Illinois Marathon vs McNaughton Park 100

I was running with Brian last night and the topic of the new Illinois Marathon came up. Registration opens up June 1. I was considering whether to sign up. My plan was to do the McNaughton 100 miler and then run the marathon 2 weeks later. Then I found out the new marathon date has been moved to April 11 (from April 25). That's the same weekend as McNaughton Park! Unfortunately, I have already signed up for the McNaughton Park 100. I guess my decision about the Illinois Marathon has been made by others. With the same race date, a well-organized, local, 100 mile trail event (like McNaughton Park) wins every time over a road race. I wish the new marathon well, but I won't be volunteering or running it...my time will be spent on the trails in Pekin, IL. I suppose the two races really don't compete for the same group of runners. Still, it's too bad the dates couldn't mesh better for central Illinois ultra runners wanting to do both.

Registration for all three McNaughton Park races (50, 100, 150 miles) is already open. I encourage you to sign up. If you aren't ready for an excellent trail ultra, then try the new road marathon in Champaign/Urbana. It should be a good event. I guarantee the McNaughton Park event will be awesome!

17 Registrants for 7-Day Race!

We now have 17 entrants for the 7-day stage race. That's pretty darn good considering I figured it would be just me and Jeff. We already have more signed-up then Jeff had at the first Riddle Run. Don't miss a chance to be part of history...don't you want to be able to tell your kids and grandkids that you were at the first ever Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race? Not many people can say that about the first Riddle Run (N=12). And fewer still can say they've done every Riddle Run to date. You can't do them all if you don't do the first one. Next year there could be race discounts for returning runners. Don't miss out!

Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race:
"When 6 days just isn't enough...and 8 days is too much."

Greeting Others While Running

What do you do when you see another runner coming toward you and you are about to pass each other? Nod your head? Wave? Say "Hi?" Keep going without saying anything? Does it make a difference if you know the other person?

I usually give a very light nod and keep going on my way. When I'm running a bit harder, especially on roads or a bike path, a may skip any recognizable greeting at all. I'm sure "regular old people" (non-runners) interpret this as rude. Many non-runners already think we are elitist and arrogant...I'm sure that's a bit of projection and defensiveness coming from their relatively inactive lifestyles. Our "uber-fitness" (at least compared to them) can be threatening. So why reinforce their negative view of runners? Praise them for being outside. Tell them to have a great day. Smile. Wave. Nod. We need the good press.

On the trails I seem to say "Hi" more often. Probably because I see less people walking & running on the trails. And I'm usually going fairly easy, just enjoying the trail scenery. And others on the trail are usually a bit more...like me. Yeah, they tend to be more like me. They enjoy being in the out-of-doors enough that they actually get off a paved path! You need to appreciate that...so definitely great those fellow trail runners and hikers.

And if you see a friend running, pause and say hello. Really...pause...stop...and say hello. Catch up with them. Socialize. I suppose if you are in the middle of your best speed session of the season you can wave and sprint on down the trail. They'll understand. But the other 95% of the time, stop that watch/HRM/GPS and re-connect with your friend! It'll do you both good. The watch and trail will still be there 2 minutes later.

We should all try a little harder to make human contact with fellow runners...and try even harder with non-runners (walkers, hikers, bicyclists, etc). It'll likely make you feel better, you might brighten someone's day, and it'll hopefully make others think us runners aren't too bad after all.

PS: Hey Dave, hope your mile time trial worked out OK. Thanks for yelling "I'd stop but I'm finishing up a timed mile!" I'm pretty sure I shouted back "Good job. Keep it up!" We'll chat next time.

Teva X-1 Racer

Just last week I purchased the Nike Air Zoom Trail shoe. It's a nice shoe and I think it'll be a worthy replacement for my old Teva X-1 shoe. Unfortunately, my curiosity got the best of me and I went on a web search for the actual Teva X-1. I couldn't find it, but I did find a cheap Teva X-1 Racer on eBay. Placed a minimum bid, won, and now I'm the proud owner of the X-1 Racer. For $30 you can't go wrong! It fits a little tighter than the old Teva, but should be OK. The Racer also has an odd lacing system with a built-in lace-lock. I suppose that's OK too.

