New Years Eve 50K FA at the Nordic...

LPTRunner, Tom Bunk, has announced he will be hosting a 50K FA event on New Years Eve.  The start is scheduled for 7:30AM, Saturday, December 31st.  Plan to meet at the Nordic trail-head in La Grange, WI (Same starting point as the Ice-Age 50 and Kettle 100).

Hope to see lots of people out there - Should be a great way to close out 2011!

How to Baste a Turkey...

Dehart sure knows how to baste a turkey...

JFK - UPDATE!!! LPTR CASSIE SCALLON WINS JFK!!!!!!

Cassie wins the 49th running of the JFK 50 mile in the third fastest time in race history !!! Her time was right around 6:31!!!!!! WOW!!!!  Meghan Arborgast is 2nd...

Summary from irunfar:

On the women’s side, Cassie Scallon, unknown to many, ran away fromMeghan Arbogast when they hit the trail section only 3.6 miles into the race and never looked back. Scallon won JFK in the third fastest women’s time in race history – 6:31:37. Arbogast fell as far as 7 minutes back before closing late in the race. She finished in 6:35, the fourth fastest women’s time on the course. Arbogast broke the women’s 50+ course record by over 85 minutes and bested the 40+ record by 7 minutes. Elissa Ballas was third in 7:01.


Zach Bitter finishes 6th overall in a field that featured two runners under the 17 year-old course record.  David Riddel outlasts Wardian for the win in 5:40:45, breaking Eric Clifton's record by over 6 minutes!

The Big Cheese at JFK?!

The JFK 50 mile will be run this weekend out in Washington DC and is closing in on its 50th year.  Every year, fast times are cranked out on the tow-pathes along the canal.   While technically a trail run, this one runs more like a road race with minimal elevation gain.  


The size of the field is a factor as well as over 1000 participants typically toe the line.  The buzz around the event attracts high profile Ultra runners and DEEP fields.   This year's competition should be no different and Wisconsin should be well represented.


Our very own LPTRunner, Cassie Scallon, is turning some heads with her stellar performances this year and iRunFar's preview of the race lists her as one to watch...


"Cassie Scallon is one of the field’s dark horses. More or less unknown, she’s run seven ultras in the past year and a half and has consistently placed near the front of the women’s field, including three wins. Of note are Scallon’s 7:45 at last year’s Glacial Trail 50 mile and 4:15 50k last month, also at Glacial Trail. She’s never run JFK, but her beau and iRunFar Coach Sean Meissner has run JFK (6:34 in ’07) and has surely provided her with adequate insight."


Being a dark-horse is perfect - Cassie is flying under the radar a little and it will be fun to watch her give notice!  Go Cassie!!!!!


Wisconsin should have an impact in the men's race as well as Zach Bitter (who claims he will be earning his LPTR sticker this summer!?) will take the USA's fastest 50 mile time this year and throw down with some of the sports biggest and baddest.  iRunFar lists him as a dark horse as well...


"Even more exciting is the biggest dark horse in the field, 25-year-old Zach Bitter posted the fastest American 50 mile time of the year with a 5:26:22 at the Fall Classic less than a month ago. Bitter has only two other ultra finishes, both sub-6:10 50 mile efforts at the past two The North Face Endurance Challenge races in Madison, Wisconsin."


Read the full previews here at iRunFar:


http://www.irunfar.com/2011/11/jfk-50-mile-womens-preview.html


http://www.irunfar.com/2011/11/jfk-50-mile-mens-preview.html


GOOD LUCK CASSIE AND ZACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rails to Trails Marathon

Race Report from LPTRunner Ron Bero:

Rails to Trails Marathon.  Norwalk, WI, Nov 6, 2011.  3 LPTR’s ran this race this past Sunday.  Ron Bero, Dave Neitzel & Loraine Bunk ran it.


I know – it’s only a marathon.  Doesn’t really belong on the blog.  On the other hand – this is LPTR.  LP Trail R remember.  And technically, the Elroy Sparta TRAIL is a Trail.  Established in 1965 it is the first of it’s kind to be designated a National Recreation Trail.


This was going to be an adventure.  Mr. Grabowski was going to bring his Gypsy Camper to the Norwalk Town Park and set up camp.  The Bero’s were to stay at the posh Kickapoo Valley Ranch, 30 minutes away.  A rendezvous was to occur at Wild Cat State Park, located between La Farge and Norwalk.  The Grabowski’s did not make the trip leaving the Bero’s to spend the day shopping for bonnet’s, quilts, bakery and (thankfully) cheese and furniture at various Amish Farms located on Hwy D between Cashton and La Farge.


Right, forgot, this is a running blog.  The Rails to Trails marathon is great !  it starts Sunday at 9:00 except it’s really 10:00 since it’s the day after we fall back.  It runs on a flat crushed sandstone (maybe limestone except it’s brown) rail bed.  It actually is fairly curvy and it goes through a ¾ mile tunnel that 100 (or 38 mile fun run) mile runners have an advantage in since you can’t see ANYTHING (if you are 50 and your eye sight is going).  i.e., this marathon is MUCH better than the trail breaker.


I highly recommend this race since, after all, it’s only a marathon and you can be done in 3 and a half or so hours.  – oh, it’s 1.5 out and back then 11.5 out and back so you can have a Frank Marino concert for the run back to the barn (except it’s not a barn, it’s a park and there are lots of friendly people there barbequing chicken parts and serving beer).   


I’ll be back next year and I hope we can fill up the Kickapoo Valley Ranch (I would NOT recommend camping in the park – you need quarters for the showers – just try to visualize showers that take quarters – you’ll get the idea).


Tom Bunk has some pictures on his Face Book page.

