KUS News
The sole mission of our society is to
organize, sponsor, staff and support ultrarunning events/competition in Kansas
and the surrounding region. Our vision is to create an atmosphere that fosters
not only the enlightenment of the novice ultrarunner, but nurtures the needs of
the veteran ultrarunner as well.
Volume 2, Issue
5
December 2001
Briefing from the Crew
By Stacy Sheridan Page
1
Heartland 50 Race Report
By Mark Crisman Page
1
Minutes
of the KUS Annual Meeting
By Randy Albrecht Page
3
Hiking Mauna Kea
By Scott Demaree Page 4
KUS Officers duties and club guidelines
Briefing from the Crew
Greetings,
Time has certainly flown by since the Heartland race in October! My aid station crew and I had lots of fun on Texaco Hill again this year. Every year is a learning experience and we always come up with things to make it better each year, we are already planning for next year! If you haven’t volunteered at a KUS event I urge you to jump in, it’s one of the most fun and rewarding adventures you can have!
The club has grown again this year and we are lucky to have such great members. The membership is up by 15 this year, which puts the total at 61 for this year. In order to involve the membership in the running of their club as much as possible the current board members decided to ask for nominations for the officer’s positions. We had two nominations and both agreed to take over the positions. Jim Davis has agreed to serve as our Vice President and Charles Stodter has accepted the position of Secretary. As a follow up to that decision we have put together some club guidelines and a description of the officers duties, you will find a copy of them on pages 5-6 of this issue of the newsletter. You will also find in this newsletter the minutes from our annual meeting on page 3. We had many great ideas, but we always need more so if you have an idea of something that would improve or enhance our club, speak up, talk to any of the officers, and let us know your thoughts.
Jim and Nancy Davis were chosen as the Co-Member s of the Year, and I can’t think of a more deserving duo. I’ve watched them finish many of their races together over the last few years, and also watched them care for other runners even at the expense of their own race. The year Bill Shirk broke his ankle at Flat Rock, Jim was one of the runners who stopped to help, and Nancy wrapped Jan in a blanket at the finish many hours later when she reached her goal of finishing “the rock”. They have both been essential to the success of Heartland, their tireless devotion to the competitors is greatly appreciated! Congratulations to both, you deserve it!
I would like to congratulate our own Marc Friesen, he has won sponsorships from Montrail and Hammer Nutrition/E-Caps companies. If you take a look at the RFP column you will notice he has GNC and Whitewater on his schedule, both national championship races. Congratulations and good luck, Marc.
I would like to thank Scott Demaree for sending me his account of hiking on Mauna Kea while he was in Hawaii. In the midst of these cold winter months, dreaming of running (or lying on the beach, maybe) in tropical Hawaii is certainly an enticing daydream.
Phil, Jamaica and I wish you all happy holidays and a healthy new year. May you reach all your goals and enjoy the adventure along the way.
