The Royce Files

beyond 4 hours and still south of the dome  I was beginning to dread having to stand in the rain for hours to cover this year's marathon earlier this week. However a slight shift in the weather system pushed the rains off until the afternoon. Still, it was a cooler event that mostly hovered in the mid to upper 40s. After working 2 volunteer shifts last night I decided to ease into things Saturday morning. We did not get over to the old watching spot on 8th Ave until late in the morning. The victors (for the marathon Tuwei and Tesafaye) had sped through well before our arrival on the course. Now we were there to cheer the unsung runners bringing up the tail end of the marathon. Fortunately the party was still going on along 8th and 9th. We saw at least 5 bands in addition to many DJs and people just pumping music from their supped up stereos. Many of the spectators were already gone or hovering near the houses and tents. Elvis was sauntering through "Kentucky Rain"...

Less than 1 month until the start of the umpteenth Fargo Marathon and Fargo welcomes an early spring snow storm. I ran in it this morn. Sort of a soft and wet mix. Beats running in the rain. Snow accumulates on April 27 Not sure of the Fargo accumulations but looks like it will melt up by the weekend as temperatures start to rise above 30s. Still this is a bit of a surprise after having some pleasant days above touching the 60s and 70s in previous weeks. Participants need not to worry about running in the snow. Only once in the history of the race has it snowed- that being the first year - and there was hardly a trace. This is not to say it will not be cool come race time. I expect starting line temperatures on May 20 to be in the low to mid 40s warming up quickly into the early afternoon. No flood impacts this year too. Very little to report at this time concerning the marathon and all its related events. Registrations were reportedly done a bit but that is not strange consid...

The Mayor enjoys a hot dog The weather has been extremely kind in these parts. Sure we got our share of ice and snow, but this season the intensity of winter did not appear. On the doorstep of spring we'll be peering into a 70(F) degree day for St. Pats. It is time to eat the hot dogs again! Yep, it seems there is a certain time of year where I don't crave those franks- but now I do. And so does a Chinese aquaintence of mine. Fortunately for my birthday, my MFB (mostly Finish bride) bought be a copy of Never Put Ketchup on a Hot Dog . This is a volume for Chicago dog enthusists. I count myself as one. I think I read most it before the new year. Although I am not sure I'll be visiting Chicago any time soon. Crazy as it sounds, I came across a blog post by musician Phil Wickham proclaiming the joy visiting a Nashville hot dog emporium called Hot Diggity Dog. You can read it here . I have not met Phil yet. He does not travel much to our open plains. But if he does I...

It seems that every year the environs of the Go take a drastic plunge. I call it beyond freezing because that is pretty much what it is: temperatures that hover at -10 F and then add some wind you got "ol 40 below." It takes a lot to keep me from going outdoors and even the beyond freezing temps don't keep me indoors. I once went camping with a friend I'll call Rik in 20 below zero temperatures. It gave us both headaches. I'm not sure he has forgiven me for that adventure. Fortunately or unfortunately, I got sick as the beyond freezing season began so I could not feel guilty for not having run 3 miles in the tundratic arctic of Go. What makes matters worse is that nearly every surface is icy and so biking is even more dangerous for me. [I usually do not bike when I know the temperatures will be below 20 F] What are the drawbacks of beyond freezing, you may ask? Dryness. Yes, as the thermometer dips lower the moisture in the air disappears. Skin gets scaly and cr...