Race Photos

We had a photographer (Buffalo Dave) on the course and we'll post his photos soon. I know many people took their own photos. If you'd like to share a public link to them, send the link to me and I'll post them all in this page (and maybe later on the race web site too).

Kelly took these pics
Don took these pics
Bill took these pics
Russ took these pics
Dave Ghent Proofs (available for purchase on his photo web site)
Dave Ghent "official" race photos (full set on my Picasa site)
Chris & Ellen took these pics

Race Results

The race director can now relax--like the photo at left during the race (photo by Dave Ghent). Results are now posted on the Second Wind Running Club web site. Please let me know if you think there are errors. I will send the results to our club newsletter and UltraRunning magazine, so I want them to be final & accurate soon. Thanks. We had 128 registered for the race, 109 starters, and 95 finishers (14 DNF). Next year I'd like to have over 100 finishers! Either I increase the race limit (unlikely) or I have fewer DNS and DNFs. Time to start training for next year...but don't get injured.

Soon I'll send an e-mail with a web survey to all the racers that ran at least one loop (even the DNFers). I want your feedback about the race. I'll be gathering insights from the volunteers and the running club too. Once all the data is in, I'll make some decisions about next year and let you know what changes are planned. Hope to see all of you back at Clinton Lake in 2009.

Special thanks to Second Wind Running Club, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and all the volunteers & sponsors. The race couldn't happen without you.

Race Over

We had an almost perfect day for the race. Full results tomorrow, but here are the two overall winners:
-Logan Martin: 4:00:39 (new course record!)
-Ellen Erhardt: 4:43:13
Congratulations to all the runners.
A big "Thank You" to all the volunteers.

Race Day

It's 3:15am and I'll be heading out to the race site at 4am. Everything should be set up by 6:00am. Plan to be back home and on the computer around 6pm tonight. Results should be posted this evening or tomorrow on the race web site (thanks to Kelly our club President and webmaster). Please check the results and let me know if there are any errors (names, times, gender, etc). Sometime next week I'll send the results to UltraRunning magazine for publication. I'm excited! I wish everyone a safe and fun run.

One Day to Clinton Lake 30 Miler!

The event we've all been waiting for is almost here! Just one more day to the 2nd annual Clinton Lake 30-Mile Trail Run. I have some good news to report...the bridge at the canoe access aid station side is repaired. That means runners won't have to jump across a wide-open section and risk falling 20 feet into icy water. Or the alternative favored by the race director was to have runners wade across the river--it's only 40 feet across and it's only waist deep and it doesn't flow that fast. Another benefit to having the bridge back is that volunteers can get back and forth from the start to the canoe aid station much easier. The other good news is the weather...

Current weather forecast for the race:
LOW: 28
HIGH: 50
PRECIP: Clear Friday. Partly sunny Saturday.
WINDS: Breezy with gusts around 21 mph.

We had steady drizzle/light rain all day Thursday with a few thunderstorms last night. Maybe a clear Friday will allow it to soak in and drain away. There will be quite a few spots of mud, but not like last year!

Are We There Yet?

I'm beat. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I'm ready for the race to start. I'm ready for the finish line. The picture is me climbing Mt Whitney (with buffalo runner "Mr Clean") after last year's Badwater race. I was hurting. Of course, ultrarunners don't give up, so you push on and reach the finish line (or summit of Whitney). Once I get through today's race errands, things will start to settle down on Friday. I hope everyone has a safe trip to the race. I'll see you soon. The weather isn't looking too bad--a little windy, but no rain for the race, and nice cool temperatures. That's a lot better than the thunderstorms, hail, sleet, and wind that hit us on Mt Whitney as we descended from the 14,505 foot peak!

Current weather forecast for the race:
LOW: 27
HIGH: 54
PRECIP: Rain Thursday. Partly sunny Saturday.
WINDS: Breezy with gusts around 26 mph.

