray hue over the scene, creating a tranquil and open natural setting.

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Looks like I will be on a big plane for the last leg of the flight.

A Delta Air Lines aircraft is parked at an airport gate during sunset. The jet bridge is connected to the plane, and several ground service vehicles are nearby. The sky is filled with soft clouds, creating a serene backdrop.

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Not exactly what I had planned for today. I created really interesting route that I wanted to try only to wake up and find it pouring rain outside. I decided to scrap my actual route as it would have been had me being outside for a lot longer in this cold rain and just tried to run along the water. Only the construction along the trail caused that to be derailed slightly as well.

A paved pathway runs alongside a body of water under an overcast sky. There are street lamps evenly spaced along the path, and benches are placed intermittently on the grass adjacent to the path. The area appears wet, indicating recent rain, with puddles visible on the path. The landscape is flat, with distant trees and landforms on the horizon.

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It was a rainy and cool one out this morning as I meandered around the bay and then town of Portland. However, not too cold that I could run with shorts today so a win in my book.

A foggy scene showing a paved path running alongside train tracks, leading into the distance. To the left is a brick building marked “Portland Co.” In the foreground, an orange “Road Work Ahead” sign is visible beside a fallen traffic cone. Streetlamps line the path, casting warm light in the misty atmosphere. Sparse trees and additional buildings are visible in the background.

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Another week in Maine and another loop around the Back Cove in the morning hours. Even though I could probably sleep in more when I travel here it is hard to pass up a nice morning run along this path.

A tranquil scene at sunrise with a long pier extending over calm water. The sky is a gradient of soft orange and blue hues, reflecting on the water surface. In the distance, there’s a structure with triangular shapes, and a bird can be seen flying in the clear sky. The overall mood is peaceful and serene.

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Was able to find the only time I had today to get this run in. In fact, I dropped my youngest and wife off at the door for State Swim then found a parking spot and ran home so then I could catch my Uber to the airport as I was flying out 😅.

A landscape featuring a frozen pond with a thin layer of ice, surrounded by bare trees. The sun casts shadows of the trees across the ice, and patches of grass and fallen leaves are visible along the pond’s edge. The sky is clear with a few clouds.

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Shorts and tee shirt weather today on this run back in Minnesota. It was super nice out today and just wanted to get a couple miles in this afternoon before the weekend. However, my only mistake was I thought I should hit a couple of trails in the conservation place and lets just say I tried to make the quickest exit possible with out back tracking as it was muddy.

A narrow dirt path winding through a forest with bare trees and fallen leaves covering the ground. Some trees have branches leaning over the path, partially blocking it. The scene appears to be in late autumn or early winter.

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Running Behind Podcast

A friend of mine, Joey Metzger, has jumped into the podcast game with Running Behind. On top of already making great YouTube videos about his running adventures, he decided to take things further and launched the Running Behind podcast about a month ago. There is now, three episodes out there now that are fantastic and after catching up with him a couple weekends go for a run, I can say the guest lineup is only getting better.

Auto-generated description: A runner wearing colorful athletic gear is featured with a podcast title, Running Behind: A Podcast with Joey Metzger, against a purple background.

Maybe selfishly, but the latest episode titled “Eric Walker | “The Streak”, Running For Fun & Digestible Numbers” (released just yesterday) will always stand out to me as the best by far because as you can tell Joey let me join him for a discussion about running. I had such a great time chatting with him, especially since, as you’ll hear, we hadn’t caught up in a long time. In fact, it was only about six months ago that we reconnected as we found each other on Strava (Joey’s Strava Profile) and then realized that we are both crazy runners. Though, to be fair, he might be the crazier one as he runs much longer distances and sticks almost entirely to trail races.

I won’t spoil too many details of our discussion because you should give it a listen. We talked about my running history, especially my 5K a day streak from 2018, but with Joey being the great host he is, he managed to dig out new stories and other takes on running.

I really do appreciate that Joey let me join his show and I hope he still has listeners for your next episode after this past one.

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I was glad to get this run in today as I fell like I would have been disappointed if I didn’t wake up early again to make it to the back cove area. I think ever since I started working out there I have always made that loop at least once.

A picturesque sunset over a body of water, with a silhouetted row of posts or pilings stretching across the horizon. The sky is beautifully colored with shades of orange, pink, and deep blue, reflecting on the rippling water below. A large cloud formation is prominently visible, adding depth to the scene.

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I wasn’t sure I was going to make it out today but I noticed that it wasn’t going to be an overcast day so decided to get at least a short run in before another long day in the office.

Silhouetted wooden pilings protrude from calm water at sunset, creating a stark contrast against the vibrant orange and blue sky. A large crane is visible on the horizon, illuminated against the fading light. The shoreline on the left is lined with trees, and the overall scene reflects a serene waterfront landscape.

