Previous | Next | 2001 Index | Newsletter Index
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2000 1:35 PM
Subject: Incline Club V5 LR #4
Howdy folks,
I have often timed my runs around some out there things but yesterday I timed a run to finish for a really out there thing. (OK — I admit that was a cheap intro to get to write about something not related to running) I wanted to watch the International Space Station fly by. As you may know it just got a new solar power array that is 240’ across and makes the station one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Sure enough at 5:04p.m. I saw the ISS whiz by. After watching it on a space object tracker I guess I thought it would fly by rather slowly but I should have known better because it takes less than 2 hours to do an orbit of the Earth. If you want to know when to head outside to see the ISS go to liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/realtime/JTrack/Spacecraft.html. Right at dusk is supposed to be the best time to watch which is why I went looking last night — oh yea, after my RUN;-)
####
Sunday, December 17, 8 a.m. meet at Soda Springs Park.
Run out the Ute Pass Trail and turn left and then go straight and head up
Longs Ranch Road. Exit off Longs Ranch Road right and run up Bob’s road
which connects back into the Barr Trail about 1.5 miles above No Name Creek.
Run down the Barr Trail to finish the loop. 2-3 hours. If it would take
longer cut off Bob’s road or do an out/back instead of the whole loop!
####
Connilee W writes:
Thanks for giving my shattered sunglasses some TLC by rescuing them from any
further trompings by IC’ers last week! I do now have closure on the
sunglass episode and have purchased a new pair. The folks at Performance
Bikes are always happy to see me come trudging in to replace a pair of lost
or trampled sunglasses. I think I keep them in business....
I was checking the FAQ’s and also last year’s archives to try and pull the info about putting screws in the shoes to keep from slipping on the ice. (After this week’s weather, more of us might need it!). I couldn’t find it and was wondering if you could put it in this week’s email — I know of at least one newbie and one clubber (besides myself) who are interested in seeing it. Is this something that could be included in the FAQ’s?
(Matt C adds: Ok, since I end up sending this info out every year it is now posted at: www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm. Pictures, tips and the whole 9 yards:-)
----
Larry M writes:
As I ran along this bright morning after the snowfall it came to me that we
have a lot of runners in the Incline Club who put screws in their shoes.
They should be checked once in a while if the shoes are old. There is a
chemical breakdown in the mid-sole materiel and this will loosen the screws
and they will fall out. But I know that the screw happy Incliners all know
this and the environment will be safe from a bunch of lost screws.
####
Lindsey R writes:
Re: Sid R’s need for a Camelback fix — I’ve seen replacement pouches at
Mountain Chalet. Several sizes, so you should be able to find something
that fits. They have other parts too.
I just want to say how much I appreciate getting sore muscles again ;-) I’ve run all these trails countless times over the years, but never with a group. I pushed harder than ever, but felt better doing it with all that huffing and puffing around me. Just trying to keep Stu N in sight up the pipeline road was a real trick! I’ll miss some club runs for skiing with my family and I’m sure my Saturday replacement workouts won’t be the same without you all! Thanks!
(Matt C adds: A number of people reported doing the loop way faster than two weeks ago. Some are also reporting that they are already doing the loop faster than in past years despite the fact that we now start down at the park instead of at the COG. The little “sub groups” forming of 4-6 people pushing each other really pays off! I know last week when I came out of the porta potty by Hwy 24 I saw that killer look in the eyes of Steve B, Rick H, Kees G and Paul S!!!)
####
Hans Z writes:
Thanks for the club updates. With my wife still handicapped time away on
weekends is limited. So I keep my runs close to home. Weather rather nasty
today so I intended to hop on to the stationary bike and do a long workout.
Looking out of the window I saw a girl, a man and another woman come running
down the street at a nice pace. That looked all to inviting, no way was I
going to stay inside. Ten minutes later I dashed out of the house and made a
loop along the trail which hugs Mt Herman and Rasberry Mountain. No traffic
today, just deer and foxes. Just one hour run, but it felt terrific!
