Familiar faces in races in far off places

We had a couple of racers out on the trail last weekend. You probably already read the note from Jud that his youngest son completed a 102.6 mile ultra this weekend. (Picture me bowing and scraping and repeating the phrase “I’m not worthy!”). That’s impressive.

I ran the Treadfest Trail race at the Mountain Top Lodge in Lake Geneva. I managed to finish 2nd in my age group, which would be great, except there were only two people in my age group. There was 1,246 ft. of altitude gain on the run through twisting single-track trails. Note to self: avoid races that have the words "Mountain," "Top," or "Hill" in the name. For that matter, avoid races that have the word "trail," "run," "race," or any reasonable facsimile thereof. (Just kidding. I had a great time!)

Racing Ahead

Who is racing? This weekend, lots of familiar faces will be in races in far off places. Bill, Steph, Melissa, Dave P. and Jane P. will be running in or supporting the Maui Marathon, Half Marathon or 5K. They might even catch some sun and drink a couple of beverages on the beach. I don’t mind saying that I am officially jealous. This race will add another notch in Bill’s 50 marathons in 50 states. Those 4 AM, 22 mile runs are starting to pay off.

Jennifer is running in the Fox City Half Marathon in Appleton. According to reviews on MarathonGuide.com, the course is rated 4 (out of 5), the organization is rated 4 ½ and the fan support is rated 4 ½. This should be a great run.

Type	Distance	Event	Location	Date
Marathon/Half	Full, Half, 5K	Maui Marathon & Half	Maui, HI	20-Sep-09
Half Marathon	Full, Half	Fox City Marathon & Half	Appleton, WI	20-Sep-09

Closer to Home

You don’t have to go that far to find a race this weekend. The Third Annual AAC Run for the Children will be in Pleasant Prairie on Saturday. This is an easy 5K. If you’re the type that wouldn’t bother lacing up your shoes for a mere 5K, you can try the Wind Lake Chamber Chase 10K, which is in Wind Lake, WI, less than an hour from Racine. For a longer distance, you might run the Alpine Races Half Marathon in Lake Zurich, IL. Any one of these should be a lot of fun.

Type	Distance	Event	Location	Date
Road Race	5K	Third Annual AAC Run for the Children	Pleasant Prairie, WI	19-Sep-09
Road Race	10K	Wind Lake Chamber Chase 10K	Wind Lake, WI	19-Sep-09
Half Marathon	13.1 Miles	Alpine Races Half Marathon	Lake Zurich, IL	20-Sep-09

Hit the Trail with the Hobo

If you’re willing to drive a little farther, our friends at the Rockford Road Runners have put together the Rock Cut Hobo Trail Rendezvous. This is a series of trail races, starting Friday evening at 8 PM with the 10K Coyote Howl Night Trail Race. If you stay the weekend, you can also catch the 25k HOBO Trail Race on Saturday morning, or the 50K HOBO ULTRA Trail Race on Sunday. All of these races are held in the Rock Cut State Park and should be beautiful.

Type	Distance	Event	Location	Date
Trail Run	10K	Coyote Howl 10K Night Trail Race	Loves Park, IL	18-Sep-09
Trail Run	25K	Rock Cut HOBO 25K Race	Loves Park, IL	19-Sep-09
Trail Run	50K	Rock Cut HOBO 50K Race	Loves Park, IL	20-Sep-09

Dueling Duathlons

If you’re more of the “Run-Bike-Run” type, you have two good opportunities this weekend to catch a duathlon. The Duathlon of Dreams is an easier race with a 2 mile run, 11 mile bike and a 2 mile run. It is in Fontana, WI, about 1 hour 15 minutes from Racine. This race raises funds for Works of Mercy, a ministry of the St. Francis Institute that serves individuals with special needs.

Another option is the Dousman Du. This is about 1 hour and 30 minutes away. While it does not raise funds for a noble cause, it does feature pancakes at the finish line. What more could a hungry athlete ask for?

Type	Distance	Event	Location	Date
Duathlon	2 mi, 11 mi, 2 mi	Duathlon of Dreams	Fontana, WI	19-Sep-09
Duathlon	2 mi, 20 mi, 2 mi	Dousman Du	Dousman, WI	20-Sep-09

And, of course, we’re still meeting on Saturday. This time, we’re at Culvers. The details, as always are at www.runracine.com.

In the mean time, have fun, be safe and run happy.

--  Tony