How the Race Was Born

Early in my blogging (October 2007), I mentioned some of the key people involved with the race and the trail. I thought a trip down memory lane might be in order. So how did this race get started? "Injury Prone" buffalo Pat showed us the trail for the first time way back on May 27, 2001. I fell in love with it from that first run. Even with the summer briars, poison ivy, and bugs. Afterwards, we washed off in the river and had breakfast. I wanted a race from that day forward. First just joking with friends, "How about an ultra on THAT trail?" (After the laughter subsided, a few runners would admit that it would be pretty cool.) Then later to Second Wind Running Club when I was on the board and later president of the club. (Reaction from the club would generally be "Who will run 30 miles on trails in central Illinois--we'll just lose money.") No one seemed to be biting.

After I retired as the club president, I brought up the option again and they were in support of the race! Things didn't quite work out and the race planning was dropped for over a year (Race Trivia: the original race name was S&M and the Fat Kid's Excellent Adventure followed by Buffalo Brother's Excellent Adventure). Spencer, aka "The Fat Kid" and my co-RD for the first failed attempt, kept saying "Let's just do the race...with or without the club!" During that time I had almost weekly queries from local runners about "When is that trail ultra going to happen at Clinton?" Jeff and Gregg, local Mahomet trail runners, kept encouraging me to get the race planning going again. Mike from DNR was consistently supportive...and he was going to retire in 2007. Hmmm...time to get going! With renewed enthusiasm on my part, and renewed interest from the running club, race planning was back on track in 2006. Race directing is hard, but STARTING a race is even harder. Permits were filed, permissions were granted, sponsors recruited, insurance secured, and the web site and registration forms created. As each hurdle was cleared, the inaugural race day was within sight (April 1, 2007). Application forms were unveiled in September 2006 and the race was full by December 2006. The original race limit was 75, we ended up with 82 signed-up, and 70 hearty souls toed the starting line on April 1, 2007. Only 52 finished (74% finish rate). We have 128 signed-up this year.

The club, DNR, sponsors, and all the volunteers make this race possible. But without Pat, Spencer, Mike, Gregg, and Jeff it wouldn't have even started. Thanks guys!

Current weather forecast for the race:
LOW: 31
HIGH: 56
PRECIP: Rain Thursday. Partly sunny Saturday.*
WINDS: Breezy with gusts around 36 mph!
* Less mud?

Wash Up in Lake

Unlike last year, this year we will not have running water at the race start. That means we will be "importing" our drinking water for the race (you haven't lived until you've had real village of Mahomet water). It also means we won't have water for cleaning up after the race. Feel free to wade into the lake (it's right next to the start/finish and parking lot) to clean up. The cool lake water will be good for reducing inflammation and easing sore muscles too. We'll work harder with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to get the water back next year.

Current weather forecast for the race:
LOW: 31
HIGH: 52
PRECIP: Rain Thursday & Friday.* Partly sunny Saturday.
WINDS: Breezy with gusts around 26 mph.
* Trending toward mud!

Pain in the Hands

Sometimes being a race director is a pain in the ass. Today, it's a pain in the hands! Raking yesterday left me with achy muscles that I don't use for running. My hands, back, arms, and shoulders hurt. Especially my hands. I have a couple hot spots, but no blisters (Jeff had a good one yesterday). Mostly they are just weak and achy. I don't think I could carry a water bottle today. Went to the local gym and Jeff wasn't there this morning--I'll bet he's even more sore than me and decided to skip the morning routine to stay in bed.

Current weather forecast for the race:
LOW: 33
HIGH: 51
PRECIPITATION: Rain Friday. Partly sunny Saturday.
WINDS: Breezy with gusts around 20 mph.

5 Hours of Raking

Jeff and I raked the west side of Clinton Lake today. It took over 5 hours with us both raking at the same time. People should find the trail well-groomed and easy to follow. If you have done recent training runs on the trail, all those darn leaves are raked to the side and you can actually see the dirt trail again. It's quite a change. The roots are still there, but the trail is very noticeable and easy to see. Jeff will get the other side done this week. (RAKING UPDATE: We are leaving the east side natural and unraked. More raking could make it muddier and increase erosion.) There are only a few muddy spots on the whole trail. If we don't get too much rain this week, conditions should be good for race day.

Current weather forecast for the race:
LOW: 38
HIGH: 50
PRECIPITATION: Chance of rain Friday & Saturday morning.
WINDS: Breezy with gusts around 25 mph.