In your service,
Stacy
Heartland 50 Race Report
By Mark Crisman
With cancellation of the Army Ten Miler, I was now face to face with the Heartland 50 and the restless feeling of whether or not I could actually make it 50 miles. I emailed Dann with the news and said I would see him in Cassoday bright and early on Saturday morning. Dann, of course, was going for the 100 and I hoped that by staying with him early on the last 20 or so miles would be more manageable. We lined up in the darkness, 39 100 milers and 12 50 milers, and headed off into the vast Flint Hills. Dann’s plan, and now mine, was to run 15 minutes and walk 5 minutes. This soon had us near the back of the pack as most runners took off at more of a half marathon or marathon pace. Didn’t they know that most had least 20+ hours ahead of them? We soon settled into a nice routine- run, drink, pee, walk, drink, eat, run, pee and so on down the trail we went. I don’t remember ever being so hydra hated but that’s what 50oz of water every 6 to 7 miles will do for you. Right at first light we hit the 8.3-mile aid station. Really feeling good and starting to pickup a few of the fast starters. The Heartland’s theme is “Spirit of the Prairie”, and prairie we did see and feel. Dann and I contemplated on what type of extreme and ultra athletes the first settlers and members of the wagon trains must have been. What did their families think when the wagon came to a stop in the middle of absolutely nothing and the next thing they heard was “we’re here”. “Honey, get the shovel, its time to build our house”. The rolling hills and vast vistas seem to pass with ease. Still sticking to our 15/5 plan we rambled into the 16.8 mile aid station in great shape and continued to make up ground on the over zealous. The course had changed into a well-traveled gravel road and the next 4 miles seem to go on longer than the previous 4 miles. We passed a hunters camp of travel trailers and pop-up campers- their stares were ones of disbelief and wonderment. I could almost make out their conversation going something like “damn, Hank, what the hell are those maroons doin”. We continued on playing leap frog with other runners usually passing them going up a hill only to have them catch us when it was time for another 5 minute walking break. Eventually, we would manage to distance them and catch another clump of runners. Before I realized it, we hit the 24.5-mile aid-station in 5:20 something. I felt in good shape and Dann looked like everything was going well. Dann and I parted ways and I headed back passing the other runners who we had passed over the last few miles. The wind was out my back and I decided to run a little longer before taking a break.
Everything seemed to be in good order- still hydrated and enjoying the miniature candy-bars I had stocked up on at the aid station. I ended up running about 6 miles before walking up a hill and then pushing on to the 33.4-mile aid-station. Looking forward to getting on the less traveled farming road, I headed out of the aid station past the last farmhouse I would see until I reached Cassoday. The wind was now back in my face and really forced me to keep looking down. On the way out I didn’t remember all these hills being here. This was the most challenging part of the 50 miles. Upon reaching the 41.7-mile aid station, I knew that I was going to finish. My feet were in good shape and I felt surprising refreshed after downing 5 cups of power-aid. Only 8.3 miles to go. I walked up to the next cattle crossing gate and starting shuffling down the road. Once I made it over the next hill, that was the end of the hills and it was pretty much a straight, flat shot back to the finish. The wind didn’t let up and I ran the next 4-5 miles with my eyes focused on the ground. I could see the Cassoday water tower and new the end was almost within reach. I trudged up the last half mile and passed the 50-mile mark in 9:31:57. I was pleased with my time and the ease of this particular course. I know without Dann’s help, I would not have done as well in my first 50-mile event. Up next- Blue Springs 50/50.
KUS Annual Meeting
Minutes
December 2, 2001
The Kansas Ultrarunners’ Society annual meeting was held on December 2, 2001. After the meal, a business meeting was held at 2:00 pm with the following agenda items.
· The club financial report and a breakdown of the income and expenses for each race was presented by Treasurer Marc Friesen
· Randy Albrecht and Jim Davis presented a brief report on the Heartland 50/100. The decision was made to continue to hold the 50-mile event and to increase the entry fee to $110 for the early entry and $140 for the late entry. The entry fee for the 50-mile will remain the same as last year at $50 and $60. Everyone was encouraged to think about unique finishers awards for the overall winners and the 50-mile runners.
· A brief discussion was held on race communication concerns. After considering the alternatives, the decision was made to continue to use cell phones for now.
· Marc Friesen led the discussion about purchasing additional side tarps for the EZ Up pop ups. The current sides from the company do not work well in the wind and the better sides from the company are very expensive. David Dinkel agreed to look into making tarps for the pop ups. He will submit a proposal to the officers regarding the potential cost prior to the final decision.
· Marc and Randy led a discussion on possibility of purchasing a trailer or storage rental for the KUS supplies. No decisions were made, however Stacy Sheridan agreed to look into a local manufacturer in Ellsworth to determine the potential cost of a trailer.
· Randy Albrecht presented the race reports on Flat Rock and the Spring 24 hour events. No changes are planned for Flat Rock. Marc Friesen has agreed to take over as race director for the Spring KUS event. The members present wanted to continue with a 12/24-hour or similar format. Several members are looking into possible locations with the event tentatively scheduled for the last week in April.