####
Steve B writes:
I missed two weeks ago as I was doing a winter training climb session (for
Shishapangma, Tibet in the Spring). Camped at 12,000 feet on Saturday night,
climbed Mt Edwards on Saturday just before dark, then Grays and Torreys on
Sunday. Sam gave me my aerobic workout after he decided to take on a bull
elk near the conclusion of the weekend. The elk got the better of him by
goring him in the side when he finally got tired of the “little” pest. Sam
got three staples from the vet to close up the wound. I ran frantically
through mid-calf snow at 11,000 feet trying to head off Sam from the elk
(Try it sometime. Great workout) with hiking boots no less. Then I ran four
miles down the road to get my truck in hiking boots with the shoelaces
untied (no time to stop). The truck was the only way to persuade Sam to give
up on the elk.
####
Adam F writes:
Tom Sobal will be presenting a free snowshoe clinic and slide show entitled “Running, Racing and Fitness with Snowshoes” from 7-8:30 pm on Tuesday,
December 19 at the new Boulder Running Company store at 3659 Austin Bluffs
Parkway in Colorado Springs, CO. The presentation will cover many aspects
of snowshoeing and should appeal to everyone from novices to experienced
runners. Contact the Boulder Running Company for more information at (719)
278-3535.
####
Adam F also writes:
Know anyone who’d be interested in this?
----
The Rocky Mountain Team in Training Chapter is looking for a coordinator for the Colorado Springs area. They are hoping to grow that area and need
someone about 15-20 hours a week. Most of the work is out of the house so
is an excellent job for a stay at home mom who wants to make a little money
and be involved with running and a great organization. We have a coach in
Colorado Springs so the person doesn’t even necessarily have to have much
running experience. Please refer anyone that you know who is interested to
Bonnie at the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society at 303-984-2110. Thanks, Maureen
(e-mail address removed for www posting).
####
Carol S writes:
These make for some very good ‘trail’ training runs. I’ve done four of
these (this year): Frosty’s, Alferd Packer (highly recommended
cross-country, wild, challenging run — makes the Fall Series look like
Kindergarten !), Mile-high metric, and Snow Mountain (very beautiful, well
supported, and runnable). I know at least two other ICers who have also
done a number of these runs — Keith G. and Anita B. Just thought I would
pass along the information.
January 13, 2001
The Frozen Ass Trail 10-20-30 Mile
Chatfield State Park. Littleton, CO.
February 10, 2001
The Frosty Trail 12.5K-25K-50K.
Chatfield State Park. Littleton, CO.
March 10, 2001
The Alferd Packer Trail Challenge
Half Marathon-Marathon-Double Marathon.
Chatfield State Park. Littleton, CO.
April 7, 2001
The Mile High Metric Trail Challenge
25K-50K-100K
Chatfield State Park. Littleton, CO.
April 14, 2001
The Oh-My-God Half-Marathon
Idaho Springs, CO.
**Pending approval.
May 12, 2001
Mommie Dearest Trail Half Marathon.
Chatfield State Park. Littleton, CO.
June 9-10, 2001
Mile High 24 Hour
Chatfield State Park. Littleton, CO.
June 16, 2001
Big Daddy Trail 16-Mile
Chatfield State Park. Littleton, CO.
July 7, 2001
Snow Mountain Trail Challenge
Half Marathon-Marathon-Double Marathon
Snow Mountain Ranch-Winter Park, CO.
####
Val S writes:
Though I did not get the “chance” to run with the club last
Sunday, I do have a tale to tell. Feel free to use the following if your
weekly IC newsletter has any room.
ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY
Preparing for the normal 8:00 AM Sunday Incline Club run I go through my routine after parking at Soda Springs Park. As I load from the passenger side of my Jeep: Lock car door, (I’ve forgotten this before--now I do it first) grab fanny pack, water, power bars, sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, hat, jacket, gum, chapstick, etc.
