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
Wild Workouts ring victory in Noquemanon challenge
I didn’t win a darn thing in the Noquemanon 50K Classic Ski Race.
No Moen cowbell for 9th place in my age group, or 76th overall.
Petri leads push to preserve money for bike, pedestrian projects
Rep. Thomas Petri has answered the call from bicyclists to restore $1.2 billion for bike and pedestrian projects eliminated from the transportation bill headed for a committee vote on Thursday.
The Republican from Fond du Lac drafted an amendment that keeps money flowing to states for bike trails, pedestrian improvements and Safe Routes to Schools programs.
Antonneau learns from disappointment in cyclo-cross world championship
Kaitlin Antonneau’s season of success ended in disappointment on the sandy course of the UCI World Cyclo-cross Championships in Koksijde, Belgium.
The 20-year-old from Racine improved on her rookie performance in the world championship, but had sought more than the 26th place she brought home to the states.
Badger State Games a go; weekend ski races adjust to low-snow conditions
The winter of skier discontent produced mixed news for the races on a busy weekend.
The Badger State Games are a firm go, with adequate snow on the trails in the Nine Mile County Forest outside Wausau. Minocqua Winter Park also reports good conditions for its inaugural Wolf Tracks Rendevous.
Dedicated bike and pedestrian funding falls in committee vote
Cyclists and Rep. Tom Petri came up two votes short Thursday in their effort to secure dedicated funding for bike and pedestrian projects in the House transportation bill.
As its written, the bill eliminates the $1.2 billion directed to states for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to Schools. In Wisconsin, it would cut more than $6.2 million allocated annually for non-motorized transportation enhancements and $3.2 million for Safe Routes to Schools.
Girls on the Run founder will share her gratitude in Milwaukee visit
Of the many core values taught through Girls on the Run, gratitude is one of Molly Barker’s favorites.
It’s one she teaches by example.
Iron Girl triathlon gives Racine a cold shoulder
The Iron Girl race series has canceled its Racine triathlon, after failing to meet its participation goals in 2010 and 2011.
Lakefront Marathon creates Claws vs. Paws collegiate challenge
This could be the beginning of a beautiful rivalry.
Milwaukee Public Market adds covered bike parking
The Milwaukee Public Market will start catering more to bicyclists, with a sheltered parking area along North Broadway.
Birkie skier shares no-snow training method in Bay View
The unusual winter has forced me to try some unusual workouts to prepare for the American Birkebeiner ski race, less than three weeks away.
Tuesday afternoon I roller skied uphill intervals on a slope in Humboldt Park. On Wednesday, I varied that by pushing my twin daughters and their stoller, up the same hill.
Parker Rios makes the long pull from Brookfield to second place in the Arrowhead 135
Runners expect to wear out shoes, especially training for an ultra-marathon.
Parker Rios wore out a tire.
Remembering Geoff Hollister and the first steps of Nike
I am grateful to local writer Cathy Breitenbucher, who sent me a story about Geoff Hollister, from the Portland Oregonian.
The obituary published earlier this week recounts Hollister's time as one of the "Men of Oregon," running for the great Bill Bowerman, and his work in launching Nike with Phil Knight. He died of cancer at the age of 66.
Low snow creates a fast and furious approach to the Badger State Games
Editor's note: This is what happens when you combine a desperate drive for skiable snow and the driving style of 40-somethings of a certain gender. My thanks to Steve Smith for this Off the Couch contribution.
Connecting on a Hail Mary Birkie workout
With all the Hail Marys I witnessed as a Badger and Packer fan, I deserved to connect on one myself.
Runners hit the wall of $255 marathon entry fees.
The price increase that put an entry in the ING New York City Marathon at $255 has created fears among runners and organizers that the sport will price itself out of its of success.
A story from Bloomberg details the backlash against the price hike, and the sentiment that marathons are now becoming elitist.
Tour of America's Dairyland lines up two new races for 2012
The Tour of America’s Dairyland has added races in East Troy and the Town of Erin for its fourth year of professional bike racing.
Updated location: Olympic champion brings South Pole expedition to the Birkebeiner
Note: The Vegard Ulvang presentation, "800 miles to the South Pole...on skis," has been moved from the Park Theater to the Hayward High School Auditorium, due to demand for seats.