So I now have 2 new pair of shoes, and a couple others in good shape. Guess I'm ready for the Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race! I can't use the excuse of not having fresh shoes every day...or even every few hours.

7-Day Stage Race Web Site

The Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race has a web site! I figured why not develop a basic site for this event? It may be an official endeavor next year. If that happens, we'll need a central resource for the race. Many reports and updates will be posted on this blog, but the standard static information is now archived on the web site. Here is the web site:

Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race Web Site
http://migotsky.googlepages.com/

Check it out and let me know what you think. I'm happy to add new features to the web site. I am not a web designer so I can't do anything fancy, but I'll try to keep it up-to-date and informative. The participant list is growing everyday. Don't you want to join the fun too? Let me know if I should add you to the list.

PS: Be careful running on wet grass, otherwise you might have a John Terry incident (from the recent UEFA Champions League Final). Terry slipped when taking a critical penalty kick for Chelsea that would have beaten Manchester United. There shouldn't be any slipping problems in the 7-Day race since the pace will likely be very, very slow.

7-Day Race Goals

Psychologists always say it's a good idea to make your goals public so you can motivate yourself and be held accountable. Those same sport psychologists say you should have different achievement goals (in case something goes wrong, you still have something to shoot for). Well, here are my various goals for the 7-day Buffalo Trace Stage Race the week of June 15-21:

Kick Ass = 434 miles (100K/day)
Realistic = 350 miles (50 miles/day)
"Ted Corbitt"= 303 (Ted ran 303 miles in 6 days at the age of 82)
Minimum Real Ultra = 217 miles (50K/day)
Absolute Minimum = 189 miles (27 miles/day)

Let the betting begin. Will I make any of these goals? Can you do better? So far I have five "intended participants." The list is on my Google Docs page.

Moon Run #99 Done...One Left!

We had full moon run #99 last night. I say "we" because some people actually showed up! It was nice running with human company rather than just deer, bats, and gnats. Danielle and Serena were there and Serena brought two friends. It was wet. The rain we got all day really soaked the course. And it was still muddy and wet from the weekend Buffalo Trace race. Every time you thought the last puddle or mud spot was gone, you'd hit another one. Some sections were just nasty. Fortunately, the weather for the run was almost perfect...low 50s with a slight breeze. The moon kept peeking out from behind stubborn clouds. Not too bad. I'm ready for #100.

The next full moon run is on Wednesday, June 18 at 9pm. It'll be the BIG ONE...number 100! Let's try to get a big group of buffalo out for #100. And bring a friend that has never been to a moon run. I'll be out there starting at 5am. It's going to be the biggest Moonathon ever. Run from 5am-11pm. Actually, I'll be out there running all week, but the "official Moonathon" will be June 18 from 5am-11pm. I want that moonathon trophy back!

7-Day Buffalo Trace Stage Race

On Sunday, June 15 at 5am the great 7-day race starts. It will end on Saturday, June 21 at 11pm. I've been thinking about this race for at least 2-3 years. For now, it's an informal event with no real advertising, registration, or awards (although the winner will likely get something very special). It was conceived to celebrate the 100th full moon run (which will be on Wednesday, June 18). Once the buffalo had done 50 full moon runs, I knew the 100th had to be special. As Moon Master, I needed to come up with a plan. At first I figured a 100 mile event would be perfect. Or at least a 24-hour event. Then a motley crew of buffalo started to run the "Across the Years" 72-hour run! 100 miles just didn't seem that impressive. Certainly not enough to celebrate the 100th moon run. Even 3 days of running didn't seem that tough. This had to be special. A little research unveiled a rich history of 6-day races...and the seed was planted. I hadn't heard of any 7-day races...and most multi-day events are on roads or tracks...so I settled on 7-days of trail running. Welcome to my world. If all goes well, maybe this will become a real race in the near future. Let me rephrase, maybe it'll become an official race (running for 7-days seems "quite real" to me). At one time, Clinton Lake 30 Miler was just a dream of mine too. Here are a few details of the stage race:

(Also check out the Race Web Site)

Dates: June 15-June 21
Time: 5am-11pm each day (mandatory 6 hour rest break)
Location: Lake of the Woods trails, Mahomet, IL
Course: 5-mile trail loop
Aid stations: No official aid (can have pacer or crew)
Minimum miles per day: 5 miles on event trails
Map: PDF map from Second Wind Running Club (topo map)
Lodging: None supplied & no camping at park
Facilities: One bathroom off trail around 3.5 mile mark

Canine companions allowed, but must follow park leash rules.

