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Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2001 4:27 PM
Subject: Incline Club V5 LR #8
Wow, I forgot how hard the Waldo/LRR loop was! One person even asked if we are starting it earlier this year to which the answer is no. However it IS longer because we start and end at Soda Springs Park and also the ice detour adds a little. In 2 weeks we will be doing a shorter version of the loop to go over Rocky Mountain to the top of the Incline then use the Incline shortcut to get down to the Barr Trail. This should bring it back down to the 2.5-3.5 range and avoid the NO NAME ICE RINK totally. Remember, if you can’t keep the runs in the current 2.5-3.5 range you need to think about doing shorter loops. For example one option for those stuck in “No Mans Land (one loop too short but both is too long)” would be to go up to the loop intersection of Waldo and turn around and then head over and up LRR. On that note, it was great to see several people who had been doing out/back runs making all of Waldo for the first time this year:-)
####
Sunday, January 14, 8 a.m. meet at Soda Springs Park.
Run up the Barr Trail and turn left at the 1/2 mile to Barr Camp sign and
head 1.25 miles over to Mountain View by the COG. Return but at .8 miles
from Mountain View turn left and up to get to Barr Camp. Run down the Barr
Trail to finish the run. 2.5-3.5 hours. If it would take longer skip
Mountain View and head to Barr Camp only.
####
Michael S writes:
Hmmmmm.....lemmee see....lots of suffering, little or no oxygen, steeper
then he## inclines (no...not THAT incline anymore) and suffering till the
blood and lactic acid start oozing out of your quadricep pores...
WHY WOULDN’T I WANT TO JOIN?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? (Please don’t call 911 for an emergency pysch. eval, it’s already been done. Lack of Oxygen HAS done major damage.)
Sign Me Up!!!
####
Connilee W writes:
I am going for a running streak this year... so count me in with other folks
who are trying to run every day in 2001. Here’s another question about ‘*’s
for you — the Boston Marathon is on a Monday. Since Sunday is a travel day
TO this race (as opposed to FROM a Saturday out-of-town race), will it count
for an ‘R’?
(Matt C adds: Out of state Monday races count too:-)
####
Keith G writes:
Just wanted to let you know I have run every day this year and plan
to keep the streak going as long as possible... I even had to force
myself to get out one night at 11:40pm and get my minimum (1.5 mile) run in.
I will keep you posted as to the status of my streak.
####
Larry M writes:
I got to the run 15 minutes late and then on the first hill I cut a finger
and got an inch long piece of wood stuck in my leg — called it quits and
left!
(Matt C writes: Larry sent me a photo of the piece of wood next to a tape measure — it was slightly over an inch!)
####
Andy D writes:
Andy D, Levi B, and a newbie named Chad S ran the Waldo Canyon-Longs Ranch
Road Loop today. We had to run this today because we will all be out of
town this weekend. If you will give us a star great, but if not I just
wanted you to know that we ran.
(Matt C adds: Andy got 11th in the PPA last year and is setting his sights on the top 10. Suffice as to say I am impressed with the dedication of these three. No “*&##148;s for Friday runs however.)
####
James L writes:
I was curious if anybody ran the double loop with a gps this weekend or if
you know the approximate distance of that run. It was indeed a lung buster
on lrr, good thing I had mike f pushing me along. See you Sunday.
(Matt C adds: With some rounding I would say SSP to UPT .75, UPT 2.75, UPT to Waldo .5, Waldo 7, LRR 4, NN to SSP 3.75 for about 18.75 with a highpoint of 9,165’ but again that is just shooting out #s really fast. Anybody else care for a stab at the #s?)
####
Connilee writes:
Keith G and I were running the same pace — both slowing to the demands of
our heart rate monitors for last Sunday’s run. Keith, always being the
adventurous one, mentioned he was going to try out a new trail....somewhere
off of Waldo Canyon, head towards Cascade, somehow hook back up with Longs
Ranch Road and then finish the IC protocol by heading back down Barr Trail.
A warning to all other IC’ers: When Keith says he is going to ‘try’ a new
trail...be prepared that it could be more than you bargained for! We ran
the beginning of the Waldo Loop with the rest of the club. After heading in
the clockwise direction at the fork in the trail, we took a sharp left
(instead of a sharp right) partway around the lollipop to head towards
Cascade. Right off the bat, I noticed some rather large animal footprints.
Keith had already been taunting me with mountain lion stories from the week
before, but guaranteed me that the tracks were those of a large dog
(something about the tracks having toenails and mountain lions having none).
