Sebree, Kentucky - Firecracker Run

The first year that I discovered that I loved to run I ran 24 races.  All but 5 were 5km and 10km races.  Now things are reversed.  I do a very few select races <21km and they are ones that either hold special memories or are for special causes.  One of these special races is the Firecracker Run, held in Sebree, Kentucky on July 4^th. 

For the past 31 years the Sebree Chamber of Commerce has hosted the Firecracker Run. It is a small race.  What concerns me is that with the growing popularity of road races, larger cities and organizations that are probably larger than Sebree are starting to put on races at the same time.  I could be wrong – and I hope that I am – but there seemed to be fewer runners than the first year I ran.

This race is special because it is a small town in Western Kentucky that started a road race before road races were all the rage.  The small town ambience is uplifting.  The entire race is run out of the shelter house at the local park.  Atmos Energy workers provide hamburgers and hotdogs for everyone. (I’m a vegetarian, but that’s okay.)  If you want to know your time you either have to have your Garmin with you or listen carefully as they call your time crossing the finish line. You know that tearoff  portion of the generic number bib?  Do you know why there’s a hole in it?  At the Firecracker they tear off that portion and put it on a rod. That’s your finishing position. The person next to you might have been 5 seconds behind you, but if their tag gets on the rod first ….  It’s great.

Oh, by the way.  I want you to go, but I don’t want you to go if you think you’re going to walk in as the hot-shot, big city runner and walk away with their trophy and cash prize.  The course time record is 31:10 (men)/36:00 (women) for the 10K and 14:38 (men)/17:09 (women) for the 5K.  You may think those are excellent but not awesome until you experience the course. Then you’ll have more respect for those times. By my count there are 13 hills in 10K – most of which are bun burners. Now I’ve heard people say that there are only 7 hills, but I guess it’s how you define a hill and whether going up, leveling off for 20-30 meters and then go up again is defined as one or two hills. In any case, be prepared.  Oh, I almost forgot . . . the last 40-50 meters is uphill to the finish line!  Ya gotta love it!

This year will be my 4^th Firecracker.  I’ve had a great time each year. I always meet new people. What’s interesting is that, except for the volunteers, the runners I’ve met are from out of town. A tremendous number of the runners come from Louisville, Nashville, Paducah and asundry other places 2-3 hours away. Some of them come home to run the Firecracker and visit family. Many of them come just because they like doing the Firecracker and return each year as I do.

If you want something really exciting, exhillarating and meaningful to do on the 4^th of July, plan on doing the Firecracker Run in Sebree, KY.  There are accomodations in nearby Henderson, KY.   For a run form, contact Bob Hardison at P.O. Box 156, Sebree, KY, 42455, or email at fbcsebree@bellsouth.net.  On-site registration starts at 6:30am with the 10K starting at 7:30 am and the 5K and 9:00 am Central Time. There’s a $50 award for anyone breaking the course record.  Come give it a try.

  

The entry fee is a whopping $12 before June 28^th and $15 after that. Go have a great time with good people. Give them a $20 bill and tell them to keep the change so we can have wonderful small town runs like this for years to come

