Wyvern Running

This was my fifth finish at Leanhorse and I realize that potential participants read these reports while making decisions about futures races so I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate some of the things I have said in the past.

Jerry, Emily, Chris, Ryan and others I am probably leaving out, simply do a great job putting on a race. This is true whether you are talking about the Leanhorse 100, the Black Hills 100, the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon or Run Crazy Horse. I have run all of these races and they are all great events. There is great attention to detail in all areas. Everyone in the Leanhorse crew is a runner so they have been there, know your needs and meet them.

The planning for these races is meticulous and just as importantly the staff is able to react during the race to take care of unforeseen occurrences. This year was a perfect example of this. A positive course change in 2011 meant that there would be a short bus trip to the 6 A.M start, but the buses did not show up on time. Quick decisions were made by the race staff and unbelievably the race started, the race started on time and to my knowledge everyone made it to the start. What could have been a big problem turned into a complete non-event for the participants.

The Leanhorse 100 is a great run for people doing their first 100 (50K or 50 miler) or for veteran runners. Most of the race is on the Mickelson Trail which is an extremely good running surface. Even this year with no moon, I again ran the entire night with no flashlight. There is no portion of the course that cannot be run, so a strong runner could have an extremely good time on this course and a first timer can have a great shot at a good finish. The aid stations are numerous and well stocked. The course is beautiful and the Black Hills area of South Dakota is a wonderful travel destination. In addition to the great race you can visit an area with a lot of history and enjoy the scenery of The Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, and the Crazy Horse monument.

Hope to see you here next year!

Jim Newton

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Leanhorse is a gem of a race tucked away in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. You have the choice of a 50K, 50-mile or a 100-mile course. Whether you are an experienced ultra runner or someone who is ready to take the step to the next level, one of these races needs to be on your list for 2010.

The 50K and 50 mile course both start and end at the Mueller Center in Hot Springs SD while participants in the 50K are bused to the their start. This was a change for 2009 to allow them an opportunity to do the majority of their miles on the Mickelson Trail before running the final miles on the hills of the Argyle Road and in the city.

For the 50 and 100, race can be broken into three distinct segments. The first miles wind through the city of Hot Springs, into a wide meadow before emptying onto Argyle Road at mile. Argyle is a series of rolling hills on a wide dirt road with almost no traffic. At mile 16 you exit Argyle and the remainder of the run is on the Mickelson Trail. The trail is wide and has an extremely good running surface of very small gravel. The trail is a railroad bed so while there are some climbs, the grade change if gradual and very runable. You continue out 34 miles and the trail then run back to Mueller Center.

I will repeat myself; Leanhorse should be on your list for 2010. Jerry Dunn does an extremely good job organizing and directing the race. This is my fourth year at Leanhorse and I have yet to be aware of any problems with organization, aid or the course. There is a fully stocked aid station approximately every five miles. The volunteers at the stations do a wonderful job. The town of Hot Springs is very supportive. Like last year the prerace dinner is hamburgers, sausage, beans, chips and cookies prepared by local civic groups. Unlike last year there were wonderful bowls of homemade salads and other dishes that added a lot to the meal. There is more food at the finish and also the opportunity to get a professional massage. Another nice touch is a two-day full service expo that provides access to lots of hard to find accessories and a place to purchase last minute or forgotten items. If all that were not enough, Jerry also has the help of his beautiful wife Elaine who is also a very experienced runner and the race director of the Leading Ladies Marathon. (Jerry’s other race is the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon held in early June and would be a great training run for Leanhorse.

My personal experience this year was vastly different from my previous finishes. This year proved that no matter how experienced you are you can still make errors in judgment. It was warm this year and although I love the heat, recently it has begun to bother me. I knew this and was extremely conservative right from the start. I ran early on in the cool of the morning, but backed off as the temperature rose. I did well. Drank a lot. Ate enough. Had clear urine. Stopped at all aid stations to put ice in my cap and soak my shirt. I felt great and knew that the cool of the evening would let me make up time.