Keith was directing our course with the use of the toy Santa brought him -
his new GPS. We were able to stay on the trail for quite some time even
though the high-tech toy told us we were in the wrong place. After about 30
minutes of running and still not finding the ‘correct’ trail, Keith muttered
something about not uploading all the (satellite?) points and put the GPS
away. Now, we were free to follow trails and roads into the sunny side of
Cascade. Now keep in mind this was the first Sunday with my new ‘screw’
shoes. And when I say we ran on roads I really mean it. After not having
much luck finding the trails on the GPS, we decided it was probably better
to run down Hwy 24 back to the Waldo crossover than have search and rescue
(or worse yet, Matt) have to come out and find us on a vague connector trail
to Long’s Ranch Road! So Keith, myself and my screw shoes found ourselves
running east on the west bound lane of Hwy 24. Oh the beauty of the
highways...as the rest of you were watching the glistening snow and admiring
the peaceful, blue Colorado sky, Keith and I were listening to metal on
pavement (remember the screw shoes?), inhaling exhaust, and jumping to the
side of the road to save our lives! The highlight of this leg of the trip
was when a semi (the first of three) headed up the road in the lane closest
to us. Keith, always being the gentleman, pushed me ahead of him and slowed
his own pace, I think, hoping that if one of the semi’s got out of control,
I would slow the vehicle down before it hit him! (Keith’s own explanation
is as follows: “I ran behind you because 1) I am slow and I was tired and 2)
I wanted to protect you from traffic coming down the mountain that may jump
across the lanes and hit us from behind.”) Like I said, chivalry at it’s
best...
We finally made it back down to the Waldo crossing. At this point we realized we’d been running for over 2 and a half hours and that we’d probably approach four hours or so total if we tried to get up to the top of Long’s Ranch Road and back down Barr. So we decided to head back via Ute Pass Trail. Ordinarily, the UPT is not the most welcome site at the end of a long run. This day, however, it was just glorious to be back on trail again! Better yet, we knew exactly where this trail would take us! As we were jogging along, I noticed a pair of Oakley’s laying in the trail. They looked fairly new and low and behold, they were intact! After my own sunglass adventures this season, I followed through on my promise to myself and all ICers....to pick up anything I find on the trail for safe transport back to the park where, chances are, a fellow ICer can retrieve their belongings. I picked up the sunglasses and Keith and I continued on. A few minutes later, Yvonne came running up (yes in the OPPOSITE direction she should have been going at that time of day)...looking for her sunglasses....which were returned to her intact! :) (See, the new rule is paying off already!). Keith, Yvonne and I finished the run....coming in at about 3 hours 15 minutes. Not too bad considering all the day’s adventures.
(Yvonne C adds: If you see Matt C or Keith G with a GPS be prepared to run — in the OTHER direction away from those two!)
####
Saturday stuff:
Kirk M writes:
Tell Mike P. to visit with Robert R. and me regarding Sunday runs. Robert
and I both race R/C cars together on Sundays starting in late March, and
can’t make the Sunday runs. I planned to “shadow” the IC runs on Saturday
morning from March to August. I haven’t asked Robert if he’d like to join
me, since he’s been out of commission with pneumonia, but I figured he’d
probably be up for it, since I know he wants to run his first PP Marathon
this year, and would not want to miss all those summer long runs. Only
small glitch is I don’t know what kind of pace Mike runs, but Robert and I
are real slow...
----
Lindsey R writes:
I’m not inclined to “lead” Saturday runs, since I prefer Sundays for the
larger group and general family non-interference. However, some weekends,
such as tomorrow, I will run Saturday because of a conflicting family event
on Sunday.
We could certainly publicize that as an unofficial policy, people will meet at the same time on Saturday, same place, same run as Sunday. That way at least some of us can get together on an adhoc basis. Whether to make it official “*” could come later if you decide it warrants it. We would need a designated recorder of names, but that’s about all. If people want a different time they’re on their own. Keep it simple.
----
Tim A writes:
I would like to start running Saturdays with other incliners, if that is
possible. Sheila has changed her work schedule so that I don’t have to be
home until noon. I would be comfortable sending out emails, but since I am
severely name impaired, I doubt I should run it.
----
Marilyn T writes:
I am interested in doing the Saturday AM run whenever one gets going:) Are
other trails within the city an option?
####
Tim E writes:
Carrying-on a nearly 80 year tradition for New Years, a carefully selected
team of mountain climbers makes the 13 mile trek to the summit of
Pikes Peak. From 14,110’ they celebrate the new year with a fabulous
fireworks display that has been reportedly seen in Kansas, New
Mexico and Wyoming.
Each year a new member is added to this elite group, thus the name AdAmAn Club.
Seems easy? Consider this: the last three miles (and 3,000 vertical feet) are above treeline, a frigid rocky environment that looks like moonscape scattered with snowfields. With sub-zero temps during high winds, the climbers forge through life-threatening conditions. Success is a team effort: one for all; all for one. Interestingly, they seem to enjoy the entire journey.
This year was my lucky chance: I was called-upon to climb as a guest, filling an unexpected vacancy. The invitation made my heart race with excitement.
Day one took us to rustic Barr Camp (NO electricity) at 10,200 ft. After AdAmAn activities we enjoyed a fabulous spaghetti dinner prepared by Barr Camp residents, a meal that somehow rivals many an expensive restaurant. Ahhh, the ambience!
Day two started with a wonderful 7am pancake breakfast prepared by our gracious hosts. After photos, the club pressed onward toward the summit. A brisk morning (20 degrees F), the sky was a gorgeous blue and no wind. Yet.