Mountain Goat 10K Results

I did the Mt Goat 10K today. Results are already posted by KRR. I was sure I didn't win anything. Not the overall winner, not an age group winner, nothing. I wasn't quite sure if I had beaten anyone. Could it be that I was DFL again? Yep. I came in last. I knew there were 2 other people still on the course, but they were part of the 15K race. I ran the 10K in 1:54:38 (18:29 pace). That's good training pace for a 100 miler! Although slower than I ran the Siberian Express earlier in the year--see previous "Don't Trust a Rum Runner" post about that run. The two 15kers left on the course finished in 1:55 and 1:56. (Race cut-off was 2:00). Technically, I beat someone--even if they were in a longer race. I also beat a couple DNFers too. Reporters on the course claim to have seen a runner drinking beer in the back of a Jeep Cherokee...and some thought that runner was me. I've seen no compromising pictures to support that slander. I have to admit that the buffalo had a nice aid station going and I did chat with them each loop. Why would anyone drink DURING a race? That would be silly--unless they were training for the Kennekuk Hash Run. And training for a hash run would be even sillier. Oh well. All in all, it was a fun event and I met a lot of neat people. I had a great time, just not the fastest finish time.

Next KRR race is in May--the Memorial Day 5K. I promise my loyal readers that I will not be last in that race. I have a couple tough races before May (Clinton Lake 30 and McNaughton Park 100) so let's hope I don't get injured.

Special Moon Run #97

Full moon run #97 is today at 7:30pm at Lake of the Woods trails. Nothing too special about the moon run, especially after you've done over 90 of them. Tonight we follow the moon run with a night run at Clinton Lake trail--now that's special! If you've run the Clinton trail during the day, imagine what it would be like at night...with mud...and rain. Kinda spooky. We hope to start around 9pm and some may do 2 loops in the dark. I'm doing one loop since I have the Mountain Goat 10K tomorrow in Danville. I'm using the Mt Goat as a social run--catch up with fellow runners and aid station workers as I walk, jog, and drink beer. Then it's back to Clinton Lake trail on Sunday for a trail cleaning and marking event. Not a bad three days of running. Life is good.

Moon run update: 8 people ran the sloppy Lake of the Woods trails under the full moon. That beats the solo runner (me) we've had the last couple months. And 5 went on to run the Clinton Lake trail later at night. Trail conditions at Clinton were very good. Only a few spots of mud. We didn't get any rain so the trails have started to dry up. I have renewed enthusiasm that next week's race might be on soft, but not muddy, trails!

Welcome to Spring

Today is the first day of spring! (Don't confuse spring with the celestial equinox.) For central Illinois and the Midwest that seems to mean rain and floods. We have some pretty saturated ground locally, but southern Illinois and Missouri got more flooding than us. I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that we could have a repeat of last year's race conditions---mud, more mud, and then a little more mud. We still have 9 days for things to get back to normal. The tree buds are coming out and the grass is starting to turn green. Birds are singing, bunnies and squirrels are in mating mode, and the weather is getting warmer. Tomorrow is a full moon and the local buffalo runners plan to do a crazy night run at Clinton Lake...after the regular crazy full moon run at Lake of the Woods. Nothing like 15 miles at night through the mud! Welcome to spring in Illinois.

Directions to Race Start

The race starts and finishes at the Clinton Lake Recreation Area north fork boat access lot. The IL Department of Natural Resources has a map of the area. I've also created my own Google map of the start (balloon is the race start). On my Google map you can zoom in/out and even ask for directions to/from that spot.

Timeline for race day activities:
6:30-7:45am = packet pick-up
7am = early starters
8am = regular start of race
8:01 = Chris the RD becomes Chris the runner*
4pm = race course closed down
(Runners are not allowed to start 3rd loop after 2pm.)