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Glad to have actually pushed myself out the door today to get a run in this morning. Once done I felt great and even though it was cloudy today it is never a bad day running on this path along the water.

A coastal pathway runs alongside calm water, bordered by a rocky embankment. The path, lined with streetlights and benches, curves gently into the distance. The landscape is covered with patchy grass and sparse shrubs under a cloudy, overcast sky.

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Decided to test the ankle and enjoy this beautiful afternoon before I had to fly out later. Explored some new areas as I started where I dropped my daughter off and it was a perfect timing as she got her nails done and I got some miles in.

A partially frozen creek meanders through a winter landscape. Snow covers patches of the ground on both sides of the creek, with brown grasses and leafless trees surrounding the area. The sky is clear and blue, casting shadows across the snowy ground.

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This run was not a stellar one at all. It was one of those runs I should have probably stopped two blocks in and called it a day to just take the rest that my body seemed to be asking for. However, instead I pushed though and ended with a little ankle pain. 🫣

A winter landscape with bare trees silhouetted against a fading sunset sky. The ground is covered in snow, and the horizon shows a soft gradient of colors transitioning from light blue to hints of orange and pink. The scene conveys a serene, quiet atmosphere typical of late winter afternoons.

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Well I see that Eden Prairies approach to all the snow on the sidewalk is to not touch it more than 30 hours later and just hope that it all melts. Thankfully my run took me to Chanhassen and Minnetonka which have decided to shovel so I don’t get hit by cars.

A snowy landscape with a path of footprints leading through a field of snow. A stop sign is partially visible on the left with its shadow cast on the ground. A road runs parallel to the field, with houses and trees lining the opposite side. Bare trees and evergreens are scattered throughout the background under a clear blue sky.

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I decided to shovel a path to my “shed office” this morning but ended up having to make two paths at a point because under the very direct route was lots of water so I had to find the make shift boardwalk I built.

A snow-covered backyard featuring a path of footprints leading to a two-story house with a wooden deck. A snow-covered hockey net is visible on the right, and trees with bare branches are dusted with snow. A vehicle is partially visible in the background. The scene is serene and wintry, with soft light illuminating the snow.

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Over the weekend to help me get to the shed office without completely jumping from dry ground to try ground I tossed some boards from the rink to make a little walkway. Only to find out today with the rain and more ice melting I did not make this boardwalk long enough. 🙄

A backyard scene featuring a small house-like shed in the background with a path leading up to it. In the foreground, there is a makeshift wooden walkway over a patch of muddy ground. To the left, there is a partially constructed hockey rink with a net set up on the grass nearby. The area is surrounded by leafless trees and other houses.

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Some days my Dogs can brighten my day or if at a minimum make me laugh…

I looked over this morning from the table and in this light it appears Lainey is looking angry at me. A curly-haired, light brown dog stands on a wooden floor in a kitchen. The dog is wearing a collar with tags and is looking at the camera. Sunlight is falling on the dog’s face and body. In the background, there are wooden cabinets and a modern stainless steel oven.

Darbys side glance is for sure telling me he is done with the Shed work today and wants to go back home. A black, fluffy dog is comfortably lying on a beige couch. It rests its head on a blue and cream fleece blanket, appearing relaxed and content. The couch is against a wooden wall backdrop.

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If it wasn’t for the morning sunrise this run didn’t have much to offer me but forcing me to run on tired legs from yesterday. I am pretty sure I have heard that is a good thing to do sometimes to keep building the base. 🤷‍♂️

A serene winter landscape at sunset, featuring a partially frozen pond surrounded by tall grasses and bare trees. The sun is setting in the background, painting the sky with warm hues of orange and pink. The ground is covered with dry grass, enhancing the tranquility of the scene.

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I convinced my friend Joey to let me run with him for a while around Hyland so I could get some elevation today. We split off after a while and I went solo the rest of the way which might have been a mistake as it was then much longer than planned as I might have gotten lost along the way.

A view from the top of a snow-covered hill looking down a ski slope. The slope is surrounded by bare trees, with patches of snow visible on the hillside. A building and a red snow grooming machine are located at the base of the slope. In the background, there’s a cityscape that includes several buildings and clear blue sky. The scene is bright and sunny, indicating a clear day.

A frozen lake under a clear blue sky, with bare trees on the far shore. In the foreground, dry grass and shrubs are visible along the edge of the lake, accompanied by a single tree stump casting a shadow.|354x266

A snow-covered path winds through a forested area with bare trees. The sky is clear and blue, casting shadows of the trees onto the snow. A few trees retain some brown leaves, contrasting with the white snow and blue sky.