Beer News & Other News

A while back, we had a little post about Beer. Now, I am ashamed to admit it, but I have not had too much beer since writing that post. It's not that my love of beer has fallen off, but just that the running has crept in and displaced the beer. In a well-lived and balanced life, there should be room for both.

Now, all of the sudden, I am feeling a little thirst. Perhaps I should go for a run first, and slake that thirst as I write the rest of this post. ... Ah... Ok, that's better. Everything is better with a beer in your hand. Wait - a beer in the belly is better than one in the hand. Maybe? Or two? I forget how the saying goes. Is there a saying? Or is it the anticipation? I am not sure. I thing I feel really sleepy now. I will finish this in the morning.

OK, back to this post. We wanted to serve beer to our runners, and we wanted to serve Oklahoma brewed beer, from an Oklahoma company - and we wanted to serve the best. In that vein, we contacted Coop Ale Works. And they agreed to be involved! So hats off to Coop Ale Works. If you have not had the pleasure of drinking any of their fine ales or lagers, you should start.

We wish our local Liquor Store, Bombay Liquor, carried it. So we paid them a visit. And so they will. They will also be supplying us with a bunch of stuff. Multiple door prizes, supplies, and more beer. If you win something, you are likely to pay them a visit to pick it up. Thanks, Steve!

Steve also instantly identified the bottle in the 'possum's hand. It's Courvoisier. Is that a good way to die? I'm not going to find out.

Questions and Inquiries

We have likely done a poor job of getting out all the information in an organized way. And this isn't going to be any better.

But let's see. Before we go any further, check to see if your answer may be found Here. And now we'll try to answer your questions. These are actual questions.

Question: Your registration link does not work, where can I register?

Answer: Try this one.

Question: Can I get a discount?

Answer: Yes, if you register before September 18th, the date the price goes up. Or, if you contact me and make special arrangement to enter a large

group or team all at once.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: $30. now, $35 later (9/18/10 and

after)

Q: Is there really roadkill on the road?

A: Well, no, we don't put any extra roadkill out there, but there could be some.

Q: I won't be able to make it. Can I have a refund?

A: No. But you can transfer the number to someone else for a $5. processing fee.

Q: Can I have a t-shirt?

A: Yes. We are having a t-shirt swap.

Q: I know someone who makes t-shirts. Maybe you should make t-shirts. Would you?

A: No. We offer a steel cup. It's like the Stanley Cup, or the World Cup, but more easily obtained without getting arrested.

Q: Can't you afford t-shirts?

A: T-shirts are less expensive than what we offer, which is a steel cup you can use every day.

Q: Why is it called a foot-race?

A: Because you are only allowed to compete on foot.

Q: Can I push a stroller?

A: Not recommended. At all. Please don't at this race. If you must, send me an e-mail or give me a call, and we can discuss it.

Q: Can I roller-blade?

A: No, it is a foot-race.

Question: Can I bike?

A: No, it is a foot race.

Q: Did someone really ask that?

A: Yes, someone really asked this.

Q: Is there a wheelchair division?

A: Wheelchairs are not recommended, but you could send me an e-mail or give me a call, and we can discuss it.

Q: How do you all run so far?

A: I think it has to do with this diagram. (below) I am not sure. Practice?

Q: Do we really have to bring our own race bibs?

A: Yes.

Q: Is this a joke?

A: No. Run our ten-mile foot race, and you will see it is not a joke.

Q: What if we don't bring our own race bibs?

A: We have thick sharpies for you. You can write on your numbers, tri-style. Or we can do it for you.

Q: Seriously?

A: Yes, seriously.

Q: Can I just run part of it?

A: That would be cheating. We will send you to this ==>

doctor after your fellow runners take you out.

Q: Is it hilly?

A: Yes.

Q: Can we walk?

A: Yes, and you probably will, even if you weren't planning on it. Run or walk, your choice. No penalty. It would be a much more enjoyable walk than it will be a run!

Q: Will it be hot?

A: Probably not. But it could be.

Q: Where is Chickasha?

A: Here. Also, you can use google maps.

Q: You should make it a 15k.

A: It's ten miles.

Q: Is there a fun run?

A: No - there is one run, and it is not fun.

Q: Will we be eating roadkill?

A: I hope not! We won't be serving any roadkill. For dinner.

Q: What time does it start?

A: 8:00am

Q: Are either of you racing it?

A: No, we'll be busy with race stuff.

Check back here later if you want to see more questions and answers. I will post all of your questions.

