Previous | Next | 2001 Index | Newsletter Index
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 4:43 PM
Subject: Incline Club V5 LR #5
58 runners! Not in any reality that I knew of did I think 58 people would come out to run up Longs Ranch Road. Some of the Thursday runs perhaps, but setting a club record this early in the year was really unexpected! All I can say is thanks to all of you for making the club runs more and more successful. I define success as having someone to run with and push (or pull) us to our best and for most that is the case. If you still need someone at your speed just look at some race results and recruit some people at your ability level.
####
Sunday, December 24, 8 a.m. meet at Soda Springs Park.
Run out the Ute Pass Trail and turn right and then cross Hwy 24 and do the
Waldo Canyon lollipop loop in either direction. Cross back over Hwy 24 (be
careful) and return via the Ute Indian Trail. 2-3 hours. If it would take
longer do an out/back instead of the whole loop!
####
Fred W writes:
Thanks for the info. on the NASA website, very interesting and informative.
Have filed it in my “favorites” for future ref. It is great to read about
non-running subjects, too. We runners tend to get wrapped up, and too
introspective, in our sport at times.
I loved the “banter” in this week’s newsletter, very amusing. However, I do feel sorry for Connilee, that makes for an expensive L. R. I know that on the day she ran back looking for the sunglasses, but must have stopped short just prior to there whereabouts.
See you down the road.
(Matt C adds: Fred C has 21 screws in each of his shoes to break the old record of 19 (I think) from Yvonne C)
####
Matt C writes:
Heard several comment that they were surprised to see “old Larry M” up near
them on Longs Ranch Road. For a clue to how he does it check out what he was
doing when I was only 10 years old:
www.sou.edu/athletics/trackmsr.html.
####
Timothy E writes:
I just read your Screw Shoe presentation and was thoroughly entertained.
The photo of the “assembly line” made me laugh outloud. I was there watching that screwy operation, and it seems funny to see a photo.
I noticed Yvonne’s shoe has screws all over — I have only used them along the perimeter, think I’ll add some to the center.
####
Nancy H writes:
I have to say that Val S. gets a huge star for that tale! Well written for
sure.
####
Rocky Mtn. PBS will be filming the Incline Club over the next month for a
4-5 minute senior magazine show about training and doing the PPA . They’d
like to shoot the group and spotlight 40+ year olds. So if you want to be on
TV be sure to come to the next 4-5 workouts:-)
----
Roger Sa writes:
Plans are to show up, maybe this Sunday and hopefully talk with a few
potential runners, find the talkative ones and those who won’t mind being on
camera. Then maybe the following Sunday strap a camera on and tape some
scenic foot shots and whatever is nice background footage. Then the next
weekend after people have gotten use to me shooting, try to arrange a few
minutes to shoot an interview. All in all this could take 2 to 3 weeks. Then
hopefully in the summer we’ll revisit and get an update. Then in August
shoot some of the race, interview the sore but happy guys and gals. Put this
baby to bed, send copies to all that want one and rest.
Thanks Roger Sajak, KTSC-TV, RMPBS
####
Yvonne C writes:
I would like to share the horrible experience I had last Sunday simply
because it might save someone (newbies, especially) from the same mistake
(even though the way people are masochists in this club, they might do it on
purpose just to see how it feels!)
First and foremost, it was totally my fault ! I know better than that, but even old dogs can forget old tricks...
Here is the bottom line: If in the first 25-50% of your long run you are trotting right along and start noticing people you never ran with before (meaning, people that are usually AHEAD of you by a little or long shot !), WATCH OUT !
One out of 2 things could be happening:
1) You found a new “miraculous” spaghetti recipe that boosts your endurance and speed at the same time allowing you to shave several minutes off your time from LAST week.
2) You are about to meet “Mr. Bonk” in person.
I was trotting right along last Sunday and passed Keith G somewhere on UPT. I was surprised and happy at the same time. “Gee, that 1/2 pound less I weighted in this morning must be paying off.” Keith babbled something about trying to keep his heart rate in control. Yeah, right. He just felt sorry for me and couldn’t find it in himself to tell me to freaking slow down. Then a couple of minutes later Connilee W and Annemarie W pass me ever so slowly (HINT, HINT: they were BEHIND me) that I thought “Hey, I can keep this pace — here it goes — watch me.”
“Hey!” “Isn’t that Glen A.?” “What about that! I never ran with Glen before. Maybe I should SPEED UP a little and catch up with him to say hi.” So I did. Glen did not look like he was having the time of his life. He said he was tired. Oh. No wonder I caught up with him.
See how it worked: Keith was sand bagging, Connilee and Annemarie were just taking it easy (Connilee also gave me the same line about keeping the heart rate in control — she must hang out with Keith...) and Glen was tired so decided to slow down — no problem — I’m fine.
Up Longs Ranch Road we ALL go.
Connilee and Annemarie slowly pulled away. Glen and I kept running the “flatter” initial part of Longs.
“OOOPS!” “What’s that?” “Who increased the length and doubled the % incline of Longs?” “When did that happen??” “Gleeeennnnnnnn!” There went Glen and the next SLEW of people that WALKED past me on Longs Ranch. I lost count how many there were. I was too busy talking to “Mr. Bonk” and wiping the GU off my face (I swear to God my mouth shifted it’s position since the run started.)