Sun & Moon data for June 18...
Sunrise: 5:24am (twilight starts 4:51am)
Sunset: 8:26pm (twilight ends 8:59pm)
Moonrise: 8:55pm
Moonset: 5:49am (next day)

Typical weather for June 18...
Normal High: 83
Record High: 97
Normal Low: 61
Record Low: 42

If you think you might do this event, let me know and I'll add you to the current "interested participant" list. Current list of intended participants available at Google Docs here.

Anyone is welcome to join me on the trails. To count as an "official" participant, you need to complete 5 miles of trails, between the hours of 5am and 11pm, at Lake of the Woods each day. Miles must be reported to the race organizer (me) within 24 hours. Race progress can be tracked on this blog daily during the event. People can start and stop as they please. The full 5-mile trail loop does not need to be completed to count--any portion or variation of the 5-mile loop counts--but using the bike path does not count. Decisions as to what does or does not count, and any other rules, are at the discretion of the race organizer (me). I'll keep this post updated with current rules (and may start a separate web site purely for the event). Send me questions via the comment feature on this blog and I'll answer them and eventually develop a full-fledged FAQ about the event. Thanks.

PS: Since this is not an official event, there is no official registration and no formal liability waiver. Essentially this is just a fun run. Participate at your own risk. Don't push yourself too hard. Eat, drink, protect yourself from the elements, and seek medical attention when necessary. Good luck!

Nike Air Zoom Trail S+ Shoe

I bought myself a new pair of trail shoes this week. After Gnaw Bone 50K, I thought I deserved a treat! Those old Teva X-1 shoes were on their last legs anyway, and the extra mud caked all over them after the race gave me the extra incentive I needed to find a replacement (see those old muddy shoes in blog post below). These have been one of my favorite shoes for a couple years. Unfortunately, they have been replaced with two new models (guess it took TWO new shoes to replace this ONE old model). The Teva X-1 is now either the X-1 Racer (racing trail shoe) or X-1C (control/stability shoe). Uncomfortable with either option (and they rarely go on sale so I'm hesitant to spend the full $95), I started looking at other shoes. Then my darn Outside magazine shows up in the mailbox. It was accompanied by their annual "gear guide." I eagerly turned to the trail running section and saw their picks in various categories. One shoe caught my eye...the Nike Air Zoom Trail S+. It was listed as "versatile and fast." At only 10 ounces, it seemed to fit with my current philosophy of lightweight trail shoes. I searched around the web and found them for a reasonable price ($75) at Running Warehouse. Couple clicks and they were on the way (they arrived quickly, with free 2-day shipping).

I haven't tested them on the trails yet, but they fit well right out of the box and seem to have a snug heel and fairly wide and roomy toe box. I'll update this post after I run in them a couple times this weekend. The traction/grip looks good, but not crazy (could still work on short road segments). It has a rock guard underfoot, but almost no toe protection. Cushioning seems rather plush (at least more than I expect). They ride low to the ground (although not as low as my NB 790s) and flex nicely at the forefoot. The shoe is compatible with the Apple-Nike Sport Kit that allows an iPod Nano to sync up with a shoe sensor and provide running data. If anyone has used that feature, let me know if it's worthwhile.

Gnaw Bone 50K Race Report

I have no pictures from the race (except for my shoes to the left). The Gnaw Bone organizers (Running Fit and the Dances with Dirt crew from Ann Arbor) have a nice web site with pictures and a race video. The race folks seemed to take lots of pics--I may post some of those later.

Let me be clear about one thing---I don't like races that combine relays with the real ultra marathon. I especially don't like races that have intermingled courses for the ultra and the relay. Sometimes it's a shared course, at other times the relay is cutting across and going in a different direction. Lots of different colored ribbons to look for and follow....pink, yellow, white, blue, orange...whatever. I prefer an ultra race to be an ultra race...focused on the ultra runners. One course. Possibly more than one event (50K, 50 Mile, 100K, 100 Mile), but everyone is doing an ultra distance.

