Off the Couch
In a quiet way, the thousands of people who run, bike, hike, ski and paddle make a lot of noise in Wisconsin
Bike maps. Get your bike maps!
You can't tell your players without a program, or your local bike paths without a map.
Timed coincidentally to the start of baseball season, Dave Schlabowske announced today that the revised, updated, new-and-improved Milwaukee by Bike maps arrived fresh from the printer.
Sweet or sour on the pickle juice cure for cramps
As a runner who suffered a couple bad bouts with cramps last year, this story on a local tennis player who found a pickle juice cure caught my eye.
Jack Larsen, from Whitefish Bay High School, swears by the stuff; a magic elixir to the problem that thwarted his attempts to reach state in 2010.
Inspired athletes strain for Jeff Littmann in a Memorial SEAL Challenge
Kelly James-Littmann had tears in her eyes, but a certainty in her heart that her late husband would be smiling at the sight of athletes straining, grimacing and sweating in his honor.
More than 50 of them participated in the inaugural Jeff Littmann Memorial Fund SEAL Challenge, a devilish combination of suffering that helped raise $3,000 for a USA Cycling scholarship in Littmann’s name. Regarded as the ambassador of cycling in the area, the 56-year-old coach and bike shop owner was struck and killed by a car while cycling in Nashotah on Oct. 1.
Closing delayed. Telemark Resort deal, Birkebeiner ski race back in limbo
A deal to secure the future of the Telemark Resort in Cable has stalled once again, creating uncertainty for organizers of the American Birkebeiner ski race and residents counting on jobs and income from Telemark.
The closing scheduled for Friday was postponed indefinitely, and the parties are back to negotiating, according to sources involved in the deal.
House, Schouten and Schneiders out front in early season cycling
Cole House scored a win Sunday in the third stage of the Redlands Bicycle Classic in California, leading the way among Wisconsin cyclists in early-season races.
House, a 23-year-old from Oneida, shifted from BMC Cycling to the RealCyclist.com squad, and helped his teammate Francisco Mancebo take the overall title in the National Race Calendar event.
Rookies and veterans set to challenge for ultramarathon championship in Madison
Scott Jansky, winner of the 2010 Lakefront Marathon, will step up in distance Saturday and run for a USATF national championship in the 5th annual Mad City 100K.
Updated: Soglin changes leadership in Madison cycling
One of the many things to explore in the postelection discussion will be the impact on cycling advocacy in Madison, where Paul Soglin unseated Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.
Cieslewicz, a two-term mayor, was a participant in the 20by2020 group driving to make cycling trips account for 20% of all trips taken in the state's capital city. In 2008, Cieslewicz spearheaded the Platinum Bicycling Committee Report, with a goal of earning a platinum designation from the League of American Cyclists.
Bike lane on the Hoan Bridge? Gov. Walker still says 'no'
News that the state will move ahead with a $300 million makeover on the Hoan Bridge energized bicyclists who see the project as an opportunity to fulfill their desire for a high-level bike lane.
Dave Schlabowske detailed the history of the bike lane drive on his Over the Bars blog and noted the time to strike is now.
Lining up for the best bargain in running; and a MadCity update
As deals go, I rate the South Shore Half Marathon right up there with 10-cent chicken wings.
Both might lead to unpleasant consequences, but are too good to pass up.
Updated date: Triathlon pioneer Sally Edwards hosting local training parties
Area athletes and prospective athletes will have opportunities to gather triathlon training and racing wisdom from Sally Edwards, one of the country’s multisport pioneers.
Henshaw, Crosby-Helms break records in MadCity 100 victories
Andy Henshaw and Devon Crosby-Helms raced to victories in the USATF 100K national championships and shattered the course records in Madison on Saturday.
Henshaw, a 25-year-old Kansas University alum, maintained a swift pace of 6 minutes, 33 seconds per mile for the 10 laps around Lake Wingra, and took nearly nine minutes off the record set by Michael Wardian in 2008.
Wisconsin Runner team repeats victory in Shamrock Shuffle
Runners from Wisconsin raced away with victories Sunday in one of the country's biggest races, the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago.
