When I think of the fall season, I think of three things: cyclocross (a sport that I’ve never participated in because it requires that I add to the already notable collection of bicycles in my garage), football (a sport I once competed in, if you define “competed” as “getting continually crushed into the dirt by high school-aged kids who weighed 100 pounds more than I did”), and cross country (a sport in which the participants look constantly agonized, so I avoided it like the plague in high school).
It took me several years to realize that all the grimacing done by cross-country runners was actually an expression of profound pleasure and that the sport was really fun. So, without further ado (or adon't), here's the Nebraska Adventures list of "trail running or cross country races I should think about doing this fall."
Beer and Bagel Run
I recently discovered that the ever-popular 17th annual beer and bagel off-road run will take place on November 8th at the hilly (by Midwest standards, anyway) Mt Crescent Ski Resort (makes me giggle every time), which is about 15 miles north of Omaha near Crescent, Iowa. Entry fees for the 3-mileish run will cost you $30 prior to October 25th, and you can pick up a registration sheet at Peak Performance. (As far as I and the poor shoe sales girl I questioned at Peak Performance know, online registration will not be available for this race.)
What will be available this year, however, will be chip timing, which means that after the race we can muse (with a mouthful of chili) over our horrendous split times and vow that, next time, we'll run the entire thing instead of walking up the big hills. And then we'll drink a thousand beers--I promise.
Swamp Stomp
Held at west Omaha's Chalco Hills, the Swamp Stomp (and Gator Gallop, for the kiddies) is a Cajun-themed off-road 8k, featuring running for the whole family, lots of grub, and hopefully some zydeco. Billed as a warm-up for the Living History Farms Race (see next entry), the Swamp Stomp has unfortunately been scheduled for the day before the Beer and Bagel Run, a conflict that will leave all but the most hearty of runners choosing between the two events. Online registration (and pricing) is available here.
The Living History Farms Off-Road Race
Billed as "The Biggest Cross Country Race in North America," the Living History Farms Race is an epic off-road event near Des Moines, Iowa. With race organizers limiting participation to the first 7,500 runners (yes, you read that correctly), you'll be hard-pressed to find yourself lost and alone at any point in the run.
Prepare for steep drop-offs, creek crossings, scrambling up gullies, and general mayhem as you and a herd of your peers jog for 7 miles over hill and dale (and Dale, if he happens to fall in front of you).
To witness some of the craziness first-hand (second-hand?), check out some videos on youtube. Online race registration should be available around October 1st, so if you're interested, be sure to register early. Oh yeah, and take some video and email it to me so that I can post it here.
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