The Gnaw Bone 50K runners were supposed to follow the pink ribbons. That seemed easy enough. I'm pretty good at staying on trail. The only race I've gotten lost at was Kentucky Arches...and that was marked with flour on a rainy day! You know what I'm leading up to...I got off course at Gnaw Bone. And it sucked. On the last leg, maybe around mile 28 or so, I came up a hill and reached a trail intersection. I looked both ways and saw a pink ribbon to my left (there was also a shirt hanging on a tree there). I went left. It lead me down a fairly wide dirt/gravel road. I started to think I was going the wrong way, BUT THEN I SAW ANOTHER PINK RIBBON. Cool. I'm on track and should be done in 30 minutes. I was running well and on track to break 6 hours for the race. I started to feel uneasy, is this really the right trail? I didn't remember running on a wide dirt road at the start (the first and last legs are the same)...especially one with rocks/gravel...and not for this long. THEN I SEE ANOTHER PINK RIBBON! Cool. I keep going down this section for about 2 miles, still feeling uneasy, and hit a road. No ribbons. No signs. I'm off course. Damn. I curse the race director. I curse the state of Indiana. I curse myself. At least I know exactly where I need to go back to...unfortunately it's about 2 miles back to that trail intersection. A complete waste of 4 miles and about 1 hour. I'm pissed. I'm not "Wrong Way" Marla. I can stay on course. And what gives with the 2 pink ribbons I did see on this trail?

Demoralized and depressed (and thirsty--no aid stations on this last section, and I've just gone an extra 4 miles) I find my way back to the fateful intersection. I stand there and look both left and right. I still see the pink ribbon to my left, but I now also see the pink ribbon far down on the right. I go right. More pink ribbons appear and I see a runner coming from behind. I'm no longer pissed...just feeling empty and discouraged. I was feeling so good, and running so well, I thought I might take an age group award. Oh well. I had more immediate concerns. The day was warming up (maybe 70 degrees and sunny) and I was out of water. I walked it in to the finish. But fate had one more "take this" in store for me. At the ski tower, where we go down a snow run that is muddy & steep, I go straight (and off course) down the wrong ski slope. It was REALLY MUDDY . I saw foot prints but all the ribbons were orange. About 100 feet down the hill, I wise up and turn around. I wade through the deep, nasty slop and find my way back to the tower. Yep, there are pink ribbons to the right. This was my fault. I go down the correct steep and muddy snow slope, turn onto the dirt road and get to the meadow where the race starts and finishes. I'm done in 7:02. They tell me I'm 3rd in my age group. Instead of being happy, I'm mad that I wasn't first. But I'm mostly just tired, hungry, and thirsty. And muddy.

I see the race director and go up to him ready to complain and ask what gives with the section I was on that had a couple of pink ribbons. I can see he's busy and frantically keeping everything together so instead of "Hey you bastard, why the hell can't you mark a course right!" I say "Hey buddy, where can I wash all this mud off?" Randy the RD says, "In the river behind the dinosaur." How can you be mad at an RD that says to wash off in a river behind a dinosaur? (Randy seems like a genuine dude. Except for the course markings, I have no complaints about this race. He did a fine job.) I look in the direction he was pointing and see a big blow-up doll of a dinosaur. As I clean off in the river with a few other runners, we all chat about the race. EVERY ONE OF US GOT OFF COURSE at some point. No one missed my turn. I didn't miss any of their turns. I feel better. The cold river water is nice on my feet and legs. I wash the mud and sweat off and get changed in my car. I suppose this race ain't so bad after all. I end up with a finisher medal, cool race shirt, race hat, and odd bone-shaped pen. All I wanted was a good trail run. I got that too. Time to drive 3 hours back home.

