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MICHIGAN COAST TO COAST ADVENTURE RACE PLANNED
Michigan Infiterra Sports LLC is announcing plans to host a coast to coast expedition length adventure race
across Michigan to take place in June 2005.
Co-race director and Infiterra Sports partner, Chad Lambert, said, "We began thinking about this race last
fall as a brainstorm and we brought the idea up to our racers. They gave overwhelmingly positive feedback and we began thinking more seriously about it."
The Infiterra Sports Coast to Coast in Michigan will be a 72-hour supported adventure race. It will be comprised of the standard adventure racing disciplines of trekking/running, biking, paddling, fixed ropes and
be fully navigation based.
The event for four-person coed teams will be held June 1-5, 2005, in northern lower Michigan, from Lake
Michigan to Lake Huron. The cost will be $325 per racer or $1,300 per team. Registration will open December 1, and is limited to 30 teams.
More information will be available about the Coast to Coast in Michigan as the year progresses and the registration date nears. For more information, contact Chad Lambert by e-mail at chad@infiterrasports.com or call 586/822-6925
Complete information on the Infiterra Sports including more information about the Coast to Coast in Michigan can be found at www.infiterrasports.com.
Infiterra Sports provides sporting event management and production services for multi-sport and endurance events, most notably the Salomon/Moosejaw Adventure Race Series.
Illinois Dave Glowacz, director of education for the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, announced the release of the all-new revised edition of his popular book, Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips.
Filled with practical tips that any adult bike owner can use instantly, Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips includes advice on everything from how to handle a sore butt and choose accessories to how to avoid helmet hair
and mount a bike while wearing a miniskirt.
The updated edition contains new and revised information about current bike types, locks and recent
products, such as the strap-on magnet that lets bikers change traffic lights to green.
An updated supplier directory and list of bicycling resources, such as Web sites and advocacy groups, are
also included. With over 700 photos and illustrations, with step-by-step instructions on every page, this book is especially helpful for riders living in the urban jungle.
"I want to make it easier for the average person to bicycle," said Glowacz, also known worldwide as "Mr.
Bike," a certified bike instructor with the League of American Bicyclists. "The revised edition book makes that even more possible, with low- and no-tech tips you won't find elsewhere."
For more information, a schedule of Mr. Bike appearances and locations where the book can be purchased, call 312/427-3325.
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PORTAGE COUNTY 24-HOUR CHALLENGE AUGUST 27
Wisconsin If you always wanted to be a contestant on "Survivor" or "The Amazing Race," here is your alternative.
The Stevens Point Area YMCA will host a 24-hour challenge race on August 27 requiring two-person teams to run or walk, bike, paddle, solve puzzles, seek out information and, above all, have a fun time.
"The event is certainly not geared toward the Ironman or triathlete," event coordinator Tim Borchardt said.
"It is designed for the average athlete who has some problem-solving skills and a great sense of adventure and fun."
Contestants will be required to register prior to the event and will need to provide a bicycle and helmet. A small backpack and flashlight will also be permitted but no other equipment will be allowed.
The fee is $75 per team and provides every contestant with a T-shirt, a celebration dinner after the event and refreshments along the way.
Teams may register by stopping by the YWCA office at 1000 Division St., Stevens Point, or by filling out a registration form. For more information, call Tim Borchardt at 715/342-2980 or e-mail him at tborchardt@spymca.org.
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IOWA COUNTY BIKE PLAN
Wisconsin Iowa County in southwestern Wisconsin has a bicycle plan identifying the best routes between various communities.
The plan links up Iowa County bike routes with existing bike routes in Dane, Lafayette and Grant counties and suggests improvements in existing corridors. It is intended to give guidance to county highway officials
as they resurface or rebuild roads, and to provide the basis for publication of an Iowa County bicycling map.
The plan was developed by a committee that included Silent Sports writer Bill Hauda, who directs
Wisconsin's two largest cross-state rides. Hauda, southwest Wisconsin regional planning commission transportation planner Joni Herren Graves, and former Iowa County Supervisor Gerald Dorsheid, a veteran
cyclist, led the effort to develop the plan after it was authorized by the Iowa County Highway Committee.
The Dane County Bicycle Association and Bike Wisconsin, which conduct the GRABAAWR and
SAGBRAW bike tours, have both pledged $1,000 to help fund production of an Iowa County bicycle map by the Dodgeville Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is expected to seek additional funding to
produce a brochure and to publish the map on its Web site at www.Dodgeville.com.