Simon Bairu, the Canadian who won national championships at the University of Wisconsin, topped the field of more than 32,400. Covering the 8K in 23:38, Bairu finished one second ahead of the 2010 champion, John Kemboi, of Kenya.
Southern Kettle trails opening for mountain bikes on Tuesday
The trails in the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest will open for mountain bikers on Tuesday, according to Paul Sandgren, the southern unit superintendent.
One section of the John Muir loops will remain closed, however, because of wet conditions. All of the trails in the Emma Carlin section will be open.
Milwaukeeans aging in the middle of the pack
Based on lifestyles and general health, Milwaukee residents are aging in the middle of the national pack, ranking 27th among those in 50 cities scored for their physical age by the website RealAge.com.
Salt Lake City, Utah, was the top city for staying young, or living below your chronological age. Knoxville, Tn., leads the pack for the city in which residents are most likely to be old before their time.
Will rising gas prices drive people to pedal?
Gas in Milwaukee topped $3.90 a gallon on Monday, up $1 dollar from a year ago on a sharp climb toward the record set in 2008.
Two recent stories suggest that the drain on pocket books is pushing people to ride bikes or find other forms of transportation.
Ripon calls for all hands on the trails
The Ripon Red Hawks cycling team needs extra hands on a couple Saturdays to build two miles of single-track mountain bike trails on the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy.
The college won a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project in August, and that money will pay for the professional trail design and the heavy equipment for the build out. With a tight time frame, though, the squad needs boots and hands on the ground to finish the work on April 30 and May 7.
Skateboarding in paradise. NMU students set Guinness record.
Marquette, Mich., has long been one of my favorite destinations for recreational travels.
The college town on Lake Superior hosts the Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic, the Noquemanon Ski Marathon and is home to the Vierling, a first-rate restaurant/brew pub (blueberries in beer).
Weekend tornadoes damaged state park, Fox River Trail
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports that Council Grounds State Park in Lincoln County and a portion of the Fox River Trail in Brown County will be closed temporarily because of the damage caused by the record-setting storms.
Ten tornadoes hit the central and northern part of the state on Sunday.
Lake Express collecting bikes for redistribution in Milwaukee
Operators of the Lake Express Ferry have organized a used bike collection to provide refurbished two-wheelers to children in Milwaukee's central city.
The bikes donated during Earth Week, April 18 to 22, will be repaired and distributed by the Milwaukee Bicycle Collective, 2910 W. Clybourn St.
Learn to teach the children well
Following the maxim that one has to learn before one can teach, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is offering four clinics over the next month devoted to safe bicycling instruction for children.
"Legends of Climbing" opens in display of artistry and adventure
Their faces are deeply lined, weathered but enduring, much as the mountains that they’ve climbed.
More damage reported from storms, record-setting 12 tornadoes
Floodwaters washed out a portion of the Chippewa River Trail in Eau Claire this week, adding to the damage to state parks and trails from the record-setting storm that hit Wisconsin on Sunday.
The National Weather Service documented 12 tornadoes in northern and central Wisconsin, a record outbreak for the month of April. The previous record was 10 confirmed tornadoes on April 27, 1984.
Veteran runner will test his 12-day Boston Marathon training plan
If a tree falls on your ankle, will it keep you from running the Boston Marathon?
Not if you’re Rick Stefanovic and you have your heart set on making that left turn onto Boylston St. a 20th consecutive time.
Deaths of cyclists drive lobbying effort for vulnerable users law
Pointing to a number of fatal crashes in 2010, bicyclists in Wisconsin will lobby Tuesday for a vulnerable user law and tougher penalties against offending motorists.
About 200 advocates are expected to meet with legislators as part of the third-annual Bike Summit organized by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, the largest cycling advocacy group in the state. Their agenda for the lobbying session also contains state money for bike and pedestrian paths and access to land purchased through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
Mutai runs world best 2:03:01 to win Boston Marathon
Geoffrey Mutai, of Kenya, ran the fastest marathon in the world to win the 115th Boston Marathon.
