Final Entry

Trail conditions continue to be mostly ideal as the rain and snow seems to be more off than on - which is a good thing. The 1 inch of snow over night is about all gone and the only rain in the forecast is for light amounts. Never give up on McNaughton! While the trail can be very slick during rain, it tends to pack down and dry out quickly once the rain stops. So, even though the forecasters can not seem to be sure what race weekend will bring, it looks like you will have a good surface on which to run. Yes, there are muddy places and there is water deep enough to get your feet wet - but that's what a wilderness race is about. If you are one that can not handle mud or water, perhaps a road race is more to your liking. My people and I spent a bunch of hours cleaning up the limbs and such getting ready for your run over the weekend and the trail was great. I expect conditions will be just soft enough to not jar your knees yet firm enough to have traction - over at least 90% of the course.

With Andy's announcement of "pulling the plug" after this year, the future of an ultra trail run in McNaughton is still up in the air. There will likely be races here again but this dog doesn't know the details. This web site's license is about to expire as well so this dogs' blog is near the end. I hope to see as many of you as possible this weekend and wish you all the best in your efforts. Thanks for the many head pats and tummy rubs. It has been a true pleasure interacting with all of you.

See you on the trails,
Trailrunner Courage

Two weeks to go!

Just two weeks before the race and McNaughton Park got 4.5 inches of snow Saturday night. By Monday night, all of it had melted with temps in the 40's and 50's. Several trees couldn't stand the weight with such soft footing so there is some trail clearing to do but that won't take very long. The first creek crossing is the deepest with somewhere between knee high and crotch high water rushing toward the river. Everybody hopes it won't be that high on race day but it is crossable - with care.
The whole crew is working hard to get everything ready for the race, packets and food and shirts and food and course markings and food and aid stations and food and awards and dog biscuits. If we can just get a few days of dry just ahead of the race, the trail will dry out and be really fun.

Marking the Course

Kirk Edwards has been marking the race course already so anyone wishing to give it a loop or two might not get lost. As you can see with this photo, there is a right turn coming. Kirk is putting extra yellow/lime ribbon on the side of the trail that you will be turning toward as you approach those turns. It's "intuitive", as my photographer always proclaims. This really works great when you leave the single track and pop out into an open area - the extra flags let's you set up for the corner before you get there and know where to look for the next flag. Great job Kirk, even I can follow this trail!
The conditions as of 3/26 were pretty darn good. There are still areas of mud and water but it is so much better than it was a couple of weeks ago. Sorry to say the forecast is for more rain but if you live by forecast, you'd never get out of the house to chase away the squirrels!

Lion of March

Some say March comes in like a Lion but the weekend at McNaughton wasn't bad. I had guessed the mud would cause problems but the temps fell far enough that the ground was frozen. So, the biggest problem was the rough footing as all the old footprints turned into frozen moonscape. That and the fact that once you ran through the creeks, your feet were pretty cold for a while.
My people and I joined up with Mike S and his boys to clear a major tree fall on the west side. Everything worked out fine as we got the job done and nobody got hurt, except me as I turned an ankle chasing a deer. I'm okay, it was just a minor sprain.
On Sunday, my people and I spent a couple of hours milling around lick creek near Heaven's Gate. This photo is of me looking across the cold water.
Conditions should be warmer next weekend so I expect lots of folks out training and enjoying the park.

Muddy Mess - 2-26-09

My people and I have visited the park the last couple of evenings. It sure is great to play with the deer and squirrels. The ground is wet and soft. That makes it easy on my feet but good thing I have 4 wheel drive! My people are slipping all over the place. Guess there is about 2 or 3 inches of mud on top of frozen subsoil. With the forecast of rain today and tonight, any chances of a relaxing run in McNaughton this weekend are slip sliding away.

Feb 8, 2009

The trails really vary this week as some places are still frozen while others have about 4 inches of mud on top of the frozen ground. Tough to navigate the hills, not knowing if you are going to slide on the ice or the mud, just know you will slide!
Mike Siltman and Marvin were out clearing some fallen trees on Saturday with the assistance of his two hard working boys. They got at least 5 locations cleared before they ran out of gas. Odd how the chain saws ran out of gas at about the same time.
There are a few places that are not perfectly clear but still, no problem completing the route due to trees. The ice was just strong enough to cross the creeks but that will not last until next weekend - promise!

Wild Weather

Hard to make a call on trail conditions when I'm using all my toenails trying to keep traction on the ice covered snow one day and clipping along over the soft grass the next. My people broke out those new "Kahtoola" microspikes to handle the glacier and cascading ice falls that dominated the trails on Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning. This is the first time my people could keep up with me as those Kahtoola's make walking and running in those conditions so easy. We usually only walk the flat meadows when it is icy but my kahtoola clad people hit every slope and hill in the park - laughing at the slippery slopes. Every dogs people need them - unless they are treadmill dwellers!