At treeline the group used mirrors (each hiker carries one) to signal “we’re OK” to family and friends in Colorado Springs. I found it interesting to see the flashes of many mirrors in town, sending beams of sunlight up the mountain to us. Some of these mirrors looked HUGE!
Then the environment became much colder. The wind gusts were strong and ultra-frigid. After lunch break, I dug into my pack to retrieve my ultra heavy-duty winter clothing.
When an occasional whirlwind came upon us, some of the group captured the snow-filled twister’s excitement on film. One such whirlwind caught me offguard: blew me right over. ...my pack cushioned my fall, and I was helped onto my feet by fellow climbers. It was actually kind-of fun!
We made it to the summit just as the sun dropped below the vast Sangre De Cristo Range, providing a gorgeous silhouette to end the day. The club’s cooks were there to greet us with a warm building and great food and drink. We ate to our hearts content.
At 9pm a sequence of five colorful fireworks is set off to honor the original “frozen five” climbers who started this tradition in 1922. At midnight I was impressed by a most beautiful high altitude fireworks demonstration, then we packed all the goods and were shuttled down via the highway by a daring four-wheel-drive club with many vehicles.
I think I enjoyed every moment and hope to be asked to climb with the AdAmAn Club again.
####
“R” reports:
January 7, 2001
Swift Skedaddle Snowshoe 10K & 3K , Copper Mountain, Colorado
Doug L reports:
IC members know that the distance of a trail race often is not a good
indicator of difficulty; the same is true in snowshoe races. The fact that
the winning time was just under one hour tells you this was not a fast
course, no matter the mode of propulsion. Then there is the issue of what
really was the race distance. I am not sure how one measures a single-track
course through deep snow that twists and turns, rises and falls through the
forest. According to Danelle (race director) the 10K was probably closer to
9K and the 3K may have been over 4K. Additionally there is no way to add
distance for the extra effort required when one steps off the “trail” and
flounders and falls in the really deep powder. So I am putting 10K in my
logbook.
The event itself was great. Yes, the course was really tough, but it was fun! There were about 100 runners (guess that would be shoers). Given the narrow single-track course, hockey rules were employed for passing; I saw some checks that would make Adam Foote proud ;-) Seriously, passing was not a problem, sooner or later someone would take a “bad” step, get stuck in the powder and let others go around them. There were several places where the best way to get from point A to point B was sliding on your butt, it was better than Elitches! It was a beautiful, sunny day but that did not stop the hands and feet from getting cold after awhile. The post race awards included drawings for lots of stuff, including a pair of Tubbs Snowshoes.
The next Swift Skedaddle Snowshoe race is February 18, in Frisco. There are other snowshoe races most every weekend. PPRR recently added a calendar of snowshoe events to their web page - check it out and go do some unique, fun cross training.
happy TRAILS (be they dirt or snow)
----
January 1, 2001
New Years Resolution Run - 10 miles on dirt and horse trails, Auburn,
California
Keith and Kenn L report:
I spent my Christmas/New Years in Sacramento, CA. I thought I would briefly
tell you about a race I ran on Monday, the 1st (“R"??). I checked the
Buffalo Chips Running Club site prior to going west and found a first annual
New Years Resolution Run in Auburn — about 20 miles east of Sacramento, in
the Sierra foothills. The race was a 10M, with a 5K and 10K also available.
There was a total of about 50 runners, with only 10 total doing the 10M. My
son, Kenn L, and I did the 10M and my daughter the 10K. We started at about
1500’ elevation and they ran us down into the American River Canyon and back
up, twice, on long loops. Great scenery with most of the course on dirt,
horse trails. Yep, had to cooperate with the equestrians, who were all quite
polite and accommodating. When you came up on a horse, you do tend to slow,
stay back about 5’, and wait until they ok your passing. I’m guessing the
elevation gain/loss was about the same as the Garden of the Gods 10M.
Actually felt like more, buy you know how that is... How did I do?? Well...
just a bit over 8min/mile which was “OK” for me on a hilly course, but near
the end of the small pack of runners for the 10mile race. I had hoped to
kick some flatlander butt, but... next year... One difference, in addition t
o the low elevation, was the 80-100% humidity — I like the dry, thin air
here! So, nice course, small race, and most of you much faster ICers would
win it all!
####
WWW post:
1/7/2001 A big group — 51 people — headed out for the first long run of the
new year. We extended the length of the run by combining the Waldo and Longs
Ranch Road loops. Climbing up LRR after Waldo is always an eye opener, or
rather a lung buster. Those that had been doing out/backs also increased the
length or their runs with several making the whole Waldo loop for the first
time! Bottom line that is what it is all about — going faster and farther no
matter what the level. The temperature seemed colder than it was thanks to
the humidity but Mr. Sun saved the day. 15 of us met for bagels and just as
we were leaving 5 more came in to make it a cool 20 — a club PR for the
year:-)
####
Go out hard, when it hurts speed up...
Matt Carpenter
www.skyrunner.com
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