* Wes, a great buffalo runner, will take over as RD until I finish

Directions to race start from I-74:
Take I-74 to the Farmer City exit (exit #159), then onto Illinois 54 south through Farmer City to Parnell. As the main road curves left at a pair of big grain elevators, follow the curve to the left and stay on state highway 54. Keep on Hwy 54 and you will pass DeWitt, then you will come close to the big blue Clinton Nuclear Power Plant (plant entrance is on the left side of the road). There is a big white AmerGen sign at the entrance to the plant, but don't turn toward the power plant! Instead, turn right (north) onto county road 1650 E (Power Road), cross the railroad tracks, and go a short distance to county road 900 N (North Fork Road) turn left (west) follow road to North Fork Boat Access parking lot, approximately 1 mile. The race starts and finishes at this main boat access parking lot. Estimated travel time from I-74 exit at Farmer City to the race start is 16 minutes.

NOTE: Race parking is limited. Please carpool if possible. There is another small dirt parking lot a short walk from the main boat access lot (and still on the race course). It's just up the road, maybe a tenth of a mile west, from the main lot.

Howl at the Moon 8-Hour Ultra

A few people have been asking me when the registration for Howl at the Moon will open. The Kennekuk Road Runners tell me it will open up on April 26 (online and paper forms available). This was my very first ultramarathon in 2000 and I still love the race. I've done it every year since (except when I broke my foot in 2004 and volunteered instead). My goal this year is 50 miles in 8 hours. Tough for mid-August in central Illinois. The heat, sun, and humidity really wear you down. Not to mention the 8 hours of running/walking! This is a premier timed event. If you've never run a timed event (6-hour, 8-hour, 12-hour, 24-hour, etc) I strongly encourage you to try Howl at the Moon on Saturday, August 9. You can do as few or as many miles as you want. It's a 3.29 mile loop course on mostly grass and dirt paths, plus some roads within the park. Two aid stations (and your car) on each loop means great support. The race is the largest timed ultra in the country (about 300 runners/walkers), and it closes pretty darn quickly. Get your entry in soon after April 26. You won't regret it. Marc & Deb (plus the rest of the Kennekuk clan) will treat you right.

My personal Howl at the Moon Statistics (7 events):
Low: 37.81 (2000)
High: 47.06 (2006)
Total Miles: 304.14
Average Miles: 43.45
Goal for 2008: 50 miles!

PS: The only reason this fantastic race isn't part of the Illinois Trail Ultra Grand Slam is that I don't consider it a trail ultra.

"The hay is in the barn!"

OK runners, the "hay is in the barn!" There's nothing more to do. You've done all the hard training and there's nothing you can do between now and race day that will make you stronger--except rest. You may be feeling itchy and want to get in one or two more speed workouts. Or even just one more long 20 miler. Don't do it! I suggest one more 10-12 miler this weekend coming up. The rest of your runs should be easy and fairly short ones--around 3-5 milers. This is the time to let your body absorb all the hard training and heal up so you'll be fresh on race day. Best to come to the starting line a bit under-trained, but healthy and injury-free instead of over-trained and injured. You officially have my permission and blessing to take it easy for 12 days. Don't worry, I'll run you ragged on race day whether you are trained or not. Enjoy all you have done over the past weeks and months. You've earned some down time.

Complaining is Allowed

At my race, complaining is allowed. So is whining. Unlike some of those Fat Ass runs where you can't complain for fear of being DQd, feel free to bitch and moan all you want at the Clinton Lake ultra. After about 20 miles of unrelenting hills, you'll start getting cranky. All I ask is that you don't take your frustrations out on my volunteers. You can give them feedback ("You should put out more S-Caps for the runners") or make requests ("Got any Chips Ahoys?"), but leave any angry diatribes for me. I'm the RD and that's my job. I'll be on the course with you too...so feel free to heap plenty of praise my way...or let the expletives fly! I'm an evaluator and I appreciate sincere feedback. How can an event get better without some critiques? All runners will receive a web feedback survey from me after the race. Let me know what you liked and didn't like. I'll send a similar survey to my race volunteers--they are in a great position to relay runner thoughts (and provide their own observations). As both a runner and RD this year, I'll have plenty of my own observations to add to the mix. I think this year will be a great one...and I plan on next year being even better. So when you are heading up hill #99 (I counted 33 per loop), just remember you signed up for this race...and that hill #99 is the LAST one on the course. From there you make a left turn onto the road, go across the lake, and into the parking lot and finish line. Congratulations...you're a finisher! All concerns will fade away as one of my volunteers puts that finisher medal around your neck.