The Gnaw Bone course, at least the 50K and 50 mile parts, reminded me of a mix between Owen-Putnam 50K/50M and Tecumseh Trail Marathon. Makes sense since they are all in central Indiana. If you take the best parts of both courses, and toss out all the road sections at Tecumseh and Owen-Putnam, then stretch it out to 50 kilometers, you'd have the Gnaw Bone course. Lots of hills, many rather long. Lots of mud. Beautiful scenery. A woman I ran with on one section said "This seems like Jurassic Park. Do you hear all those birds? And the lush vegetation and ferns?" She was right. It was gorgeous. The single track trail meandered up and down small and big hills, over creeks, and across bridges. It wasn't as hard as the race organizers advertised. We had about a mile of off-trail "follow the ribbons through crap" section...but it wasn't that bad. A few briars and downed trees. I was a bit disappointed. If the vegetation (briars and poison ivy) had been higher it would have been much more difficult. I understand the relay runners do sections that are much more difficult than the ultra runners. Of course, they are only running single 4-7 mile legs! Big deal. Whoops, no time to get bitter again.

I'd like to go back next year and kick this course's ass. Now that I know what I'm getting into, I could run harder at the beginning. I won't miss any trail markers next year. And I'll dress more appropriately. I thought there were going to be lots of briars, fallen trees, steep "crawl up" hills, and other crap all along the trail so I wore a long sleeve shirt, hat, and gloves...even though the starting temperature was about 48...and it was around 70 degrees when I finished. Just dress for the weather...no need for anything special because of the trail course. Next year I'll win my age group and break 6 hours (7:02:05 this year--that is a lot of improvement for next year!). Here are other changes for next time:

-Be careful at all trail intersections. Look for the pink ribbons! Enough said.

-Stay in Nashville (5 minutes to race) or Bloomington (15 minutes to race) instead of Columbus, IN (about 20 minutes to race). If there are good hotels in Nashville, that would be ideal. If not Nashville, then Bloomington has tons of different hotels (and is closer to Champaign/Urbana anyway).

-Drink more at aid stations or carry 2 water bottles. The aid stations are about 3-7 miles apart. The longer stretches had me running out of water. If I drank more at the actual aid stations, then filled my bottle, I'd probably be fine. Many people had double water bottle packs or Camelbacks.

-Try Ivy Block (or other product) to prevent poison ivy rash. I don't think I got any this year, but depending on the seasonal weather patterns, that stuff could be all over the course in other years. Maybe bring some special soap to wash off afterwards too. My wife packed me Burt's Bees Poison Ivy Soap (I didn't use it, but at least I had it).

-Decide whether I want to race it (that's my plan next time) or just enjoy the trail (should have done that this year). Those are competing goals. If you want to "just finish and enjoy the experience" then bring a camera, go easy, and enjoy the day. If you want to race and beat the hell out of this course, strap on your iPod, lace those trail shoes, and let 'er rip!

-Plan to stay after the race for the party. It seemed like things were just about to start when I left. They have live music, beer, and lots of food (even veggie pizza). Mid-May is a nice time of the year to hang out and drink with your new running friends. Either designate a sober driver or book another night in a local hotel. You'll be trashed after running a hard 50K (or 50 mile) race and partying.

-Wear trail gaiters. There were quite a few places where dirt, small rocks, and tiny sticks could get in your shoes. Gaiters would help keep your socks and feet clean. I didn't get any blisters this time, but my feet sure were dirty!

-Recruit some Buffalo to join me next time. Srini and I were the only ones this year. This would be an EXCELLENT road trip since it's close by and has both a 50K and 50 mile event. And it even has that darn 100K relay for the buffalo weenies. Srini ran the full 50K it this year and seemed to enjoy it. If we can both do the 50K, so can all the other buffs.

To sum up, this is a nice race on a great trail. I'd do it again. I'm not sure I'll go to Hell, MI and do the other "Dances with Dirt" race in September. The relay there is enormous (375 x 5-person teams = 1875 relay runners!). I prefer smaller events.

Wounded Buffalo Heading to Gnaw Bone 50K

My left knee has hurt ever since the McNaughton Park 100 miler. It acted up after about 41 miles at McNaughton and has bothered me since then...although Aleve seems to keep the pain at a manageable level. I even took a full week off from running, but that didn't make it any better. I run the Gnaw Bone 50K trail race tomorrow (Saturday) in Indiana. I hope I can finish that sucker! And I hope I can still run afterwards. Fellow buffalo Srini is running Gnaw Bone too. His back has been hurting. Two wounded buffalo heading over to Hoosier land. Don't count us out. With the recent heavy rain we will likely be water buffalo on Saturday morning. I should have a race report, hopefully with pictures, on Saturday evening.