Road Kill Dry Run

A Pictoral Essay

or something like that

We decided to camp out at the Muscle Car Ranch so we could report to you. It was a beautiful Oklahoma night with a fair breeze. You can call it a breeze when it's September and the air is perfect. Of course, in January that breeze is plain ole miserable. But it was September and so our story begins.

We toted along 4 kids and a dog. The kids were like freed captives, in a wild free-for-all while we set up camp. There is a lot to explore at the ranch; old firetrucks, frogs in the pond, funny road signs, old campers and very unique bathrooms. It is a very cool place for a kid. I would recommend when you come to bring the family. But leave the dog.

Otto, the German Short-Haired Pointer, was excited too. So excited that he immediately set about to spray the tents with his specialness. A great spraying battle waged into the night between Otto and Puck, the owner's dog. They did an excellent job of making sure our tents were watered. Thanks boys.

Otto, King of the Spray

Laws of Camping 

There are  Universal Laws of Camping. I know you know them but I will recount some of them now for you.

Rule One 

Tents go up in the dark.

The sun will set at Equator speed no matter what longitude or latitude you are at thereby ensuring the continuation of this rule.

Rule Two

Hammers and any tools necessary to put up the tent will suddenly spontaneously combust into the atmosphere thereby forcing you to search in the dark for a comparable tool. This rule exists solely to remind men of their cavemen days. I'm pretty sure it is also part of a subliminal advertising campaign for Snap-On Tools. I haven't totally figured that one out yet, so I will have to get back to you on it.

We spent a little time looking around before starting to cook burgers. This is some of what we saw. 

You just don't see this anywhere! 

Art?

Rule Three

No matter the degree of effort spent packing for a camping trip, you will forget a critical element of meal preparation.

 Last time it was actual hamburger. This time it was lighter fluid and BEER. Yes, I said beer.

I escaped the madness of the kids and dogs and headed out to town (a whopping 2 miles away) to find our forgotten essentials. Our favorite local liquor store is Bombay Liquor. (I highly recommend you visit them when you come to town!) I cruised into the parking lot in a panic only to find they were closed. CLOSED! Closed, I say!

Bombay Liquor

I started texting folks (not while driving, that is what VR is for) to see if someone would bring us some beer. Most friends never responded. You know who you are. Props to runner friend Tommy for the offer!

This is a true friend. He offers beer in emergencies!

Back at the Ranch,  I was rewarded for my efforts with the job of cooking in the dark.  The Ranch has several grills right by the ponds. I cooked up the burgers and somewhere around 9:30 we ate.

They was good,  if I do say so myself!








Rule Four

A camping trip must involve a run-in with wild animals.

Now, I wasn't afraid of this rule. After all, we were in city limits. There are no bears in this part of Oklahoma and most of the wild animals we see are dead, dead, dead. What's to fret about?

The Ranch's most impressive inhabitant was lurking around. I don't know his name but dadgum, he's incredible. For 27 seconds, I debated giving up beef out of reverence for such a magnificent beast.

I wish that was all I had to tell you about wild animals.  About the time I entered a good sound sleep and started dreaming of 2:45 marathons, this horrific growling, brawling sound started. One layer was a high pitched-squeal while the bottom note was what I imagine to be a sound found in some layer of hell. The cacophony was disorientating. At first, I thought that Kara Goucher was growling at my back while we flew down the Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. About the time I realized it was Otto, the growling sounded collided in the air with little girl screams. I jumped out of the tent, tripping on the zipper, to hear my daughters (9 and 6) and son (8) screaming while Otto and Puck played Mighty Dog. Teeth were everywhere as the two dogs duked it out and crashed through the kid's tent, leaving a good sized tear in the wall of the tent.

Well, it only took a few minutes and a few kicks to calm the dogs and a few hugs to reassure the kids.  But the result was that I got to sleep the rest of the night in a verysmall two man tent with a man and a dog. 

Did I mention that the dog had gas? ugh.

Morning

Morning came too quickly and we were joined by Paul and Tommy for the dry run of the race route. Sadly, we had no coffee.

We toured the area with Paul mapping out possibilities for a fabulous cross country-race. (Stay tuned for more details on this one. It should be fantastic!) 






And then we ran. 

Up 12 hills and down. Some of us (not me) bounded those hills like they didn't exist. I just ran them. I ran some of them slow, some of them faster. But the beauty of the hill is that if you persevere through it, you get the reward of the downhill when your turn-over is amazing, the wind is in your hair, and every idea of running glory is possible. 

And that Ladies and Gentlemen, well, that's why we run. 

