Race Story: Running out of Luckby Corey Coogan
October 5, 2005
This weekend I had the opportunity to take part in the inaugural Running out of Luck Trail Run. For those of you who haven’t heard of the In and Out of Luck Running Club, they are known for Saturday morning runs that leave from Café Wren, a tasty coffee shop/eatery, as well as three annual races: the In and Out of Luck Run in July, the New World Snowshoe Championships in February, and the soon to be famous and beloved trail run. Luck, despite being a small town of 1,223, should be well-known to the skiing community for its location on Wisconsin 35, southwest of Spooner, on the way to the Birkie Trail. Hopefully, you’ve had the opportunity to experience Luck as something more than just a “drive-through” town, as it’s located on the Gandy Dancer State Trail, next to a particularly scenic segment of the Ice Age trail, and within five miles of the 6000 acre McKenzie Creek Wilderness Area. What the Luck area has to offer outdoors-wise expanded significantly in 2005, when the Wisconsin DNR finalized the purchase of more than 3000 acres, which will eventually contain a section of the Ice Age Trail, the Straight Lake Wilderness State Park, and a state wildlife area. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I signed up for the trail run. I believe the event was still just a kernel of an idea in the organizers’ heads when, in July, at the In and Out of Luck Run, I signed up as “possibly interested” on a notepad that indicated the club was “considering hosting a trail run.” When a flier arrived in the mail in September, I was thrilled that the trail run I had remembered hearing about and hoping for was in fact a go. Being from Polk Country and running and rollerskiing the area roads all the time, I fancy myself to know the area pretty well. Thus, it came as a shock when following the non-descript directions provided on the race flier, I started seeing signs for “State Park” and “State Wildlife Area.” Clearly, we were headed into the area of the much read about, but not yet seen, Straight Lake Wilderness State Park. Race headquarters turned out to be a beautiful, not yet finished, limestone building overlooking an expanse of rolling, lightly treed fields that were scattered with ponds. My husband and I then made the logical deduction/mistake that I suspect most runners made upon arrival: this must be the new state park building! Or not. The story, actually, is even more interesting, as the property is an 80-acre inholding, and the building was constructed but never completely finished in the 1970s as a golf clubhouse for a condominium complex planned for the area. At this time, the building is in the process of being renovated, as the property, known as Oak Forest Center, is becoming a Christian retreat center. 
(Photo: Brook Waalen) |
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I’m a bit jaded when it comes to trail running. I went into this event dreaming visions of single track, but preparing for a letdown: a mixture of dirt road, coiffed grass, and stretches of pavement, as so many “trail runs” have become nowadays. When my husband and I went out for our warm-up, we jogged 200 meters before the trail hit the woods, and real single track! The entire five-kilometer loop meandered through twisty, hilly, narrow passages, primarily through woods, with enough rocks and roots (spray-painted) to make things interesting. The entire course was laid within what seemed like ten acres of land, requiring lots of switchbacks, and making for a course layout that felt a lot like mountain biking. Whoever designed the course knows course design, as it flowed, and made best used of the terrain. The land is essentially one large sidehill with a few small steep ridges and gullies, every one of which was incorporated into the course, resulting in a race that appears easy but runs demanding. For those of you who love the Afton trail run, this race is in the same spirit with the course itself being much like the last five kilometers, the singletrack, at Afton. As a developing race, this year’s field saw few entrants. This, in combination with generous support from Montrail, made it one of those fun door-prize races where no one goes away empty handed. (I almost hesitate to let you in on the sweet secret of this race!) The In and Out of Luck Running Club is professional in every way in the running of their events. The timers weren’t challenged by the size of this particular field, but the same group showed themselves quick and capable at this summer’s In and Out of Luck Race. Namely, the results are printed and posted quickly after the event, and thus the awards start in the timely fashion. The trail was marked so extensively that one would need stunning skill to get lost, and event organizers are probably still out there pulling it down. There were four water stops for ten kilometers, all positioned in places where one could actually take water without slowing down or landing on her head. Basically, the event was first rate in every way: a beautiful location, a challenging course, competent race organization, and enthusiastic volunteers. Fortunately, this event has all the markings of one that’s in it for the long haul. Organizers are already planning for next year, with hopes of adding a twenty-kilometer distance, and plans to bring the race course into the new state park. This event was a real find for me, and I hope you’ll consider adding it to your race calendar for next year. Those of us who enjoyed ourselves so much this year will just have to reluctantly share the door prizes!
Results 5 Km Women
1. Molly Mechtenberg 24:22 Luck, WI
2. Hannah Schweitzer 31:42 Rice Lake, WI
3. Sue Jensen 34:28 Luck, WI
4. Ruth Ulviden-Klaas 50:40 Spooner, WI
5 Km Men
1. David Belisle 23:37 Somerset, WI
2. Herbie Schweitzer 26:26 Rice Lake, WI
3. Shawn Tracy 29:47 St. Paul, MN
4. Bradley E. Ayers 33:21 Frederic, WI
5. Mark Mueller 41:06 Spooner, WI
6. David E. Klaas 50:43 Spooner, WI
10 Km Women
1. Corey Coogan 52:35 St. Croix Falls, WI
2. Susan Sopiwink 1:06:33 Frederic, WI
3. Diane Sczublewski 1:06:43 Shell Lake, WI
4. Shelly Matthys 1:10:42 Star Prairie, WI
5. Lynnette Zielsdorf 1:12:34 Osceola, WI
6. Julie A. Kinney 1:20:38 Afton, MN
7. Renata Ringsven 1:24:15 Cumberland, WI
10 Km Men
1. Rick Geisen 48:57 Frederic, WI
2. Neal Lundeen 55:19 Frederic, WI
3. Steve Brandt 55:45 Minneapolis, MN
4. Harvey Johnson 57:21 North Branch, MN
5. Bohdan Stepchuk 57:55 St. Croix Falls, WI
6. Kim Weber 58:34 N. St. Paul, MN
7. Tim Mares 59:15 Balsam Lake, WI
8. Herb Schweitzer 1:03:13 Rice Lake, WI
9. Craig Matthys 1:10:42 Star Prairie, WI
Related:
Photoset from Brook Waalen:  5 photos
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