Osage Hills

Sorry for the lack of info.  I hope you guys are planning to come out and race at Osage Hills this weekend.  Should be a really fun time.  We're putting together the usual merriment, and I hope more people will be there to take advantage.

Here's the course info.

If you know where the mountain bike trails are...  They start by the horse barn and a rock house that is a left turn about a half mile before the ranger station.  There are three trails:  Red, Blue, and White.  They are designed to start from the left of the rock house and finish up the little dirt doubletrack to the right of that.  This is the way we're going to run the race.  The trails are short enough that you can easily ride all of them over and over in one day.  The Red trail is somewhere between 3.25 and 3.5 miles.  It hasn't been maintained and riding it is ridiculous.  Maybe on a full suspension it wouldn't feel so bumpy, but there are loose rocks all over the trail.  We're going to run this trail, so be careful (ankle sprain).  The Blue trail is a lot better, and I think you're going to enjoy riding it.  I clocked this trail right at 3.1 miles, so three loops should give us 15 kilometers.  I think that's going to be a pretty fast ride.  The last time I raced there, it was 100% mud and it took forever (and ruined my drivetrain and my fork), but dry, this thing rolls off pretty quick.  We'll have chip timing again, so you'll be responsible for counting your laps, but the chip will register your lap times.

And of course, we'll finish with another run on the red loop.

The white trail follows the blue for a bit and then breaks off and heads back to the parking lot.  It's only a mile long.  

There will be volunteers and pink flamingoes on the course to direct you, so don't worry.

As usual, my parents will be grilling hotdogs and Vintage 1740 will be donating a keg of Bridgeport IPA.  Yum.

It takes an hour to get there from here, so plan accordingly.  Race starts at 9a.  

Remember, if you don't want to do the duathlon (or have friends who don't mountain bike), you can just do the "5k" run and enjoy the festivities.

Big cash payouts to male and female overall winners of the duathlon.

Resume Racing

Sorry I haven't posted lately. I've been in Colorado for a week. We're gearing up for the next DoubleShot Duathlon at Osage Hills. I'll post more info upon my return.

Thanks for all the nice comments about the Keystone race. Kari and I appreciate it, and your support helps us continue despite lackluster attendance. Recruit lots of peeps for the next race!

Race Pics

Thanks to Ginger Renshaw for hauling her hulking camera around in the woods...

http://gingerrenshaw.shutterfly.com/918xc

DoubleShot Duathlon Keystone RESULTS

http://www.dgroadracing.com/2009%20Double%20Shot%20Duathlon.htm

Race Day

Tomorrow is the kick off of the 2009 DoubleShot Duathlon series.  Lake Keystone bike trails.  Everything is go go go.  We have several pre-registrations, which is strange.  Thanks for that.  I hope we get a lot more race-day registrations in the morning.  We're looking forward to a big group and a hot race.

Speaking of hot.  It's only supposed to be 82 degrees at 9a tomorrow.  By the time the mercury touches 91, you'll be sitting in the shade drinking Bridgeport IPA and eating grilled hotdogs.

Registration opens at 630a.  Coffee will be served.  Lenny Dunn will fire the starting pistol at 9a.  My dad will start cooking hotdogs at 930a.  Awards will follow.  We don't do all the age groups (sorry).  Top three male and female will get awards in the Duathlon and the 5k Trail run.  Top 3 teams.  And there will be awards for the fastest run and bike splits in the duathlon for male and female.  So go all out.

Scott Gibson told me today he can't make the race tomorrow.  I'm not sure if Ray Hall will be there or not- no word.  Some other fast dudes will be there though.  But you can beat them.  Come out and play.  See you in the morning!

SIX IN THE STICKS race results

Click here for the results of SIX IN THE STICKS, July 26, 2009.

If you find mistakes, please let me know so I can make corrections.

Registration has been extended!

I just got word from Kari that she called Active.com and had them open up registration for one more day.  So you have until midnight TONIGHT to pre-register for the Keystone DoubleShot Duathlon & 5k Trail Run.