At about mile 40, just as you pass the Crazy Horse Monument, you begin an almost 10 mile downhill section to the 50 mile turn around. That coincided with the sun going under the horizon and when the sun left I saw my chance to make up lost ground. I ran a good pace for most of those 10 miles. Unfortunately, even though it felt cooler it was still warm. I went by the final aid station at 49.5 miles, made the turn around and back to that station at 50.5 miles. At that point I should have sat down, cooled, hydrated, eaten and gathered myself for the night.

I felt great and saw this as the time to do some steady running and have a good finish. 13.5 hours down, over half finished and I had 16.5 hours if I needed them. So off I went. The next aid station is at mile 55 but at mile 54 I realized that I did not feel so good and as I reached for one of my water bottles, I realized that both were still full which was not a good sign. By the time I got to 55 I was not feeling well at all. I sat, put my head in my hands, saw stars, felt nauseated, fought that, gave in to that, nothing there, dry heaves, tried to stand and could not walk, shivering.

So looking back I should have regrouped at 50 and even at 55. I could have taken an hour, hydrated, fueled and had a nice conservative finish. Maybe not 25 hours like two years ago, maybe not 27 like last year, maybe probably 29 and still a solid finish, but as the saying goes, fatigue makes cowards of us all. The little voice on one shoulder said you can’t finish, you might die on the trail, you are sick, you have no fuel, you are severely dehydrated, you can’t do 45 more miles, just get in the car like a sane person and go to the hotel, take a hot shower and crawl into bed. The voice on the other shoulder did not say a word. Ken is right. It haunts you when you quit. When you are weak and give up.

So I learned some things. I learned even with a lot of experience you can still make big mistakes. You can forget how it feels to walk away. I learned that I am not 25 years old and I need to leave a little of my competitiveness behind. I need to know that a finish is a win. I need to be smarter. AND I need to take the pledge. IF I AM IN A RACE I WILL QUIT FOR ONLY TWO REASONS. I WILL QUIT IF I AM FORCED OUT BY NOT MAKING A CUTOFF AND I WILL POSSIBLY QUIT IF I AM IN NEED OF PARAMEDICS. Otherwise, I will rest, sleep, eat and generally do what it takes to regroup and move on.

See you at the finish in 2010.

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2009 Leading Ladies Marathon

Coming back from injury, I decided to walk the half marathon event in the 2009 Leading Ladies Marathon. This race has a touch of class at the hand of race director Elaine Doll-Dunn. The race packet included yummy chocolates. You also get to choose a rock, because “you rock” and a star because “you are a star.” The host hotel is the Spearfish Holiday Inn and convention center. The packet pick up and Expo takes place in the convention center.

There is a pre-race pasta dinner, right there in the hotel as well.

It’s advertised as all downhill. I have to admit, it really IS all downhill. The course is on a twisty windy road in beautiful Spearfish Canyon SD. The road is not much traveled in the early hours of the morning, and in general, traffic was not an issue as we made our way down. I repeat, this course is beautiful! Even the weather was beautiful.

It was a cool start. About 49 degrees,(daytime high of 72 gentle breeze ) and there is a bit of elevation as well, around 5000 feet. There were some low clouds hanging in the mountains. After the start, you rarely notice the chill, but wearing gloves was a good idea. As the sun begins to rise above the canyon walls the scenery awakens around you. Lovely wildflowers line both sides of the road. Across the road is a lovely river that meanders down the canyon with you. The full marathon is treated to 2 waterfalls, tin the half you still see beautiful Bridal Veil Falls. Beautiful trees and the ever changing canyon walls make the time go by quickly. Before I knew it I was at mile 11 lamenting the fact that the end was near! Soon after, there was a quick turn, past a campground and into Spearfish City Park.

The aid stations are all well stocked with oranges and chocolate along with the usual power aid and water. They were every couple of miles and all staffed by handsome men of all ages. J When you hit the finish line, you are handed a rose, a bottle of water and a lemon scented washcloth. Nearby is a table of yummy fruit tarts, pretzels and chocolate. There is a trolley there to whisk you away back to the Spearfish Holiday Inn. Pictures are at Leading Ladies Pictures

Leading Ladies Marathon is a great event. The course is scenic, it is a wonderful area to visit and race is superbly organized and managed. Elaine Doll-Dunn is a very experienced runner and exceptional race director. She is a motivational speaker and author (you’ve GOT to read her books!). This is of course, in addition to her other full time jobs as mother, wife and school guidance counselor . Her husband Jerry Dunn is the race director for other exceptional races in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The other races are the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon (hosted in Deadwood) in early June and the LeanHorse UltraMarathon (Hosted in Hot Springs) in mid August.