Robby R. Coon

Robby R. Coon passed away today following a fatal accident on 16th Street in Chickasha, OK. Robby, a lifetime resident of Chickasha, was survived by his wife, Rhonda, and 11 children: Richard, Ronald, Renee, Ridley, Robin, Reece, Ryan, Roger, Reba, Rachel and Reagan.

August 17, 2007- September 5, 2010

Robby committed his life to the destruction of human waste disposal systems. As an advocate of natural waste disposal, Robby formed RATS (Raccoons Against Trash Systems). RATS became a national movement under Robby's leadership and led to the reduction of the raccoon hunger rate by 12% nationwide.

Robby, age 1

Donations in his memory can be made at every alley and trash can across the state. Fish parts are needed in great quantity.

Love, Hate, Death, and Hills

"Hills are speedwork in disguise." Frank Shorter

Let's talk about long distance training. While we're at it, let's cut through the crap. Is everyone OK with that? If you want to want to pick flowers and blow kisses, come back when we have something nice to say. If you want to improve and do your best, read on. Running hurts. Let's just admit that and get it over with.

While a good base for long distance running includes a lot of easy running, all good training plans include hard work in the form of "speed", long-runs, mileage, and hills. It's just a fact. There is no shortcut. There is no easy way. Champions are made, not born.

Before we get any further, I have an assignment for you. Read This. It is probably the most concise and complete treatise on distance running that I have read.

Let's talk just briefly about "speed." If you want to race fast, you will have to train fast - intervals, tempo runs, hill sprints, anything. But it won't be slow, and it won't be easy. You can race, you can do some on/off miles, sprints, fartleks, intervals and repeats of many types. They are all good. They all have a purpose, and they are useful in season. When I say "in season," of course you know I am referring to periodization in your training. If you do nothing but 400m repeats, with the same rest/recovery, you will get to be really good at 400m repeats. But the training must be designed with the individual, the season, and the result in mind.

There is one training element you can incorporate into your training year round. We're talking about hills. Hilly easy runs, hilly tempo runs, hills deep into your long run. These are all good. And if you want to improve your racing, you are going to have to train on some hills. If you want to improve your race times over hilly courses, you are going to have to train on some hills. If you are planning on racing a marathon (or just running one, or completing one), you will incorporate some hill running in your training. Hills are good. Hills are gold. We seek out the hilly routes. We run over hills. It's not easy, but you'll learn to like it.

"The introduction of resistance in form of sand and hill is too important to be ignored." Percy Cerutty

How, then, should we work hills into our training?

We should start where all good training starts: the base. A runner should run on all available surfaces; trail, cross-country, bike path, cow-path, treadmill, gravel, dirt, track and road. This strengthens the runner and reduces occurrence of injury. The variety will harden the runner both physically and mentally, while providing relief from single-surface training. A well-rounded runner will also train on every slope available. Up, down, with long lazy inclines and short steep bursts - both up and down. Combine this base-training running over every slope and every available surface, and you are well on your way to becoming a better runner.

Hill training is strength training - resistance training. It is weightlifting for the runner. But more than just brute strength or ability to accomplish work, hillwork (when done correctly) can produce increases in power. Power is the rate at which we accomplish work. We must push off the toe, snap the foot through the ankle, propel with our quadriceps, swing harder through the arm, and lift the knee higher than in our typical running. One way to work the hill for power is to incorporate hill sprints - short bursts of 10 to 30 seconds up a steep hill.

Sprint, recover, repeat.

Bounding and springing exercises can help runners (like me) who need more flexibility and greater extension in the stride. These exercises are good for strength, but they will improve your form, too. Now is the time you google "hill bounding" or "hill training" or "hill bounding training" because there are so many reams of articles written about it that I really don't have much to add.

"It is suicidal for other runners to copy my hill sessions without adequate background." Pekka Vasala, Finnish Middle Distance Runner who outkicked Kip Keino at Munich Olympics in 1972 winning the 1500 meters in 3:36.3

Lastly, hills can be used in our anaerobic development. We push beyond our aerobic threshold, and enter into a state where internal energy sources are not oxidized in an state of equilibrium. We produce "lactic acids" faster than our bodies can use them. That's a not a bad thing - it's a good thing! It teaches our bodies to metabolize this new energy source and use it for fuel. You run a hill hard, feel the burn, and cruise on through - running now within your aerobic capacity and using the excess lactate. In summary, lactate is released from the working muscle, circulated to the liver, and converted into glucose (by the liver), which glucose in turn is used by the muscle. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing. It just hurts a bit when you do it.