I went out to the trails again last night and ran every trail we'll be using on Saturday.  The markers are still up.  Not much has changed.  We groomed the trail last weekend as much as we felt necessary, and some of that is growing back, but should be ok for the weekend.  Some of the corners are getting pretty sandy, and if we don't get rain right before the race, you're probably going to bury your front wheel and wash out if you don't slow down.  

Remember, there is a place where the trail splits.  The run will go off the main trail to the right up a rocky hill, and the bike continues straight on the main trail.  We'll have a volunteer at that point to direct you.  (You'll also have the aid of following the pink flamingoes on the run.)  After the next creek crossing the run will continue straight and around to your right, and the bike will take a hard left.  There will be volunteers at this point as well.  Shouldn't be any problems.

The dam road is closed at highway 51.  So make sure you take hwy 412 and get off at the Keystone State Park exit (it has construction signs on it).  Go across the dam and look for Old Hwy 51 on your left.  If you get to the construction and the entrance to Keystone State Park, you went too far.  We'll have signage up on race day to direct you.  The parking lot is right after the turn onto Old Hwy 51.

I can't think of anything else to tell you right now.  Check back later.

Course

Kari and I went out and put markers up on the Keystone course on Saturday.  Please don't tear them down.  It probably looks like we just put markers on every trail out there, but there are a couple places we will need to put volunteers to direct you because caution tape for one course would block the other.

Here's what we decided (for better or worse).  The run will start from the parking lot to the left.  Follow the main trail, but keep an eye out on your right for a turn-off before you get to the creek crossing/short loop-long loop junction.  The run course will follow this side-trail, which reconnects with the main trail a few yards down.  Then you will turn right and continue around the short loop (stay to your right after the creek crossing).  The run will be around 3 miles, but it's pretty rocky, so I don't think you'll mind the .1 or so we shorted it.

You'll run back in on the main trail to the right of the parking lot as you face the pond.  Across the lot to the transition area and on your bike (unless you signed up for the 5k).  You'll bike the main trail (big loop) twice.  Go out the same way you left on the run.  Stay on the main trail- don't go up the side-trail we diverted you on the run.  After the creek crossing turn left.  The first half of the trail is rocky and technical, but the last part of the trail is the payoff and it's really fun.  When you come through the start/finish area, you may have to dismount for the timing system to register your lap (I'll talk to the timing company) and then you'll head off for another lap of the same.  This makes the bike a bit longer than advertised, at 10.7 miles.  That's 1.4 miles long, which you can attribute to the fun stuff on the backside of the lap.  Hopefully everyone will enjoy it.  You must understand that we have no choice but to work with the trails we're racing on, so the racing distances can't be exact every single race.

Should be a fun time if you don't go out and kill yourself.  Take your time through the rocks, dismount when you have to (there are three places during the lap that I dismount during races), and above all have fun.  We want you to enjoy it and come back for more.

Questions?

Keep checking back.

Keystone Duathlon

We're one week out from the first DoubleShot Duathlon of the year.  Kari and I are going to Keystone today to mark the course and clean it up a little.  Working with the distances Keystone gives us, it looks like the two runs will be a hare short of 5k and the bike will end up being about 7.5 miles.  Rough, rocky miles.  I don't think you'll complain.  This rain should help firm up the sandy sections of the trail a little, but be aware that some of the usually fast curves are now really easy places to wash out. 

We'll be starting in the main parking area for the mountain bike trails, across the road from the state park.  Right now, the road is closed from Hwy 51 to Keystone State Park, so you have to come in from Hwy 64/412.  There is a little convenience store and a place to get water just after you enter the state park, so if you need anything that is close.  As you face the retaining pond in the mountain bike parking area, we'll be heading off (on run and bike) to your left.  After you go through a creek crossing, you can go straight and continue on the short loop or you can make a 90 degree left and continue on the long loop.  We'll be riding both of these, but only running the short loop.  The markings that are up right now are Ray's markings that were left up after the Keystone race.  Our flags are red-and-black checkered.  Hopefully today we'll get all his stuff pulled down and put our own flagging up.  We won't be using the new trails Ray cut that lead down to the field, just the main trail.

Remember, the races (the Duathlon AND the 5k Trail run) start next Saturday at 9a.  We'll have the festival ready to roll.  Check back here for more details.  I'll post as frequently as I have something to say.