Good luck to all the buffalo heading up to Wisconsin for the Ice Age 50K/50 Miler.

May and June Races

I'm gearing up for a series of good races in May and June. If I survive, I should be ready for my "goal race" of the year...Howl at the Moon 8-Hour on August 9. Here are my upcoming May & June races:

May 10: Gnaw Bone 50K in Nashville, IN. A tough trail race that goes up & down hills, through streams, and on and off marked trails. This is part of the "Dances with Dirt" series and should be a fun, but hard event. I plan on doing the sister race (Dances with Dirt 50K in Hell, MI) in September so I can claim the "Boned & Burned" running vest.

May 26: Memorial Day 5K in Danville, IL. A chance to get some speed work in early in the summer. Not. I'm doing it just to say I ran every Kennekuk Road Runner (KRR) race this year. I'm sure they'll have a party afterwards...that's reason enough. I hope not to come in last place. I don't like roads and I tend to avoid 5K races.

June 7: 5-Hour Frenzy in Weldon Springs State Park, IL. A new event put on by the Clinton Community YMCA. I can't pass up a 5-hour trail race! Nice tune-up for the 8-hour Howl run. They also have a one-hour run that is a 2-person relay with a rubber chicken.

June 14: Lake Mingo 7.1 Mile in Danville, IL. Another great KRR event. This is part of their club grand slam. I already did the Siberian Express and Mountain Goat runs. After this race, I'll only have the Wild Wilderness trail run left. Lake Mingo is a nice trail. And, of course, there is the great party afterwards.

June 15-21: 7-Day Buffalo Trace Stage Race in Mahomet, IL. The event of the year! This is in celebration of the 100th full moon run that the buffalo warriors run every month. I'm the current Moon Master and wanted a special way to celebrate reaching 100 moon runs. The 100th full moon will occur on June 18. I thought running 7 days straight (18 hours/day) would be cool. Actually, it'll be rather hot and humid. Can I reach my goal of 353 miles?

June 28: Clear Pond 5-Hour run in Danville, IL. Yet another fantastic KRR club event (members only). It's a fund raiser for the local human societies. Run and walk the 3-mile Clear Pond trail at Kickapoo State Park (and party afterwards). This is one of my favorite trails in Illinois.

This will be a tough series of runs. I think I'll take July off and focus on the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour race on August 9. If I make it through all of these races without injury, Howl will go well.

NOTE: All my 2008 races are listed on the left bar of the blog page.

WIN Detergent versus Penguin Sport Wash

We spend a lot of money on our fancy running clothes. All those shorts, shirts, socks, jackets, fleece, and gloves require special attention. Have you ever noticed that some of those shirts seem to carry a lingering odor? Even after washing, that odor can spring right back after a mile on the trails. What gives? Supposedly the new technical fabrics trap dirt and bacteria more than standard cotton materials. And regular detergents tend to leave residue that inhibits the wicking properties (or water shedding of gore-tex type garments). The solution...try a sports-specific laundry detergent. I've found two that work well: WIN and Penguin Sport Wash. I swear that after just 1-2 washes my running garments are looking and smelling better! I'm not sure if they are performing better, but I'll take what I can get. Since I wash my running gear separate from "regular" clothes, it's not that much of a luxury to spend a bit more on these sports washes. You and your family will thank you for having cleaner and fresher running clothes. I prefer Penguin Wash since it's got a cute penguin on its logo...plus it seems to have no fragrance at all. Stuff just comes out clean and not all perfumy. Try one of these detergents and you'll never go back to harsh and ineffective ones again. Plus, they claim to be friendlier on the environment.

You can buy both of them via the web. Also, Dick's Sporting Goods seems to carry WIN in their stores. My local running store, Body n' Sole Sports, carries Penguin Wash. Body n' Sole also gives running club members 10% off their purchases. Go forth, buy some real sport detergent, and get the funk out of your clothes!

Value for Race Fee

When I was president of Second Wind Running Club, I'd write the standard "President's Corner" columns in the club newsletter. One of them keeps coming back to me. I wrote a piece about how I decide which races to run. It was mostly about how much the race costs and how far it is to the start. I developed a few rules for deciding whether a race was worthwhile. Here is a repeat of that newsletter column back in 2003 (note that the race entrance fees cited have gone up since 2003).