Normally, after stashing my car keys, I pin the spare key to my tights. But this morning, I placed the spare key in my fanny pack.
Grabbing my gear, I feel nature calling. Dropping the gear I let the car door close and walk to the rest room. Inside, the guys following me speak of a guy out front who is just staring down in the storm sewer. Someone mentioned maybe he dropped his keys in the sewer. I snicker and think “poor guy.”
Out I walk, and Don R is still staring at the sewer----as if any moment the keys would pop their head up, and find their way back up to their former resting place in his glove.
Walking toward my Jeep I mention “ I have a claw hammer which should help to raise the sewer lid.”
I grab the driver’s side door handle of my Jeep. Locked. I walk around to the passenger side and work the door handle. Locked. I instinctively reach to where my key is pinned. Shit.
My eyes fix on my fanny pack on the seat, with my car key all nice and cuddly inside it.
Feeling my anger mount within, and the winter chill sweeping me, my mind starts to scramble. I look up and the Incline Club is taking off. “I can’t miss a Sunday run this early in the season!”
I press my hand on the wing widow. It bends in a tad. Perhaps I can squeeze my hand through the pinkie size opening, follow with my arm, then bend my arm 90 degrees reaching over mid way down the door and work the door lock. Sure I can.
I press harder. “ What if the glass breaks? My hand would shoot through the glass.” Ouch. I let go.
Still thinking (about breaking my Sunday run streak) I take off my shoe and place it on the wing window, using the shoe to pad my hand in case the window breaks. I press on the shoe with my hand and watch with amazement as the window bows, then creaks, then groans.
“Now if the window breaks, my arm will propel through the glass, shredding my micro fiber shirt.” I back off.
Off I run to the police station, (“will this run count for a club run?”) hoping for a telephone book and a phone. Just approaching the police station, I remember I have roadside assist, and the sticker with the number is on my driver side wing window. Back I go to Soda Springs.
Check the wing window for the number...it’s faded from the outside. I run around and look in. 1-800-531-????. Damn, sure glad I put in one reading contact and the one distance contact this morning. Wouldn’t want to be able to focus over 5 feet now.
Back to the police station. I plead my case. The dispatcher gets me a phone book and telephone. I sit down, open the phone book, and give a sigh of relief I put in the reading contact this morning.
Calling the insurance company, I reach the voice menu system, with 8 choices. Number 1 was to report an emergency road service. Well I was late for the run. I skipped it and listened to the remaining choices. Number 5, lockout assistance, so on the second cycle through, I pressed it.
Number 5 spoke to what the assistance is, who is eligible, what it costs to non members, what it covers, what it does not cover, and I believe the latest Florida vote count. This went on for 5 minutes, and at the end of the call, I was referred back to the main menu.
Now, I have an emergency. I press 1 and report what happened. Help is on the way I’m told.
Back to the Jeep to wait. It’s about 9:45 Up pulls a tow truck. “Tow truck? I have a lockout..what’s a tow truck doing here?,” I wonder.
The driver gets out carrying an elongated tool box, about a yard long and 6 inches wide. I wonder if the box has one of those squeeze gun car lock openers... the kind the car thieves on TV have. It didn’t.
What it had was an assortment of wires about twice the thickness of a coathanger. Each wire had different shaped kinks, U and L shapes. I sign a damage waiver. I’m getting nervous.
He then jams a wire down the outside window and fiddles with whatever is inside a car door. With both hands on the wire he starts thrusting, hard, up and down, like churning butter...whipped butter.
“Looks like this one won’t work,” as he grabs another wire.
“This one won’t either,” as he churns.
He works his way through the remaining wires. No luck with the lock. Grabbing his cell phone he calls his boss. “My boss on his way with more tools,” he says.
By now I’m shivering like a paint machine. “Let’s get up in the cab while we wait for my boss.”
