Gordon Hayward Injury

I'm not a basketball fan, but my thoughts and prayers go out to Gordon Hayward. That was a gruesome injury that no one should have to endure.

2017 NFL Week 5 Game Picks: Vikings top Bears; Chiefs stay Perfect

The NFL's byes have begun and we roll into week 5 of the regular season. Here is my picks for the week.

Bills over the Bengals
Browns over the Jets
Panthers over the Lions
Colts over the Niners
Titans over the Dolphins
Giants over the Chargers, look for the a big day for Beckham and Manning.
Eagles over the Cardinals
Steelers over the Jaguars
Rams over the Seahawks
Raiders over the Ravens
Packers over the Cowboys
Chiefs over the Texans, KC remains unbeaten.
Vikings over the Bears, their is no line in this game, it's a toss up, but i'm siding with my hometown team in the one.

Delano Athletics Baseball - The Early Years

Delano Athletics Baseball - The Early Years

Adam Jaunich is an experienced sales professional and technology advisor who has a passion for playing and coaching baseball in his free time. A member of the Delano Athletic Club, Adam Jaunich is involved in a campaign to preserve the municipal baseball park in his hometown of Delano. One of the oldest ballparks in Minnesota, Delano Municipal Stadium has been a community staple for over 100 years. Referred to as the "Terrors of the '90s," the Delano Millers were one of the first teams to call the field home late in the 19th century. The team played sparingly as travel was difficult, but by 1923, the Millers joined the Old Wright County League, which was sponsored by the American Legion. After multiple state championship appearances in the 1930s, the Millers changed its name to the Delano Colts and enjoyed similar success in the following decade, finishing as state runners-up in 1941 and 1942. Created in 1948, the Delano Athletic Club immediately became the team's official sponsor. The club was instrumental in making Delano Municipal Stadium one of the first ball parks in the state to use lights. Since 1948, the team has been known as the Delano Athletics, colloquially the Delano A’s, and has played in the North Star League. The team has hosted four state tournaments at the ballpark, with the most recent occurring in 2013.

Four Essentials of a Marathon Training Regimen

Training for a 26-mile marathon requires dedication, preparation, and perseverance. Starting too hard and too fast often leads to preventable injuries. First-time runners should build up a consistent base run mileage for at least a year before they begin their marathon training regimen. Marathon training regimens generally last between 12 and 20 weeks. When runners are ready to begin marathon training, they should focus on four basic elements. 1. The Base Mileage. The aim of the training program is to gradually increase runs so that the runner ultimately is running 50 miles per week divided among three to five runs. The runs should be leisurely paced, and mileage should never increase by more than 10 percent each week. 2. The Weekly Long Run. Once every week or 10 days, runners should complete a long run, which should be increased from week to week. Long runs usually peak at about 20 miles, but the preparation gained through the training regimen makes the additional six miles readily achievable on race day. 3. Speed Work. Most training runs are done at a relaxed pace, but incorporating speed work into the training regimen helps improve aerobic capacity and ultimately makes running easier. Runners can include short sprints within slower-paced jogs or run longer, faster runs at a challenging but maintainable pace. 4. The Rest Routine. Just as runners schedule run sessions, they also must schedule rest and recovery sessions. On rest days, muscles recover from the workout. In the final weeks leading up to a marathon, runners should reduce the distance and difficulty of the training runs so that the body is well rested on race day.

Tettegouche State Park - Cross Country Skiing

This past Saturday, New Years weekend, I left my downtown Minneapolis apartment early in the morning and ventured 3 1/2 hours north to Tettegouche State Park.

Upon my arrival with a fresh layer of snow, I gave cross country skiing a try for the first time this winter.

It was an excellent way to begin the New Year and a healthy mix of cross training for the Marathon that I will be running in Chattanooga, Tennessee in early March.

Happy New Year!

