Okay, now we gotta get through the holidays before we start thinking about warmer days.  If you missed our Black Friday sale, not to worry; there are still lots of shoes and apparel we're selling at a discount at Striders.  Call or come in the store for details.  If you like the Asics Kayano, we're blowing those out and if you need a ladies trail shoes they're all on sale.  New spring shoes are arriving daily and gift wrapping is FREE through the holidays 

So here we are, almost another year in the books and a close to a wild & crazy decade; can't wait for 2011.  Before we put a bow on 2010, let us introduce you to Christian Johnson, our December Runner Spotlight.  Christian is an old childhood friend; he knew me when I was still blowing up mailboxes and getting kicked out of scout camp.  For my indiscretions, I was sentenced to a summer running in the Hershey's Track & Field Syracuse program.  Christian was a star distance runner even before his teenage years; I remember that summer he ran so many laps around Stoker Park he burned a permanent path around the perimeter.  To this day the kids at Cook Elementary run that path for Spring PE.  That summer I believe Christian was the Hershey's regional champ in the mile and half-mile.  I didn't make the cut in the 50 yard dash and ended up in the finals for the softball throw, but was disqualified after hitting a judge in the head when I threw the ball before the signal to 'go' was given.  Anyway, Christian moved to Salt Lake, raced road bikes for a while, and then came back to running in 2006, running the Buffalo Run 50K to kick off his ultra running career.  Since then he's ran the Buffalo 50 miler three more times, almost winning it every year.  He's conquered the Squaw Peak 50 four times, the Bear 100 twice, the Wasatch 100 and most recently the Cascade Crest 100 in 21:03.  Christian has come a long way since Hershey's and his best running is still to come.  He's a good friend and we're lucky to know him and his family.  Go read all about him at www.stridersrunning.com

Brigham City Snowman Shuffle 5K & 1 mile Walk -- December 4^th, 10:00am at All American Real Estate -- 695 S Main in Brigham City.  Registration forms are at Striders, for questions and details visit http://www.snowmanshuffle.com/

Buffalo Run Training -- December 4^th.  December 4^th.  Meet at the main gate at 8am.  We'll go out to the race start/finish and run the White Rock trail, return to the start/finish then head north and run the Lakeside trail around the north end of the island.  Probably around 14-15 miles (all trail in the backcountry so be prepared). 

We're planning a fun run on New Years Eve (morning) here at Striders.  It's a 5 mile run; rain, snow or shine at 8:30am on Friday, December 31^st.  The run is free with goodies served afterwards.  Come run, be silly and have funJ

If you're planning your 2011 Race Calendar, may we recommend a few events: 

January 22^nd -- St. George ½ Marathon (formally known as Painters)
January 29^th -- Salt Lake Track Club Winter Series 5K
February 5^th -- STRIDERS Winter Racing Circuit 5K
February 12^th - Salt Lake Track Club Winter Series 10K
February 19^th - STRIDERS Winter Racing Circuit 10K
February 26^th - Salt Lake Track Club Winter Series 15K
March 12^th  - STRIDERS Winter Racing Circuit 10M
March 19^th -- Spectrum 10K -- Southern Utah
 Moab Canyonlands ½ Marathon
March 26^th -- Buffalo Run 100m, 50m, 50k & 25k (TRAIL)
April 2^nd - STRIDERS Winter Racing Circuit ½ Marathon
April 9^th -- NUTS Shoreline 10k (TRAIL)
April 16^th -- Salt Lake Marathon
April 23^rd - STRIDERS Winter Racing Circuit 30k
May 7^th -- St. George Ironman
May 21^st -- Ogden Marathon
May 30^th -- STRIDERS Memorial Day Classic ½ marathon, 5k & Kids mile
June 4^th -- Squaw Peak 50 (TRAIL)
June 11^th -- NUTS Wolf Mountain 5k/10k (TRAIL)
Gerald Anderson Memorial 5k
Utah Valley Marathon
June 17^th & 18^th -- Ragnar Utah Relay
July 9^th -- Farmington Festival Days ½ marathon, 10k & 5k
July 16^th -- Fully NUTS ½ marathon (TRAIL)
July 23^rd -- Deseret News Marathon & 10k
August 6^th -- BAIRGUTSMAN (TRAIL)
August 13^th -- NUTS North Fork Trail Run (TRAIL)
August 20^th -- Skyline Mountain Marathon (TRAIL)
August 27^th -- Top of Utah ½ marathon
September 3^rd -- STRIDERS Huntsville ½ marathon & 5k
September 9^th & 10^th -- Wasatch 100 (TRAIL)
September 10^th -- Classic 10k & 5k
September 17^th -- Top of Utah Marathon
September 24^th -- NUTS Mountain to Metro (Striders7) (TRAIL)

                             XTERRA (TRAIL)

                             Bear 100 (TRAIL)
October 1^st -- St. George Marathon
October 8^th -- Layton Marathon
October 15^th -- Mountain View ½ marathon (TRAIL)
October 22^nd -- STRIDERS OV50
October 29^th -- Up-n-Over 10k & 5k (TRAIL)
November 5^th -- Antelope Island 100k (TRAIL)

Okay, it starts to get a little fuzzy after that, this is not an all-inclusive list of events, but it's a good start.  All the details will be at www.utahrunning.com Printed copies of the Utah Race Guide should arrive in the store any day.