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  Nordic Bucks Certificates offer deals for skiers and snowshoers, beginners to experts!
  
  

  The members of the Colorado Cross Country Ski Association want to help YOU kick off the 2009/2010 season with our second annual Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe Weekend. Come for a refresher lesson or start a new, exciting and fun sport this winter!

  WHEN: December 19-20, 2009

  THE DEAL: $10 Nordic Bucks Gift Certificates, available on this website or at www.snowshoemag.com can be redeemed at participating Colorado-Based Nordic Centers and Guest Ranches and applied toward trail passes, equipment rentals, lessons and/or lodging at guest ranches.  Available services for Nordic Bucks redemption vary from center to center and people are advised to call ahead and verify options.

  

  REDEEM YOUR NORDIC BUCKS AT THE FOLLOWING NORDIC CENTERS FOR:
  Beaver Creek Nordic Sports Center : $10 off any rentals.
  Breckenridge Nordic Center:  $10 discount on rentals with purchase of trail pass.
  Devil’s Thumb Ranch: $10 off of ski lessons or service.
  Eldora Nordic Center: $10 discount on nordic rentals or lessons.  Redeem at nordic center only.
  Frisco Nordic Center: $10 discount on rentals with purchase of trail pass.
  Gold Run Nordic Center: $10 off anything at the nordic center!!
  Grand Lake Nordic Center:  call for details.

  Home Ranch: $10 discount on lodging.
  Keystone Nordic Center: $10 off  of anything; trail pass, rentals or lessons!

  Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center:  $10 off any purchase of $50 or more.
  Vail Nordic Center: Call for details.
  Vail Resorts Nordic Ski School:  $10 discount on regular scheduled tours.
  Vista Verde Ranch:  $10 disount on stay at the ranch or on any purchases.

  HOW TO REDEEM: Redeemable services vary by Nordic Center and Guest Ranch and are only good over the Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe Weekend, Dec. 19-20, 2009. Only one gift certificate per person, per day, may be redeemed. Certificate must be presented at time of purchase to receiver the offer.  The list of participating Nordic Centers and Guest Ranches is updated regularly.
  

  
  

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Guess I’ll have to pass this year.

Check out one of the descriptions:
The Aurumania Gold Bike Crystal edition is plated almost entirely plated with 24 karat gold… right down to the spokes. The Brooks saddle seat is made with the finest leather; and the hand sewn handlebar grips are made from, chocolate brown leather. The numbered badge is even made of high grade leather. This top of the line bike is called the “Crystal edition” because it is decorated with more than 600 Swarovski crystals… right down to the crystal encrusted Aurmania brand name emblazoned along the crossbar in Braille.
See the full post here.

The Skirtchaser 5k race brings up numerous questions of fairness. Is it fair to give women a 3 minute head start in a 5k run? Is it wrong to make (let) women run well while being chased by a bunch of sweaty, panting men? As a male, is it not the ultimate cruelty to be placed in the position of chasing what he desires (dolled up in an athletic skirt, no less) yet knowing he’ll never catch her? Talk about living the perspective of those dogs at the race tack!

Actually, this one will be more of a flirty affair. An environment where you’re more likely to hear, “Oops, you caught me - here’s my phone number… call me!” and less likely to hear, “I caught you! Wait! Don’t taze me!!” Regardless of your libido level, it’s a rare chance for both genders to experience the thrill of the chase.

With a post-race block party that includes happy-hour style food and drinks, dating games, music and a fashion show, this unique Colorado race the evening of August 29^th is sure to be a memorable one. Visit www.skirtchaser5k.com for details.

Kids & parents testing their mettle

With the exception of a mismarked 5k route, the Loveland Classic at Centerra is turning into a solid race in northern Colorado.  With over 320 finishers between the 5K and 10K, the race is building on its previous success.  Held at the autoplex at Centerra, the course was good, and the clear weather at an early 7:30 start helped make it a nice summertime race.  There were also a .5 mile and 1 mile run for the kids as part of the Healthy Kids Series (check out our Facebook page to see some pictures).  With a very family-friendly post race expo with food, and some kind of non-dairy frozen non-ice cream - it really was tasty - , it’s a great family event.