Ron and Lorraine

How Engaging!!

Typically this blog concentrates on race reports, gear reviews and all things Ultra-Running...but we are excited to take a moment away to announce...
AN ENGAGEMENT!

LPTRunners Julie Treder and Sam Librizzi announced their great news at Wednesday's group run to cheers from all!  We are really happy for them both and wish them all the best!

Congratulations!

Fall 50 - Door County: Bruce Udell's Report

I headed into this year’s race with optimism for a PR despite a torn and aggravated right hamstring.  I felt in good shape coming off of Ironman and a 3 hour marathon at Lakefront.  My concerns were whether or not my hamstring would hold up and my lack of training in the last 3 weeks.  I had tried a 4 mile run a week before the race and felt the hamstring pull 3 miles into it.  I would be racing on 21 miles total training for the 3 weeks prior to the event.

3 days before the race I found out that my plans for a room the night before fell through.  Luckily Tracy Neupert from APG came through with a place for me to stay.  Thursday I taped my hamstring with Kinesio tape and went for a short easy run.  The pull felt ok but the other side of the hamstring that I didn’t tape ached.  Friday I shaved the back of my legs and taped my whole right hamstring plus part of the left as that also was sore.

            Tracy and I made it to the bus for the ride up at 5:30 am with few seats left.  Christine Crawford had saved me a seat so that we could talk about how we both shouldn’t be doing the race.  We arrived with about 25 minutes until the start, just enough time without getting too cold as I debated over short or long sleeves.  The weather was close to ideal with temperatures (I believe) in the 40s so I stuck with the long sleeves.

The race began with one guy sprinting out followed by Stuart Kolb and John Storkamp with a woman in fourth place.  A few of us settled into a very comfortable 7:30-7:45 pace and over the next few miles I was surrounded by familiar faces and the conversations began.  Two hot topics being how long the leader and lead woman would last.  Seeing the tape on my legs they asked about my hamstrings, I lied and said they felt okay when I was really questioning the light aches in them.   After several miles we had a pack of 4 left including Kurt Rompot (with his wife in the “mobile aid station”), Nic Giebler and Dave Niblack(a newcomer with a 2:50 marathon).

At the second aid station I pulled away as they took longer to refuel and started gaining on Alisha, the lead female.  I could sense inexperience as she sped up every time people cheered us on and again as she saw my shadow approaching.  I ran with her for a couple of miles and found out she ran last year in about 7:40 and was trying to bank some time (bad idea I thought as she faded behind me).  The other 3 guys soon caught up to me and we stayed close until mile 25.  We hit 25 miles at 3:13 and I figured if I could just maintain an 8-8:30 minute pace the second half I would easily PR.

In the next few miles the others started pulling away as my pace slowed and I started to realize an 8 minute pace wasn’t going to last.  At mile 35 I caught up to John walking but after a couple of miles he caught a second wind and passed me as I entered a dark place where the miles began to really hurt.  Surprisingly my hamstrings were ok but my calves were twitching with cramps, both my Achilles were aching, the right knee was sore (probably due to bad form induced from trying to compensate for the hurt hamstring) and bones in my feet were throbbing with each step.  Lesson learned:  don’t ever wear marathon racing flats for a 50 miler. 

It was at this point I started questioning why I was putting myself through this as my legs were screaming to stop.  I know I have hurt in past 50 mile races but this seemed worse (even though it probably wasn’t and is one of the reasons for recording this).  I have suffered in past Ironman races and walked put not like the pain I was feeling now, every step hurt.  I thought I was in 2^nd place for Master’s (forgetting that Kurt is in his 40s so I was really in 3rd) and couldn’t let up.  I figured if I could just maintain 9 minute miles I was unlikely to get caught by anyone from behind.  However I gave in to the pain and allowed myself to walk 20 seconds each mile.  Unfortunately between that and the pain in every step I was only producing 10 minute miles.  I did find out after the race that a couple of the guys in front of me walked for 1 minute each of the last 10 miles so then I didn’t feel so bad. 

I continued this for the next 5 miles until aid station #8 (mile 42) where I saw runners behind me and knew it was up to me as to where I would finish.  I picked up the pace slightly and gave up walking but it wasn’t long before I heard voices and was passed by Alisha with a pacer.  At least she wasn’t in my divisionJ.   My legs felt a little better now and I was now running 9:30 miles but couldn’t let up as Kevin drove by and told me there were 2 guys 150 yards behind me.  

I ran through the last aid station knowing I had enough fuel for the last 4 miles but again I heard voices coming from behind.  This is where I realized that racing 50 miles is a lot tougher than running 50 miles.  If I was to place today it was up to me to earn or lose that spot.  I literally told myself to dig deep and picked up the pace.  I had the energy and my legs felt good enough to run faster but my feet ached with each step and my calves had spasms shooting through them, I was afraid a cramp would shut me down.  

Holding back enough to avoid the cramps I had picked it up to an 8:30 pace and after a couple of miles I looked back to see that I had put a couple hundred yards between me and the other 2 runners (turned out one was a pacer).  I kept the pace up but then felt a strain in my groin and eased off a bit to avoid another potential debilitating pull or cramp.  With a mile to go I realized an 8:00 would keep me under 7 hours but after a half mile at that pace the constant spasms were like knives sticking in my calves and I figured I would rather run across the finish than crawl.  I reduced my stride to a no push off fast leg swing and finished in 7:00:54.

I stuck around several hours for the great post race party to find out how everyone else did and to hear their stories or maybe it was for the beer to soothe my aching legs.  Either way it was a blast and a great finish to my 2011 season.  Now for some long over due recovery before I start training for my first Birkebeiner.