Me and my Lexi

Back in 2008 my wife and I went to the high alps for our wedding anniversary.  Our condo was in the village of Morschach which is a ski resort. Morschach sits about 800 meters (1/2 mile) above Lake Lucerne. There I discovered a trail that goes around Lake Lucerne that has 1 meter for every Swiss person who had  immigrated to another country from Switzerland. There is also the Swiss Trail that was built in honor of Switzerland's 700's anniversary.  We were visiting the village of Stooswald - only accessible by cable car.  Stooswald is at an elevation above 2,000 meters and my granddaughter was experiencing some altitude sickness. While my wife and granddaughter rested at an inn with a great view of Schwyz,  I decided to walk some of the trail.  I had a bit of trouble with vertigo where it was straight down but otherwise thought I was setting a good pace. About that time three local women who were at least my age passed me.  Yes, they were locals so they were accustomed to the high altitude.  Yes, they had probably been walking these trails most of their lives. (The trails were also used for regular pedestrian traffic.)  What I noticed was that, like the vast majority of people whom I saw trekking around the Alps, they were using trail poles. To get back to our condo we had to go by the town of Schwyz (home of the famous Swiss Army Knife). I stopped at an outfitters and shelled out 80 franc (about $100-110) for my Lexi.  I have only run one trail since then without them, and I took a nasty fall on that run.
     Trail poles do not make you go faster. They help you keep your balance on the uneven trails that are so often booby-trapped by rocks, roots and other obstacles. The first trail race that I did with them was a particularly steep and rugged course.  It was only a 5k race but almost everyone tripped or tumbled at some point because of the tangle of roots that cover most of the hills. At some points it was difficult to find a place to put your foot between the roots. I was one of the few who did not fall because I had my Lexi.  The trail was a single trail with a short bit of road at the beginning and the end. I was able to pass on the trails because my Lexi gave me the stability and therefore the confidence to actually step off the trail and pass. I could move faster on the steep downhill runs because my Lexi kept me stable and gave me control of descent.  I took second in my division.  As I reported, if I read the finish board correctly only about 75% of those who started the McKay Hollow Madness 25km finished.  Of the 7 people with whom I started, I was the only one to finish.  I was the only one using poles.  The course was timed and you had to get to each check point within the allotted time.  Most of the people who did not finish were pulled from the course at the mile 10 check point.  I truly believe that my Lexi helped me be able to set the fastest pace possible.  Most of the course was extremely rocky. My Lexi kept me balanced as my feet picked their way. Where we were running along ledges I would use my Lexi to allow me to lean into the mountain and therefore go faster along the narrow ledge. In my description I told about two beautiful long downhill runs that dropped 800 meters each. I was able to do an 8:30 pace only because I knew I had control otherwise I'd have never made the switchbacks.
     I say again, poles do not make you run faster but you can run faster because they keep you balanced and are a tremendous safety device. If you watch me and my Lexi are swinging parallel to my legs touching down  about every two steps, you can bet that I'm not really using them. They're in neutral.  If you watch and my Lexi are striking out at all sort of strange angles sometimes close and sometimes way out in front, you know that I'm using them to maintain balance and control.  If you see me with the heel of my hand in the strap and the bottom of the grip resting between my thumb and forefinger, you know that I'm going down-hill.  Point - there are many ways to hold and use your trail poles. Technique can only be taught to a point  because for the most part the use of your poles is a matter of eye-hand-foot-brain coordination.  Your eyes and feet are sending information to your brain. Your brain must quickly assess the situation, seek a solution through sight (i.e. look for a pole spot), and then relay the decision to your hands. All this in fractions of a second while you're running.  My son-in-law wants me to teach him to use his poles. I was trying to be conscious of what I do.  I almost fell because I slowed the process down so much by trying to be aware of it working. Using my Lexi has become instinctual and automatic.  Probably the best way to learn is to have someone show you some of the ways to hold and use your poles and then spend a lot of time using them.  Obviously, don't pick dangerous courses to practice. At the same time, don't use them on a green way and then think you're ready for the mountain.
     Before I send you out with the encouragement to start using poles for your trail running and racing, I need to say something about buying poles.  There are now poles available in many discount stores.  I've seen sets as cheap as $25!  Don't buy these. They may be fine for hikers (that's even questionable) but they're not for runners.  Running is one of the cheapest sports there is.  Don't skimp on your shoes and poles.  Lexi are probably the best trail poles available.  I was fortunate that the Swiss outfitter carried them because I would have bought anything he had. Don't buy the first ones you see.  Go on-line, check out what's available, and buy the best you can afford.
Good running!
Russ

Runners using trail poles on the famous Mont Blanc 153km extreme ultra-marathon.
Starting elevation >2,500m. Highest elevation 3,500m. Time allotted - 46 hours.
Three countries - six Alpine mountain passes.
My dream.