His 2:03:01 (unofficial) carved nearly three minutes out of the course record set by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot in 2010. Mutai had a tail wind and near perfect conditions, plus the challenge presented by fellow Kenyan Moses Mosop over the final miles.
Glendale firefighter finishes Boston Marathon in full gear
Running in 30 pounds of firefighting gear, James Gefke finished the 115th Boston Marathon on Monday in 4 hours, 18 minutes, and 29 seconds.
Gefke, of Glendale, added the extra burden to honor of John Harrington, a fellow firefighter who was killed in a crash while biking to his station house in May 2004. In Harrington's memory, Gefke ran to raise money for the Wisconsin Burn Survivor's Network.
Mentor's lessons carry firefighter - in full gear - to Boston Marathon finish
About 22 miles into the Boston Marathon, Jim Gefke needed something to ease the cramps in his legs and lighten the burden of the firefighting gear he wore: 30 pounds of pants, coat and helmet.
Marathon champion Grete Waitz dies of cancer
Grete Waitz, described as the first lady of the marathon and one of the last century's greatest athletes, died Tuesday in Oslo, Norway.
According to news accounts, the 57-year-old had been diagnosed with cancer in 2005.
Wisconsin tourism secretary promises bicyclists, "Your industry will not be forgotten."
Bicycling in Wisconsin is likely to take a hit in the next transportation budget, but “will not be forgotten” as a tourist attraction.
Day on the sideline fuels determination to reach Boston Marathon start line
On a hot day in Madison, Shorewood native Sara Knutson came up about eight minutes short of qualifying for the 2011 Boston Marathon. Instead, she spent the day as a spectator. Now a grad student at Boston College she describes the experience as inspiring and motivating.
When I tell people in the Midwest that I run marathons, they typically ask which ones, or whether I plan to run more. When I tell people in Boston I run marathons, there’s only one question: “Are you doing the marathon this spring?”
Correcting my Boston Marathon gender inequity
Earlier this week, a local runner rightly called me out on the lack of gender equity in my coverage of the Boston Marathon.
I’ve known and respected Juli Kaufmann for years. She’s a business owner and a community activist, and someone with the integrity to use her own name when she posts comments to stories on JSOnline.
Flooding prompts course changes for La Crosse Fitness Festival
Water flowing over the banks of the Mississippi River forced organizers of the La Crosse Fitness Festival to change the courses for the running and biking events the weekend of April 30 and May 1.
In its third year, the weekend of activities includes a 5K run, bike tours up to 60 miles and a half-marathon and marathon.
About 300 slots left in Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon
Over the weekend, I caught a discussion about the meaning of the phrase "fish or cut bait," on the Public Radio show "A Way With Words."
It turned out to be a timely talk for runners wavering over a Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon entry.
Hoan Bridge lifts interest in Ride for the Arts
The ride over the Hoan has been a nice boost for the Ride for the Arts.
The annual outing to raise money for the United Performing Arts Fund will provide bikers their first opportunity in decades to pedal over the iconic Hoan Bridge, legally. They’ve responded.
WORS Women line up mountain bike clinic at Lapham Peak
The mountain bikers in the WORS Women contingent will host a Spring Fling at Lapham Peak on Saturday, including clinics, gear demonstrations and a duathlon for ladies only.
Think of it as a pot-luck with the potential to get dirty. And it's free.
Jenny Crain group set to crush "human centipede" record
In the Virgin London Marathonon, a group of 47 runners dubbed the “human centipede” tossed down the gauntlet for a Guinness World Record,
Jenny Crain’s “Make it Happen” team plans to crush it.
La Crosse County moves to accommodate bikers and pedestrians in road projects
Planners designing road improvements in La Crosse County will be required to consider bike paths and accommodations for pedestrians, under a Complete Streets policy approved unanimously by the County Board this week.
The policy tracks along with laws that require similar consideration in projects funded with state and federal dollars, and applies the requirements to local road work.
After 26.2, tack on another 99
To some this would make perfect sense: finish the London Marathon, then run home.
For Sam Robson, that made his long run 125 miles, which took him roughly 29 hours, an average of 13 minutes per mile.
