Race Report: Roots 'n Blues Half Marathon and 10K

Multisport fans, a contingent of 13 traveled to Columbia to post finishing times in last Saturday's(9/26/09) Roots 'n Blues Half Marathon and 10K. The questionable early morning weather (read: rain) made for interesting races and turned the beginning of the last mile of each race into a steeplechase, but everyone survived, I think, and fun times were had by many or most.

Both courses started in downtown Columbia at 5th and Cherry, proceeded down through the Mizzou campus, cut behind the football stadium, over the footbridge over Providence, down the hill, and onto the trail system linking up with the KATY trail. The half-marathoners continued into the wilderness, then climbed Chapel Hill Road twice in two different locations, bookending a roller coaster run up hill and down dale in subdivisions, before finally levelling off at Forum, going downhill on Stadium, then rejoining the trail a mile from the finish, when we all entered a water-filled tunnel at the one-mile-to-go point for both distances. The last muddy mile to Flat Branch Park was a dash for the gold, or bbq at least.

The results for Kirksvillians are as follows:

(Allen Goans posted the fastest KV half-marathon time, hotly pursued by Ernest Motley. Megan Reilly did the honors for the fastest KV 10K time [and snared the first prize in the F30-34 division], with Caleb Todd only 2 places back. Bob Keough lucked out with a first place in the M55-59 division for the half, despite a lacklustre time. He'll keep the award, though.)

Here are the details:

10K Race: Time Place out of 306

Meg Reilly 49:29 31st
Caleb Todd 50:01 33rd
Camrion Carolan 59:26 120th
Lynda Konecny 1:01:13 138th

Half-Marathon: Time Place out of 653

Allen Goans 1:38:18 33rd
Ernest Motley 1:38:31 34th
Bob Keough 1:42:40 55th
Ashley Smith 2:01:25 222nd
Kandice Robinson 2:01:32 224th
Marilyn Mihalovich 2:10:41 363rd
Sara Sweet 2:21:57 494th
Jessie Schoonover 2:24:27 523rd
Sue Floyd 3:03:12 638th

Congrats to all Kirksville participants for representing the community, and for all loyal fans for your capable support. Next up on the Multisport radar: Truman Homecoming Bulldog 5K, October 10th, 2009.

Roots 'n Blues 'n BBQ / Half Marathon / 10k

Anybody from Kirksville going to Roots 'n Blues this Saturday?  Who's running the half?  Who's running the 10k?  Who's spectating? Let's meet up post run (if you're a runner) for beer and bbq, OR pre run (if you're a spectator - like me) for coffee and conversation!  Contact me brooke@originalspaperart.com or Allen allen@originalspaperart.com in advance so we can make plans to meet up and share race day stories!

Where do I fit in?

I decided to write a quick post to share my thoughts on the KIRKSVILLE MULTISPORT group.  My name is Brooke, I'm Allen Goans' wife.  Allen is very athletic and has been competing for years and I've been an active spectator (pictured above) and shutterbug at every triathlon, marathon and fun run and love it! 

I encouraged Allen to get behind his passion of the multisport life and start something that shares his love of the sport with others and  it left me wondering... where do I fit in?  I'm not competitive at all... and isn't that what it's all about?  Absolutely NOT!  It's about living an active lifestyle and surrounding yourself with others that share the same passion.

Being surrounded by the multisport life, I discovered my love of biking a couple years ago.  Allen and I have ridden both the STP (Seattle to Portland) bike ride and RAGBRAI (Bike Ride Across Iowa).  This year I even joined a triathlon team and rode the bike leg.  My new challenge is running.  I told a friend I would run a half marathon next June in Seattle and now it's time to start training considering I've never even run a 5K!  So, for me it's about participation, not competition... and that's where I fit in!

It's solely up to you to take from KIRKSVILLE MULTISPORT what fuels you and meet great people while doing it!  We're a group of individuals that love swimming, biking and running in northeast Missouri!  If you share this love... join us at one of our group workouts... we have a good time.  And, please, spread the word!

A word to the unsure...

If you don't consider yourself particularly athletic, but value the benefits of an active lifestyle and would like to work out with friendly people, this post and KIRKVILLE MULTISPORT are for you. KVMS is made up of people who represent a wide range of fitness levels and preferences. We get together for fun and fitness, and the regular Tuesday/Thursday workouts are designed to be flexible enough that anyone can enjoy them. So, come on out and join us!

swim. bike. run. for fun.

The 25th annual NEMO triathlon is yet another memory. Kirksville was well represented with 37 entries, and took home 9 medals. This years triathlon was held in near perfect conditions and record turnout. As always the competition that shows up in Kirksville is tough, which makes the race all that more enjoyable. To see how your favorite triathlete did, check out the results here.

It's now back to business as usual. Join us at the KIRKSVILLE MULTISPORT workouts on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. See details to the right.

Thursday Night Group Runs

Another staple event for KIRKSVILLE MULTISPORT is the Thursday Night Group Run, currently starting at 5:30 PM at the Goans/Keough offices in the Grim Building, 113 E. Washington St., just off the Square. The general idea is for the lead group to run 6 to 7 miles and others to run the approximately 42 to 50+ minutes at a proportionate distance, so that everyone arrives back at the start in approximately the same time. Dinner as a group often follows. Join us each Thursday!!