Training for a 100

I'm in training for a 100 mile trail race. Technically, I guess that's true. I'm signed up for the McNaughton Park 100 miler on April 12-13. I suppose that means whatever I'm doing now is "training" for that race. My last long run was the Riddle Run at the end of January (28 miles). I've been getting in a lot of short runs, but no endurance ones. Today I finally got another long run under my belt--20 miles at Clinton Lake. Felt good. This was the last official training run for the Clinton Lake ultra on March 29. There were about 25 people there for the run at 8am...many only did 10 miles. The first loop I ran on and off with Brian, Adam, and Jorge. We finished in just under 2 hours. I grabbed a new water bottle, some almonds, and a cereal bar and headed back down the trail for the second loop. I ran this one mostly by myself. After about 8 miles of solo running, I finally caught up to a group of four (Curtis, Becky, Jack, and Andrew) that was ahead of me all day. We coasted in the last 2 miles, changed clothes, and headed off for breakfast. My second loop was 10 minutes faster than my first. I was feeling good, but tired, hungry, and thirsty. The day had been a success. I told myself if I couldn't do 20 miles today, then I'd probably not do the Clinton Lake 30 miler. And without the Clinton Lake 30 miler, I wouldn't be able to finish McNaughton Park 100 miler (only 2 weeks after Clinton Lake). Now I have a renewed optimism for both races. Clinton Lake will just be a long run in preparation for McNaughton Park. I'll probably take the early start at McNaughton (Andy the RD let's the 100 milers start with the 150 milers on Friday at Noon). The extra time will allow me to make the whole event more of a stage race over Friday-Saturday-Sunday. Nothing wrong with that--I wouldn't have a very fast time anyway. This way I should finish and enjoy the whole event. Should.

Thanks to everyone that showed up today for the training run. It sure is a lot easier to run when you know others are grinding out those miles with you somewhere on the trail. Special thanks to Brian the D Dawg for organizing the series of runs.

Last Training Run

Tomorrow (Saturday, March 15 at 8am) is the last official training run for the Clinton Lake race. We start from the north fork canoe access parking lot. Looks like the weather will be "less than ideal." The forecast high is 44 (probably start in the mid 30s) and there is a significant chance for light rain and even a few snow flurries. The trails in the area are already saturated with water so any new precipitation will just make things wetter and muddier. At least all (or most) of the snow and ice should be gone from the trail. I think we'll have a good group of runners. A few are coming from out of town and we should have a large group of local buffalo runners. Some may only do one loop (10 miles). Others are in "ultra training mode" and will slog through a full 20 miles regardless of the weather! Best of luck to everyone in their training. After this weekend you should be in taper mode...rest, relax, and recover. Only 2 weeks to the race.

Buffalo Return to the Trace

Every Thursday evening the buffalo run together. In the winter, the herd runs on the streets of Champaign-Urbana. Once daylight saving time arrives, they shift back to the trails of Lake of the Woods in Mahomet. This week (today) is the first Thursday night run with the buffalo for the year. I love the buffalo, but I'm not going to run the roads with them. Ungulates are not meant to be road runners. This transition from the roads to the trails signifies another important change: the trails are not just any trail--we return to a section of Lake of the Woods called the "buffalo trace"--a place where wild buffalo used to roam free! And the home to my former race, the 5-mile "Buffalo Trace Trail Run" (the awesome devil dawg Brian now directs the race). These trails are also the birthplace of the trail running buffalo. If you get a chance, come join us at 6pm every Thursday (until winter strikes again).

Thoughts from the Trail

Subtitle to this post..."Ramblings of a Real Trail Runner." After work today, I ran the local trails at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve. Wow, I am a real trail runner! The trails were basically 50% mud. And maybe 25% water logged. And about 25% "good, soft, runnable earth." My shoes and legs were covered with mud by the end of the 5 mile run. Actually, they were pretty much covered with mud within the first quarter mile. So what gives? A week ago I was complaining about the cold, wet, muddy trails. True enough. Three main differences: weather, music, and old man winter.

