Rural Missouri - April 2013 - (Page 18)

Runners on the trail O U T D O O R S Hit the trail for ﬁtness & adventure by Jim McCarty jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop Whatever the reason, runners by the score are joining mountain bikers, backpackers and horseback riders on Missouri trails. Their training might be just for fun, avid Murphy remembers exactly the day or it may be preparation for a growing he started running. He had joined a bignumber of trail races sponsored by groups gest loser challenge and only knew one such as the Ozark Mountain Ridge Runway to shed pounds. “I was 10 years out ners, the Kansas City Trail Nerds, the St. of the Marine Corps and weighed 230 pounds,” he Louis Ultrarunners Group (SLUGs) or the says. “The only way I knew to lose weight was to go aptly named Idiots Running Club started by back to my old Marine Corps days and run.” David Murphy. So he ran a mile in January and thought he was Bass Pro Shops sponsors a trail race at its going to die. He stayed with it and reached his goal Dogwood Canyon Nature Park that offers of three miles. By June he had dropped 50 pounds. distances from 15 to 50 kilometers. There By November, he ran a half marathon, 13.1 miles. are two 100-mile races in Missouri, one on “At that point, to say I was hooked would be an the Ozark Trail and another on the Berryunderstatement,” says David, a White River Valley man Trail near Potosi. Electric Cooperative member from Wasola. “I started our trail running group 13 These days, David runs half marathons on his years ago,” says Ben Holmes of the Trail light training days. He’s left the marathon distance Nerds. “Our ﬁrst ‘big’ race had 43 starters in far behind. He’s run 100 miles four times. He’s done 2004. This year, that same race had 551, in a host of 50K and 50-mile races. David Murphy enjoys a day on the trail in the Mark Twain NationFebruary, no less. Most of our events grow David is part of a new running revolution that al Forest, site of the eight-hour Skunk Run he organizes. He says 20 to 30 percent per year.” has made running the No. 1 outdoor activity, actrail running brings him great peace. The two biggest races put on by the cording to The Outdoor Foundation. The group’s SLUGs — the Chubb Trail run in April and latest survey shows 51.5 million Americans, or 18 ners. In winter, trees block cold winds, while sumthe Berryman Trail run in May — ﬁlled this year in percent of the population over age 6, runs outdoors. mer shade can lower temperatures 15 to 20 degrees. just a few hours. Increasingly, these runners are leaving the road “If I can stay off the road, I do,” says David “I am not really certain about the reason trail behind and taking to trails for a number of reasons. Murphy. “It’s beautiful. You can go out there and be races have gotten so popular and are ﬁlling so fast,” Some like the solitude they ﬁnd on the trail. Others completely lost in your thoughts. You don’t have to says SLUGs race director David White, a Three Rivers believe trail running gives them a better workout worry about a car coming or hitting a stoplight.” Electric Co-op member from Chamois. “It may be as they travel off-camber paths, duck under tree He says it’s a different sort of running, at a because the sport of running has grown and people branches and occasionally go vertical when a stick slower pace than what he was used to on the road. have gotten bored with one thing and want to looks too much like a snake. He learned — the hard way — that trail running try something else. Most of the ultrarunners I “We are not seeing people switchrequires picking the feet up more. know simply want to get away, be one with ing entirely from roads to trails, but we “If you don’t have good form on the trails, you nature. If you can have some friends join are seeing a steady increase in runners are going to be on your face a lot,” he says. you, it is much better.” adding trails to their training regimens David recommends runners transition to trails For many trail runners, getting off and race selections,” says David Spetnagel, slowly, slowing their pace until they are comfortable road means being able to run much owner of four Fleet Feet running stores in Wasola with the rocks, roots and fallen limbs that can spell farther than is practical on pavement. the St. Louis area. “One reason for this is • disaster. Those training for ultra-distance races that new trails are constantly being intro“The main thing is just enjoy it,” he says. “It’s must put in many more miles than a road duced to the region. Another reason is the growth of just so peaceful. I can come out on the trail by myrunner typically would. untraditional races. People are looking for all sorts self, and that is better than any therapy session you Running on pine needles or soft ground under of different running experiences nowadays, and that can ever go to.” trees is easier on the older knees of experienced runsearch is leading many people to the trails.” D Trail Running Clubs M issouri is home to several trail running clubs that can serve as a valuable resource for questions such as where to run, what shoes are best and injury prevention. Trail Nerds Kansas City area Contact: Ben Holmes, 816-810-0440 www.psychowyco.com Dues: $15 The Trail Nerds are known for their brutal winter races that often require adding sheet metal screws to shoes for traction on icy trails. The group gives much of its event proceeds to area trail groups. It hosts weekly group runs in the Kansas City area. 18 Ozark Mountain Ridge Runners Springﬁeld area Contact: Chris Revoir, 417-343-1868 www.omrr.org Dues: $20 The Ozark Mountain Ridge Runners have more than 500 members whose motto is “Train for the health of it . . . Race for the fun of it.” The group sponsors two races, one in the spring and one in the fall, and donates money it raises to a variety of charities. Membership includes a monthly newsletter and discounts at local running stores. St. Louis Ultrarunners Group St. Louis area Contact: David White, 573-763-5035 www.stlouisultrarunnersgroup.net WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP Dues: $20 The SLUGs host ﬁve races including 26.2-, 50- and 100-milers on the Berryman Trail, 25K and 50K runs on the Chubb Trail near St. Louis and a 6- or 12-hour timed “Flatlanders” run, along with a road run held near Frankenstein, Mo. Membership includes a newsletter and weekly group runs. Idiots Running Club Loosely based in the Ozarks Contact: David Murphy, 417-239-5064 www.idiotsrunningclub.com No dues Designed to show how crazy ultrarunning is, the Idiots Running Club hosts the annual eight-hour Skunk Run near Wasola, or if you can’t make it, anywhere you want to run. The rules are to run as far as you want in eight hours and to have fun doing it. http://www.omrr.org http://www.psychowyco.com http://www.idiotsrunningclub.com http://www.stlouisultrarunnersgroup.net http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - April 2013

Rural Missouri - April 2013
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
Companion planting
News Briefs
Operation cooperation
Outdoors
It’s all about redemption
Best of rural Missouri
Hearth and Home
Marmaduke’s Cape expedition
Around Missouri
Marketplace
The soldier’s paper
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - April 2013