Clinton Lake 2009 Race Report

On Saturday, March 28th we held the third annual Clinton Lake 30-Mile Trail Run on the north fork trail at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area near Dewitt, IL. We had 125 runners signed-up for the event, but only 102 hardy souls toed the starting line...maybe the rumors of bad weather and 99 hills on the course scared a few racers away. It didn't scare the 21 volunteers away...they hung tough in brutal weather. We started the day with a morning low temperature of 33 degrees and a steady wind. We ended the day with high winds, steady rain, and a high temperature of 44.

The 10-mile loop course is ideal for tracking the leaders as they circle the lake on the single-track trail. The trail was in great shape for the first loop and both the women and men managed to set fast paces. Logan Martin was in the lead pack, but several men were close on his tail. Christine Crawford held the women's lead, but she too had a couple women pushing her. It was looking like we had a great chance for new course records...until the winds picked up and the rain arrived. Fortunately for the leaders, they finished most of the 30 miles before trail conditions deteriorated. Logan Martin held off his rivals and finished with a new course record of 3:56:20. Christine Crawford also held her lead and finished with a new course record of 4:29:50. They collected their trophies, finishers medals, and a small cash prize for setting new records. As is custom for this race, the champions are awarded a free entry into the next year's race. Hopefully Logan and Christine will be back to defend their titles in 2010.

While Logan and Christine managed to avoid the worst trail conditions, the mid-packers weren't so lucky. The back-of-the-pack runners were definitely not lucky. The steady rain, combined with over a hundred runners on a loop course, really chewed up the trail. There was mud and water everywhere and the hills became very slippery and hard to negotiate. No matter what curses the runners flung at the course, it wouldn't relent. At the finish line we started to see mud-splattered legs and mud-encrusted shoes...just what trail ultra running is all about!

The cold & wet volunteers did a fantastic job catering to the runners needs. Even with papers flying around and aid station grub being blown off tables, they managed to maintain their composure and encourage the runners to do "just one more loop." And the runners complied. Of the 102 starters, 88 persistent racers finished. The official race time limit is 8 hours, but we give an extra hour to the early starters, so the real limit is 9 hours. But what race director is going to close the course and remove the finish line while runners are still out there? This ain't the Comrades Marathon! No gates will fall if you don't make the limit. We had two intrepid runners stroll across the finish line in 9:43:18. Laurie Eash helped fellow runner Liz Vander Velde from the last aid station to the finish (last 4.5 miles). They both earned their medals...and a couple of special "last runner" prizes: custom-made pottery and a stuffed buffalo.

Later in the day, the rain turned to snow. A little farther north and west, ice was forming on roads and trees. Even with our cold wind & rain, we escaped the worst. No acute injuries were reported and all the runners made it home safely. That's success. Hope we can do it all again in Spring 2010.

Full race results
Race web site
Race photos
Pictures of the trail (not race day)

NOTE: The above two cool maps of the race course are from Ed Kirk's blog.

If you have photos of the event, put them on the web and let me know the URL. I'll link to them here. Thanks. Congratulations to all the finishers and a big "thank you" to all the volunteers and sponsors. We are pleased that Exelon Corporation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have made the land available to the public for events like this race.

PS: Hey bro, if you are reading this, happy birthday to you from your little brother!

Draft Race Results

Here is a link to the draft race results for 2009. I am potentially still editing. If you have corrections, let me know. If our results are off your watch time by 2-7 seconds, it's just error of measurement (maybe yours, maybe ours, likely both). If it is off by an hour, or even 30 seconds, then send me a note (chrism42k@yahoo.com). Thanks. I'll make the results official in a few days. They will be posted on the race web site and this blog. I'll eventually be sending them to Ultra Running magazine, so I do want accurate results.

Google doc draft race results page

Race web site

Thanks for a great day. A big thank you to all my volunteers--they really toughed it out. With all that wind and rain, it was nasty at the end, but we all survived. Took me about about 30 minutes in a hot bath to warm up. No injuries among the runners (beyond the normal twisted ankle, IT band, runner's knee, bruised ego, etc).