There are so many races to select from, how do you pick? Well, I have a few pointers or rules that I follow. Here are two of my rules: (1) race entrance fee must be equal to or less than $10 + $1 per mile and (2) the time needed to travel to the race must be equal to or less than 10 minutes per mile raced. Quick examples of the cost issue. A 5k race (3.1 miles) should cost less than $10 plus $3 = $13. A 10k can go up to $16, half marathon $23, and a full marathon $36. I run ultras too so they fit the same rule—a 50k (31 miles) can charge $41, 50 miler $60, 100k (62 miles) $72, and a 100 miler can charge $110. This seems very reasonable to me and it works for all the races I enter (except the Chicago Marathon, which I will not run again!). Longer races have more costs so they can charge more. Why do race directors need more money? They have sponsors and clubs or organizations backing their race. Why should runners be ripped off? If Chicago wants to award $100,000 to the winners--that’s fine--just don’t ask me to pay $75 to run your race. Ask LaSalle Bank for a little more sponsorship money. As I look at local races I like what I see. The new Buffalo Trace 5-Mile Trail Run charged $12 for early entry and $15 for race-day entry. That fits my rule! Awesome race. So does the Allerton trail race (if you register early). Kennekuk’s races fit the bill too. Most of Lake Run Club’s are right on target as well. I also like races that give their members discounts. Club members should be tossed a bone now and then.

What about that distance rule? The longer the race the longer I’m willing to travel. I’ll go 10 minutes travel time per 1 mile of race distance. For 5ks that’s only 30 minutes—anything much outside of Champaign-Urbana is off my list. No Sweet Corn 5k in Hoopeston, no Memorial Day 5k in Danville, no Dog Days 5k in Bloomington. But increase the race to a 10k or so and I can go to the Bagel Run in Mattoon, Lake Run in Bloomington, or Wild Wilderness trail run in Danville. Get the picture? Marathons allow me to travel over 4 hours (26 miles = 260 minutes = 4.3 hours). Drive fast and you might extend that boundary. Fly and you can really go far. Start running ultra marathons and you can get some good travel time in—just over 5 hours for a 50k and over 16.5 hours for a 100 miler!

So what’s the best deal for me when combining cost and distance? The Mahomet Half Marathon is a good one. It’s .5 miles from my house and costs about $20. Buffalo Trace is great too, 1 mile to the starting line and only $10 for club members. Howl at the Moon 8-hour Ultra is possibly the best bargain. It’s an 8-hour race (allows me to run over 40 miles) and is only 45 miles away (less than an hour drive). Entrance fee is as low as $18 if you’re a KRR member. Hard to beat that combination. According to my formula, I could travel 400 minutes (6.5 hours) and pay $50 for this race. Good job Kennekuk! And they changed the course to be only 5% asphalt this year.

Did I mention my aversion to roads? One more rule for me—I only do trail races. Roads are no fun. I have made three exceptions for future road racing—the Boston Marathon (most prestigious marathon in the world), Comrades Marathon (the oldest ultramarathon in the world), and the Badwater Ultramarathon (the hardest running event in the world). Oh yeah!

Looking back now, 5 years later, I suppose inflation would need to be figured into the formula above. Instead of $10 plus $1 per mile, I think $15 plus $1 per mile works OK. And that is EXACTLY what we charge for the 30 mile Clinton Lake ultra! That's $45 for 30 miles ($15 plus $30 = $45). Coincidence?

Think about all the races you run. Are you getting fair value for your race fee?

Require Volunteerism for Clinton Lake Ultra?

I was just re-reading the Trail Runner magazine article about volunteerism...and how many trail races are now requiring runners to document a minimum amount of trail maintenance hours as a pre-requisite to registering for their race. I vaguely remember signing Buffalo Pat's volunteer form for the Vermont 100 DURING the McNaughton 100 mile race! Is that right, Pat? I was just hanging out at the aid station and suddenly Pat runs to his car and grabs an official form for me to sign supposedly documenting his volunteer heroics at Clinton Lake. I sure hope that's all I signed! I wasn't in a sane state of mind, buddy.

