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Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 4:06 PM
Subject: Incline Club V8 LR #10
Hi ICers,
And just like that — another month goes by! Just as a reminder as we enter the time of year where there are lots of temperature variations to watch for ICE on the trails! Yesterday on the Ws of the Barr Trail there was as much ice as I have ever seen. I may even be breaking out my own Screwshoes soon: http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm Screwshoes even got a mention in the latest Trail Runner magazine!
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A couple of notes about your e-mail addresses and what I do to protect them as far as privacy, spam and viruses. I bring this up because I was amazed at the number of virus infested e-mails I got this week and spam, well, SUCKS!!!
Privacy, spam and virus protection:
-- Your e-mail address is not displayed on the club website — EVER! I am amazed at the number of club sites out there that list their members and their e-mails!?!? Spambots eat that up:-( Further, your e-mail address is not given out when people contact you via the club site. The only way for someone to get your address as it relates to the club is if you reply to them after they contact you from the club site.
-- I no longer list e-mail addresses is the club newsletter if I can substitute a link to use the club contact form. For non club members I will post an e-mail address to the newsletter if it is given for contact info but it will not be posted when the newsletter gets archived to the site. I am also in the process of going through the 8 years of archives and removing any e-mail addresses that people put in the club newsletters in the past.
Virus protection:
-- I do not keep club member e-mail addresses in my address book. If I get a virus (so far I have never got one, but it could happen) there is no way for it to get to you. However I know for a fact that my e-mail address has been spoofed before so always be smart about opening attachments even from people you know! It may be obvious but most spam and viruses do not actually come from who is listed in the from line.
Bottom line: I consider it an honor that you are a part of the Incline Club:-) As such, a lot of work has been done to keep your e-mail addresses out of the hands of others!!!
Finally, while on the subject, YOU control your Incline Club account, not I. If you want to change your e-mail address or remove yourself from the club database please do so on the club site from the membership page: http://www.inclineclub.com/membership.asp. A reminder of this will now be added towards the end of every newsletter.
Of course that same membership page is also where you create or update your “about me” pages. Hint, hint;-)
See you Sunday!
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NEXT RUN:
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Sunday, Feb. 1, 8:00am — Memorial Park
Run out the UPT and take a right and head over to do the Waldo Canyon loop in the clockwise direction (it is safer running ice on the way up). Then do Longs Ranch Road taking the J-pipe short-cut. 2.5-3.5 hours, if it would be longer do just one of the two. See maps! http://www.inclineclub.com/maps.htm
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ICers WRITE:
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A newbie ICer writes:
I just wanted to get your opinion about the safety issue of mountain lions and trail running (especially G of G and Barr Trail). I always read the articles about runners getting attacked. Is it a concern in these areas and if so what can I do to be safer when out trail running?
(Matt C Adds: You “always” read about attacks because by their very nature the stories are sensational and make great headlines. However, actual stats show that they are EXTREMELY rare and I do not even worry about it. That being said, yes, there are mountain lions in our area. In fact, two Sundays ago Andy Dimmen and I saw some huge mountain lion tracks on one of the side trails of Barr Trail. However as much time as I have spent on the trails in the area I have never seen an actual mountain lion. I imagine plenty have seen me though:-O
As far as being safe, if you are going to let in concern you I would just run with someone.
I did not spend a lot of time looking (you can if you want) but here are some stats I found on the web. Clearly these should show you that it is really pretty rare (even if you account for any attacks that have happened since the date of these stats).
--There have been only two deaths ever in Colorado from lion attacks: a 10-year-old Lakewood boy during a hike in 1997 in Rocky Mountain National Park and an 18-year-old man in 1991 who was jogging near Idaho Springs. There have been only five previously recorded attacks in the state, according to the division of wildlife. (Denver Post, 5/1/98, B-01)
--California has had only 13 mountain lion attacks on humans — six of them deadly — in the past 114 years, said state Fish and Game Department biologist Doug Updike.
General Advice About Lion Encounters:
The general advice to avoid being eaten by a mountain lion is to travel in groups. If you encounter a mountain lion by yourself or with your children, stop, make yourself look as big as possible, and pick up small children and put them on your shoulders to make you appear even larger. Aggressively defend your position. The idea is to deter their attack by making them think that it isn’t going to be easy for them. Pick up a branch or a rock to help fight them if needed. They are just big kitty-cats, so you don’t want to appear as smaller prey to them. In particular, running away makes them think you are prey, and will encourage an attack. Yell for help by screaming lion! or something similarly specific rather than just help!.
Do not take your dog with you into the wilderness, if you want to reduce your chances of an attack. According to Banff National Park Chief Warden Ian Syme, “Many people like to take a dog along in the wilderness because it gives them a sense of security. They feel they will be protected from attack. But that’s not the case. Dogs are an attractant in most cases.”
(...and I love this next bit of advice...)
However, you may not have to worry about taking action to prevent an attack, since mountain lions ordinarily either lie hidden, waiting for prey to approach beneath them, or approach unseen, and then attack and kill by a bite to the back of the neck that severs the spinal cord.
(Umm, yea, that one is reassuring;-))
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Sarah Altonen writes (in part):
Thanks for putting out the mail with the easier options. My training has been improving as I have been making sure to at least put the time in even if I am not a speed demon yet. It is starting to catch up and helping me pick up speed slowly.
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Kevin Waters writes (in part):
I like the runs as they are. Each run is great training, but what is really nice is it doesn’t take long to figure out how to make them longer or shorter depending on what you are trying to do that day, or how you feel in the middle of the run. All the runs have a tremendous amount of flexibility in them.
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WWW POSTS:
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1/25/2004 Sun: 91 runners came out to celebrate another successful touchdown on Mars. Well, OK, I am sure most were there to run. Rampart Range Road was in great shape and almost totally clear of snow and ice. The first quarter a mile off of RRR was a little disconcerting because of the semi automatic gunfire flying over our heads from the shooting range. This was as loud as several of us had ever heard it. Williams Canyon was rather icy but Waldo was in pretty good shape. Another great day for sure!
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ACCOUNT SETTINGS:
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To change your e-mail address or unsubscribe from the Incline Club newsletter go here:
http://www.inclineclub.com/membership.asp
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Go out hard, when it hurts speed up...
Matt Carpenter
http://www.skyrunner.com
Incline Club
http://www.inclinclub.com
Barr Trail Mountain Race
http://www.runpikespeak.com
presented by Pikes Peak National Bank
Friends of the Peak
http://www.fotp.com
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