Up I climb in the cab. The heater is roaring, the windows are up..and the driver lights a cigarette. I exhale and wonder how long I can go without inhaling. I take in tiny breaths.
His cell phone rings and climbs down from the cab. Would he think it rude if I opened up both cab doors? I resist the urge.
Back in he climbs. “Damn ex wife is bitching about the kids,” he moans.
“Are you from the Springs?” I ask, trying to lighten up the conversation.
“Yep, all 21 years”
I’m thinking , “21 years old, divorced, with kids, driving a tow truck on Sunday mornings...does it get any better than this? Where do I sign up?”
Up pulls his boss at 10:25. The boss looks at my Jeep, and grabs his tool box. A box about twice the size of the other one. Is the boss a Master Churner?
He is. The boss adroitly works a double pronged wire in the wing window, simultaneously pressing in the lock button while moving the window latch down.
The boss apologized for the delay. “I was across town when he called and the driver is in training for this.”
“Training for what?!,” went through my mind as I sign the bill.
(Matt C adds: Val got a “*” because the stars are about getting your butt out the door — besides he looked like he had a harder time than we did;-)
####
“R” report:
Seattle Marathon — November 26, 2000
Doug L reports:
What do you think of when you think of Seattle? Did you say rain? Well when
I told Bob McAndrews I was planning to do Seattle he assured me it was a bad
idea because it would be a cold, rainy day. It did rain all day Saturday and
off and on Sunday morning before the race stated, but about 5 minutes before
the race started the sun broke through. I knew Bob would be disappointed.
Then about 15 minutes later the sun went away, and never came back. But it
did not rain, well not right away. It sprinkled a time or three between
miles 4 and 16, and then it rained and rained hard for the last 10 miles.
Did you know Seattle was hilly? It is, kind of San Francisco hilly in some parts of town. But the course was flat until mile 19. The hill at mile 19 is about a 2-mile hill. Now it is no Colorado mountain trail hill, but it is more than Boston’s Heartbreak Hill. It is the kind of hill that when you are cold and wet and running out of glycogen can take some of fun out of the experience, slow your pace and make you late to kickoff of the Bronco/Seahawk game. Luckily the Bronco’s fared much better in the rain then I did.
Results: 3:32:31, after 1:38 first half. Did the last 10K in a blazing 59 minutes, conditions and cold caught up with me I guess. Did a training run marathon (what you have to do when you are collecting states) 6 weeks ago in a relaxed 3:27. La de da do...
The Course: Basically a loop that starts and ends downtown. Mile 1 slight downhill, miles 2,3 slight uphill. Then flat until mile 19. Miles 4-9 on I-90 express lane, over a floating bridge to Mercer Island, kind of odd. That segment (and about 1/2 the race) was on concrete (trail runners do not like concrete). Miles 9 to about 23 most scenic, in general very scenic course — strong point of the race. A number of mile markers were missing on the course, made splits/pacing a difficult task. Suspect some markers were in wrong spot, not so much because mile 12 “took” 11 minutes, it was that follow up with a 4 minute mile on number 13 that caused me to doubt all future splits.
####
WWW Post:
12/10/2000 47 runners met for the Waldo Canyon run today. The temperature
dropped 5 degrees during the run as Mr. Sun played hide and seek with the
clouds. But at least we missed the snow and icy fog that came a few hours
later. Connilee W’s glasses were recovered from last week albeit in a few
more pieces than she had left them. Stu N and Jonathon C failed their ice
dancing lessons even after Larry M spread some ice melt on the evil section.
But then again it’s going to the take a lot more ice melt to make an impact
on the “ice rink!” Finally, in a desperate act to get mentioned in the club
news, Teresa T drew blood in one of her falls but several noted that a
mosquito often does more damage. Afterwards 18 of us met for Manhattan Bagel’s 99¢ breakfast;-P
####
Go out hard, when it hurts speed up...
Matt Carpenter
www.skyrunner.com
Top | Previous | Next | 2001 Index | Newsletter Index