Pomp and Circumstance, Camp and Royal, Rule at Snowshoe Shuffle

A wild day was had by all in this annual USSSA National Championship Qualifier. Earlier in the week, a pre-spring warming trend caused the snow in the Long Lake Park to disappear faster than money, and with rain forecast, racers were worried that, gulp!, a run might have to do. Mother Nature, though, conspired with Old Man Winter and cooked up a big time snow storm, forecasted to land in the Twin Cities Friday night.

It didn’t, though.

But Television had live reports of, get this, plow drivers filling their trucks with gas! Ready for the imminent storm! Has Minnesota turned into a Texas when it comes to a snowstorm? Ready to go! Here it comes! Promise, promise, promise.

It was hard not to look out the window every hour on the hour, sort of like looking for Santa Claus, waiting for the Big White to lighten up the night. Dawn came and it wasn’t here. It was there, but not here.

The 10K designed course at the Shuffle is terrific, I’ve run it in snow in practice. A map on their web site outlines the single track, crossing railroad track, making track over hill and dale. It’s really fun.

It has yet to be used.

Last year’s race was run on the ice as it was cold enough, but no snow.

This year a 5K loop was set up 24 hours earlier to accommodate unknown conditions, utilizing paved trail. Driving into the park, though, realization blossomed that, hey, they’ve had some accumulation, and the run will be on snowshoes. The rain that many racers drove thru at 25 degree temps had made a frozen concoction in Long Lake that Jimmy Buffet wouldn’t term a Margarita, but would work for a snowshoe race.

The mass start included 5k and 10k snowshoe runners / walkers. The mix was fun but created challenges on the course as many of each group and distance lost their way in the figure-88 5K loop. That’s right, an 88! Each competitor is responsible to understand the course, and no one really fussed but there was a lot of camp humor in the after party about some of the times and distances run. I personally set the 13.5K record for the 10K event, a record unlikely to be broken because no one in their right mind would run that again.

Who would complain anyway, as snow was really starting to come down and the stiff East wind shared each flake with everyone on the course. And waiting at the finish line to celebrate accomplishment were ‘North East Minneapolis Royalty’ with their Red outfits and jeweled crowns. Alyssa, Rebecca and Elizabeth made the now near blizzard scene perfect with their enthusiasm and bright attire. And Mom’s hung in there, too.

The 10K Overall Women’s Finisher was ‘Flying’ Kathy Lee. Men’s Winner, Master Runner Kevin Haas who with Anthony Holguin qualifying all the way from South Carolina as a Mexican Citizen, really tuned up for the National Championships to be held March 9-10th a few miles West of today’s course.

Michayla Heil, 15 year old phenom from Medford, Wisconsin, scorched the women’s 5k field, and should be a factor in the 5k Junior Nationals Championship run and 64 (!) year old Dennis Dewing took the men’s plaque.

Talking at the Tri-City Legion hall with racer’s wolfing down the chili lunch, bidding on the silent auction (the race is a fund raiser for Camp Bovey, sponsored by the East Side Neighborhood Services, a non-profit organization) and enjoying the awards ceremony, yielded some great fun.

Ron Dockery felt his final 5K time was probably a mile too long as he smiled about it. Rachel Van Hale, who pushed me at the earlier Tartan Terrific qualifier, went scooting off on her merry way and clocked a 1:04, leaving me to run the maze by myself and get lost.

Some new snowshoers had fun today as Christine Ruscher and Emily Hesse were on the course for their first time on snowshoes remarking, “I like it! I learned to persevere.” Events like today’s are important for introducing our sport to others and letting them enjoy the wonderful benefits of running on frozen precipitation.

Jim McDonell, termed by some as the ‘naked man’ (he wears shorts and a singlet but you’ll see him in full BraveHeart dress at the Nationals), preferred last year’s lake course because of the technical nature of running in the reeds versus running on the sides of paved paths.

Plenty of kids were introduced to snowshoeing today and are great candidates to run in the age 12-and-under Kids Snowshoe Kilo and the 5k Junior Race at the National Championship. Parents and others should plan to run the Citizens 5K. Details are at www.2007snowshoenationals.com.

Camp Bovey campers and volunteers gave out the awards, and none were more well received than the plaque for the #1 5K finisher in the 70+ group, Brad Ayers. This hero for our country has just published another book, “The Zenith Secret.” He snowshoes and runs as an example for others to overcome challenges that could be used as excuses by those of lesser constitution.

Plenty of pomp was added by master of ceremony, Kathy Jurike and Ruth Ann Weiss. Their work for this event paid off as there were 25% more advanced registrations over last year — an important indicator snowshoeing can grow.

After the Alaskan Qualifier, later today, qualifiers end and everyone should plan to be at the USSSA National Championship March 9-10th.

Use the example of Roddie Larson of Wisconsin who drove 100’s of miles to qualify at the Tartan Terrific Race 3 weeks ago in the bitter, bitter cold, and snowshoed that challenging course, becoming thus far the only 70+ woman qualifier for the Nationals. And she will drive, once again,100’s of miles by herself to the Nationals to compete.

Now, tell me again . . . What is YOUR excuse for not coming to participate in the U.S. Snowshoe Nationals Championship?

PHILLIP GARY SMITH
WWW.ULTRASUPERIOR.COM