Two Lake Loop Update

Good Afternoon!
     I ran the Two Lake Loop in Hoosier National Park again today.  This time I ran it counter-clockwise. My time was only 5 minutes faster.  I don't think there's really any difference.  Last time I wasted time looking for the trail that washed out but didn't encounter any people. Today I stopped to look at a baby turtle that a hiker and his son found on the trail and wanted to share and talked for a few minutes with a couple who had been camping and their dogs were checking me out to be sure that I wasn't good game to chase.  Oh, I also took some time to stop and remove 6 ticks from my legs after crossing one of the dams.
     They have mowed the dams.  I don't think it really helped. Since they obviously used a bush-hog the grass was still 4-6" tall and difficult to traverse. I also slipped on the clippings. You don't generally think of cut and dried grass as being slippery.
     The water in the lakes was down. The trails were dry but still moist. Really good for running.  All of my lovely little streams were gone. Evidently the storms the night before I ran this trail and reported dropped a lot more water than I thought.  The 8 streams that I mentioned that were wide, deep and swift enough to require some skill to ford are down to 4 streams that are shallow (deepest ankle deep) and can be crossed without getting your feet wet if you really care to work that hard.
     The camp sites are great and only $17.50 for rustic and $22 with electricity.  Showers are available. I'm going to make a reservation soon and spend the night there sleeping in the back of my Sienna. That way I don't have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn to make an hour drive for a 7am (6am my time) gun.  Also I can go back and take a shower before driving home. The ranger at the gate this morning again said that she thinks very few of the runners stay overnight in the park.  I think they're nuts.
     Be prepared for southern Indiana heat. Our first day over 90 was almost two months ago. Today it was 83 under the trees in the park!!!   That's hot for a run no matter where.  It was hot enough that I stopped and anchored my bandanna  under my hat so that it would cover the back of my neck when I went across the dams. The trail under the canopy of the deciduous trees was noticeably cooler than when under the pines. Of course the pines are pretty scraggly and, as I reported before, many areas look like they've suffered a tornado touch down. That actually could be very likely around here - i.e. tornadoes bouncing off mountain tops.  In any case be sure to hydrate well and bring some salt. Do whatever you do to protect yourself from extreme heat.
     Hope to see you here on June 9th.!
Good running!!!
Russ

Two Lake Loop, Hoosier National Park

Here's both a good trail race and a great place to spend a day running (or doing anything else you might like). Located just south of I-64 at the US37 (Tell City, Exit 79) exit, Hoosier National Park has a great 12+ mile trail that circles two lakes. The trail race to be held on June 9th. this year touts itself as the most difficult in the mid-west. I can't speak to that. The trail is demanding but not as physically demanding as McKay Hollow.  (see my blog on McKay Hollow Madness)  This will be my first time running the Two Lake Loop race and, having run the trail, I am really looking forward to it.
     The trail is generally free of roots and rocks.  There was a torrential rain storm the night before I ran Two Lake Loop so there was a tremendous amount of water. However the trail was, for the most part dry.  I lost count of the small streams and washes that I crossed.  The majority of these were easily cross by an easy jump. But unless there's a long dry spell before you run this trail, you need to plan on getting wet.  There are at least 8 streams that are wide, deep and swift enough to require some skill fording. Again, they might not be as bad when there hasn't been a big storm.  There were two that were thigh deep and even with my Lexi were hard to cross.  The western most lake was flooded and covered part of the trail but, again, that probably only happens after heavy storms.  Just be warned.
     There are some tough hills on the Two Lake Loop. They aren't as steep or rugged as Mont Sano but they'll definitely make you work.  The only thing that really slowed me down were the fords and one time when I couldn't find the trail on the other side of a stream.  The trail made a dog-leg, a tree fell right at the turn and the stream wash out the trail for a good 20-30 meters. I probably would hardly have broken stride if I had been running with a map.
     The trail was beautiful and extremely enjoyable to run.  My only complaint of the loop was that it crosses two earthen dams. The cross-country folk will undoubtedly use that to really make time but I don't do grass. When I ran the trail the grass with 12-18" high and the trail was hardly 8-10" wide. I suspect they might cut it back for the race, but again, don't count on it.  I came away with chiggers and a few ticks and I probably got them on the dams. There was also a hill that was old scrubby pines that looked like a tornado had touched down. There was enough light that the trail was grass covered.  This will only be a problem if you're like me and find grass almost intolerable. I would much rather face roots and rocks. I worry about sprained ankles or worse on grass. I know where I stand with rocks and roots. (pardon the unintended pun).
      The rangers tell me that most of the runners drive in the morning of the race.  The nearest town is Tell City about 20 miles away. I'm not sure what type of motels it has or how many. Evansville is a good hour west and Louisville is probably that or more east.  I'm planning to spend the night before in the back of my Toyota van. The last thing I want is to have to get up an extra hour early to drive. But whatever, do try to do this race if you can.  Registration closes the first of June, so don't delay.

