Amy Thompson 8K

Dee and three other runLawrence members ran the Amy Thompson 8K yesterday (Mon, May 30). A lot of pizzazz (parachutists landing; nice crowd, cool weather, radio DJ announcing). Too bad the results for the 8K were messed up. Stayed for the awards and had to leave because they couldn't figure it out - like last year. Fortunately, the results were eventually done the next day - and with times. The link above will get you to some photos I took of the event.

Do you want to run Lawrence like Mike?

Lawrencians know that Mike Wildgen, city manager, runs Lawrence. He also runs Lawrence. Perhaps you don't control the city budget, but you can run around Lawrence like Mike. Come out June 11 to see a whole lot of Lawrence. This 3rd annual urban orienteering event is a continuation of the "scavenger hunt with a map" done two years ago with the Jayhawks on Parade statues. Here are some photos from 2004.

Runners training for a marathon can get in a long workout but making a game of it really makes the time fly by.

Orienteers, who usually run in the woods (and in the winter around here), will find a few more route choice decisions and can take advantage of their mapreading skills with increased IOF symbols added to the map.

Groups wanting to play a walking game don't have to stay out the whole time limit. There will be plenty of control points close to the start area.

Awards will be given not only to the top finishers but also by random draw. Winners can be anyone, not just the random luck of having "fast runner" genes. Come run, enjoy the workout, and earn a prize.

If interested, please submit entries before June 9 to insure your copy of the color map. Questions? Email me at gmw@ku.edu.

Reunion weekend - fun weekend

A lot of people associated with cycling I haven't seen in awhile appeared at the races this weekend. Friday, Cal Melick and David Conrad volunteered to help. So did Mike Riehm. John Giele took a lunch break to check the criterium. Cal, David and John raced with me in the early 70s. Ken Mackenzie was there, too. John and I rode to Canada with Ken one summer.
Lawrence Bike Club leaders - former presidents Jim Turner, Jim Baze along with Randy Breeden, too. Randy & I worked the Fri 3 am shift. Saw John McClure monitoring the 10th & Vermont corner - forgot to ask him about his bike trip to Portugal. Mike and Ed Eglinski were there and Rick Hermesch and Mike Harmon - bikers who've orienteered.
Rich Backus came by the 8th & Mass corner.

Sunday morning, I rode to the K10 trafficway to watch the team time trial. Standing at the K10 & 15th intersection was an older man along with the fire and police officials. His daughter (grand-daughter?) was riding for Colorado. Said he's from Topeka; we reminisced about Stephens Bike Shop, riding BAKs, and him now riding recumbents. He was Karl Hummel, one of three people who helped form the Kaw Valley Bike Club. I asked about Phil Menninger - the first Topeka guy I met who organized the first century I ever rode. The third founder of the club Karl couldn't remember. I asked if it was Gene Wansing (who's still active the KVBTC) - Karl said - "ah, that was the other third guy."

Met a guy along side the race course dressed in leather to ride Harleys. Said he was from Wichita and he and a friend rode from Wichita to Florida in 3 1/2 months on bikes from Hamilton's Bikes (no toe straps).

It was so easy to strike up conversations this weekend. The work week is hard these days and I look forward to every weekend. This one was special.

Sun

Collegiate Natl Champs in Lawrence

The NCCA (collegiate) National Championships were awarded to Lawrence Kansas for three years. It's an impressive accomplishment because the organizers thought big, for Lawrence very big, did their homework and got the best local people to get it done. The KU Cycling Club got KLM Marketing from Kansas City to be the professional organizers. Former KU Athletics director, Bob Frederick, lent his name and got many of his sports management students to volunteer. Plus the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Lawrence Sports Corporation now have the vision and staff to encourage major sporting events. Closing off Downtown Lawrence just never was allowed in the past.
The photo is from the men's division 1 criterium.
Tomorrow we take them to the Kansas hills.

I volunteered to help with the setup this morning (3 am!) setting up barricades - in the rain. Lawrence had about 3" last night.
 

No solo orienteering for young Scouts

Came across this guideline in the new Orienteer Kansas webpage. The sidebar had a link to scoutorienteering.
What's New
Subj: GSUSA Position on solo Orienteering. Feb 20 2004

"Competitive Orienteering Courses often require participants to operate independently. While solo competition is not recommended for inexperienced or other program levels, girls 11-17 years of age whose skills match or exceed the demands of the course may participate in such competitions. As with all orienteering sites, there should be a clear area of safety (Safety Lane), a specific finish time and location and Search and Rescue procedures designed by the competitions host and the Girl Scout advisor/leader."

Boys Scouts have always promoted the buddy system and over the years I've rarely seen locate Scouts out for the first time going out alone. Looks like the Girl Scouts have a similar concern. A few years ago while teaching orienteering to some Cub Scouts, an adult leader asked that I accompany him with the yound Scout he wanted to teach - he quoted a rule that an adult cannot be alone with a single Scout. I supposed it's a good rule for safety, but was life much simpler and people more trusting back 30-40 years ago, or were we lucky or were we duped?

Mop Run, Too (June 11)

This will be the third year for the annual urban orienteering run in Lawrence. "The Mop Run, Too" is set for Sat, June 11. Click on the title above for a pdf-file that better to print.