We had two course records set:
Logan Martin: 3:56:20
Christine Crawford: 4:29:50

Congratulations to one and all. Lots of DNFs out there today...hope you are back to running soon.

Race Day 2009

It's 3:29am and I'm getting ready to join my main "Mahomet volunteers" Gregg & Jeff. We'll join up around 4am to make sure we have all the race supplies and then drive over to the race site. We should have both aid stations set up and the finish area & packet pick-up ready to go by 6am. There are a few signs to slap on the trail and cones to lay on the road (Mike Martin will be joining us early this morning to assist). I heard yesterday that we will have running water at the race start! That's great news, but a little late for our race planning--we already have lots of extra water coolers that we are bringing to the race (and Gregg & Mike plan on filling them with water BEFORE coming over). Oh well. At least we can use the water if we run low and runners can rinse off after the race.

Just poked my head outside and it's freezing. Literally. Looked at my outdoor thermometer and it reads 31. Should be a few degrees warmer by race start. Same weather forecast: high of 48, breezy, and chance for rain.

I anticipate being back online around 7-8pm tonight to post a quick race report. Kelly, our running club President (and webmaster), usually posts results this evening once I have them in ready-to-display format.

GOOD LUCK RUNNERS! Have a great run and enjoy the day.

Less Rain?

We shouldn't have any rain today (Friday) which should keep the trails in great shape for the race start. There are still rain showers forecast for Saturday, but it is a 50-60% chance scattered across the day (and even some light snow late on Saturday night). Things are looking up! I'm actually excited. Very small chance of thunderstorms. It's still going to be breezy--it almost always is in central Illinois during March and April.

So here's the forecast:
Friday night: Low of 36, cloudy, breezy
Saturday: High of 46, windy, and chance of rain

So bundle up runners, it'll be a cold start to the race. Hopefully the rain will hold off until you are already warmed up and ready for the sweat to be washed off your face.

See you at packet pick-up either Friday from Noon-5:30pm at Body n' Sole Sports or at the start on race morning from 6:30-7:45am. Race start is 8am (7am for early starters). Please be ready 5 minutes before the start for my fantastic and awesomely important race announcements. Thanks.

TRAIL UPDATE: The trail is in GREAT shape. We didn't get much rain this week (and none today).

Damn the Rain!

I don't like wind. I don't like rain. And I especially don't like thunderstorms. Looks like we may have all three for race day. I kept telling friends that the weather forecast is never accurate more than 2-3 days out from an event..."Let's wait until Thursday before worrying." Well, today is Thursday, and I'm worrying!

Current forecast:
Friday night: Low of 36, breezy, light rain
Saturday: High of 48, windy, rain with chance for thunderstorms

It's still just a scattered chance of storms and rain. I doubt it will rain all day. Be prepared for cooler temperatures, wind, and rain. Much of the course is sheltered from the wind, but without the leaves on the tress, you'll feel the wind pretty hard on certain sections. While I do feel bad for the runners, I feel even worse for my volunteers...they aren't running to stay warm. The wind plays havoc with aid station supplies and food. Tents provide some relief, but they get blown around pretty good too. We do not have any buildings for permanent shelter.

At least we shouldn't need to worry about sunburns (although some of those UV rays still get through the clouds). Trail running, particularly in ultras, is all about the unknown. Keep your spirits up and keep on moving down the trail. We'll be waiting for you at the next aid station.

Wind & Rain?

We got some rain last night, but it wasn't as much as I feared. The forecast still has wind and showers for Friday, with wind and a CHANCE for showers on Saturday. Should be OK if it's not heavy rain. Tomorrow's forecast may be fairly accurate.

Race day weather (for now)...
Friday night: Low of 42, windy, showers
Saturday: High of 48, windy, chance showers

The plan is to have Mike Martin (retired DNR guy and super trail maintainer) on the course Thursday and Jeff Riddle (Riddle Run director) out there on Friday. I'll post actual trail conditions here. And I'll have their updates during packet pick-up too.

