Mean Streets of Minnetonka

As the mileage begins to creep up to the ridiculous level, I am always looking for motivation or a gimmick; something to keep it interesting.  The Tuesday progression runs and Thursday track workouts are easy enough to get amped up for, but those mid-week MLR or longish recovery runs can become a real bore.  I've explored most corners of Minnetonka, but I know there are places I have missed, so....  I decided I would run every street and trail in this fair city.  Not sure how many miles that is or how long this will take, but I am willing to give it a try.  With the help of Map My Run, I can easily see my progress.  After only a few days I discovered a new trail behind the Glen Lake neighborhood and a another nifty shortcut trail that gets me from Purgatory Park trail to Scenic Heights.  I also discovered a beautiful house on Nantucket Road, just off Excelsior Boulevard and County 101.  Friday, July 3rd, I ran through a neighborhood that ended in a Cul-de-sac.  Trust me there a million of these in Minnetonka, but  in the middle of this cul-de-sac was someones dead Christmas Tree, completely draped in hundreds, if not thousands of firecrackers.  Not sure what to read into that symbolism.  Love my country but screw Christmas?

So, as I made my way through the mean streets of Minnetonka, I managed to tally up 91 miles, including a 17 mile long run, a nice progression run on Tuesday and an encouraging track workout on Thursday, where I did 5x1 mile intervals.  The final one was at 6:06 pace and felt pretty effortless.

Welcome back Malena Larsen!  She ran this week for the first time in a couple months.  Always good to get a running buddy back into the mix, particularly one as special as her!

Happy Running!
Rick