In the summer of 1991, during his prime as an Olympic athlete, Vegard Ulvang skied 353 miles across Greenland.
With twin girls, skiing becomes a Chariot race
Just in time for a trip to the U.P., Katrina and I received our most momentous delivery since the twins arrived in June.
Our Chariot Cougar CX2 isn’t just a kid carrier. As I read in the owner's manual, it’s a child transport system, versatile enough to “meet all of your child transportation needs.”
Speedskating at the Pettit mixes ice and fire
My quadriceps muscles started a familiar burn, after just a couple laps around the ice oval in the Pettit International Ice Center.
Thanks to the coaching of Olympic medalist Kip Carpenter I enjoyed a taste of the sport's intensity and the wondrous feeling of speed via self-propulsion.
Cyclists lobby for vulnerable user law with tougher penalties for motorists
A slight Freudian slip by Kevin Hardman, executive director of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, suggested that cycling advocates stormed the castle in Madison on Tuesday.
They didn’t.
North America's largest ski race slides into 39th edition
It’s not unusual to find tourists filling Main St. in Hayward.
Only on the day of the American Birkebeiner ski race will they represent a half-dozen countries and sprint to exhaustion in pursuit of victory and $7,500.
39th American Birkebeiner opens with tribute to Dave Landgraf
Dave Landgraf persevered.
From the very first American Birkebeiner, an epic escapade that Landgraf completed with almost no training, through every one after, he led the way as coach, role model and inspiration.
Skier pedals 100 miles to the Birkebeiner start line
Steve Clark is no hypocrite.
He preaches pedaling and rides his rhetoric.
Elliott, Brooks win 39th annual American Birkebeiner
Tad Elliott and Holly Brooks interrupted their European pursuits to race the 39th American Birkebeiner and scored great rewards for their air miles.
The former Olympians won the men’s and women’s freestyle races in the Birkebeiner on Saturday, in nearly ideal conditions on the 50-kilometer course from Cable to Hayward.
Elliott and Brooks lead U.S. surge in 39th annual American Birkebeiner
Tad Elliott and Holly Brooks interrupted their European pursuits to race the 39th American Birkebeiner, and scored great rewards for their air miles.
The former Olympians and U.S. Ski Team members won the men’s and women’s freestyle races in the Birkebeiner on Saturday, in nearly ideal conditions on the 50-kilometer course from Cable to Hayward.
Stevens Point schedules Cyclovia, based on Ride the Drive events
Taking a cue from Colombia, biking enthusiasts in Stevens Point organized a Cyclovia to open the city’s streets for two-wheeled recreation late this year.
Unraveling the mystery of the bandit Birkebeiner winner
Chad Salmela, coach of the College of St. Scholastica Nordic Ski Team, probably explained it best: “It was a coupla 20-year-olds not thinking things through.”
And he knew it moments after he spotted Joe Dubay, wearing a Saints uniform, coming up Main St. in Hayward and leading Norwegian skiing legend Vegard Ulvang and four-time national champion David Chamberlain. The 21-year-old college freshman beat both to the finish of the 54K classic race.
Price hike looms for Summerfest Rock 'n Sole
It's time to leap to beat a $20 price hike for the Summerfest Rock 'n Sole Half Marathon and $10 for the Quarter Marathon, scheduled for June 23.
Entry fees are $60 for the half and $40 for the quarter (6.55 miles) through Feb. 29. The price for the 5k will be $25 through April 31.
Salazar says the two-hour wall will stand in the marathon
A flurry of record-breaking performances in the marathon fueled speculation about the prospects of a runner breaking the two-hour mark over 26.2 miles.
That’s a wall that will not be broken in our lifetimes, according to running great Alberto Salazar.
Bike to the Birkie. Ski the race. Bike home. Then the crash
Steve Clark, captured in this post biking to the start of the Birkebeiner, camped at the start line overnight, skied the race and biked 100 miles home, then endured a terrifying crash in his pick-up truck.
FasterSkier.com has the follow up on one of the more remarkable stories from the 2012 Birkebeiner.