The weekend after Christmas, the snow and ice was pretty much gone as the temps hit the lower to mid 60's. Kind of muddy but that's McNaughton! At least the old mud pit was pretty solid with the new drainage control.

The photos show me at swollen Lick creek's first crossing and the third creek crossing at near flood stage.

That's what I'm barking about!

Yipee! Snow at McNaughton! The park received about 4 inches of snow over the weekend, showing only about 1 or 2 inches in these photos. The temps were only around 32 degrees so it wasn't bad at all. The steeper trails were a tad slick and sloppy but it was so much fun running in this winter fluff. We did see one other runner taking advantage of the mostly deserted park. It was so great, it would be a dandy time to do two loops - right Mountain Man Jerry?

Perfect Weather

Finally, cool enough weather where you can run, really run. The trails are just at the crispy state - just frozen enough to be solid yet spongy enough to have a little bounce. This first pic, I call "Fast Dog, Slow Fruit". I'm moving right along but the leaves and the fruit on the ground is stopped. That's why I'm blurry and the fruit is sharp(er). Those are called Osage Oranges or Hedge Tree fruit. Some folks call them hedge balls, others might call them hedge apples. They can even be used as insect repellent - but not squirrel repellent, the little besties like to eat them.

This second pic makes it look like we don't know where the trail is going. If you end up here, you may not know either as this is not part of the "Red Trail" or any part of the race loop. Just the mad painter painting every trail they can find with red. So, you can no longer trust following those red markings.

Remember, group run, three loops, Dec 13. See previous post for details

FAT ASS RUN

What the heck is a Fat Ass run anyway? Well, if you know what it is and somebody wants to hold one, I guess it sounds okay to me! Mike Siltman, of previous McNaughton ultras as well as many others, will be hosting one of those runs using pretty much the race loop. This run will start at 7 A.M. on Saturday, December 13 and go for three loops. Mike will mark the trail so you can have some help with direction and still run your own pace. No registration fee, no awards, no "on course" aid stations, no official tour guides. Mike does promise to have some ultra food and a bit of an aid station at the start finish. He will have a donation jar set out if you'd like to help finance the refreshments. That is a Saturday and you should plan for about any kind of weather on the planet. Mike says he will have a fire going at the start finish area. I think you will need that fire after running through the ice water in the creeks!

Contact Mike at mikesiltman@hughes.net to RSPV or to ask questions.

Tour of McNaughton Report

What a great day for a run in the park! Bright sun shinny day with mild temps made for about the best conditions you can ask for. Great company and super tour guides allowed folks to get a wonderful McNaughton experience. We had Carey, Sheila, Christy, Mike, Donna, Dan, Brian, Jason, Chris, Howard, Jeff, Bob, Ann, Jerry and Mike. Counting me and my people, that's 18 (or so I'm told). I am a herding dog so understand how difficult it was to keep track of everybody once you got all spread out over several miles and how thankful I am that I had the help of the tour guides.

While there was interest in doing a night run, everybody had other schedules to keep and leaves to rake. I, however, had to take up my post on the back deck, guarding the yard from squirrels between power naps.

McNaughton Tour

Hey all, the Tour of McNaughton is a go for this next Saturday! Let's meet at the race's start/finish area at 9 A.M. Should have a few locals to help find the way. Bring your own supplies - unless you want to drink the creek water like I do. It's a little smelly but lots of "body". After the tour/run is over, we will take tabs on the possibility of running a second loop Saturday evening. Unless you've ran McNaughton at night, well, you just haven't had enough fun! The trails are in pretty good condition even with the recent rains and should be great by Saturday. Nice cool temps and plenty of sunshine is in the forecast. See you there!

Farmdale

Dave Tapp had a great day at Farmdale for his annual trail run. Great temps, blue skies and no wind. What a super event! I'm putting in a pic here to help explain why Dave choose to alter the course for this year. Most of the old route is nothing but a mud pit but this section was mostly under water. Thanks Dave, that was a good move!

Still planning on a tour at McNaughton for Nov 1. I have at least three folks planning to take advantage of the tour and several local runners volunteering to help out. The more the merrier! We start at 9 a.m. Be sure to bring your own supplies. We will take a tally of those folks that might want to run another loop that evening. That would be fun as well.

Fall Color

The leaves are beginning to turn in Central Illinois as shown by this picture - but what do I know, I'm color blind! The weather has been really warm for October and my new winter coat is waaaay to hot to be fooling around in 80 degree temps. Luck for me, we tend to get an early start on our park patrol.

I've also visited Farmdale this past weekend and that park is primed and ready for all you trail runners for this Saturday. Dave Tapp and his crew are ready to host a great run out there and my people tell me it won't be so barked hot!

Race Director, Andy Weinberg

For those who have not heard, race director Andy Weinberg has moved to Vermont. The McNaughton Ultra Trail Run is still Andy's event. He will still direct the 2009 race and will be here for that weekend, managing the race as usual. Sure, there will be a lot more involvement for his group of helpers but Andy is still in charge.

