Wild Idaho Endurance Runs

Newsletter #4, 8.10.11

UltraEm — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:33:44 +0000

Hey everyone!

How are the legs doing? Did the Wetfoot trail get steeper this year? I hope everyone is doing OK. I want to thank everyone for a very successful event. The race almost went flawlessly. Many people were crushed by the course, which is always my intention I would like to thank our sponsors for the race-The US FOREST SERVICE, USA Track & Field, Sunsweet Growers (they donated the dried fruit), Great Harvest Bread Company, Trail Runner Magazine, Signhype, & Hammer Nutrition. They helped make this event a great one! A major thank to Frank Tom and the Amateur Ham Radio Operators Club-they kept full accountability for everyone on the course.

Next year the race will be held August 4th, 2012. Special Note-we will have a cap. 80 entrants for the 50 Mile and 50K combined. There will also be a carpooling requirement for everyone that lives within 100 miles of the race (basically, if you live in the greater Treasure Valley area). The race will be held in the dispersed camping area to alleviate the fees incurred in Boiling Springs campground-it will remain as a first come, first serve site. The cutoff for East Mountain (38 miles) will be changed to 7:00 PM August 4th. The 100 mile race will be held over Labor Day weekend, likely to be some kind of a loop or point to point course. Stay tuned for details.

Michael Lebowitz took some fantastic pictures during the race. Please remember if you download them and use them for your blog/website/facebook profile picture, you credit him as the photographer. The link for pictures is:

http://gallery.longrunpictures.com/Ultras/WIFMERWIHMER-2011/18449838_X8Xzvv# PASSWORD: wild idaho

As always, I am open to suggestions for the race next year. Donna Braswell complained that the 50K didn’t get to go to the Silver Creek Lookout Tower, so I changed the course so it did (resulting in a slightly tougher course-I approve).

Last thing-drop bags will be left at Great Harvest Bread, 12570 West Fairview Avenue, Boise – (208) 322-2378. If you traveled out of state, I will mail back anything you need. Please let me know what was left behind. I hope to see everyone back next year! Congratulations!

Ben Blessing, RD

Newsletter #3, 8.1.11

UltraEm — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:00:19 +0000

WIER Newsletter #2, August 1, 2011

We have arrived at race week! I hope everyone is excited and tapering down for this weekend. With more than 20 new entrants from last year, I anticipate a much more exciting race. Tomorrow night (7:00 pm at Meridian Lanes) is bowling night and the last possible chance to register for the race. New notes for this weekend:

Please bring your drop bags on Friday if you can. Make sure you label them with your bib number and aid station they are going to (Boiling Springs, FSR 671, Skunk Creek Summit, or East Mountain). We will do our best to get them back to you on Saturday or early Sunday morning depending on how often we can get someone to drive down from the ridge to the finish line (it’s a long drive).
If you plan to drop, please let me know. This will make accountability this weekend much easier.
Silver Creek Lookout (approx. 6.8 miles into the course)-if you are doing the 50 mile or 100 mile, there will be a roster at the summit with your name on it. 50 milers will do this twice (mile 6.8, 11.6), & 100 milers will do it 3 times (mile 6.8, 11.6, and 59.4). You will write in the time you arrive at the summit with a secret colored marker of my choice. This must be done, or you will be DQ’ed. ;^)
Live results-we will do our best to update results/splits online throughout the weekend. This will be done through 3G mobile hotspots. This will be an exciting new venture for the race staff, and will hopefully give your friends and family back home a way to track your progress throughout the race.
Aid station check-in/out: Boise County Amateur Radio Club will be providing radio support for us again this year. Checking in/out with your bib number is MANDATORY at Boiling Springs, Silver Creek Saddle, FSR 671, Skunk Creek Summit, and East Mountain. This is essential to keeping 100% accountability on the course. Failure to do this may result in a search for your rescue and even more fun: a bill sent to your home address
PARKING: If you are arriving early Saturday morning, please give yourself plenty of time to find a parking spot. Parking will be available on the east side of the Middle Fork Payette River. Look for volunteers helping to park all the vehicles.
Racer check-in will be Friday, starting about 10:00 AM. I highly recommend everyone attend the pre-race meeting at 4:00 PM. I will go over directions, aid stations, and other pertinent information to help you succeed on the course.
YOU HAVE ALLERGIES, let me know (via this email).