Closing the gap: Dane County moves to connect Capital City and Glacial Drumlin Trails
Planning will start this summer to fill in a missing link on a bike path stretching for 140 miles across Wisconsin.
Officials in Dane County timed the announcement of the Capital City Bike Trail connection to coincide with Earth Day.
Cyclist vs. car door crashes will be counted in Illinois
The get doored be counted campaign launched by Chicago bicyclists scored a victory in Illinois on Monday.
Gov. Pat Quinn announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation would count "dooring" crashes in a separate statistical category to help guide roadway design and safety campaigns. In the past, crashes that occurred when a motorist opened a vehicle door into the path of a bicyclist were not counted in the DOT statistics.
Ice Age Trail ranks in Runner's World top 25
Runner's World Magazine ranks the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in the Southern Kettle Moraine area as one of the "crown jewels" of trail running in the United States.
The home to the Ice Age 50 and Kettle Moraine 100 Endurance Runs made the magazine's top 25 in a special edition focused on trails, runners and races. The featured section would be found from the trailhead off Highway 12, west of La Grange, or via the path from the Nordic Trails in the state forest.
Training for the high points: Bear Trax, Blue Mound
I was about half-way up the Indian Marker Tree Trail in Blue Mound State Park when the thought struck me: I'm running to the highest point in southern Wisconsin as training to run to the highest point in Waukesha County.
Two of the races on my early season calendar - a couple of my favorite outings - feature two of the more vertically challenging courses available in the state.Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon reaches capacity
Registration for the 2011 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon closed about 9 p.m. Monday, after all 3,050 slots were taken.
The marathon, in its 31st year, added 300 slots this year, and still reached its capacity months in advance of the Oct. 2 date.
Madison mayor and Trek reach deal for bike sharing
A new deal that will put a bike sharing system in Madison by the end of May cuts the city's annual contribution from $100,000 to $1, according to a release from Trek Bicycle and the mayor's office.
Through its B-cycle division, Trek and the city reached an agreement earlier this year to install 35 kiosks and 350 bikes for short-term rentals. Under the deal, Trek would provide about $1 million for the build-out and the city would contribute $100,000 a year to help with operations.
Inaugural corporate challenge pits business vs. business in 5K race
Some of the area’s biggest businesses will compete for something other than profits and market share in the Salus Wisconsin Corporate Championship.
Local runner Googles a Red Rocks jackpot in Las Vegas
Steve Gamm certainly earned some good karma about three years ago, when he helped save a fellow runner who suffered sudden cardiac arrest on the track inside the Pettit National Ice Center.
Bike gauge shows mixed readings on gas price impact
The Bicycle Retailer & Industry news has something of a contrarian piece on the impact of near-record gas prices on bike sales.
Based in part on the sales report from Budget Bicycle Center in Madison, the trade publication asserts that the high cost of fuel has not driven up sales of bikes, yet.
No record for Mutai in Boston; local finisher shares his view
Geoffrey Mutai's run in the Boston Marathon was historic, but it will not be recognized as a world record by the International Association of Athletics Federations.
The Boston Athletic Association and the IAAF shared the final ruling on the remarkable run on April 18, a time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds, the fastest 26.2 mils ever. But because of its configuration and elevation, the Boston Marathon course is not certified for IAAF or USATF records.
Snow delays opening of CAMBA mountain bike trails
The mountain bike trails in the Cable and Hayward area will remain closed for at least an extra week because of the snow that fell in the area over the past few days.
Ron Bergin, the executive director of the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association, sent an email this morning to announce that the trails wouldn't open as scheduled this weekend.
WORS, WISport open 2011 cycling seasons with weekend races
The cold and wet weather will be given a stern order to Goooooooo! Sunday morning for the opening of the Wisconsin Off Road Racing Series in Iola.
CrazyLegs Classic goes global
Already one of the largest races in the country, the CrazyLegs Classic is expanding its footprint worldwide for a second year.
More than 350 participants have registered to run their own version of the race in support of University of Wisconsin athletics. The far-flung athletes, representing alumni chapters in France and a half-dozen states, can register, receive a race packet and run. Individuals will be competing in their personal CrazyLegs Classics around the world, according to UW alumni staff.