The weather today was in the mid-50s and sunny. Last week was mid-30s, windy, and overcast. Running through mud and water when it's cold is not fun. Today was sunny, calm, and warm. That meant the snow and ice was mostly melted...and turned into more mud. I may have slipped a few times, and struggled through some deep mud, but I wasn't worried about falling on hard ice. Nice weather really lifts the spirits and allows you to put up with less than ideal conditions. So do good tunes. Today was a fun run.

Last week I was listening to Joss Stone. This week I was jamming to AC/DC. Nothing against Joss, but her tunes don't bring out that primordial trail running beast within us. AC/DC is rude, loud, and primal. A little "Back in Black" or "Highway to Hell" sure helps when you are pushing up a muddy hill. Angus and friends put out some awesome music ("Back in Black" is one of the best rock albums ever). Don't get me wrong, If I'm at a dinner party, I'd rather sit across from Joss than Brian Johnson. She's a hottie from Kent and he's...well, not cute.

The last reason this week's run went better...old man winter is getting long in the tooth! Winter is almost over. I can feel spring coming. My feet and legs know it too. Let it rain, let it snow, let it blow...warmer temps are on the way. The snow won't last. The rain will feel good. Spring is officially here on March 20th--that's next week. I can hold out and put up with whatever trail conditions we get. It'll be better soon.

I am a real trail runner. I smiled for 39 minutes during my 40 minute trail run today. A nice, muddy trail run will do that for you. The first minute was my acclimation phase from parking lot to muddy trail. Have you seen my trail shoes? Did you compare the before and after pictures at the beginning of this post? Who doesn't like trail running? It's time to get off the roads (or treadmills) and hit the trails. I hope to see some new and old friends this Saturday for the last Clinton Lake training run. We are expecting some rain this week...I think it's going to be muddy.

20 Mile Training Run

We have our last training run this Saturday, March 15, at 8am. It's a 20 miler starting from the north fork canoe access site. The club provides companionship, but no aid. Please bring your own food and drink. I'll try to post local trail conditions as we get closer to Saturday. Looks like much warmer temperatures this week--40s and 50s. That should melt the snow and ice...and maybe make the trails a bit muddy.

To get to the training run, take I-74 to the Farmer City exit, then Illinois 54 south through Farmer City to Parnell. As the main road curves left at a pair of big grain elevators, go straight (1200 N or De Witt County 10). Follow this through flat farmland for about 4-5 miles until woods appear and there is a big dip in the road. At the bottom of the dip, turn left and park in the North Fork Canoe Access parking lot. There is an iron and wood bridge there and the parking lot is just before the bridge (the parking lot and bridge can be seen from the main road--it's only 200 feet from the road). You'll see some "road closed" signs--don't let those bother you--the bridge is currently closed for repairs. We park before crossing the bridge. We do run across that broken bridge to get back to the parking lot--be careful.

As usual, feel free to join the buffalo for breakfast after the run. We usually go to a cafe in Farmer City for a big feast with lots of coffee. I may actually give out a prize or two at breakfast--maybe a bottle of Succeed! S-Caps or a free breakfast.

Race Shirts

I've gone with a new vendor for the race shirts this year. The Brooks shirts we had last year were awesome and I wanted to go with them again. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough shirts for our race! How can a national company not have 150 shirts? I even tried to have them split among colors...still not enough sizes to cover our order. Maybe it's a summer shirt and they are low (or out) of stock. Anyway, Body n' Sole (our local running store) tried to get a similar shirt from Asics and Mizuno...again with no luck. They had a couple shirts that were cheaper, but I wanted another half-zip short sleeve shirt (like last year). Finally, Body n' Sole found a company that would actually make a half-zip shirt for us. We got a sample and decided to go with them. The shirt will be a red, short sleeve, coolmax shirt with a half-zip. No logos except the Clinton Lake race logo and date. I like the actual design and color better than last year. The quality of the fabric is about the same, maybe a bit lighter/thinner than last year. One thing I never liked about last year's shirt was the half turtle neck collar---it bugs me. This shirt has a normal collar. So the shirt selection and order is done. I hope everyone likes the new shirts. If not, I'll go with a different vendor in 2009...maybe back to Brooks with an earlier shirt order (this year we tried to order them in mid-February for the late March race).