Put all three of their races on your calendar for 2010 and we will see you in the Black Hills of South Dakota next summer.

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2008 No Longer the Easiest Hundred Miler

No longer the easiest 100 miler in the country, Leanhorse has evolved into one of the best! There are no oxygen sucking passes, death defying climbs or roped river crossings, but the 13 miles of rolling hills at the beginning and end of the race provide plenty of challenge.

The race headquarters and start/finish is at the Mueller Center in Hot Springs SD. The first miles wind along the Platte River, through about 5 blocks of residential streets and then open fields, before arriving at the Argyle Road around mile 5. Argyle is a wide gravel/dirt road with almost no traffic. After 11 miles on the rolling hills of the Argyle Road, runners arrive on the Mickelson Trail and continue there for another 34 miles (9 for those doing 50 miles) to the turnaround.

The Mickelson Trail provides the perfect venue for the runner looking for a PR or who wants to step up to the 50 or 100-mile distance. It is a wide, cinder trail that provides perfect footing. While there are a couple of long climbs, the trail is on an old railroad bed so the grade never exceeds 3% and the entire course is very runable. This was my third finish at Leanhorse and for the third year I never used my flashlight at night. Even in the moonless part of the evening, the stars provided plenty of ambient light for running on this superb trail.

The race management provides two days for pre-race check in so there is a relaxed atmosphere that gives plenty of time to visit and rest. Unlike most ultras, Leanhorse also has a small, but full service expo that provides opportunity to purchase last minute and hard to find running accessories. Also, in what was a change for 2008, the pre-race dinner was a homemade sausage and buffalo burger feast at the packet pickup area. The food was excellent and the ticket proceeds went to the local Kiwanis Club who prepared the meal.

Leanhorse is a great event. The course is scenic, it is a wonderful area to visit and race is superbly organized and managed. Jerry Dunn and his wife, Elaine Doll-Dunn are both very experienced runners and exceptional race directors. Their other races are the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon in early June and the Leading Ladies Marathon in mid August.
Put all three of their races on your calendar for 2009 and we will see you in Hot Springs next summer.

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Finally beginning to show some progress in healing, yet still unable to run…. A runner friend agreed to review Pacific Crest’s race this year.

Pacific Crest is a wonderful weekend full food, music, shopping and excitement. Then if you have energy left there are plenty of athletic events to choose from. This year I chose the one most familiar to me, the marathon.

The weather always seems to be clear and warm. The marathon is a double loop all run on blacktop trails. About 20 minutes before the start, everyone meets in the village area and there is a short walk to the start. The scenery for the entire loop is rewarding. There are homes, condos, lakes and wildlife to watch. The end of the first loop brings you back through the edge of the village and gives you a good opportunity to wonder why you didn’t just settle for the half.

AA Sports does a great job with all of their races and Pacific Crest is no different. It would be a great event to put on your calendar.

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Still unable to run due to injuries.. I cajoled a running friend to submit this review of Boston

Did you qualify for Boston? What is your Boston time? Have you done Boston?

You get the idea that Boston is the pinnacle of the marathon world. There always seemed to be so much hype about the race that you had to feel that it was overrated and actually running the race would be a let down. Not so.

There is plenty to read about the history of the race, racing strategies and the like but in a word, being there and running the race is fun. The first thing that struck me was the immense amount of organization that it took to get so many people to the starting line and then taking care of them for a couple of hours until the race actually began. I was surprised by the huge tents to house the runners at the high school in Hopkinton. I was surprised by the barricades and police as we walked the four blocks to the starting line although as I looked around for a last spot to relieve myself it was evident as to their purpose. I was amazed by the continuous wall of runners for the entire 26.2 miles and was not disappointed at the crowd support. It was all that I had heard before the race and then some. My only surprise during the race was Heartbreak Hill which didn’t seem that great an obstacle and I have encountered hills in many other races that are much worse.