Race Report: Heart of America Marathon

The 50th Heart of America, Labor Day, 9/7/09 turned out to be a good one for Kirksville runners. It was a coolish, foggy morning in Columbia, as a record number of runners lined up outside of Faurot Field on the campus of the University of Missouri. Reports of up to 320 registrants were circulated (typical number: 150), so it was a banner day for this grueling race, run on arguably one of the toughest courses in the U.S. outside of mountain races.

The course would take us down Providence to Rte. K, south on Old Plank Road, then south on Smith Hatchery Road to the Missouri River bank and a section of the KATY Trail down by Cooper's Landing, including 4 miles of gravel road. Then a left turn directly up brutal Easley Hill, about three quarters of a mile straight up, then miles of rolling country road bounded by farmland along Rte. N to Pierpont, a turn onto 163, then back up to Providence, turn north for the 5 mile homestretch up one more looooonnnnng hill near Stadium, right on Stadium, left on College, a seemingly endless stretch along by the frat houses, then the final left turn on Broadway down to the finish at 7th street and blessed relief.

Kirksville was represented at the race by veteran regional marathon star John Richardson (photo above), and yours truly, Bob Keough (photo below), who was returning after a 15 year hiatus to tackle this course again after a debacle in 1994 that left him dehydrated, reeling, and vowing never to come here again, and possibly to ditch the marathon game altogether. John had put together 3 nice efforts in the late 1990's and 2000 (a 3:11 PR here), so he was back for more fun in the golden anniversary race. Riding along the entire course on his bike was Kirksville Multisport guru and roadrace vet Allen Goans, who gave us both support and reports on the status of the entire marathon field.

I can't speak for John, but it was a decent day for me, starting very conservatively, feeling a little squirrelly by the KATY trail portion, dying on Easley Hill and even walking a few steps there, then slowly recovering in the mile 14-16 flats, picking up momentum from 17 to the hill at Rock Bridge Park at mile 20. (Thanks to loyal Kirksville runner Kevin Waddle who was there at the intersection at mile 18 to provide much-needed support, along with Allen) The last 6 miles were pretty steady, with 5 hills behind and one to go, running mostly on well-traveled Providence and the city streets of Columbia. I received one last boost at mile 23.5, as former Truman All-American 400 meter runner and friend, Kasye Beza, ran from her water station all the way to the top of the hill next to me, keeping my mind somewhat off the long incline we were climbing. The final 2 mile flat stretch was a welcome departure from the rolling country roads.

Kirksville was on the podium twice: John Richardson (left) overcame leg cramps to finish strong in 3:24 to take 2nd place in the men's 55-59 division, and Bob Keough (right) took 3rd in that division with a decent 3:38. Many thanks again to Kevin, Allen, and loyal spouses Brooke Goans and Janis Keough for being there at the finish, and documenting the event with photos.

Heart of America number 50 goes into the books, so consider coming here for a tremendous challenge -- this race had approx. 40 DNF's -- test yourself!!

Tuesday Night Track Workout!

For those of you new to KIRKSVILLE MULTISPORT, we have a track workout every Tuesday night at the Kirksville High School track at 5:30 pm.  All speeds are welcome.  It's about an hour with warm up, workout, cool down and social time!  Hope to see you there.

Addendum: Heart of America

A Glimpse of Easley Hill: try it, you'll appreciate the challenge!

50th Heart of America Marathon

Watch this space for a full rundown of the 50th Heart of America Marathon, which takes off on Labor Day, September 7, 2009 in Columbia, MO. There will be a summary of the performances by local athletes and a blow-by-blow account of grim Easley Hill, rated as one of the toughest race hills in the US!

Classes at TCC in Kirksville

It's still nice outside and hard to consider moving your training indoors, however, we wanted to let you know there are great classes available at the Thompson Campus Center (TCC) this fall. Allen Goans, the driving force behind KIRKSVILLE MULTISPORT, is teaching a spin class three times a week. His class schedule is as follows:

MONDAY: 6:00 pm in the studio

FRIDAY: 8:30 am in the gym

FRIDAY: 5:15 pm in the studio

It's best to call and reserve a spin bike 24 hours in advance. Bring with you a workout towel and water bottle or two! Be prepared for a full hour of spinning and great music!  Hope to see you there!

2009 NEMO Triathlon

It's not too late to sign up for the 25th Annual NEMO Triathlon! Join us for a great day at the lake, Sunday, September 13, 2009. Spectators welcome.

Below is a snapshot just before the swim start last year. Gotta love foggy morning starts.

Welcome to KIRKSVILLE MULTISPORT!

We're so excited about our new adventure in promoting the multisport life in northeast Missouri!  If you're looking for a group to train with... and, well, hang out with... contact us today and let's get connected!

We plan to share photos from the numerous events YOU participate in, so please email us your favorites (limited to three or less please) and we'll do our best to post them in a timely fashion.  If you can't decide on three, perhaps we can simply post a link to your photos located elsewhere.  Your choice.

Here are a couple snapshots taken at the 2009 St. Patrick's Day run here in Kirksville.  Below is Bob Keough and Allen Goans off to a good start.  Below that is John Richardson finishing strong - Bob and Allen right behind him.