Dances With Dirt--Devil's Lake

Ran the full marathon ++ of this one yesterday up in Baraboo, WI. DWD, Hell, MI is one I've wanted to do, but Baraboo being closer to IL made this an easier commitment. They advertise the DWD races as "insane terrain," and while is there is a smattering of truth in the marketing, there are runnable spots here. Still, make no mistake this is a tough course.

The early section is a nice steady uphill which eventually crosses a glacial deposit area, meaning rocks and lots of them. There is some really nice single track until you get to about 10 miles, where it's straight up I'd guess about 600-700 feet on rocky trail to the ridge overlooking Devil's Lake. There are some big, more steady climbs after this, then about a two mile bushwhacking section right around 12 miles.

While the trail is marked with ribbon, it is a bit confusing, as you have white, pink, and blue ribbons depending on the course you're running. The turns also aren't marked well and if you're looking down it's easy to go off course. I veered off course after the Steinke Basin aid station and stupidly didn't backtrack soon enough, adding two plus miles to the 'thon. The turn wasn't marked well, but then again, I should have been looking up. Ended up getting a bit dehydrated and draining my bottles before I realized my error. Finally made it to Tower aid station with 2.7 left and ended up hammering it home sheerly from being pissed off about going off trail. Word after the race was that I wasn't the only person who did this by a long shot.

My finish time was somewhere around 5:50, good for 8th place overall and 3rd place age group. 8th sounds impressive, but overall there were only around 30 some thoners. They had around 150 half thon and then a pretty good crowd of 50k and 50 mile. 50 k was an option, but didn't want to plunk down the extra 40 bucks for 5 more miles. As it stands 28+ miles is going down in my book as an ultra finish anyway.

I would recommend this race. Not being a skier, I didn't know the area was so cool. The race starts right at Devil's Head ski area and I think the 50 k course concludes up on the trails around the top of the "mountain." The only possible drawbacks are A. You have to really watch the markings or not be as dumb as I am. It is possible in spots to lose the course. B. A few spots are unrunnable bushwhacking through off woods terrain. If you are for some reason racing or running this for time, that could be annoying. I just thought it was fun. C. There wasn't a lot of grub postrace. Again, a minor complaint. On the positive side, the park is really gorgeous, the aid stations are great, and the shirt is one of the best I've gotten from a race.

There aren't too many better ways to spend a Saturday.

Colorado 2009

This trip wasn't about me and my running addiction. Despite my uncharacteristic selflessness, I still managed some nice runs in the foothills. No San Juans this time around, unfortunately. I did get in a nice eight mile trail run at Red Rock Canyon in Colo. Springs. This park is the stepsister to Garden of the Gods. Heartily recommended if you want a less touristy place to run. I was out there at 6 am on a weekday and saw no other humans on the entire run.


Other runs were on the Pikes Peak Greenway trail, paved but a nice course along the creek in north Springs. Highlands Ranch is cookie cutter suburban, BUT they do have an awesome open space trail that rises up to Castle Rock Rd. and gives a great view of all the 14ers off in the distance. Put in 8 and 7 miles here, respectively. We drove partially up the road to Evans out of Idaho Springs to fish a trout pond, but no runs.

Next year: San Juans hopefully, Leadville thon' possibly, somewhere else cool. I'd still love to attempt the pack burro race at Fairplay.

Devil's Lake

I decided to sign up for the Dances with Dirt, Devil's Lake marathon version in July. I've wanted to do the DWD Michigan for quite a while, but never made it up that way. DWD DL is in Baraboo, Wi, a relatively close drive and should be a fun course. There are ultra versions of the race which I'm opting out of for a marathon training run type thing.

Preparation has gone relatively well. I've managed to get in several runs close to four hours out at Farmdale and some nice distance during-the-week road runs. I should peak this week for the season so far at about 60 miles, high stuff in my world. Will be in Colorado next week and already have some trail runs lined up, although there is little doubt that mileage will be down since this is a family vacation after all. Still, mountains are mountains.