I've toyed with this "required volunteering" notion for the Clinton Lake ultra. My preferred "requirement" would be for runners to commit to volunteering at any race in any capacity within the 12 months proceeding the Clinton Lake race. No RD signature needed for confirmation. You'd just check off a box and list any race that you've volunteered at (or plan to volunteer at) before the Clinton Lake event. Easy, eh? What would society gain from this feeble gesture? Hopefully an expanded group of volunteers. If not, then maybe a little guilt on the part of runners that would translate into increased appreciation for those that do volunteer. It would be cool to list all the races that people have volunteered at too. Heck, maybe even track the estimated volunteer hours as well. Then I could advertise that "Clinton Lake runners have dedicated blank number of hours to the running community." With 125 runners every year, those volunteer hours would add up fast.

What do you think? Good idea?

American Trail Running Association

I recently joined the American Trail Running Association (ATRA). After my last post about joining the American Hiking Association, I think I have too much time on my hands...or feet! I saw the ATRA advertisement in Trail Runner magazine too. For $25 you get a subscription to Running Times magazine and Trail Times newsletter. If you go for the $35 membership level, they also throw in a subscription to Trail Runner magazine! Either one is a good deal.

Put your money, and time, with the groups that believe in the same things you do. Do you enjoy trail running? Then join a trail running group! They'll advocate for your cause. And don't think that just sending your money their way is all you need to do. The money helps, but they need your volunteer time too. If not them, then organize a volunteer activity yourself. It's not that hard. The buffalo trail runners in Champaign, IL get together to perform trail maintenance at the Clinton Lake northfork trail a few times per year. If you live in the area and have run that trail, but never volunteered to keep it up, you should be ashamed of yourself! If your schedule doesn't fit the groups planned work dates, then go out by yourself and take a BIG trash bag and pick up waste. At Clinton Lake I collected 2 huge trash bags full of garbage on one walking loop. No excuses. Many maintenance tasks don't require special equipment (chain saws, axes, rakes, clippers, mowers, shovels, weed-wackers, etc).

The trails we love to run would not exist without a dedicated group to blaze them...and maintain them. As a trail runner, I know you are not sitting on the couch. You have the stamina and desire to get outside and do serious training. Why not carve off a slice of time to give back to your sport?

Hiking and Trail Running

I just joined the not-for-profit American Hiking Society. I saw them mentioned in the most recent Trail Runner magazine (in an article about volunteering). For $30/year, you receive a subscription to American Hiker & also Backpacker magazine. They seem to support lots of trail access and maintenance causes in the US. If hikers can help keep a trail going...then I can run the darn thing too! Sounds like a good enough reason to join. I have this nagging feeling that hikers might do a better job of giving back to their sport than trail runners do. We always seem a bit too fast paced to pay attention to trash, erosion, fallen trees, over-grown bushes, trail markings, etc. When people walk or hike, they seem to "take in the scenery" more than us runners. And they don't mind stopping to pick up trash or move a fallen log. Us runners should do the same. So joining AHS alleviates a bit of guilt on my part.

I also figure that trail ultrarunning (especially at long distances like 100 miles) is kinda like hiking. I'm walking all the hills, chatting with fellow runners and volunteers at aid stations, and slow jogging much of the flat sections of the trail anyway. I'm not that far from "hiking" the darn thing! Lots of good ultramarathoners even use hiking poles in their "running." And as we all get older, we slow down and look more and more like hikers anyway. Why not join 'em right now? The new magazines will likely inspire me to hike and camp more. The slower paced hikes should be good for my cross-training. And I've always been intrigued by fastpacking too (another recent article in Trail Runner). Getting to know more about hiking should allow me to better prepare for any future fastpacking I might do. Appalachian Trail? Pacific Coast Trail? John Muir? Rim to Rim to Rim at the Grand Canyon? Hmmmm....

Another benefit of membership is the ability to participate in "volunteer vacations" where you help maintain a trail. I've always wanted to do one of these (save the animals, ocean, planet, whatever), but many of them cost a lot of money and involve some serious travel. A lot of the AHS trips are well within driving distance and don't cost too much (often around $250). Maybe Jeff will join me at Mammoth Cave National Park in KY this fall for one of these work vacations!

PS: June 7, 2008 is "National Trails Day." Why not organize a group of runners to clean-up your local trail?