Lately my posts have been weather, weather, and more weather! If you are looking for older posts about the race, check out the blog archive on the left sidebar toward the bottom. There are lots of good updates, maps, and descriptions of the course.

Weather for Race Day?

From Clinton Lake-Oct-2007

So what's the weather going to be like for race day? My answer, "I don't know." I've tracked the weather forecast for the last week and it changes every single day! I'm so freaked out by the possible race weather, I have added a second weather gadget to this blog--maybe one will have a nicer forecast.

For now, here is the forecast for the race:
Friday night: Low of 47 with rain
Saturday: High of 58, windy, with chance of rain
Sunrise: 6:46am
Sunset: 7:16pm

Every year seems to be windy, so I believe that part of the forecast. The rain could be hit or miss. Right now the trail is in good shape...mostly dry and fairly smooth. There are lots of leaves on the trail, so be wary of hidden rocks and roots. There aren't many rocks on the course, but there are roots all around. I haven't had too many problems stumbling over roots in training runs. My guess is after 20 miles, you'll start to let your feet and legs drag a bit and you may find a few roots grabbing your feet. This isn't a road race, so I assume if you signed-up, you are comfortable with basic trail running. One warning...if it does rain, the wooden bridges/planks will be slick. I counted 33 bridges on the 10-mile loop--be careful crossing the bridges!

Course Still in Good Shape

OK, it's only been 24 hours, but the course is still in good shape. Just got back from an easy 3 hour hike of the trail and it may even be a little dryer than yesterday. Almost perfect conditions for a race! We are scheduled to have a couple days of rain this week, but as long as there are no torrential downpours, we should still have good trail conditions on race day.

Weather forecast for race day:
Friday night: Low of 45 with light rain
Saturday: Windy and high of 59 with slight chance of rain

Race Trail in Good Shape

Just finished walking/running the trail this morning and it is in good shape. Very few muddy spots and the previously uneven terrain is now mostly beaten down and fairly smooth. A couple wooden bridges have been repaired too. There are a few sections that have lots of leaves and it's a little hard to follow the path, but we'll remark some of the white flashes on the trees to make them more visible. We are not raking the trail like we did the first 2 years. It should be easy to follow next weekend for the race once we brighten the tree markings. Looks like we might get a little rain on Monday and Tuesday, but the rest of the week looks pretty dry until Friday evening (chance of rain into race morning). This could be the BEST trail conditions we have ever had for race day! Let's hope the rain skips the north fork trail area.

Weather forecast has a Friday night low of 39 and a Saturday high of 52 (with chance for rain).

First Day of Spring!

Spring is here! Spring is here! This morning when I woke up and it was 25 degrees, it didn't seem like spring. At least it was sunny. The high today is supposed to be around 50. Not too bad. I am sick of winter and ready for warmer, but not HOT, weather. Spring in Illinois usually means wet weather too. I hope it holds off through race day. Most of the local trails are a bit soft and muddy.

For now, here is the forecast for next weekend and the race:
March 27, Friday night: Low of 24, chance for snow flurries
March 28, Saturday: High of 45, cloudy, morning snow showers

Yesterday the forecast was for freezing rain! We still have 8 days, so don't trust the weather forecast. I plan on being on the Clinton Lake trail either tomorrow or Sunday...maybe both days. I'll post the trail conditions. The Clinton, IL weather gadget is on the top left of the blog. It displays the current conditions and you can click for the forecast.

2009 Race Sponsors

As you might suspect, a race cannot continue to be staged without a set of volunteers and a few sponsors. We are fortunate to have quality sponsors and a great group of volunteers for the Clinton Lake 30-Mile Trail Run. Since we don't place the sponsors on the race t-shirt (I hate that cluttered look), I want all the racers (and the world!) to know who helps this race succeed:

Second Wind Running Club
Marathon & Beyond Magazine
Body n' Sole Sports
Succeed! Sports Drink
BodyMechanic Fitness
Inov-8
Raw Indulgence

They are all listed on the top left of this blog too.