Land Between the Lakes

The Land Between the Lakes trail runs are being held Saturday down in western Kentucky. There is a 23K, marathon, 60K, and 50 mile race. The course is really nice as it winds between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. Good views and nice rolling hills. A bunch of buffalo runners from Champaign will be there. I've done the 60K before and enjoyed it, but I decided to stay home and just run the local trails this time. Based on the weather forecast, looks like I made the right decision. KY will have several inches of snow while central Illinois will be mostly clear! Jeff kept telling me "Come down with us and enjoy some warmer weather and trails without snow and ice." Yeah, right. I hope all my friends have a good time at LBL--it's a great event and Steve does a nice job as race director. If the race was in Illinois, it would be part of the Grand Slam.

When is Spring?

Damn. We got a little bit of sleet last night and now we have hail and snow coming down with a chance for mixed precipitation (snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain) throughout the day. We are supposed to get about 3-5 inches of snow before the day is over. And lots of strong winds. When is spring? The calendar says March 20. That's less than 3 weeks. I can wait. What ever happened to global warming? Does global warming mean longer, colder, and snowier winters? If I had the space and money, I'd buy a treadmill and just run at my house whenever I wanted. For now, I'll go to the local gym...again. I guess I'm getting my money's worth at the gym.

Only 25 days until the Clinton Lake 30-Mile Trail Run. If we don't get some extended warm and dry days, the ground will not thaw out and absorb all this moisture. We could have a repeat of last year--water and mud all over the course. Everyone is welcome to come down for the last training run on March 15.

Am I Still a Trail Runner?

Yesterday (Sunday) was a pretty nice day. Partly sunny and the late morning temperatures were in the low 50s. I went out to Lake of the Woods trails...and ran the asphalt bike path. Kind of sad. Saturday I ran the trails there and ended up being soaked with water and mud. Not to mention dancing around the snow and ice. Sunday I figured a 6.6 mile bike path run would be better. Not sure how I've changed. A couple years ago I would have mocked anyone (including myself) for running on a bike path rather than the trail. Who cares about weather? So what if the trail is muddy? The nastier, the better! I think this long winter has gotten to me. I'm tired of snow and ice. Even when the weather is nice, the trails are in poor shape--saturated with water and very sloppy. What used to be a fun kid-like tromp through the slush has become just another slow sloppy run.

So am I still a real trail runner? Around the 1/2 mile mark on the bike path, there is a low spot that serves to drain the farmland and prairie. Yesterday there was a small stream flowing across the bike path. I'd guess it was about ten feet across and had water 3 inches deep. Not exactly the American River at Rucky Chucky on the Western States trail! When I got to this spot, there were 2 walkers with their dogs, paused at the edge, wondering what to do. Is there a choice? I ran right through the deepest part and kept on going...picking up the pace a bit as I took off down the path. Did the same thing on the way back...again with another couple stopped at the edge. Felt good. I may not be the most devout trail runner every single day, but I can still enjoy getting wet. Yeah, I'm still a trail runner at heart. My mind just keeps me out of the mud when it's had a long, cold, and dark winter to deal with. I'm sure both my mind and heart will be back on the trail once spring is here.

Water, Mud, Snow, & Ice

The temperatures have finally risen in Illinois. Yesterday it was in the high 30s--maybe even low 40s in the afternoon. But the trails have responded with a mix of water, mud, snow, & ice! I ran the local Lake of the Woods trail yesterday and ended up with very wet, muddy, and cold feet. It was warm enough to run in shorts, but not warm enough to melt all the snow and ice on the trail. In one 100 foot stretch I'd be running on soft grass, then inch thick and slick mud, followed by two inches of snow cover, finally ending on hard ice. Not much later I'd be tip-toeing across a 6 inch fast flowing stream. At 37 degrees, that water is COLD. People say those Smart Wool socks keep your feet warm...but not so much when they are soaked with almost freezing water. My toes were frozen and numb. I finished the 5 mile loop and immediately went home, changed clothes, and hit the gym for another 5 miles on the treadmill.

I hope spring hits central Illinois before the Clinton Lake race on March 29. We have our last training run on March 15. Today we are supposed to be in the mid 50s. Then rain and snow over the next 1-2 days. Maybe by mid-March the snow will be gone?