Race organizers did commit that ultimate (and unforgivable to some) sin of a mis-marked 5K course, causing some to run off course before being rerouted back on track.  The organizers responded as appropriately as they could in a situation like that, adjusting the times of all affected.  While they may lose some fans for the error, the field would not be considered one of the fastest (take note, age groupers looking for a podium spot!).   An errant course is something that most races don’t repeat more than once (don’t bring up Colfax Marathon here…), and assuming course markings will be double and triple checked next year, the race will continue to grow and become a highlight on the northern Colorado runner’s annual calendar.

Pagosa Duathlon - ‘Du The Du!!’

The Pagosa Duathlon takes to the San Juan Mountains for a truly spectacular competition.  The addition of a Kids division makes this a true family event.  The locals know this one, but it’s a great active getaway destination for those outside the area!  Here’s your chance to get into a really great Colorado duathlon … for FREE!!

The July 11th off-road race is a run-bike format  - a 6 mile run followed by a 12.5 mile bike, all on beginner and intermediate levels of single track  trails and dirt roads.  There’s also a 1/2-DU for those wanting a shorter go at it.  The kids race is a fun 1 mile run followed by a 2 mile bike.

At the Pagosa Duathlon you can ‘du’ either the full or half distance races as a two-member team, or take it on solo.

Racing Colorado is offering a limited number of FREE special race entries to this year’s Pagosa Duathlon - one each for the individual, team (yes, 2 members), and kids divisions.   To enter the drawing for the free entries, click here to complete a really short survey collecting your opinions on running, cycling, and triathlons in Colorado.  Be sure to specify which event drawing(s) you wish to be considered for (individual, team, or kids).

Alternatively, you may write up a short review on a recent race or event you participated in and email it to us at reviews@racingcolorado.com.  We’ll share your insights with our readers right here on RaceBlog.  Remember to let us know which entry you’d like to receive (individual, team, kids) and include a phone number so we can let you know if you’ve won.

This is the third year of the Pagosa Duathlon, and the race is growing as Colorado athletes are discovering the beauty of racing in Pagosa Springs.  Check out the Pagosa Duathlon home page for maps and registration info.  It’s a great destination race with family and friends, so get out there and… Du the Du!!

Photo by Brian Scaglia, www.scaglia.org

Beer, bands, belly dancers, bagpipes, and yes, even bacon (at a presumably “unofficial” aid station) were all featured in the 2009 Bolder Boulder.  These are among the things we expect in Boulder on Memorial Day.   One element that Bolder Boulder is known for is the “unexpected”, generally in the form of costumes and antics of runners and supporters alike.  Another element that changes from year to year is the role technology plays in the race.

Of course there’s the component most obvious to the runners, the RFID shoe tag.  The race has stumbled in this area in the past, but this technology for timing runners seems to be getting more reliable.  Results were available immediately after the race (and as of this posting, still are) here.  Runners are provided with several pieces of data, including overall time, mile splits, and average pace, in addition to place in division and overall.  Verizon also jumped in the fray, offering race results via text message.  Text bib to Verizon at 66196.

Television coverage of a mass amateur running race is what it is.  Although I didn’t watch, channel 7 was to have live cut-ins within its newscasts all morning, with cameras at the start and finish lines.  Streaming video via Internet is getting easier, and the race featured live feeds from about 3 points on the course.  While it was a reasonable attempt, the live Internet coverage was only fair.  The cycling world has really taken some good strides in presenting live coverage via Internet, as demonstrated in this year’s Tour of California, and even the recent collegiate nationals in Fort Collins.  Certainly Bolder Boulder will catch on.

Twitter users were actually a group that provided some real time feedback.  Using the hashtags #bolderboulder and #bb09, runners ‘tweeted’ (I hate that word) their experiences, from the crowd, to rice and adzuki bean chips provided in the lunch.   Several runners made use of Twitpic to publish their photos, including the popular bacon station.  Curiously, the race’s Twitter account, @BolderBOULDER09, posted only 1 tweet (I still hate that word) after their announcement, “6 days to go”.

