One of the great things that I really like is the Nielson Challenge. Due to injuries and the lack of soft trails in Okinawa I didn't run my last two years there. Coming home to Palmer Park and Monument Valley have rejuvenated my desires! One of the biggies is the Nielson Challenge. I haven't read much about that run so let me tell you all about it. Originally, at least as far back as I go, around 1980 it was run on a two mile course in South Monument Valley Park. Seems to me the Fosters directed it and Bobby Royse did the results then, too. At that time it was called the two mile handicap. Phil Foster moved it to the North end in the mid eighties and Bill Bennet measured off a new exact two mile course.
In the late eighties Larry Nielson joined our club. he was thirty eight and wanted to get into good condition. He started running the two mile handicap in early winter and ran it every month, winning it one time as I recall. Larry kinda attached himself to me and asked me lots of running questions and wanted to run with me. I remember one five miler that Runners Roost had over in Palmer Park at their past branch store located over there. Larry came up to me and asked me what pace I wanted to run. I Told him about seven-thirty per mile and he asked if it was OK if he ran with me. I said sure! Know, back then I used to go out a little to fast, actually a lot too fast, and I think the first mile was about six thirty mostly uphill. Larry hung in there, but gave me some really nasty looks (good thing he was too winded to talk!). We came in at about 37 minutes, much faster than Larry thought he could run. He was Thrilled....did everything but handsprings! He was always so enthusiastic and nice to be around. His spirit was competitive but only to the point of self improvement. He loved the camaraderie of the after race feeds and hanging around to dissect the race and generally chew the fat.
In the late summer of that year Larry took a trip up to Guffey to run the Guffey Gasp....a seven miler at very high altitude on tough hills. After the race he told friends that he felt tired and funny but he drove home. When he got home his wife took him directly to the hospital, where he was diagnosed as having a heart attack. I heard about it and went right over to the hospital. We talked for quite a while. He told me his father and grandfather had both died at a younger age than he was of heart attacks. He took up running because he wanted to try to live as long as he could. He was very happy with the club and the people he had met and felt that his life would continue as happy as it had been. They released Larry from the hospital the next day and he went home. His wife told me the next day he was sitting in his favorite chair when his heart failed and he left us. Shortly after that we changed the name of the handicap to the Nielson Challenge. This race represents the heart and spirit of our club...as did Larry.
For those of you who want to know more about the race: It is two miles run on the dirt paths in North Monument Valley. Don Johnson has been the dedicated director of this race for the last 7-8(?) years. It is designed for all levels of runners with the beginners having a better chance to win than the more experienced runners. Every time you run your time goes into a computer and a handicap time is computed for your next race. There are fudge factors for missed races and the first few races but after several runs your handicap is pretty much your average running time for most of your runs. The winner each month is the person who beats their handicap time by the most time.....or who comes the closest to that time if no one beats it.....that happens a lot in winter. The race is run at 8AM on the first Saturday morning of each month. It starts near the playground down the hill from the Fontanaro entrance to the park. It is FREE! Both to club members and non-members.
Take a look at the picture. See the happy faces? come join us next month!
See ya on the trails.........Bob Mutu