My thoughts at actually “doing Boston” was that it was something to cross of the list, something everyone should do once, but now having now done it, I find that I really want to go again. It lived up to all of the hype and now I need to qualify again!

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Well.. due to some injuries, I’ve been temporarily (I hope) unable to run. However, I have nagged some running friends into writing some reviews…. please enjoy.

February in Birmingham can bring any type of weather so come prepared. Mercedes is a great race and very well organized. Best of all, if you are a finisher, you have a chance to walk away with a new Mercedes as well as a finishers medal.

Several runs at Mercedes have lest me with some vivid memories of the race and the weekend. First, is the friendliness of the Birmingham police as the provide traffic control on the course. Maybe this is just a reflection of the friendliness of the entire area, but it is something that gets your attention. I even stopped and asked one of the officers if they were briefed to be extra courteous during the event and was assured that this was not the case.

Hill. I have run two different courses and the hallmark of both was a hill that just seemed to go on and on and on. The most recent version has the hill coming late in the race, but it was still runnable and when you get to the top, all of downtown is in view and as the saying goes, then it is all downhill.

The last impression I have is of the post race food and beer. They put on quite a party at the end and I would heartily recommend both the race and the post race party to anyone looking for a February marathon

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The Helvetia half marathon was as usual a 1st class event from Paula Harkin (AKA www.runwith paula.com). This even begins at the Hillsboro stadium on a relatively flat course, then heads north of hwy 26 into the hills. The middle of this race is fairly hilly, before getting back down to the flats before the finish. The lovely scenery takes one’s mind off the aching quads. The weather promised to be dry and perfect. The weather lied a bit. It wasn’t long before runners were greeted with first a light sprinkle, then a heavier sprinkle. I didn’t find the rain terribly daunting, there weren’t big puddles, but eventually the shoes did get wet anyway. It didn’t dampen our spirits and we were all happy half marathon finishers, afterwards we were treated to the famous Helvetia Tavern hamburgers. At the end, the race was out of certain finisher shirt sizes, but true to the first class event, we were promised we would soon be able to swap our shirts for the correct size. Thank you again, Paula! Yup, pictures! LOTS of pictures of Portland Fit friends!

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Deadwood had very interesting weather this year. During the expo on Friday it had periods of very heavy rain. On Saturday and Sunday (race day) the weather cleared up for just about perfect marathon weather – clear skies and mild temperatures. We did not get to run Deadwood this year due to scheduling issues, but we’ve run it many times before. Nearly the whole race is on a linear cinder trail with mild elevation grade. It’s incredibly scenic. This is a highly recommended race, if you have not done it yet, put it on the list! Here are pictures from previous years.

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Hippie Chick Half and quarter marathon. Champoeg State Park, (OR) May 12, 2007
The Hippie Chick half marathon is a double loop course in Champoeg, with a couple of out and back sections. It’s all asphalt and mostly asphalt trail. It’s very scenic with trees, there’s a nearby river and some of the trail crosses over water with a wooden bridge. We also run right by the campground, and that part is always fun as well. The sections of road were void of cars for most of the time. There was plenty of aid, water and Gleukos and Clif Shot. A lot of folks would say it was pretty much flat, but I am going to call parts of it “rolling” because there’s quite a bit of up and down. The quarter marathon is a single loop of this course. There are also kids races so the little ones can be involved. Lots of guys and dads out there were providing support and volunteering. And there was some yummy hot minestrone and mimosas waiting for us when we finished.

Race director Paula Harkin (www.runwithpaula.com) seems to have an IN with the folks in charge of the weather. The weather for the Hippie chick half marathon was PERFECT! The clouds stayed out until most of the chicks were finished and kept a cool ceiling above us. Later in the day as we were all resting and replenishing, we were grateful that the blustery showers hadn’t come earlier while we were out there running!

The Hippie Chick race is an all women’s event. I heard during the race that this is Oregon’s ONLY all women’s event. There were women of ALL ages in this one! The camaraderie of this event is one of the big draws. It’s an experience! They always have an awesome shirt and a really cute medal. Big thank yous to Paula and her army of volunteers for a really great womanspace experience! Oh yes, I do have pictures!

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