· Randy Albrecht presented to details for the race Scott Demaree is directing in Houston on March 1-3, 2001. The format is to be a 6/12/24/48 hour and a 100K on a loop course in a Houston park. The members agreed to make this a KUS event and include it in the advertisements.
· Stacy and Phil Sheridan presented the Rockin K race report. No major changes are anticipated for next year.
· There was considerable discussion regarding the use of advertisements in Ultrarunning magazine. The decision was made to go with a ½ page ad twice a year targeting the March and July-August issues. Each race would be listed with the contact information and the ad would not include an entry form. Each race director will need to submit the information to Eric or Stacy to meet the December 31,2001 deadline.
· Stacy presented the list of new KUS members since the last meeting, with the current membership totaling 61. Each race director was encouraged to place a membership form in the race packets.
· Randy discussed with the group the new KUS web site information. The members approved the move and Marc was instructed to send Eric a check for $140 to cover the first year cost.
· The election of new officers was held with Stacy Sheridan elected as President, Jim Davis elected as the club Vice President, Charles Stodter elected as the new club Secretary and Marc Friesen will continue as the club Treasurer.
· Randy Albrecht presented the Member of the Year award to Jim and Nancy Davis for their contribution to the success of KUS.
RELENTLESS FORWARD PROGRESS
WHERE KUS MEMBERS PLAN
TO RUN AND RACE
Jim & Nancy Davis
12-29-01 Arne
Richards Memorial Fat Ass, Manhattan KS
2-2-02 Rocky Raccoon 50/100 Mile ?, Huntsville TX
3-2-02 Old Pueblo 50 Mile, Sonoita, AZ
4-6-02 Rockin K Trail Runs, Kanopolis State Lake, KS
Steve Finnern
4-6-02 Rockin K ( 50 mi ), Kanopolis State Lake, KS
4-20-02 Longest Day Marathon, Bookings SD
5-5-02 Lincoln Marathon, Lincoln, NE
6-?-02 Marathon to Marathon, Storm Lake IA
8-02
Omaha Marathon, Omaha NE
9-02
Maui Marathon, Hawaii
10-02
Bohemian Alps Endurance Run ,50 Mile, Brainard, NE
12-02- Dallas White Rock, Dallas, TX
Phil Sheridan
3-16-02 Cross Timbers Trail Run, Lake Texoma, TX
4-27-02 KUS 12 hour, Wichita, KS
8-02 Fairfield IA
9-28-02 Flat Rock, Independence, KS
10-12-02 Heartland, Cassoday, KS
11-02 Blue Springs 50/50, Blue Springs, MO
Marc Friesen
3-
23-02 GNC 50Km, Pittsburgh, PA
4-
6-02 Rockin K 50M, Kanopolis State Park, KS
7-
27-02 Whitewater 50M, Greenwater, WA
8-
24-02 Cascade Crest 100M,
Easton, WA
10-19-02 Ed Fitz 100Km, Duluth, MN
10-
20-02 Wichita Marathon, Wichita, KS
3-12-02 Brew to Brew 42, KC to Lawrence, KS
3-23-02 Napa Valley Trail Marathon, Napa CA
4-6-02 Rockin' K 50 mile, Kanopolis State Lake, KS
4-27-02
KUS 12 hour, Wichita, KS
Late
May Run Across Kansas for the Manhattan
Boys and Girls Clubs (Will attempt to do the 400 miles along US 36 in 9 days)
7-21-02 Elkhorn 100K, Montana City MT
8-19-02 Leadville 100M, Leadville, CO
9 or 10-02, 24 Hour, Iowa
11-02 Oklahoma marathon, Tulsa, OK
1-5-02 Siberian Express 7.6 mile run,
Danville, IL
1-26-02 Riddle 28 mile Trail Run, Mahomet, IL
3-16-02 Kentucky Ultra Trail Sojourn 50 mile, Cave Rock Lake, Kentucky
3-30-02 McNaughton Park 50 mile, Pekin, IL
4-6-02 Rockin K 50 mile, Kansas
4-20-02 River to River Relay,
Southern Illinois
5-5-02 European 25K Cross County, Lake Geneva, WI
5-26-02 Mad City Marathon, Madison, WI
6-1-02 Kettle Moraine 100 mile, Whitewater, WI
12-8-02 Honolulu Marathon
12-29-01 Arne Richards Memorial Fat Ass, Manhattan KS
4-6-02 Rockin K Trail Runs, Kanopolis State Lake, KS
Editor’s note: These were the only two
races Bill gave me, but knowing the Shirk’s who knows where they’ll turn up!
