Archive for May, 2010

Hawk getting closer

Monday, May 10th, 2010

My blog is just getting blown out of the water as the Hawk gets nearer. Tons of stuff to report — but no time. When I do have a minute, am too tired!

Didn’t do the Monday nighter tonight because I stayed home to work on a job list for the race to give to Coleen, our volunteer coordinator. Weather was crappy so no one else went out either, except Norman “Whippersnapper Hawk” Decelles, who was out for the Monday nighter for the first time –and no one showed. Doh!

Mike Goodwin and I put in a new short trail section on blue Saturday afternoon, to replace the part along the eroding bank of the lake about a quarter mile out from th Corps of Engineers trail head. Didn’t think to get a photo. Doh!

Saturday morning, ran with Hawks and Hawk 50 & Marathon entrants for course preview. Paula Keltner, a 50-mile took a bad fall and I and another runner, Chris Nicely, got her out and back to her car. managed to get about 20 miles in anyway, and see most of the course. It’s in pretty good shape. Got a few photos from the run, but don’t have time to post them right now — just stealing a minute or two to write this.

Thursday, Art King of the Lawrence Mountain Bike Club came out to the course with his brush mowers, to help me mow the Bunker Hill section. I mowed, it turned out, the wrong path. Mike Goodwin came out Friday and mowed the correct route.

Had to run out to the back yard just now and drag Lambchop into the house, away from a poor little possum she and Sophie had gotten. Karen got Sophie in, but couldn’t get Lambchop.

Followed Danny Miller’s exploits this past weekend as much as I could. He went up to Pittsfield, Vermont to run in the McNaughton 200 miler. Didn’t finish — hardly anyone did — because of horrible weather. Made more than 100 miles, though. Greg Burger crewed and paced. Danny’s girlfriend Erin was there crewing too.

My “Lost Runner” story about 3 Days of Syllamo got published in Ultrarunning Magazine May/June issue, but I haven’t seen it yet. Don’t know how it was edited. Sometimes they edit me pretty drastically. Tia Bodington sent me a nice note about it, though, so maybe I got off light this time.

12 days to the Hawk. I know there’s things I’m forgetting to do. 55 runners so far, but haven’t had any entrants in several days. 55 is not as good as I hoped, but better than expected. I have a good crew put together to put the thing on… if the weather cooperates, it’ll be a gem of a race. If not…well, we’ll do what we can.

more later,

gary

Hawk update

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

The Hawk 50-Mile & Marathon Trail Run rules my life lately. I thought training for a 50 was time-consuming!

It’s going to be good, though.

55 entrants so far; 33 in the marathon, 22 in the 50-mile. Got the first shipment of total 30 finisher awards, and 6 place awards (3 ea, men & women). They are fantastic. Really special.

Mowed a trail through the grass, weeds and shrubs up Bunker Hill, in the course’s 11th and 37th miles. Very scenic up there. Couldn’t have been done with an ordinary lawn mower. Art King, Lawrence Mountain Bike Club, brought one of the club’s brush mowers over to the park so I could use it.

Had my camera, too, and for some reason forgot to take any photos! Well if you want to see the beautiful view, register for the race.

Also getting a big helping hand from Stacy Sheridan and the Kansas Ultrarunners Society, Willie Lambert of the Great Plains Running Company and Mike Goodwin of the Kansas Trails Council.

Running the 23 miles of the course, Saturday — which will show everything the course has to offer. Starting at Corps of Engineers Trailhead – same place as the race starts — come on out!

Sorry there’s no photos in this post.

16 days to the Hawk!

More later.

gary