Through training, our bodies learn to perform this lactate conversion faster and more efficiently. The body learns to recover from a hill on the flat or downhill while we are running. By incrementally increasing the quantity (hill time X slope) of lactate produced, and reducing recovery time and increasing recovery pace, the body learns to "run faster." This complex bio-chemical process occurs when you do a tempo run or race over hills. This process would be phased into your training and you might concentrate on this aspect of training for somewhere between 4 and 12 weeks, before sharpening or tapering. You can accomplish a similar effect with longer hill repeats (somewhere between 45 seconds and 2 minutes, with slopes between 2% and 7%)

I know I've barely touched on the subject. But it is time some of you got off your rears, off the flat running trails, and onto some hills.

"If the hill has its own name, then it's probably a pretty tough hill." Marty Stern

Your Neck of the Woods

Where are you all from? So far, we only have committed, registered runners from Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. We have a few invites out for people beyond, but no firm commits, no entries. These people, we know who you are. We know where you live.

But a few days ago, we discovered (one of us did, anyhow. Ok, it was me. The other one already knew.) that the blogger has things that can track, roughly, where our readers are from. (Don't get all freaked out. I don't know where you live. And I don't know your name. I don't know anything about you. )

And we have been fascinated by it. Most of you are in the USA. But we also have people checking in from Canada and the United Kingdom. Also, France, Australia and South Africa. Oh, and Portugal, Sweden, Iceland, Thailand, Venezuela, the Netherlands, and Turkey. Japan, Spain, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and India are there, too. Indonesia. Macedonia. This is fascinating to me. The other fascinating thing is where you all are in the US.

Most of our readers are from Oklahoma. All over Oklahoma. Many small town folks, like us, and many from The City (OKC or Oklahoma City to the rest of you) and the Tulsa area. But, in general, you are from all over Oklahoma. Second most, you are from Texas. That makes sense, since we have made an effort to get the word out to our friends in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, and other places in Texas. But you are from all over Texas!

The other surprising thing is how many people we have following this blog from Other Places. Western States are sparsely represented.

Kansas

California

Colorado

Arizona

Utah

New Mexico

Nevada

South Dakota

Washington.

But with the exception of Vermont and New Hampshire, every state east of the Mississippi or bordering the Mississippi is represented.

I'll keep you updated, but it looks like we will have people who are at least keeping an eye on us from all over the place. (updated 10/10/10)

Concise Event Information

What: The Road Kill - Ten Mile Foot Race

When: October 2, 2010, 8:00AM

Where: Chickasha, Oklahoma

at The Muscle Car Ranch.

(another informational link)

(yet another)

Driving Map - once in Chickasha.

Turn into the First (north) entrance.

All raceday traffic will be through the north entrance, before and after the race. There is ample parking on site. (3000+ cars) Tailgating before and after the run is encouraged. Camping, before or after the run, is encouraged. Talk to Curtis Hart, our host, at the Muscle Car Ranch.

Bathrooms are available, and are scattered around the site. You might get in a little warmup before the race. Please arrive early. Should numbers require, additional facilities will be provided.

Showers are available on site. They are private, but open-air and perhaps not "hot showers." Plan accordingly.

After the race, hot food and cold drink will be served. Some grills may be available, do bring extra grub. It will be an extended gathering if weather permits.

How:

Register Online

Or print out and mail in this.

$30. to 11:59pm cdt, September 17th, 2010.

$35. September 18th, 2010 to race, or until registration is closed earlier, if our cap is reached.

First-come, first served. All pre-registered runners will receive all race perks, including cup and other goodies. Supplies are limited after that point. Let me repeat, goodies are not guaranteed after September 17th, and the price goes up by $5.

Race Course Information:

We will start on South 16th St., just outside the south entrance to the Muscle Car Ranch

Route Map

Route Profile

There are three water stops on the course at approximately 2.5, 5 and 7.5 miles. The route is paved, except for the last 20 yards! The finish line is inside the Muscle Car Ranch, on the south driveway.

Bring your own race bib. Numbers will be assigned and posted, and E-mailed to you if you register early enough.

USATF certified - OK-10051-DG. Timing is provided by DG Productions. Results will be posted on the DG Productions site (linked above) and on this blog. Professional Photography is provided by Your Sporting Image.

Awards:

Cash awards and other awards are described here.

Random and Arbitrary awards for many.

Steel Finishers Cups.

Food and Beer.

T-shirt swap program, if you need a shirt.

Need more information? Write me an e-mail.

drunner72@gmail.com