What it means to be a winner.

There I was starting mile 7 of my evening run, lumbering along at my “run-all-day” pace. I was trying to concentrate on whether I wanted to write a blog about my new Newtons or the trail I ran last Saturday to keep from thinking about the growing arthritis pain in my left leg. (Normally the pain doesn’t start until after mile 11, if then.)  It was then that I had one of those experiences that confirm that life is full of clues and cues to help us get more out of it.

I was feeling pretty good about my “run-all-day” pace. (Also sometimes called my “Chi-neutral” or “go-as-slow-as-possible-while-still-technically-running” pace.)  Since I started running in my Newtons I have actually lowered that pace to around 10:30. I know, there are a tremendous number of every day runners out there who warm up faster than that, but I must admit to being happy with it.  In fact, I would have to say that I was, at that moment, feeling (a bit embarrassed to admit) rather invincible despite the arthritis pain.  It was then that a man who was at least my age passed me like I was standing still. 

I always say that I’m not very competitive, but I know that’s not totally true. Sure, I cheer for everyone and when I watch a game I want both teams or both players to win. At the same time I know that I speed up during the last 5km of a half and I pick out runners ahead of me whom I want to catch.  I say that first and foremost I want to enjoy a race, and I honestly do enjoy them. At Disney I take time to enjoy high-fiving Mickey Mouse and at Nashville I ran back two blocks for a free beer, but at the same time I’m glancing at my Garmin because I also want to someday do a sub-2 and today might be it.

That said, when the man passed me without as much as saying “hi”, I instinctually leaned forward a little and put it in Danny Dwyer’s Chi First Gear. My Garmin dropped to 9:00. The man kept pulling away seemingly effortlessly. I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was chasing him, but I found myself leaning a bit more – Chi Second Gear – and my Garmin dropped again to 7:38.  I was very slowly closing the gap and I knew that I had less than half a mile before we hit a major intersection. Then I realized I wasn’t having fun.  I had stopped looking around at the houses and people working in their yards. I had stopped waving at people and commenting on their flowers and thinking about how great a time I was having.

I slowed down. No. Momentarily I stopped. I looked at the disappearing figure and realized that wasn’t why I was running.  Yes, this man had unknowingly bruised my ego. I was psychologically at the head of the pack and that man blew me away. I couldn’t help but to think about a section of Amby Burfoot’s book The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life (2007. Skyhorse Publishing. New York).  Mr. Burfoot told about an interview with the famous George Sheehan, a tremendously competitive runner, just before he died of cancer. In that interview Amby asked “What’s the single most important thing running has taught you about life?”  Sheehan explained that he was a very competitive racer and that he always ran to beat others. But cancer changed that. He concluded with the statement “The most important thing I learned is that there is only one runner in this race, and that is me.”