For the 2010 race, well, we're not totally sure. One thing to keep in mind, this is, in fact, Andy's race. It does not belong to the Pekin Park District or the local running club or the high school. It is not even managed as a partnership. It is Andy's race. Andy dreamed up this even, set the course, managed it from the beginning, dealt with all the issues, obtained all the permits and permissions, recruited helpers, even financed the whole thing. You don't think his "thank you" to his wife isn't sincer at the start of each race? Try spending that much family budget on your hobby and see what your spouse says! So, just to make sure you understand, this is Andy's race.

Now, for 2010. Andy needs to see how things go this year before he can decide what to do for next year. There are many options. Which one Andy chooses will depend greatly on how different things go this year. Please be patience. Many people are involved and it will take some time to determine a direction. Most everyone believes there will be a 2010 race. So, now you have an update on Andy. His e-mail address is andy@peak.com. I'm sure he would be happy to hear from you, especially if you have any concerns for the future of the race.

September 27, 2008

The bridge is finished and folks are already using it! Those eagle scouts and their advisers really got this bridge done fast. It even has side rails, what ever those are used for! Come on across, girl, it's plenty safe now!

This other pic is of some running dudes that were cruising around the route. Jack, BJ, or was the JB, and Shawn? I really don't remember names but they were making the Hudson's field loop in this photo. Two of them are planning to run the Farmdale race in October and one is heading for the Chicago Marathon. Awesome!

One negative thing I need to bring up on trail conditions - the red markings are no longer dependable. Some loose cannon, self proclaimed trail maintainer has added red paint to just about every trail out there. Those markings are very well done and look like the rest of the red markers. Red was once reserved for a 7.5 mile trail that was put in many years ago by the scouts. They called it the Potawatomie Trail. Now, you just about have to know the race loop to get it right. We've lost that long time reliance on that great old trail. Stupid people annoy me. Guess you need to come take the guided tour on November 1 with us - at least three folks have indicated they will run with the locals that day.

September 21, 2008

Just hanging around with my girl waiting for the bridge to be finished in this first picture. Those guy really have made great progress.

The pic with all the tall weeds is Power Line meadow. The horses just haven't been able to keep up with the well watered pasture this year. I'm glad there is a path around this stuff, I can't see over it!!

Finally, Butterfield Lake is often a dry lake bed but recent rain has filled it to the top of the dam.

Believe it or not, the trails are in fine shape - with the exception of a few more limbs and trees that have fallen.

Guided Tour of McNaughton Invitiation

You are invited! I am hosting a guided tour of the McNaughton race loop. Are you a puppy and want to see what you should be training for during the winter? Have you never run McNaughton before and want to get in a ten mile jog? Are you a big dog McNaughton runner that would like to join us for a group run? This is your chance!

I have barked a request to a group of local trail runners asking them to help as tour guides. Enough of them said they would that I am offering the invitation. Saturday, November 1 is the date, 9 A.M. is the time. The race start/finish line is the location. There is no fee, no clock, no awards, just a fun run on a great route. My tour guides have various speed qualities but still no real commitment from the greyhound group, yet. Please RSVP so my people will know what to expect.

If there is enough interest, we might run a second loop on Saturday night. If you want to know what McNaughton looks like at night, again, this is your chance. I can tell you, it is dark! You will understand why so many racers love to have pacers when they run their night loops.

Stay up on my posts for any updates or changes and RSVP me soon!

Sept 13, 2008

It was a wet go in McNaughton this weekend. The camera stayed dry so we had to use some pics from last week. One is of me waiting for a cookie while the sun is streaking through the trees in the Hooter Hill area. The other one is a ground dwelling spider that builds these webs in the grass. At least these spiders don't put webs across your snout!

August 24, 2008

Big big weekend at McNaughton Park. I went around helping my girl take pictures and pick up golf balls on Saturday while my boy and Mountain Man Jerry slugged out a couple of hours on the race loop. On Sunday, we carried a chain saw to clear more trail as many places were getting blocked with downed limbs and trees.

As the pic shows, somebody obviously tried to see just how strong the broken bridge really is and caused it to tip a little more as well as got some more of the connecting planks to pop out. So, we worked a little harder at getting the path cleared for you folks to run down to the bottom and back up the other side. Be careful! I landed on my chin trying to cross those slick logs at the bottom - before my people cleared them, of course.

At another location - near the golf course - we started to clear a small log that was on the trail. Found a hornets nest. My girl got stung a couple of times, screamed and shrieked to "run for your lives" as we bolted out of there. Now, I'm no golfer but I'm guessing those guys on the course, after hearing such a panicked scream, looked up just in time to see a girl and a collie sprinting through the woods being chased by a guy with a chain saw, would have a bit of a concentration problem for the rest of the day.