Please review this information and all information from the last few emails to ensure you have all the information you need. I will see you all in a few days!

Newsletter #2, 7.25.11

UltraEm — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:48:53 +0000

WIER Newsletter #2, July 25, 2011
Greetings all:

Race day is fast approaching. A couple of new notes:

We will have close to twice as many participants as last year. Parking will be tight. If you are doing the 50 mile or 50K, you are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to carpool. After you are finished, you can relax, cool off in the river, & enjoy some great homemade food (prepared by my dad, Mike Blessing) while the other members of your ride finish the race.
Course markings: There is a somewhat confusing intersection of the race, at the saddle for Silver Creek Lookout, which is also the intersection for Boiling Springs, Silver Creek Plunge, and the Silver Creek L.O. Familiarize yourself with so you don’t get confused. There will be an aid station at this intersection too, to help you keep your bearings.

Markings will be the same as last year. The reflective ribbon will aid you at night when you need headlamps.

Pre-race bowling night: 7:00 PM at Meridian Lanes 324 S. Meridian Rd. Tuesday, August 2nd. Everyone should be tapering at this time, so you can’t use that as an excuse to not show up. See you there.

There is a forum available for everyone to coordinate ride sharing, shuttle, & camping. This is a great idea considering the parking available and camping available. If you are flying to Boise, sharing a rental car would be a great idea to save some money.
Dogs-you may run with your dog, but it should be kept on a leash. The race is held in bear country, and bears have been seen out on the race course (although they should all be scared away by the racers and volunteers on race weekend).
If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I do ask that you contact me via email, as my minutes and text messages are limited. After I arrive at Boiling Springs next Wednesday, my phone will be shut off and without service, but I will be able to check my email one or two times a day. That will be the best way to reach me next week.

Until then, happy training!

Ben Blessing, RD

Newsletter #1, 7.17.11

UltraEm — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 23:14:31 +0000

Newsletter #1, July 17, 2011
Greetings All,
You have all received this email because of your interest with the Wild Idaho Endurance Runs. The 100 Mile run will start Friday, August 5th at 6 PM. It has a 40 hour cutoff (some of you will need it). the other two races will start the next morning at 6 AM. Those individuals in those events may take up to 28 hours to finish if they need to (however, sleeping overnight at Boiling Springs and doing the 2nd half of the course Sunday morning is STRONGLY discouraged). Our main food staples will be watermelon, cantaloupe, bananas, salty chips, potatoes, gummi bears, oreo cookies, potato soup, pickles, grilled cheese sandwiches, ravioli w/cheese, beef broth, and Hammer Nutrition products will be our hydration supplements.The road to Silver Creek Lookout is closed to vehicles. With this in mind, the aid station will be moved down the road to the saddle/junction where you go to the lookout or to Silver Creek Plunge. Racers will still go to the L.O. and enjoy the nice views.

The race staff will do their best to get water jugs on the climb up to Skunk Creek Summit. They will likely be placed at the junction with the upper portion (you remember that fun little section from last year, right?). The aid station from last year that was in between Skunk Creek Summit and East Mountain L.O. is now a water drop too.

Runners in the 50K will run up to Silver Creek L.O., then back down, taking a right onto the ATV trail down to FSR 671. When they get to the intersection with FSR 678 (about a mile before 671), they will turn around and go back to Boiling Springs and continue up to Skunk Creek Summit (and back).

I strongly encourage you to pack a drop bag or two. Drop Bags will be available at Fire Service Road 671, Boiling Springs, Skunk Creek Summit, and East Mountain Lookout. If you think you will finish in the dark, I recommend you put a headlamp in your drop bag for Skunk Creek Summit (or Boiling Springs if you are running the 100 miler).

Bib numbers can be found at : https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApXo8D6Ic9AXdENjNkJFTEpZNDVGYS05dW9sb3BNNkE&hl=en_US#gid=0. I tried to give you the bib you requested, but if I couldn’t, I did my best to improvise. Please don’t show up without one! I’d like to see some good effort put into creating a unique one. This is one of the more personable points of the race.

If you know of anyone that can help volunteer, I would greatly appreciate the help. We will all be working hard to ensure you have a good race. See you in a few weeks! 19 days until Race Weekend!

Ben Blessing, RD