It took the great George Sheehan a lifetime, cut short by cancer, to learn what every runner actually knows if they take the time to stop and think.  I have run in at least seven races large enough to have nationally or internationally elite runners going for the cash on the front row. I can tell you, from memory, my time, pace, place in division and over-all place for each of those races, but I can’t tell you who physically crossed the finish line first. Yes I would like to be the first one across the finish line, but I know that just isn’t going to happen.  I’d really like to be first in my division across the line. That has happened, and it feels great. But I have to admit that at the finish line I never suspected that I was first in my division and that wasn’t why I was running.  I felt alive, invigorated and satisfied even before I learned that I had placed.

Amby went on to write,

“We may enter races with 75,000 other runners in them, we may chart our times, we may line up our trophies on the mantelpiece, we may hope to see our names in the newspaper, but these are ultimately superficial. No one wins every race or forever. Everyone slows down. Everyone becomes reduced by the ravages of time, the side effects of a life fully lived.

     Winning is not about headlines and hardware. It’s only about attitude. A winner is a person who goes out today and every day and attempts to be the best runner and best person he can be. Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, every, giving up.”

When I slowed down and stopped I wasn’t giving up.  I was merely going back to what really matters and what really makes us all winners.  I was going back to reality and life. I was going back to the joy of the effort that gives us such satisfaction. I was going back to that which makes us all winners.  And the man disappearing ahead of me . . . well, I hope he feels like a winner too.

We all practice this in our own ways.  My late wife, who struggled against heart disease  and faced insurmountable odds every day for over twenty years was a winner. Getting out of bed was a challenge. Walking up a short flight of stairs was exhausting and she would have to stop twice in a flight of 11 steps. But she got out of bed each day. She climbed those steps. The only reason that she used a wheelchair at a park or zoo was because she didn’t want to make others wait. She walked into the hospital ER the day she died.  She would not be kept down. Run for the joy, the fun and the exhilaration, the sense of being alive and making a difference that makes you a winner, for in the end result there’s only one runner in the race, and that’s you.

Good running!!

Russ

McKay Hallow Madness - 25km mountain trail race

Ah, the McKay Hallow Madness.  A fabulous trail race held toward the end of March each year at Mont Sano State Park in Huntsville, AL. Since I just discovered the trail race in the past 18 months I don't have a great deal by which to compare, but suffice it to say this is one of the most physically demanding trails you'll run.  If my reading of the finish board was correct, only 75-80% of those of us who started the run actually finished.  Mont Sano is at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. The lowest elevation of the race was 500' and the highest was almost 1700'.  There were points at which we were climbing under and over or squeezing between giant

limestone boulders. There were also places where we were going along a ledge that was no more than 18" wide and it was a long way down.  It had rained hard the night before the race so there was plenty of mud.  Likewise the streams were swollen and at least two were difficult to cross because of the steep drop, depth and swiftness of the water.  Most of the trails were like the picture above - a lot of large rocks. You had to watch carefully where you put your foot.  I always run trails with my Lexi trail poles. They were extremely valuable on this run.
    When I got to the 10 mile check-point I was 90 minutes ahead of the cut-off. That isn't great, but I was very happy with it.  I wasn't prepared for what was to follow.  The trail ahead was blocked from view of the check-point by a large park sign and a thick stand of bushes. When I headed down the trail I suddenly emerged under a canopy of trees that was so heavy that there was no undergrowth. It was wide open and beautiful. The trail dropped steeply for 500'.  Obviously we did a zig-zag run, but this was the only place of the entire 16+ miles that we had a beautiful packed earth trail.  We were able to fly down the mountain. My Garmin showed an 8:30 minute mile. At the bottom of this drop there was a short up-hill run and then another 500' drop. It was glorious. I remember thinking that I might actually make up some time. Then we hit the bottom . . . . MUD. For over a mile the trail was a thick, deep muddy mess. I tried to get out and run along beside the trail but the undergrowth was again thick and my legs were quickly a bloody mess.  In the end, the marvelous run down the mountain from mile 10 check-point probably did gain me some time, but I ended up losing all of it and more in the mud.
     From mile 14-15 we went up 700'. The race ended with the better part of a mile where much of your time was spent climbing (and I do mean climbing) out of the deep ravine and crossing a beautiful waterfall a few tenths of a mile from the finish line.
    If you love trail races, and if you love a good challenge, don't look for one of those mud runs with the man-made obstacles.  If you are truly looking for a challenging trail, go natural and do the McKay Hallow Madness next March.  There are no medals, no trophies, no division places . . . . Just your name on the finisher's board and going home with a great sense of accomplishment. It was worth it!