Puck in the Park Hockey Tournament in Delano

The Delano Jaycees will be hosting a Pond Hockey Tournament, "Puck in the Park" from Friday, January 20th through Sunday, January 22nd in Delano, Minnesota at Central Park. Fundraising efforts will go to support the Delano Girls Varsity Hockey Program in their inaugural season.  They are now accepting team registration online, by visiting www.puckinthepark.com

EVENT SCHEDULE

Friday, January 20th

• 5pm-8pm: Family night Open Skate / Pizza
• 5pm-8pm: Disco / DJ provided by Adam Welz

Saturday, January 21st

• 9am-10pm: Pond Hockey Tournament
• 11am-2pm: Bean Bag Tournament
• 4pm - 8pm: Pork Chop Feed
• 8pm - 11pm: Live Music by The White Keys (inside heated tent)

Sunday, January 22nd

• 9am-6pm: Pond Hockey Tournament

(tenative. subject to change) 

EVENT AMENITIES / DETAILS

• (2) 100ft X 60ft flooded rinks
• 80ft X 40ft Heated Tent
• Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Hot Chocolate, Coffee
• Craft Cocktails, Craft Beer
• Outdoor Fire Pits
• Stadium Seating
• Many Local Sponsors to be named

Adam Jaunich's Movie of the Week

I got a chance to watch "War Dogs" last night and give it my nod of movies on iTunes to watch. The movie is based on a true story of two young men, who won a $300 million government contract from the Pentagon to arm American allies in Afghanistan.

Jonah Hill and Miles Teller lead the cast, with action packed excitement.

2017 Stars and Stripes Legion Baseball Tournament

Thanksgiving has came and gone, it's beginning to a look a lot like Christmas... Well, a little.  Rain showers at the end of November?

At any rate, plans are underway for the 13th Annual Stars and Stripes Legion Baseball Tournament in Delano, Minnesota.  The tournament will start on Saturday, July 1st and run through Tuesday, July 4th.

We are looking at expanding the tournament from an 8-team format to a 16-team format in 2017.  The tournament entry fee is $375 and guarantees 3 games, with the potential of playing up to 5 games. For those interested in participating in the tournament, please contact me as soon as possible, as spots are filling up quickly.

Here is the list of teams committed to participating so far.

Wayzata
Eagan

Crete, Nebraska
Delano

Osseo

Minneapolis SW

Week 7 NFL Football Picks

My apologies, I skipped a week and missed my Week 6 picks, but the story line was the Packers continue to struggle on offense and the Cowboys, behind rookie quarterback, Dak Prescott, continue to thrive.  The Vikings were idle week 6 and Sam Bradford returns to Philadelphia to take on his former team, the Eagles, i'm picking the Vikings.


Packers 28 Bears 17
Giants 24 Rams 10

Chiefs 31 Saints 28

Titans 21 Colts 17
Vikings 30 Eagles 7

Bengals 38 Browns 10

Redskins 24 Lions 16

Jaguars 17 Raiders 14

Bills 28 Dolphins 23

Jets 24 Baltimore 14
49ers 31 Bucs 28

Falcons 38 Chargers 31

Patriots 24 Steelers 7
Cardinals 24 Seahawks 10
Denver 16 Houston 13

60 Day Strength Training Challenge

So yesterday I embarked on a new challenge, a 60 Days to Fit challenge.  It is a strength training program, with the intention of promoting fat loss, while increasing strength.

After Day 1, exercising the shoulders and traps I woke up feeling extremely sore, having excercised muscles that I haven't used in awhile.  But the push goes on. I also ran 3 miles on the treadmill to mix in a little cardio, an easy 9 minute pace.  It was my first time running since the Twin Cities Marathon, over a week ago and it felt good.

My second marathon: I finished the race

On Sunday, October 10th, I ran my second marathon and crossed the finish line with a time of 4:22:53.

The time was two full minutes slower than what I completed the same race last year, but I am gratified that I completed the race.

