St. Louis Girls on the Run 5k - May 2009

It was a wonderful day to run in St. Louis' Forrest Park today. Robin Rivard (STL-GOTR Race Director) and Jill Indovino (STL-GOTR Council Director) were kind enough to extend me an invitation to run their 5k, which is the culmination of their springtime Girls on the Run 24-week program.

It was really fun to meet the GOTR Family and helping set-up and takedown event material before and after the race. They also gave me the honor of presenting trophies to each of the overall and age group winners. What a blast!

The best part of the whole day was watching the youngsters enjoy the fruits of their training as they tackled the 3.1-mile course through the park along with the 1-mile fun run participants. If you’re ever in need of an energy boost I recommend tracking down the next GOTR event in your area and going along for a run with the kids – it’s great!

Thank you, Robin and Jill, for the generous invitation; it really was a special day for me.

Below I’ve posted some pictures & videos that help illustrate what a great time everyone had today…under a sunny, cloudless sky, and 65 degree temperatures.

Setting up this early morning with the guys:

The check-in is ready to handle the 3,500+ participants!

High five, girls!!!

Council Director, Jill, cheers on the runners as they near the finish...

We're nearing the finish...

These kids know how to celebrate!

Congratulations to all of the finishers today - great job!

Best for now,

Jason

Vancouver, BC - The North Shore Enduro with Club Fat Ass

The North Shore Enduro, From a Missouri Perspective…

It’s going to be tough to do the North Shore Enduro justice. That is a statement about more than just the race, too. The peripheral activities magnified the Enduro to a level of excitement and fun I’ve never experienced in running – seriously. You’re probably already sensing it, so I’ll just say it: I’m now spoiled forever on trails. Now, this is not a bad thing, this is a good thing. I learned a ton about running this weekend in only a few hours of being on the trails in Lynn Canyon.


I witnessed some of the highest level of running prowess you’ll find on planet earth (no joke), coupled with some of the most friendly, accommodating and hospitable people you can imagine. Throw in rushing creek waters; 600ft per loop of stair master 1,000,000 level climbs, roots, rocks and massive 50ft+(?) tall cedar trees – now you’ve got yourself a running event!

The winner, Mr. Gary Robins (new course record holder), ran 9 loops (over 40 miles) in 5hrs 34min 36sec and overcame approximately 6,000ft of climb. Let's call it about 8:20 per mile - INSANE FAST on this roller coaster ride. Well done Gary!

The North Shore Enduro is hosted by a wonderful group of ultra runners, Club Fat Ass, and they are based in Vancouver. I “met” Club Fat Ass through Andrea Reynolds, proprietor of Running Chics in Republic, MO. It is a really long story, so just trust me that I’m lucky to know these fine people – I truly mean that. Oh, and there’s a link to their site here on my blog (just click on the Club Fat Ass logo in the lower left corner of this page) and you can read all about them – they’re fantastic and I encourage you to check them out. If you’re looking for a good technical fabric running shirt, look no further than Club Fat Ass. It’s only $25(Canadian) + shipping and it’s the best money can buy, if you ask me.

So here’s the situation for the Enduro:

Format: 6hr run (go as far as you can in the time-limit), but you can stop any time you want (these are easy going, laid back people – easy to like)
The Course: Lynn Canyon in the stunning North Shore area – a trail loop that’s about 7.25k
Difficulty: ok, that’s subjective, but the trail offered everything from forestry roads, to perfectly groomed & wide trails, to some of the most technical roots, rocks, stumps, etc. that this Ozark Foothills runner has ever seen. And I already mentioned the 600ft climb, which went from a beautiful rushing riverbank to partially up the side of a mountain. All of this in only 7.25k – AWESOME! My Garmin added up 11,900ft of elevation change during my run (that's for 3 loops, so nearly 4,000ft per loop).

I only did a bit more than 3 loops in about 2hrs 24mins (just over 14 miles). Not too shabby given the terrain and it’s my first long run back since MO-AR TREK. But this wasn’t about a race for me, it was about being with some new friends, and my new friend Kristie was on the trail with Lauren too!

Some of the pictures tell the rest of the story. But if any of you reading out here ever get a chance to go to Vancouver, DON’T FORGET your running gear!

Jason

Why you'd do it...

I don't get the question as much now that I actually 'did' it - run from Kirkwood, MO to Bentonville, AR, that is. But before I ran, I was often asked "Why?".

I would be remiss if I didn't post this picture.

Girls on the Run of Queen City, out of the Springfield/Republic, MO area, sent me a gift today! And WOW, what a gift. Several of the 5th graders from GOTR Director Trish Hopkins' Queen City council actually took the time to make me hand-written thank you cards and a custom poster!

It's difficult to explain how something like unsuspected thank you notes from 5th graders could give me such a huge lift in spirits, but I'm sure you can imagine.

One of the funniest things about the notes: a consistency in their messages. All of the girls had written that they very sincerely appreciated our help for their council and nearly all wrote that I AM CRAZY for running 300+ miles.

I emailed a note to Trish that I agreed, it was crazy - but the girls well being is WORTH IT.

Thanks GOTR Queen City. I'm looking forward to tuning in to heroic epics of your own someday - whether they be epic runs or otherwise.

Sincerely,

Jason

What happens after 317 miles?

It's a good question. The answer, at least from me, is "I have no idea".

Many thanks to my friend, Roger Hill, for prompting me to write a "1-week" follow up note.

I have to say, there's definitely a coming down period. It was fun to be out on the road every day. I only had to worry about the steps in front of me. It was all that mattered at the time and a common demoninator that stripped away any 'uneccessary' extras. When faced with days of running, making progress is really all you concern yourself with. Quite liberating in a way, and I recommend it to anyone reading this post.

I'm feeling pretty good (thanks for asking, Roger!). I've tried to take advice from the people who know best and rest my left leg a bit. Within the last week I've had two 1-hour volleyball sessions and a 2-hour hike on a nice trail near St. Louis.

Yesterday I actually went for a run. Felt pretty good, honestly, and I'm super excited to be headed to Vancouver, BC, Canada this weekend to 'run' in a Club Fat Ass event dubbed the "North Shore Enduro". It's a 6-hour race on a loop course that is about 7-8k in length.

I've never been to Vancouver, but I know it's next to some serious mountains. I'm not a great trail runner (or great 'any other type of runner', for that matter), but I'm very glad to be meeting some friends of mine, Kristie C., Ferg H., and Sibylle T. - plus some others.

Even if I have to hike/walk the North Shore Enduro, it will have been worth the flight to B.C. I love the outdoors, mountains, and tall evergreens. It's going to be AWESOME.

I don't have any races planned in the STL area in the near term, save the Girls on the Run 5k in St. Louis at Forrest Park on 5/17/09 (Sunday). If anyone is interested, it's a fun race starting at the Muny in Forrest Park - and I encourage you to come out in support of Girls on the Run.

If anyone is interested in a run near STL in the near future, by all means, leave a post out here and I'm most likely to take you up on an invite.

Would love to hear from you all on how your training and races are going if you care to comment in a post.

Best for now,

Jason