9-28-02 Flat Rock, Independence, KS
12-29-01 Arne Richards
Memorial Fat Ass, Manhattan KS
1-19-02
Topeka to Auburn Half Marathon, Topeka, KS
2-17-02
Randolphs Revenge 14+ Mile Trail Run, Randolph, KS
3-10-02
Brew to Brew 42 Miles, KC to Lawerence, KS
4-6-02
Rockin K Trail Marathon, Kanopolis Lake, KS
4-14-02
Bataan Death March, White Sands, NM
4-28-02
Oklahoma City Marathon, Oklahoma Ciy, OK
5-5-02
Lincoln Marathon, Lincoln, NE
5-11-12-02 Massanutten Mountain Trail 100, George
Washiington
National Forest, VA
*Actually
it’s a wish list dependant on world affairs!!
* Some of these may be
dreams, but you have to start somewhere.
1-5-02
Tourquoise Lake 20 miler-snowshoes
2-16-02
Sylamore 50k Ark.
4-6-02
Rockin K 50 Mi. Ks
5-4-02
Collegiate Peaks 50 Mi. Co
6-8-02
Tourquoise Lake 20 Mi Co
7-6-02
Leadville trail marathon
8-17-02
Leadville 100
· Tentative plans
Never
give up. Keep your thoughts and your mind always on the goal.
~ Tom Bradley ~
Note: I received this email from Jim and Nancy Davis and wanted to share it with the membership.
Stacy,
We want to convey to the club how honored we are at receiving the Member of the Year. Needless to say, we were shocked beyond words at the meeting and didn't have any response. In such an accomplished crowd we hardly feel worthy of this honor. It does say something about ultrarunning - that the sport is there for everyone - back of the pack as well as the elite. More about personal goals and participation than PRs for most of us. Anyway - a heartfelt Thank You! and we are deeply honored.
Jim and Nancy Davis
Hiking Mauna Kea
By Scott Demaree
Through a twist of fate, I recently spent a couple of weeks on the big island of Hawaii. The only thing that made it affordable for an out-of-work Nutritionist was that we were able to stay with relatives at their home in the small town of Hawi. I was able to run very little over there, but the running I did was hilly. And I had the chance to spend some quality foot time on the tallest mountain on the island - Mauna Kea.
At only 3oo feet shorter than Pikes Peak, this extinct volcano is about 150 feet taller than the other big mountain on the island, Mauna Loa. I drove to the astronomical observatories that populate the upper reaches of Mauna Kea on one day. During this trip, I picked up a crude map of the hiking trails that start at the visitors center at 9,000 feet and go up from there. After looking the map over, I decided to test the trail the next day.
Just getting to Mauna Kea is an adventure. From the Waimea side, you get the privilege of driving 26 miles of the Saddle Road, referring to the broad saddle formed between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. This winding, hilly, two-lane road climbs from about 2,500 feet to over 6,000 feet. The road is paved, in a manner of speaking. Two characteristics make it exciting. One is the fact that on the vast majority of the road, about half of each lane is in a rough, decayed state, giving drivers incentive to straddle the center line. You never know what you will greet at the top of each hill! The second element of spice is that as you ascend or descend, you very often pass through clouds of varying size, resulting in thick fog! The turn-off is near mile marker 28 (numbered from the Hilo side), for an uphill drive on good pavement for about 5 miles to the visitors center parking lot.
