The weekend brings us big snow in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and a fast race in Ashland, OR.
The site is looking a little funky, BC is doing some work. It’ll be back to normal soon!
Well it’s puking here in Utah, the Great Salt Lake is throwing us a long look at big lake effect snow. A quick reminder that I’ll be running on snow for the next 5 months…..yeeehah! Alta, at the top of the LCC funnel recieved 46″ since Tuesday!….and the Bird will open tomorrow for some Big Emma Bowl runs!The Lithia Loop Trail marathon in Ashland. The Rogue Valley Runners have another cool race in town…and here’s the odds!
The womens race should be the best!
Susannah Beck 7-2. She’s the fastest in town, and after a blazing season, she’ll take this one too, once the ladies are over the first big climb, Susannah takes off.
Katie Cabra 5-1. She has good speed and should challenge, the two girls around her (1st and 3rd), bring more experience to trails, but this is a marathon, not an ultra. It’ll be over quick.
Jenn Shelton 5-1. I hear Jenn has been working on her hill runnin’ so if she gets up the first grinder in touch, she’ll motor from there and give Katie and Susannah a scare.
Krissy Moehl 10-1. Great to see her back on it. The marathon is not necessarily her strength, but she’ll run it textbook style and finish not too far behind the three speedsters.
Luanne Park 20-1. Luanne probably brings the most experience to the race for the women, and will win the masters race easily if Susannah doesn’t finish, cuz’ a master might win it outright. The young guns up front will be gone from the start.
Mens Race:
Josh Brimhall 9-2. Josh ran easy at the World of Hurt and should be motivated and primed to run something different. Depends what happens at the top of the first climb. He gets the nod, but not by much.
Jeff Cabra 5-1. Jeff has the legspeed to compete and if he’s right in it he could take the race providing he doesn’t stumble on the nasty rocks at mile 24.
Sean Meissner 6-1. Sean excels at 50k and 50 miles, so this distance should suit him well. If he runs a smart race he could take it too.
Adam Siebert 8-1. Seems his speed is a bit slower than Cabra, so he gets the 4th position, but with a good run on the middle section he could sneak away and make the podium.
JC Callans 9-1. Similiar to Siebert, but seems Siebert has a bit more trail experience, but he could bank on a strong day….he’s my mystery man this week.
Weather looks to be variable and mud is not a factor. Snow could be the factor!
Also this weekend two 100s take place. The Pinhoti, and The Mother Road.
Hard to do odds on these two as runners lists are not posted, but all I can say is: The Mother Road is a long road run on Route 66….painful but rewarding.
At Pinhoti, I, too, will say Deeeewayne Satterfield for the win, but I don’t recall Deeeeewayne running too many 100s, it’ll be interesting to see how it pans out. It could be tight race. For the ladies at Pinhoti, my sentimental favorite has to be Beth Hall-Simpson, I don’t know the other women in the field.
Next week the Javelina Jundred and the Ultracentric 24 hour with the largest purse for a loop run. A washing machine looper and a 1 mile looper…round and round they go, those odds will be up on Monday if all goes well and I can shovel myself out of my driveway….it’s puking again. I’m goin’ sledding!
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