I had a targeted goal of finishing the race well below the mark I crossed the line at 3:25:00. I think I bit off more than what I could chew.  I stuck with the pace group for the first 6 miles, but I gradually started to fall of that pace as I was unable to keep my heart rate below 190 BPM.  As I closely monitored my heart rate I knew that if I kept it that high for the remainder of the race I would not finish. I was able to reign in my heart rate a little bit and finished the race hovering around 160 BPM, I felt more comfortable, but my pace was 10 minutes and 30 seconds.

At the end of the day, the moral of this story is to "not bite off more than what you can chew." Yes, I finished the race, but was I ready for that kind of pace for 26.2 miles? No.

I will live to run another marathon. My goals will need to be set higher and they will need to be attainable goals. The beat goes on, work harder, and train even harder.

Ready or Not, Here Comes the Marathon

It's been a full year since I've run my first marathon and life has come full circle to bring me to my second marathon. I'm ready for this!

The Twin Cities Marathon is tomorrow! Look for me, I will be wearing Bib #4021.

Week 5, NFL Top 10 Power Rankings

2016: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings

1. Denver Broncos (4-0)
The Broncos defense continues to dominate and the offense continues to manage the game.

2. Minnesota Vikings (3-0)
Top to bottom, the Vikings defense has grown into one of the best defenses in the league. Quarterback, Sam Bradford is 3-0.

3. Philadephia Eagles (3-0)The E-A-G-L-E-S are undefeated! If I was a betting man and picked the Eagles to be undefeated to start the season, I would've won big.

4. Green Bay Packers (2-1)
The Packers were idle this week and remain where they were last week.

5. New England Patriots (3-1)

The Patriots survived without future Hall of Fame Quarterback, Tom Brady.  A perfect game for Brady to return versus the lowly Cleveland Browns in week 5.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
Very nice rebound win in week 4, Roethlisberger was lethal, throwing for 5 touchdown passes.7. Dallas Cowboys (3-1)
Now just the question remains, will Tony Romo have a starting spot when a returns from IR.  Dak Prescott has nearly solidified himself as the starter in "Big D".
8. Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
Playing with a bummed knee, Russel Wilson remains the starting quarterback in Seattle. As long as he remains in the lineup, the Seahawks will continue to find ways to win.  At the end of the day, they will win more games then they will lose.

9. Atlanta Falcons (3-1)Matt Ryan leads the NFL in passing yards and on Sunday he threw for 5 touchdowns. The only question remains, will the Falcons find a way to play defense?

10. Oakland Raiders (3-1)Jack Del Rio has the boys firing on all cylinders, very nice win at Baltimore in week 4.


Others Receiving Consideration: Buffalo Bills (2-2), Kansas City (2-2), Houston (3-1)

I love me some playoff baseball: Bluejays top Orioles in extras

Thank you Major League Baseball for expanding the playoffs, tonight's game was sure entertaining. The Toronto Bluejays defeated the Baltimore Orioles in 11-innings on a walk-off home run, 5-2.

Keeping a close Eye on the Vikings: Super Bowls are not won in October

My Week #5 Power Rankings will be released on Wednesday, it will include the Broncos and Vikings atop the latest polls. As a Vikings fan, i'm keeping an open mind. The Blair Walsh missed kick last year in the playoffs and the Gary Anderson missed kicked in 1998 is still looming large. Super Bowls are not won in October.

Ryder Cup pays Tribute to Minnesota native, Prince

To open today's event. the Ryder Cup committee paid homage to the late Prince Rogers with the playing of his hit song "Let's go Crazy". Prince was found dead the age of 57 at his home in nearby Chanhasssen, Minnesota, Paisley Park.

For those of you not able to make the event today, no worries.  I found that you can watch it online for free at http://www.rydercup.com/live/player.html

Happy Friday everyone!

Week 4: NFL Picks

With 3 week of the NFL season in books, only 3 teams remain undefeated.  The Vikings and Broncos will remain undefeated after week 4.  This week's upset pick features the Buffalo Bills over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

Here we go!