To find the trail, I hiked 200-300 yards sharply uphill on the observatory road passing a resort called Hale Pohaku. The trailhead was not well marked, appearing to be a poorly maintained dirt road on the left, just before the end of the pavement. The trail soon became a single-track path that was easy to follow. What did not change was the stiff grade. It seems that trail switch-backs are an alien concept to Hawaiians.
Breathing hard for about 30 minutes, I finally cleared a ridge and was rewarded by a magnificent view of . . . the surface of the moon! The clumps of grass and stunted bushes that had been scattered along the trail had given way to a lifeless landscape of starkly beautiful shades of red, brown, gray and white. A huge gray-brown cinder cone called Pu’u Keonehehee, towered above me, looking near enough to touch.
Of course, on the moon the sky would be black and filled with stars. Instead, I was dazzled by a featureless, deep blue sky, with a midday sun overhead, as I hiked into a strong wind. Over my shoulder, Mauna Loa rose impressively at the other end of the saddle. Looking more like a massive wall blocking the southern horizon than a mountain peak, this live volcano is said to contain more mass than any other mountain on Earth. To the left of Mauna Loa was a cloud deck extending off toward the Hilo coast. Hualalai (the third largest volcano on the island) poked up through a cloud mass to the right of Mauna Loa near the Kona coast.
The trail led off to the left of PK with a less severe grade, and another 40 minutes of trekking brought me past it (so much for reaching out and touching it!). In another 20 minutes, I worked my way approximately even with another sizable but lighter-colored cinder cone, Pu’u Kookoolau. Unfortunately, this used up the time I had allotted for ascending (90 minutes), so I turned and headed down, expecting to need about half as much time to get back to the car.
The slope was just gentle enough for me to run in this upper region, and the surface was a perfect shock absorbing volcanic ash and pumice that allowed my feet to sink in a couple of inches at each impact. There were very few rocky sections demanding caution. Still, I did have to break my speed often as the tailwind tended to push me too fast. Then I hit the steep lower trail, and my quads began to take a severe pounding as I was required to break my speed with every stride.
By the time I reached the pavement, I was suffering an unfamiliar buckling of the knees, induced by extreme quad fatigue. Even with that slowing, I reached the car in 40 minutes of descent. I estimate my total round trip as 8-9 miles. With my hamstrings extremely tight and quads fatigued to failure, I spent several minutes stretching before getting in the car to drive. I can’t remember the last time so few miles had left my legs so beaten. It felt very much like I had just finished an ultra, except there wasn’t any real pain. Although I had only recently begun building my mileage with no real hills to train on, I must conclude that the severe gradient of this trail combined with high winds
resulted in a very harsh bout of exercise.
To reach the summit from the visitors center, I estimate (from the crude map) there are 7 miles of trail. I highly recommend trying any part of it, if you ever crave a great workout while on the Big Island. The views are unique and spectacular, so don’t make the mistake I made of going without a camera.
Terms of Office:
The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall serve for one year from January 1st to December 31st. Nomination letters will be sent to the general membership no later than the 15th of October, to be returned by the 15th of November to the current board of officers. The current officers will visit with the individuals nominated to discuss the duties of the office for which they were nominated and determine if they would be willing to serve. When more than one nomination is received for an office a vote will be conducted by either mail or at the annual meeting, held in December of each year. If only one nomination is received for an office and found qualified and the current officer no longer wishes to serve, the current board may appoint that nominee without a vote from the general membership.
Duties of Officers include but are not limited to:
The President should represent the club and should be the person to whom questions are directed about the club and should be willing to act as the official representative when called upon to do so. He or She should preside at all membership and board of officers meetings.
Vice
President
The Vice-President should assist the President and be willing to serve as the official substitute for the President as necessary. He or She should be willing to perform such duties as delegated to him or her by the President.
The secretary should keep the minutes of the meeting of the members and board and provide those for the club newsletter. He or She should be willing to perform such duties as delegated to him or her by the President.