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OUT NOW: REVISED EDITION OF URBAN BIKERS' TRICKS & TIPS
Illinois Dave Glowacz, director of education for the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, announced the release of the all-new revised edition of his popular book, Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips.
Filled with practical tips that any adult bike owner can use instantly, Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips includes advice on everything from how to handle a sore butt and choose accessories to how to avoid helmet hair
and mount a bike while wearing a miniskirt.
The updated edition contains new and revised information about current bike types, locks and recent
products, such as the strap-on magnet that lets bikers change traffic lights to green.
An updated supplier directory and list of bicycling resources, such as Web sites and advocacy groups, are
also included. With over 700 photos and illustrations, with step-by-step instructions on every page, this book is especially helpful for riders living in the urban jungle.
"I want to make it easier for the average person to bicycle," said Glowacz, also known worldwide as "Mr.
Bike," a certified bike instructor with the League of American Bicyclists. "The revised edition book makes that even more possible, with low- and no-tech tips you won't find elsewhere."
For more information, a schedule of Mr. Bike appearances and locations where the book can be purchased, call 312/427-3325.
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AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER LAUNCHES E-ZINE
Wisconsin Last month the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation launched a monthly e-zine, an electronic magazine/newsletter distributed to subscribers over the Internet, with training tips and resources for skiers who want to race faster and more gracefully to a strong Birkie finish.
The e-zine, called "Carpe Skiem!," will feature some of America's top athletes sharing information on
dryland and snow training, motivational techniques and practical information to prepare for North America's largest cross-country ski event. The e-zine will be published the first Wednesday of each month.
Anyone can become a subscriber simply by logging on to www.birkie.com and clicking "Sign up for our e-newsletter."
The first issue of "Carpe Skiem!" featured the article "Skiers Are Made In the Summer" by Nathan Schultz,
long-time member of the Subaru Factory Team and director of their coaching and academies program. In
addition to his "real" job as a computer programmer, Schultz works part-time as a personal coach and runs
ski camps across the country, including a two-week on-snow camp in New Zealand in August with the U.S. Ski Team and a Thanksgiving fall camp in Winter Park, Colorado. Schultz won the Pepsi Challenge and
Boulder Mountain Tour in 2004 and is annually one of the top contenders at the Birkie.
Planning is already underway for the 2005 Subaru American Birkebeiner and Johnson Bank Kortelopet
scheduled for Feb. 24-26, 2005. During this 32nd anniversary, 6,500 Birkie and Kortelopet skiers, 1,500 Barnebirkie skiers, 200 Junior Birkie skiers, 150 elite and citizen sprint skiers, 400 10K skiers and 15,000
spectators are expected to participate.
For more information or to register for the Subaru American Birkebeiner, Johnson Bank Kortelopet,
Salomon Elite Sprints, Hayward Chamber of Commerce Citizen Sprints, Century Tel Junior Birkie, Cheqtel Communications 10K, or the Sons of Norway/Swiss Miss Barnebirkie, call 715/634-5025, e-mail birkie@birkie.com, or log on to www.birkie.com.
Birkie 2005 is sponsored by Subaru, Johnson Bank, Murphy McGinnis Media and other businesses throughout the region and country.
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ON OLYMPIC MARATHON DAY, RUN THE DISTANCE FROM MARATHON CITY TO ATHENS, WI
Wisconsin Like most everyone, you probably couldn't afford a ticket to Athens, Greece, even if you had qualified for the men's Olympic marathon being held there on Aug. 29. But neither fact should stop you from
running that distance from Marathon City to Athens on the same day.
Cost and travel time are no obstacles to running between the small towns of the same names in north-central
Wisconsin. Yes, the Odyssey Marathon is back after at least a three-year absence, and it's still a symbolic and challenging course for serious distance runners.
OK, it's not the route taken some 2,000 years ago by Pheidippides to proclaim the Greek army's victory over Persia. Nevertheless, the Odyssey marathon whose first 88 participants ran from Marathon City to
Athens in 1978 returns as one of the toughest marathons in the Midwest if not the United States.
Reviving the Wisconsin marathon, purposely held the same day as the Olympic event, is Mark Berglund, a
former Silent Sports running columnist, coach and race director.