Share your race experiences and tell me about great races you've run (and perhaps there are some to avoid).
 

Let me introduce myself . . .

5/12/2012  20:25

Good Evening,
     This is my first experience at blogging.  I'm looking forward to sharing all things running with those who also love to run.  My goal is (i) to share my experiences and hear your's, (ii) encourage people to try running or walking, (iii) share experience with gear, races and trails, and other topics as they come to mind.
     First I think the name of my blog needs some explanation.  "Musings of an old runner" might also be stated 'musings of a runner who happens to be old.'  I actually didn't start running until I was 62 years old.  It was hard to admit that I'm an old man, but I didn't really have any choice after what I thought were really stylish trousers got called "old man pants", young women began treating me more like their father, and clerks were giving me senior discounts without my asking.
     Let me start my first blog with my story.  I hope it encourages others to share their stories.
     My name is Russell Vance.  I'll be 66 years old in less than three weeks. During the day I'm a mild-mannered psychotherapist working as a behavior clinician. After hours I'm either running or thinking about, reading about or planning to run.
    As I said, I didn't start running until I was 62.  My grandson wanted to do a 5km race at Disney. His mother was signed up for the marathon and his father couldn't run because of pending knee replacement surgery.  I ended up saying that I would run with him. Like so many people I thought I hated to run. After all, in high school running is usually punishment. In the Army running was never for fun and frequently punishment. Besides, no one ever taught us how to run.  I was terrified that I couldn't walk 5km nevertheless run.  What you have to know is that I have arthritis in all my major joints and when I went to a zoo, park, museum, etc., I walked with a cane.
     I started training - which, at first, was just seeing how fast I could walk. I'm also a bit obsessive, so I found everything I could read about running and tried to meet people whom I felt were knowledgeable.  My first race was the day before my 63rd. birthday.  Standing at the starting line I felt a tremendous mixture of fear and excitement.  What a rush!  When I finished that first simple 5k, the sense of accomplishment, exhilaration, self-realization and affirmation wouldn't have been greater had I just won Boston.  I had found my sport.
    In the first year after that race, I ran 24 races.  15 of them were 5km, 6 were 10km and 3 were 21km (aka half-marathons).  My learning curve was practically a 90 degree angle, but I loved every minute of it.  I knew from the beginning that I was never going to be fast, but I learned that I'm not a 5k runner.  It takes me almost that long to warm up and have the arthritis stop hurting.
   In my second year I was learning that, while I'm not fast, I can run as long as I want.  However, I wanted to run races, so I focused on the half-marathon.  As many experts say, 'the half-marathon is an endurance race that is still dependent upon form.'  The full-marathon requires too much recovery time. If you stay healthy and train well you can do lots of half-marathons.  In my second year I only ran 14 races but 7 were half-marathons. In the past year I have done 15 races with 9 of them being half-marathons.  I also learned that I'm a minimalist and discovered that I love long trail races best of all.
    I hope that you will share your story, watch for future topics, and pass the word to other runners or would-be runners to check out my blog.
Good running!!
Russ