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals, 31-14
Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars, 24-16
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
Falcons, 31-28
Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens
Ravens, 21-13

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
20-10, Texans

Buffalo Bills at New England
Bills, 24-21
Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets
Jets, 19-13
Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins
Redskins, 31-7
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
Lions, 27-7
Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
21-17, Broncos
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
28-10, Cardinals
New Orleans Saints at San Diego Chargers
Chargers, 38-24
Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers
49ers, 30-24
Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers, 24-16

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings
33-16, Vikings

2016: Week 4 NFL Power Rankings

1. Denver Broncos (3-0)
The little known quarterback from the Northwestern University, Trevor Siemian, is making a name for himself.  The Super Bowl winning defense has picked up from where they left off in 2015.

2. Minnesota Vikings (3-0)
Lost is Adrian Peterson, but the Vikings are no longer reliant on his presence as in year's past, The Vikings stifled the Carolina Panthers in week 3, who were averaging 40+ points per game.

3. New England Patriots (3-0)
It's the next man up approach at quarterback in New England and with Tom Brady returning after a week 4, the Patriots survived what some prognosticators thought would be a 1-3 start to the season before Brady's return.

4. Green Bay Packers (2-1)
Aaron Rodgers was firing on all cylinders in week 3 with a victory at home over the lowly, Detroit Lions. Rodgers threw for four touchdowns in the first half and the game was nearly in the books, until things got close late.  The Packers defense has its issues, time will tell.

5. Philadephia Eagles (2-1)
Where is North Dakota State University?  Just ask Carson Wentz. The rookie has taken over the reigns in Philly and has the city on his side with his teams convincing week 3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wentz has yet to throw an interception and the defense has given up the fewest points in the league.

6. Baltimore Ravens (3-0)The wins for the Ravens haven't been pretty, but nonetheless they're undefeated.  They've had a soft schedule, yes, but maybe they have just been playing down to the opponents level. A tougher test in week 4 when they play the up and coming Oakland Raiders.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)Ugly loss at Philadelphia with the offense just tallying 3 points. Ouch! Quarterback Ben Roethelisberger was under duress and completed less than 55 percent of his passes.

8. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)How about them Cowboys? Dallas is finally learning how to play a football game without Dak Prescott, or maybe it's the fact that they finally have a back-up quarterback. Prescott is in the early Rookie of Year running, ranked highly in the QBR.

9. Oakland Raiders (2-1)
I have liked this team out of the gates, Derek Carr is a franchise quarterback and they have the right man running the ship in Head Coach, Jack Del Rio. The Raiders will have a tough test week 4 as they take on the unbeaten, Baltimore Ravens. It could be a track meet, both defenses have struggled at times early in the season.

10. Carolina Panthers (1-2) Losses to a pair of Super Bowl contenders (Minnesota and Denver), legitimizes their reason to be in the top 10. Cam Newton was sacked 9 times versus the Vikings in week 3.

Others Receiving Consideration: Kansas City Chiefs (2-1), Arizona Cardinals (2-1), Seattle Seahawks (2-1)

8th Place finish at 10K in Chestertown, N.Y.

8th Place finish at 10K in Chestertown, N.Y.

September 27, 2016

Surprisingly, I ran my first 10K and completed with a time of 47:40, with an average pace of 7:41 per mile. 

It was a brisk 52 degree morning in the small town in upstate New York, just south of Lake Placid, where miracles happen. The race started and finished at Town Hall on Route 9. The run was beautiful, through the heart of the village.

With less than a 2 weeks remaining before my second running of the Twin Cities Marathon, i'm inching closer to a sub 3:30:00 final marathon time.  That's my goal!

Bundle Up Minnesota

Bundle up Minnesotan's, cold weather is on its way. 

After an Indian Summer, it appears our warm weather streak is coming to an abrupt end with high in the low 30s, beginning Thursday, November 18.  It's amazing what a difference a year makes as last year at this time we were basking in a blanket of snow.

Enjoy the rest of your week Minnesotan's!