Second Wind deserves double-thanks since they are also a ready-made venue for volunteers. This race is a club event and they stand behind it. And of course we have the ever-present local buffalo runners that run and volunteer at the race. While the Illinois Department of Natural Resources isn't an official sponsor, they do allow us to use the area for the race, and they provide some extra equipment (trash cans, picnic tables, etc). Thanks everyone!

Early weather forecast for the race (10 days to go)...
Friday night low: 26
Saturday high: 45 and partly cloudy
There is a weather gadget on the top left of the blog so you can quickly check current weather and click for extended forecasts.

New Running Acronym?

(Picture at left courtesy of Louie & his Blackberry phone.) I've had a few disappointing runs lately and have accumulated several running acronyms I didn't particularly want (DFL, DNF, DNS). After the Land Between the Lakes run I have a new one...DD ("Drop Down"). I was registered for the 60K trail run, but ended up "dropping down" to the trail marathon. Steve Durbin, the race director, makes it way too easy to drop from the longer distances to the shorter versions: 50 miler to the 60K, 60K to the marathon, and marathon to the 23K. Even driving down the day before, I was pretty sure I was going to do the marathon instead of the 60K. My heart wasn't into anything longer and my training had been lackluster. When it started to rain on Friday night before the race (and race morning) the deal was done and I was dropping down to a shorter race distance.

I ran the whole way with a fellow buffalo (thanks Wes!). It made the day go quicker and we got caught up on all sorts of gossip...university life, running, family, politics, etc. Wes set a nice pace for the whole 26+ miles. Even when he fell in the mud, he would pop right back up and keep going. We finished hand-in-hand (OK, side-by-side) in a time of 5:34:01. We anticipated a 5:30 or so finish...not a bad guess considering the muddy conditions. After a nice post-race meal (including veggie lasagna and veggie soup), we showered and had a tasty, well-deserved, beer while we waited for fellow buffalo to finish. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day and there were no injuries in our group (except some blisters from the slipping and sliding). I'll be back next year. I'll register for the marathon. Wonder if the RD let's you "Move Up" to a longer race? No need for that--if I feel good I'll just run a fast trail marathon.

A big thank you to Steve and his race crew. They did a marvelous job of getting the course ready for us runners. A massive ice storm devastated the area in February. Trees were down everywhere. Even those that remained upright had ice damage. (Photo from fellow buffalo Rob and his blog). Fortunately, the local runners, bikers, and hikers teamed up and cleared the trails. It was sad seeing all the cut trees and debris in the forest (and along all the roads too), but the actual course was in fine shape for us...except for the water and mud! Race directors can't control the weather. It got sloppier as we ran. This is a big race (almost 400 runners) and each 11-mile loop got plenty of foot traffic (there was even a guy hiking the course in reverse with walking sticks and a couple mountain bikers too). The town of Grand Rivers is a nice venue for a race. It welcomes the tourist business and has just the right amount of lodging, community centers/public spaces, and restaurants. I wish Clinton Lake had more buildings and shelters. Heck, even running water would be nice. Oh well, you play the hand you are dealt. Being in the middle of nowhere has it's advantages too. I'm not quite sure what those advantages are, but I'm sure they are there.

Flooding on Race Course

Parts of the Clinton Lake north fork trail are under a couple inches of water as of 2 days ago. Plus, with all the rain and wind, a few trees have fallen across the trail. The river is really high going into the lake, but at least it hasn't topped the bridge at the canoe access lot. Last year, the river took out a few wood planks on that bridge and it wasn't repaired for months! We have a great support crew for the trail (including a retired DNR employee--thanks Mike!) so with 2 weeks to the race, we should be fine. It would be nice to have dry weather. I'm off to Kentucky today for the Land Between the Lakes 60K race tomorrow. I'll try to have another trail condition update soon.

Clinton Lake Race Course

To the left is the elevation profile of the 10-mile loop. It's got hills! Lots of hills. Fortunately, they are mostly small ones. If you don't know yet, this year's race (3rd annual) will go in the opposite direction from the first two years (we'll run clockwise around the lake). We'll start at the same place (north fork boat access parking lot), but the runners will take a left after exiting the lot and head up the road hill. This will give people a nice view of the lake and help separate the pack. We have wheeled and GPS'd the course in the new direction and there are accurate mile markers on the entire course. There will be an aid station at approximately 5.5 miles and the start/finish area. Here is a course map, trail description, and view of the starting area.

