The Drop Bag: Fast finishes in Badger State Games and a bike race on snow
The "Drop Bag" is a collection of news and events from the Off the Couch sporting world.
The name refers to the drop bags that competitors use to get their post-race necessities from the start line to the finish line of point-to-point races. Is that a tire pump covered in ski wax?
A Badger State swan song? Sunshine, an exciting spring finish and big turnout and a big turnout for the Badger State Games Nordic ski events overshadowed the uncertain future of the races at the Nine Mile Forest Trails outside Wausau.
In the biggest race of the day, the 43K freestyle, Chad Tolbert nipped Thomas Stuber and Peter Coenen by a ski length or less. Tolbert and Stuber, teammates on the Wisconsin Nordic Racing team, seem to find themselves battling to the finish every weekend.
Nancy Rollins Wins National Title
I guess we shouldn't expect anything less from Nancy Rollins of Evanston. She won the women's 60-64 age group on Sunday at the USA Track and Field Half Marathon Masters National Championships in Melbourne Florida. Rollins, 63, won in 1:36:37, easily beating runner-up Catherine Wides, 60, of Durham, NC, who ran 1:38:13. Susie Simms, 60,of Boca Raton, FL, was third in 1:47:29.
Great news for local skiers
A storm forecast to produce roughly a foot of snow in the Milwaukee area will end a month-long drought and provide a substantial addition to the coverage on area trails.
According to the National Weather Service in Sullivan, much of south central Wisconsin is in line for five to nine inches of snow, starting Monday night and falling until late Tuesday. Wind kicking off Lake Michigan could help boost the total to nearly 14 inches in some areas.
After a couple weeks of skiing on old and crusty hard pack, turning a few loops on a fresh carpet will be a welcome endeavor. Most importantly, I can finally scrape the klister - and an assortment of leaves, twigs and animal fur - from my classic boards.
Lunch on the run
It was probably inevitable that a lunch-hour run on the Lakefront would end in a discussion about food.
And that, with a group heavy on marathoners and ultra marathoners, it would include a comparison of beef sticks vs. protein shakes, as suitable sustenance over the long haul.
“These boots” were made for supporting Jenny
One of these days...
Close to 400 people who hope that Jenny Crain's stride will one day match the purpose suggested in Nancy Sinatra's hit song turned out for the injured runner's recovery celebration in Milwaukee Thursday night.
And the '60s pop star apparently added her own support for Jenny, with a posting on her "Make it Happen" web site.