Anyway, it was horrible. Teresa T witnessed the misery as I got to the very top of Longs. I could swear she offered to carry me down the trail and I said YES and then she just kept going and going and down Barr Trail she went. I had a lot of time to reflect on my stupidity as I ran down Barr Trail.
Next time you find yourself running with people you never ran with before, think about what you ate the night before. If it was nothing out of the ordinary, chances are you WILL also meet “Mr.Bonk.” But, if you did find that magic recipe, by all means share it with the club!
Thank God I did not see Kelli L out there or I would have had to make an early donation to El Paso Search and Rescue!!!!!
####
Tim A writes:
In case any incliner becomes level headed and run some place flat, I thought
I’d inform everyone that you can now run from Fountain to Monument on a
trail. For those who don’t know, the Monument Valley trail connects to an
El Paso county trail at the south end of the city. I use the term “connects” loosely, as there are a few tricks. First, get off the trail at Nevada. You
will know it is Nevada because there is a little city park with a pavilion
or something. Cross the creek using Nevada. Except for Larry. He can wade
or swim, depending on creek levels. On the south side of the creek, there
is almost a trail. This almost trail is wide enough for several trucks, and
probably has been used that way. You can’t get lost, unless you run up the
Nevada exit ramp off of the highway. Eventually, you will be on a trail.
Occasionally the “trail” is a sidewalk with nothing but stream bed 10 feet
below. Occasionally the trail enters the stream bed, but you never have to
get wet. Except for Larry. There are two really nice bridges over the
creek, preceded by warning signs that the trail is not open because it is
hazardous. These signs occur after the washed out sections. The trail
eventually becomes very nice, with only one other washout portion. That
portion is just after the sewage treatment plants, no they don’t usually
smell, and immediately after Janitell. A runner will have no trouble with
the impromptu trail. A biker might want to hope off. The penalty for a
mistake is an 8 foot fall into the stony stream bed. Especially for Larry.
Afterwards the trail is very well maintained. You more or less follow the
interstate, but there are memorials (to the poor kid who fell off/jumped
off/or pushed off of Circle), golf (fields?), soccer fields, ball fields, a
park in fountain, another sewage treatment plant, a bird sanctuary, etc.
There is a fence at the extreme south end, which I believe is south of
Fountain.
Women might want to run with company. Transients frequent the section from Bijou to Nevada. There is one long trailer park, and a small suburban neighborhood with noisy, but fenced, dogs.
Gotta go.
Sign me,
Tim, wish I had two hamstrings for Christmas, Allison
####
Tim E writes:
I have a friend, Ulli Kamm, who is putting an event on next summer in
September. It is a group oriented ultra hike. The idea is for a small
group of people (about 12) to start and finish a 125 mile hike along the
Continental Divide together is 62 hours. He is looking for people with
good team spirit that have strong ultra endurance or mountaineering
experience. I participated in his Peak to Peak 62 test event last
summer and it was an outstanding but very tough experience. I will be
helping out along the second half of the Peak to Peak 125 next summer.
Please pass this on to anyone you think may be interested.
Here is his web page: www.ultrawalk.com. It is complete with a course description, photos, links to web pages about the course area, and other very interesting information.
####
R Reports:
December 3, 2000 Rock Canyon Half Marathon, Pueblo Colorado
Jamie M reports:
I needed something to get me motivated, to get me up. The season was over.
I’d done the Peak Marathon, my goal for the year. I was idling.
Last year I did the Rock Canyon Half Marathon only because I had such a terrible experience at the Colorado Marathon in Cherry Creek. (It was cold, unsupported, and my it band forced me to accept the “Finish” sign (of the half marathon) with relief.)
This year was different from the start. I finished the Gazette’s crossword puzzle sitting in my car with the heater on, (ability to finish difficult crossword puzzles has always been my astrologic substitute of good or bad fortune), just before the starting gun.
As others have told, the course was different, a bit more hilly than last year. However, there was still a lot of concrete or hard stuff. Unlike Larry Miller, I never did feel as though I could wax poetic about the course, but it did turn out to be a nice day, (after the first hour.)
Okay, so don’t prolong this story. It’s just an “R” that you’re trying to get.
The highlight of my race was this big kid who seemed to be running at about the same slow speed as me. I tried to out-fox him with speed ups and so forth to no avail. Finally, at about mile 11, I decided to pull up alongside him and say, “Hi, I seem to be shadowing you, or vice versa.” He laughed. A senior at the Air Force Academy, he was doing it because his girl friend goaded him into it. He’d never done longer than 10 miles before. I got so into chatting with this guy that I forgot I was in a race.
Guess that can happen, right?
####
WWW Post:
12/17/2000 It’s a club Record! 58 people showed today for the Ute/Longs
Ranch Road Loop. It was amazing seeing that many people heading up Ruxton!
The weather was great and so were some of the newbies that came out to join
the club. Because 2 weeks ago about 10 people went sub two hours we added
Bob’s Road to the LRR loop. For many this was their fist time on the road
and a couple thought they were lost until they hit the Barr Trail and
realized they were going to live to run another day:-) The top spot on the
workout board now belongs to Brenda C. Such is that consistency of this year
’s group that the previous leader fell a whopping 38 spots after missing
today’s run. Lastly, 19 of us met for bagels after the run.
####
Go out hard, when it hurts speed up...
Matt Carpenter
www.skyrunner.com
Top | Previous | Next | 2001 Index | Newsletter Index