Rumor has it that Fritz ran a trail marathon this morning. I recall him mentioning he planned to run a trail race this weekend. But, he didn't say anything about it being a marathon.

Fritz, are the rumors true? How did it go? What was the course like?

-- Michael (meglin@juno.com), April 08, 2000

Answers

I don't know about Fritz, but curiously enough, there was a small article in Aftonbladet today about a mysterious man known only as "Clog" who was seen running on trails somewhere in the greater KC area together with a bunch of other unusually dressed people. There was speculation it was possibly a cult involved in a lemming-like exercise, but I'm thinking it could just as well have been a trail marathon.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 09, 2000.

If twice 13 miles is a marathon, yup, it's true. I did a 'trail' race at a small park near Belvue, Kansas, just on the edge of the floodplain. The day before, I made up a map at 1:15000 that was 36" by 36" hoping we would travel over an interesting area.

Nope.

The park is the size of a postage stamp, with a quarter mile paved trail and a slightly longer gravel trail. We all ran the longer trail to the top of a crest, which overlooks all the reservoirs that the Jefferson Energy Center uses to make its 250,000 watts each day. A short descent on the other side of the crest and it became a gravel road marathon, with a number of y intersections -- out to this point, then back, then join the road you were on and turn the other way. From above the route would look like a tree, what with the three branches we did.

The weather was OK, chilly with a north wind (which shifted in time). And beautifully sunny. The terrain was rolling, burned grass hills, interspersed with a couple of largish reservoirs.

I ran the first 13 miles in 2:05, a bit slow, maybe second to last, but I was planning on doing a longer run. (These trail runs are fun! When the starter says 'go' there isn't the mad dash like in road races.) As I finished the course, I debated running the 6 mile course and the 2 mile course, but as the 6 was just a short part of the 13 and I was feeling good, I decided to go the whole way. The second 'lap' took me 2:35. Needless to say, I was the lone marathon finisher, so I guess I won.

After a brief hot bath and some NSAID therapy, I went on to work. I feel OK this morning, but wouldn't want to do it again. In fact, the thought of mowing the lawn (an hour plus project at top speed) is a bit daunting, but about my speed today.

-- Fritz Menninger (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), April 09, 2000.

Mark Maher and I ran this last year (the Verschelden Trail Run). The start was interesting with chipped wood trails and a steep hill, but too much gravel road running for my liking. Maybe next time, with Fritz and any one else who wants to join in, OK-types will start with maps and create our own "off-trail" run. Fritz, do you think this area could work for an O'meet or a mini-rogaine?

But to do the course twice? You da man!

-- Mean Gene (gmw@ukans.edu), April 11, 2000.

Not sure how it would work for a rogaine. Pretty bland topography what I ran through. NO trees to speak of, and what grass there was, in over half the run, had been burnt. I felt a bit like I was running on the moon, or through a desert... except the course takes one across two dams.

-- Fritz Menninger (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), April 13, 2000.