Description of 10-mile loop

Map of 10-mile loop

Map of start/finish area

NOTE: If the weather forecast indicates that it's going to be a hot day, I will try to put out 2 unmanned water-only stops between the main aid stations. They would consist of a couple 1-gallon water jugs that you could use to fill your water bottle. Don't count on this extra water. You should plan on carrying enough water to make it 5 miles.

Walk to the Moon?

The University of Illinois has a promotional contest to encourage employees and their friends and family to exercise. It's called "Moon Walk 2009." People register in teams (minimum of 5) and log all their exercise activities (walking, running, biking, swimming, etc). The contest goes for 10 weeks (from April 3 through June 12) and team members log activity on a weekly basis. Teams compete for most "miles" achieved with prizes awarded weekly and at the end of the contest (there are other milestone awards too). There is a mile conversion chart for various activities...running counts as 1.5 miles per 1 mile run! The competition is actually organized by UI Extension and is an outreach to the full community (not just university staff). Apparently there is a competition between cities too--Champaign is up against Peoria and the Quad Cities. I have been asked to organize a team for our office--I think people are drooling for my running miles. And with the dates of the contest, I'll have some serious miles just from a few races: McNaughton Park 100 miler (counts as 150 miles), Gnaw Bone 50K (will get 46 miles), and my 7-day race will likely reap me 450 miles (300 miles converted to 450). FYI...hilly hiking actually counts as 2 per mile completed. So if I run the hilly Clinton Lake trail does that count as 2x or 1.5x miles? Or a combo of run-hike for 3x miles!

The top individual last year had 1203 miles. I can get half of that in just 3 events. So, is this type of contest worthwhile? They charge $5 per individual. Should I create a team? Will this motivate others in my office? Should I forsake my office peers and grab a few fellow buffalo instead? Do I do this for health or performance?

UPDATE: I am now the captain of a team with 5 members. All non-runners. Should be fun.

Elevation Gain of Clinton Race Course

Don't let the sign to the right fool you...the loop is not 11 miles long. After three loops it may feel like you've done 33 miles, but we have wheeled the course several times and have it right at 10 miles per loop. The designation of "moderate difficulty" on the sign sounds about right. Since the Clinton Lake ultra is a multi-loop course (three 10-mile loops), you end up with an overall elevation CHANGE of zero. But that doesn't mean you don't have lots of climbing (and descending) over the 10 miles. I've counted 33 hills over the course of one loop. That would be 99 hills for the full 30 mile race! Mostly small hills and none are very steep. A friend walked the course with his hand held GPS unit (better than a wrist GPS, but still not perfect) and came up with these elevation gains for each mile:

mile 1 = 160 foot gain
mile 2 = 140'
mile 3 = 165'
mile 4 = 220'
mile 5 = 250'
mile 6 = 160'
mile 7 = 145'
mile 8 = 170'
mile 9 = 240'
mile 10 = 140'
total = 1790' gain per loop
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN FOR RACE = 5370'

So central Illinois isn't all flat cornfields after all. As you wander along the single-track trail, you'll have great views of the lake and you'll meander through forest and across meadows. A small section of asphalt road (with accompanying bridges) connects the trail on each side of the lake. You'll encounter lots of small wooden bridges on the trail too--they can be very slippery when wet. Be cautious as you cross the wooden bridges! Quite a few runners have asked me what type of shoe to wear for the race. I've run the course in road racing flats and also pretty well studded trail shoes. They both work depending on the trail conditions. If it is wet and muddy, then the standard trail shoe may help you get better traction. I don't think cross country spikes would be worthwhile. My best advice would be to take 2 pairs of shoes and make your decision on race morning (after one loop you can always change shoes and/or socks). I'll have trail condition updates on this blog.