The Treasurer should assume the responsibility of
maintaining the accurate and current financial activities of the Club, keep all
financial records and make all deposits and disbursement of properly executed
claims of Club monies. Further, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to
file all official Annual Reports and incorporation documents with the State of
Kansas and the IRS each year. He or She should provide an accounting of the
financial status at the annual meeting.
Appointed Positions:
The Membership Secretary/Newsletter Editor should assume the duties for maintain the official roster of members, send welcome packets to new members, send out membership renewals, and be responsible for turning in membership dues to the Treasurer. Membership fees are due on or before the 1st of January on a yearly basis. The Membership Secretary/Newsletter Editor may send a second reminder by the 31st of January asking that dues be paid; any members not paid within 30 days of the second reminder may be dropped from the roster. The Membership Secretary/Newsletter Editor should be responsible for the newsletter’s content and publication.
Official
Webmaster:
Maintain and update the KUS web page in a timely manner. Respond to inquiries and send update messages to the KUS email list.
Audit Committee:
One club member who is not an officer shall be designated by the board as the audit chairman. He/She will be responsible for reviewing the financial records and club activities and presenting a report at the annual meeting. The President and Treasurer will assist the individual/committee in completing their review. Any club member is welcome to participate in the process with the audit normally conducted 1 - 2 hours prior to the annual meeting.
This is a non-profit organization. Dues, entry fees and other monies received by the club will be spent entirely for carrying out the stated mission of the club.
All event directors of currently held events (as of 1-1-02) are allowed expenses to conduct their events as established in previous years, with one exception being, any new equipment purchases should be approved by the officers prior to purchasing. Receipts for all expenses of over $20 dollars need to be turned over to the treasurer along with a final accounting for the event, including currently established events. Directors of any new events planned may be asked for a detailed budget to be submitted to the officers for approval.
Any expenditures of over $25 for other than club events need to be approved by the officers and any expenditures of over $300 need to be approved by the officers and may be subject to membership vote, if the officers feel this is necessary. All expenditures need to be accompanied by a receipt.
Last minute bits…
I received a card from Rosemary and Bob Marston. Rosemary was in a head on car accident in November while on her way to a race in Hot Springs. Her leg was broken pretty badly but thankfully she will make a full recovery! Heal quickly Rosemary!
Gail Leedy has emailed me to let me know she has recently relocated to Laramie Wyoming and invites KUS members to come out and run the Laramie Marathon or Double Marathon. Information is at http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon/ Best wishes Gail.
New Race… Mark Crisman and Dann Fisher of the Flint Hills Harriers’ are putting on a new race to be held on February 17th called Randolph’s Revenge Trail Runs. There will be 7 or 14-mile races starting at 10:00 a.m. For more information, contact Mark Crisman at 785-537-6214 or crismanm@yahoo.com or Dann Fisher at 785-539-5568 or taxman@kansas.net. Or see the Harrier’s web site at www.flinthillsharriers.com
The recipe for the foot lube,
attributed to Dr. Andrew Lovy, with methodology explained by me is:
Even parts:
Vaseline
A&D Ointment
Desitin
Add just a little bit (smidgen) of
Vitamin E & Aloe Vera Cream to the concoction. Mix thoroughly; consistency should be that of thick frosting.
Store in a spent Vaseline container.
Take with you to every ultra-event you compete in or are going to be
crewing in.
Apply liberally to feet before race,
especially in trouble areas (balls of the feet, in between toes, side of heels,
etc.), put socks on carefully to keep goop in spot where applied. Re-apply every 3-5 hours or when you feel
hot-spots creeping up. Do not change
your socks, no matter how grungy or clammy they feel--it is better to have
grungy/clammy feeling socks than blistered feet that make you DNF the ultra
and/or not reach your mileage goal.
Finally, go set a PR!
Questions? Info to share? Got a story or race report? Need to get a hold of the editor? Renew your membership? My address is:
Stacy Sheridan
302 S Grand Ave
Ellsworth KS 67439
785-472-5454
ALL submissions to the newsletter are greatly appreciated!! Send them in!