Looks like the tradition of giving the Riddle Run winners (male & female champions) a spot in the closed Clinton Lake 30-Mile Trail Run is going to continue. I had a recent cancellation from a registered runner and felt it was just the "right thing to do" to offer up 2 possible spots for the Riddle Run 28-mile winners. It's fairly equitable and it creates a bit of buzz among local runners (and even some Chicago area folks that want a spot in Clinton so they can do the full Grand Slam). Anyone is welcome to do the free Riddle Run 28-mile trail event. If you win, a spot will magically open up for you in the Clinton Lake ultra...it's not a FREE opening, but you can register for Clinton Lake within 2 weeks of a Riddle Run victory at the regular race cost. That's quite a deal. There may be other openings for people on my race wait list, but you never know. Train, race, and WIN YOURSELF A SPOT!
So, does this mean there will actually be a Riddle Run #11 in late January? I sure hope so! Running with Jeff this morning and chatting about my blog posts (what else do runners do at 5:45am in the dark and cold?)...he's inclined to do it all again...just with less fanfare and publicity. No guarantee, but mark those calendars for the last Saturday in January (Jan 30th) and expect to do a 28 mile run at Lake of the Woods trail in Mahomet, IL. The run usually starts around 8am. Jeff uses the "4-mile loop" which is part of the full 5-mile trail system at the park. Here is more information about the park and trail:
Trail Map (pdf)
Topo map of trail (jpg)
Map of Lake of the Woods Park (pdf)
Directions to Trail
Here is my race report from the 2009 Riddle Run (the 10th edition).
This is the same set of trails that plays host to the infamous Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race in the summer. Now that is one heck of a challenge! Unfortunately, the 7-day stage race may not happen in 2010. Of course, that's what people were saying about Riddle Run too. Hmmmm....
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Free at Last, Free at Last!
OK, so I'm no Martin Luther King, but I do feel that I'm free at last...from the tyranny of structured running in formal running shoes. Yesterday I had a great run in my Vibram FiveFinger KSOs. It felt great to go easy with no heart-rate monitor, no watch, no pace goal, no planned distance or time...just running in my minimalist finger shoes wherever I wanted to go! Didn't hurt to have a fairly warm day (temperature in the 30s instead of teens or low 20s). My feet felt great and my body and mind were in sync with "just running" as mankind was meant to do. The five finger shoes are about as close to barefoot and primal running as you can get (especially in cold climates). I ran on a local park bike path for about 5-6 miles...taking a slight detour through a 715 meter trail loop in the middle of the bike path out-and-back route. I usually run on pure trails, but I just wanted a smooth (and slightly warmer?) surface to run on and the flat asphalt hit the spot. I'll be back to trails soon enough...hopefully still in the KSOs.
Give yourself a break from the imprisonment of "normal" shoes and try a little barefoot or Five Finger shoe running. While you're at it, leave the watch and heart-rate monitor at home too...and just run. You may find that hitting the road or trail with little technology brings you back to the heart & soul of running...just you and your legs cruising along a path less traveled. No worries, no pressure, no goals. Enjoy.
Give yourself a break from the imprisonment of "normal" shoes and try a little barefoot or Five Finger shoe running. While you're at it, leave the watch and heart-rate monitor at home too...and just run. You may find that hitting the road or trail with little technology brings you back to the heart & soul of running...just you and your legs cruising along a path less traveled. No worries, no pressure, no goals. Enjoy.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Riddle Run vs Clinton Lake Ultra
In the past, the low-key and long-running (10 years so far) "Riddle Run" fat ass and the super-awesome Clinton Lake 30-Mile Trail Run had a great relationship. Riddle Run is a 28-mile fun run on gently rolling trails in late January. A perfect place to test yourself and get ready for a spring ultra like Clinton Lake in late March (which is run on not-so-gentle trails). The two races were a nice one-two punch for ultra runners in central Illinois.
The two events also had a collegial relationship where the directors helped each other out on race day. In fact, the two races were so happy to be connected and supportive of each other, there was an agreement that the male & female winners of the Riddle Run would be awarded a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to enter the closed Clinton Lake ultra. Now the rumor mill is churning out all sorts of scandalous gossip...including the possibility of NO RIDDLE RUN in 2010! Can that be possible? And the relationship between the two race directors has become strained too...one of them can hardly be called a runner anymore...he limps along at 12:00 pace...if he's lucky! Even if there is a Riddle Run, there may be no "perk" of being let into the full Clinton Lake ultra. Too bad since there are lots of people on the wait list for Clinton Lake. Who knows, maybe this is all gossip and there really will be an 11th annual Riddle Run in late January. Maybe there will be a prize for the winners. Maybe there will be dancing girls at the finish line. Maybe the Fat Kid will show up. Maybe Angela Bizzarri will be the special guest starter. Maybe not.
I've run ten straight Riddle Run fat ass events...I have the most accumulated miles of any Riddle Run participant (a LOT more than the director himself!)...it would be nice to complete #11 this January. So keep your eye on this blog, and the National Enquirer, for the latest updates. Inquiring minds want to know...will there be a Riddle Run in the future?
The two events also had a collegial relationship where the directors helped each other out on race day. In fact, the two races were so happy to be connected and supportive of each other, there was an agreement that the male & female winners of the Riddle Run would be awarded a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to enter the closed Clinton Lake ultra. Now the rumor mill is churning out all sorts of scandalous gossip...including the possibility of NO RIDDLE RUN in 2010! Can that be possible? And the relationship between the two race directors has become strained too...one of them can hardly be called a runner anymore...he limps along at 12:00 pace...if he's lucky! Even if there is a Riddle Run, there may be no "perk" of being let into the full Clinton Lake ultra. Too bad since there are lots of people on the wait list for Clinton Lake. Who knows, maybe this is all gossip and there really will be an 11th annual Riddle Run in late January. Maybe there will be a prize for the winners. Maybe there will be dancing girls at the finish line. Maybe the Fat Kid will show up. Maybe Angela Bizzarri will be the special guest starter. Maybe not.
I've run ten straight Riddle Run fat ass events...I have the most accumulated miles of any Riddle Run participant (a LOT more than the director himself!)...it would be nice to complete #11 this January. So keep your eye on this blog, and the National Enquirer, for the latest updates. Inquiring minds want to know...will there be a Riddle Run in the future?
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