NOTE: I think these measurements are a little high. The total gain per 10-mile loop is likely closer to 1600-1650 feet. Still a hilly course, but not quite as much elevation gain as indicated here.

Race Updates for 2009

If you are a new runner to the Clinton Lake ultra, these pieces of information may prove valuable. If you have run the race in the past, there are a few changes that might interest you. Here goes...

First and foremost...that guy on the left will not be running his own race! That's me from last year. I'll be at the start/finish area all day. It was great experiencing the race as a runner last year, but way too stressful combining race directing with race running.

As in the past, the race starts and ends at the Clinton Lake north fork boat access lot. This means you'll pass by your car after each loop. You can easily stash your favorite goodies in your car (or toss them in a drop bag and place them right at the start/finish aid station). The parking lot is not huge, so I encourage you to carpool if possible.

DNR map of area

Google map of start area

There are only two aid stations on the 10 mile loop. I suggest bringing a water bottle with you. Each aid station will have water, Succeed! Sports Drink, and S!-Caps (electrolyte pills). We'll also have chips, pretzels, cookies, PB&J sandwiches, crackers, M&Ms, fruit, etc. The particular grub may vary throughout the day, but there will be a variety of food that should satisfy your needs. We will not have pain relievers so bring your own Advil, Tylenol, Aleve, etc. If you really have an injury, we will have basic medical supplies (including pain killers, but we won't be dispensing them right at the aid station). We'll liklely have Vaseline as a lubricant/anti-chaff aid too.

Don't bring a pacer. You won't need one. It's hard to get lost and the race is only 30 miles long. We don't need extra bodies on the single-track trail. Same goes for crewing. You can bring friends and family, but don't have them on the course handing out food and drink. They can cheer you on (and other runners too), but please skip the hand-off of food, drink, and supplies (unless it's at one of the open areas on the course like a road or aid station).

The race has changed direction for this year. We will be running clockwise around the lake. That means when you exit the starting parking lot, you'll turn left and head up the road hill to access the trail. This will spread people out quickly. You can still pass people when you are on the trail, but it's a bit harder if there is a group in front of you. Please keep alert for runners in front and behind you so passing is safe and cordial. No tripping or elbowing of fellow runners.

The canoe access parking lot aid station is around the 5.5 mile mark. Even if you don't want aid, the aid station is part of the race course. You MUST go to the aid station and check-in (call out your name/number). To get a full 10 mile loop, we needed to add a few hundred feet to the trail course. You circle the full outside of the starting parking lot too. This allows us to keep track of runners too--if you need to drop, tell people at that aid station and they'll get you back to the start/finish.

There are now "permanent" mile markers on the course and they are based on the race start at the back of the boat access lot. The mile markers are on both sides of the trees so you can train going either direction on the course and still have those miles marked. Same goes for the white flashes that are on the trees--the course is marked in either direction. If you are running and don't see a white mark on a tree, then you are off the trail!

There is now a "Veteran" age group division (60+). This is a fairly small race (125 runenrs) so we don't have a ton of awards, but we felt those oldies deserved a fair comparison group. The top male & female in the following age groups gets an age-group award: open (under 40), master (40-49), grand master (50-59), veteran (60+). All finishers get a medal. The 2nd place finisher in an age group gets nothing. All starters get a race t-shirt and a few extra goodies (plus chance for random give-aways). All entrants get a mini-subscription (3 issues/6-months) to Marathon & Beyond magazine (even if you don't start the race).

There is a small cash award for new course records: 4:00:39 for males and 4:34:26 for females. And the race champions (course record or not) will get a free entry into next year's race.

There is not a formal post-race party or buffet. We'll have extra food and soda, maybe even some beer and pizza, but don't expect a fancy post-race food fest. I'm trying to arrange some hot soup, but we have a hard time getting water and electricity turned on at that boat access lot early in the year.

Once you are a Clinton Lake race finisher, you are eligible for the Illinois Trail Ultra Grand Slam (i-TUGS). I encourage you to register for, and complete, the other three races: McNaughton Park, Rock Cut Hobo, and Farmdale.