Last fall Berglund sent a letter to the magazine bemoaning the state's loss of "a great treasure" when the
Odyssey folded. He urged anyone interested in an "informal" running of the course again on August 29 to contact him.
"I'd hoped to get five or six guys to run it," Berglund recalled. "Suddenly I'm the race director."
Enough interest was expressed that there is a registration fee and T-shirts being made. Yet Berglund said he doesn't expect a huge crowd. In its heyday in the early '80s, the Odyssey marathon rarely attracted more
than 100 competitors. As the magazine reported in 1984, many marathoners bypassed it in favor of flatter, faster courses more likely to yield PRs.
Berglund is still being up front with those considering the race next month. The entry form states, "This is a hilly road course on a possibly hot day."
In any case, Berglund promises a well-run event. Aid stations will be provided every 2.5 miles until 20 miles, and then every mile. Post-race refreshments and entertainment will be available in Athens.
Registration for the August 29, 7:30 a.m. marathon will open 6:15 a.m. at Marathon High School. The cost is $25 per person or $75 per relay team. To guarantee a T-shirt, registration should be received by August 20.
Send your name, address, telephone number, age, shirt size (S, M, L or XL), e-mail address and relay team name (if applicable) to Mark Berglund, 645 Brucker St., Medford, WI 54451.
You must also indicate you agree to the following: "I understand the rigorous nature of the event. I forfeit all
claims against the race organizers, and all parties public and private I may encounter in the undertaking of
the event. I understand the race directors hold the discretion to remove me from the race at any time."
If you are under 18, you must provide a signature from a parent or legal guardian.
Questions can be directed to Mark at 715/550-0211 or Markbrun@yahoo.com.
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JOIN USED ATHLETIC SHOES RECYCLING EFFORT
NRC/NIKE REUSE-A-SHOE PROGRAM LOOKING FOR COLLECTION PARTNERS
Now in its second year, the Reuse-A-Shoe Partnership of the National Recycling Coalition and Nike are actively seeking collection partners. The goal is to have ongoing collections in every state in the continental
United States.
Currently there are confirmed partners in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho,
Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. If you are in a state not listed, the partnership wants
to hear from you.
By participating in the program, you can offer your community members the opportunity to recycle more
and to do it in the way that works best for your community. You decide how to promote the program and collect the shoes.
The program accepts all brands of athletic shoes, as long as they don't contain any metal (e.g., eyelets or cleats). Once you reach the 5,000 pair minimum, Nike will arrange for the shoes to be picked up and
shipped free of charge to its Reuse-A-Shoe recycling facility in Wilsonville, Oregon. The resulting ground-up material is then used to resurface athletic fields, courts, tracks and playgrounds.
NRC and Nike provide each organization with communication tools to promote its collection effort, including customizable radio spots, media releases, posters, print ads and more.
Three $20,000 grants will be awarded to participating recycling organizations that successfully apply to the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe and NRC grant program in 2004.
Since the program began in 1993, some 15 million pairs of shoes have been recycled. On average, Nike recycles between 1 and 2 million pairs of athletic shoes each year. How many athletic shoes does it take to
make a basketball court? Approximately 3,000. (That's more than half a mile's worth.) How many shoes go into the surface of a Reuse-A-Shoe track? 100,000 more than twice the number of shoes running in the
New York City Marathon.
If you have used athletic shoes to dispose of, here are some existing Reuse-A-Shoe drop-off locations:
Illinois
NIKETOWN, 669 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. 312/642-6363
Orthosport, Inc. Contact person Andrew Digate, 708/366-2442 Ext. 227
School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education. Contact Kay McKeen, 630/545-9710
Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County. Contact Mary Allen, 847/296-9205.
Wisconsin
City of Madison, Streets Division. Contact George Dreckmann, 608/267-2626.
Madison Mallards, Warner Park, Madison. Drop off at all home games.
Movin' Shoes, 604 S. Park Street, Madison.
The Shoe Box, Hwy. 14 and Mills Street, Black Earth, WI and 141 Third Street, Baraboo, WI.
If there is not a collection partner in your area, you can send any number of shoes to the Nike Recycling Center, c/o Reuse-A-Shoe, 26755 SW 95th Ave., Wilsonville, OR 97070. (Nike will not accept shoes
delivered with postage due.)
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