With all the tech in the background, my sincere props to those who just laced up their shoes, went out, took in the Boulder air, and raced their hearts out, regardless of technology.  No iPhones, iPods, i-anything - just the real run that is the core of Bolder Boulder… plus the  bacon!

Denver Running is a project by Denver runner, Chris Dellinger.  Chris has a passion for running and wants to provide a good resource to share all things related to running in the Denver and surrounding areas. Content and community are just getting started, so check out Denver Running for some nice free tools and to get involved in a Denver based running community.

For those athletes looking for an excuse to jump on the Twitter bandwagon, you may have your answer.  The Tweet 5K is just like a regular 5K road race, except that…. well… Okay, it’s nothing like a regular 5K road race.  It does have sponsors, including (appropriately) internet-based Seesmic Desktop and Zappos.com, you can get a t-shirt, they offer prizes, and it’s a fund raiser (beneficiary is Athletes For A Cure).  Oh, and you’re supposed to run.  But it’s the actual running of the race that’s, well, different.

To “compete” in the race, you run a time trial on any measured course or 400 meter track.  Record your time and then report in via your Twitter account.  You get three tries, and the “race” concludes the evening of May 30th.  All times are to be reported on the honor system, and winners must verify their time with a documented “real” race time within 3% of their Tweet 5K time.

While there have been many other report-your-own-time races, and virtual races, the Tweet 5K is presumably the first race promoted and managed totally via Twitter.  Indeed, the tag line of the event is “the first race produced entirely in 140 characters” - the size limit of a Twitter message, or tweet (sigh, I hate using that word…).

Regardless of the fact that this event offers no real head to head competition, it will present an interesting case study of how Twitter and other web 2.0 tools can be leveraged for event marketing and fund raising.  With a $1000 cash prize offered, it’s significant enough to draw attention.  Participants using the #tweet5k hashtags create a self-perpetuating community (see http://twitter.pbworks.com/Hashtags for explanation of hashtags).  And they do a great job of  keeping momentum with their tweets announcing daily prizes such as a pair of running shoes, a slot in the NYC Marathon, and even cash money!

So if you’ve not used Twitter and are looking for an excuse to try it out,  the Tweet 5K (tweet5k.org) will give you a chance to join an active-minded community and try out some of the features of Twitter.   An account is easy to set up, and you might find it to be useful.  And yes, Racing Colorado is on Twitter and provides updates on events relevant to endurance athletes in Colorado.   Feel free to follow us at twitter.com/racingcolorado.

Other Colorado race directors have recently been looking at bringing in a new stage race to the state, but a major event has yet to be developed.  The star power of Lance may be the ingredient needed to really give legs to such an event.  His part-time residency in Colorado has helped to bring the spotlight to the state, especially legitimate when he actually races.  His participation in races such as the Leadville 100 and 12 Hours of Snowmass brought national attention to the competitive Colorado mountain bike scene.   And according to Lance’s Twitter feed, he convinced Levi Leipheimer to join him in this year’s Leadville 100.

Since it seems to make the news any time Lance pees (or doesn’t pee), we’ll certainly all be the first to know if anything develops…

Racing Colorado is offering a limited number of free  entries to this beautiful ride through the foothills of Larimer County. The ride starts in Loveland, and you can choose to ride 10 miles, 30 miles, 37 miles, or the full 62-mile course.

The “CCBT” is a great way to enjoy spring time on 2 wheels in Colorado. It’s also good training for other rides later in the season. For full details of the ride, click here.

“So how can I get the free entry?”

There are two options to enter the drawing.  You may click here to complete a short survey about active events in Colorado.  Alternatively, just add a comment to this or any post here on RaceBlog.   Be sure to mention something like, “Hey, set me up with a free CCBT entry!” Note: Your email address will NOT be published and will only be used to contact winners (so be sure to include an email that you check regularly).