Rite of Spring/J-Church

Yeesh, my legs are still tired a month after McN. Tired legs on the trail and a spring tradition.

Sunshine, seventy and no humidity dictated that I just had to get out to Farmdale the other afternoon for a few miles. It's the heat, stupid. It wasn't that hot, yet those first few long runs in warmer temps require the body to adjust. This means drink, drink, drink, hydrate, hydrate. I know this, same routine every spring, and yet I didn't drink enough. First two hours were great, hour three honestly sucked. My legs suddenly went south, I knew I was dehydrated. Ran into Dexter toward the end of my run and from 20 yards out thought he was Mike Klop. Was shot for the rest of the day. Still, you know, they say two outta three ain't bad. I'll take two good hours and one crappy one on the trails over no trails at all any day.

Oh, I made up for it last night with an awesome midnight run in the cool air and J-Church on the Ipod.

Speaking of J-Church...if you like pop punk, these guys are oen of my favorites. Be warned, very politically tinged stuff, but in a situationist, personal way, not dogmatic. Lance Hanh's songs are like reading journal entries. Really great, catchy stuff. J-Church was also one of the most prolific rock bands of all time.

Look:

http://www.j-church.com/records/singles.html
http://www.j-church.com/records/albums.html
http://www.j-church.com/records/splitsingles.html

I nearly went broke in the mid 90's trying to keep with collecting all of their 7" vinyl singles. If you're interested, I'd rate their studio albums in descending order of greatness as follows (but they're all really, really good):

Quetzlcoatl
The Drama of Alienation
Camels, Spilled Corona and the Sound of Mariachi Bands
Prophylaxis
Arbor Vitae
One Mississippi
Society is a Carniverous Flower
also, Nostalgic for Nothing is a great singles collection.

One of the best live shows I ever did see.

RIP Lance

PS: Oh how I wish I was doing Berryman this weekend.

Laurent Fignon

Screw Lance Armstrong. Laurent Fignon is my guy. My memory of cycling goes back into the 80's when Professor Fignon was dueling with Greg Lemond on summer afternoons on network tv. We'd immediately head out on our weighty ten speeds and have tour de neighborhood. Is it weird to admit that I still sometimes fantasize about being the Prof. when pedaling up a grueling hill on a "BIKE RIDE?" Ok, that is kind of weird.

Which brings me to me my point.

I just don't get the whole "CYCLING" thing. Last week I cracked out the bike while nursing a slightly tweaked toe. Still needing some sort of physical activity, figured I'd CYCLE for a bit. My bike needs an "I'd rather be frickin' running" fender sticker.

Before I took off I told myself I'd: A. keep it in the highest gear B. never take my butt off the seat C. Take the route around E-town with the most hilly sort of things.

So I did that for an hour and you know what? I still didn't feel it was a workout. It was a nice BIKE RIDE, a way to break a slight sweat and see the world a bit differently for an hour, but it wasn't much in terms of CYCLING or what felt to me like exercise. Why? Here's what I can come up with:

-My bike is old and heavy. A 10 year old Specialized hybrid bike. I like it, but it's a bit clunky, sits upright, and I'm sure it's not a real CYCLING bike. The whole gear head CYCLIST/Triathlete scene just isn't for me. If I had 2 g to drop on a bike, maybe I'd feel more Lance-ish.

-Hills. Yeah, they go up, great, my quads feel it a bit, but what about down? Coasting ain't a workout it's...coasting. You can pedal all you want to give the illusion of exercise, but coasting is coasting and it's easy. Pfft.

-Spandex. I don't wear it unless it's Under Armour under da' shorts on a long run. You can't be a real CYCLIST without spandex. Science and God both say so.

-Gears. They make CYCLING easy. It's like cheating, and I'm not down with that.

My heart may still be with Laruent-- he's forever cooler than that corporate ho, Lance--and I'll still invoke his name while grinding my way up that quarter mile climb on 117 (Woodford Alps), but bet your $5000 tri bike it will be on a BIKE RIDE and not while CYCLING.