Quivering Quads Reports

Date sent:  Thu, 29 Oct 1998 10:29:08 -0600
From:       Dan Hawthorne 
Subject:    Quivering Quads Course Profile

Quivering Quads Course Profile
Troy, Mo (just outside St. Louis)
Nov. 7, 1998

Somebody a while back wanted to know about the Quivering Quads course.
I've run it the last two years, so here's my two cents worth.

This course is challenging, which is what makes it fun. The trail is
entirely single track (which means narrow, one person wide) through thick
forest. The numerous rocks and roots are covered by fallen leaves, so if
you forget to dance lightly they will trip you. I had my first face plant
ever at about mile 26 there last year. Usually I can regain my balance
after a trip and avoid going down. Not this time. I found my face kissing
the dirt before I knew what hit me.

The course is a 13 mile loop. Great aid stations, great people. Usually a
few of them have hot Ramen (noodle soup) from late morning on. And the
usual fare, GU, sports drink, water, pretzels, chips, bananas, etc.

The course is hilly. Probably not by Western States standards, but it is
continual up and down.

Each loop within a few miles of the start/finish there are two stream
crossings. The water probably won't be higher than knee deep though. But
it will be cold. I've found that my feet start to dry quite a bit within
fifteen or twenty minutes. It is pointless to change into dry socks/shoes
at the start/finish because within a few miles they'll be soaked again.

Just after the second stream crossing is a low-lying area that will
undoubtedly be very muddy regardless of how much rain they get beforehand.
This lasts for about a mile before the trail rises up a hill and out of
the mud.

You drive in to the park in the early morning hours in the dark and park
your car in a grassy area, then wait for a small bus to transport you to
the start. The bus will take you back to your car when you finish. Bring
dry clothes, especially shirt, hat, socks, and shoes to put on right after
the finish if you are planning on sticking around at all (which I
recommend), because it is a long way back to your car and you will get
frozen.

Right now Jim Stroup from the St. Louis area tells me they are having
Indian Summer down there too (as we are here). That means temps in the
upper 60s or 70s. But it will probably drop by next weekend. Previous
years temps were in the 40s and 50s, and because the entire run is in
dense woods with no sunlight it will feel cool.

This is a great run on a beautiful, challenging course. Good people. They
do take the 9 hour, 39 mile (three loop) cutoff pretty seriously though,
for anyone contemplating going for the 50 mile (there is a 50k, half
marathon, and 10k too). The race starts at 6:30, and it will be dark by 5.
Being out on those narrow, rocky, rooty trails after dark will be
treacherous; so be sure you have a powerful light supply and lots of
batteries. The race management also requires you to have someone to run
with after dark. This is not a frivolous requirement. You could easily
turn an ankle or worse, or get lost, in these woods after dark. Then you'd
be stranded miles from aid. Not a pretty thought. And not too many people
finish this one under ten hours, so you very well could be out there after
dark.

This year I'll be doing the 50k,  as I did last year. My 14-year-old son
is coming to run in the half marathon and it just wouldn't be right to
leave him waiting all day while I run 50 miles. (How's that for an
excuse?) We're both really looking forward to the run. He gets excited
hearing about the leaf-covered rocks and roots, the stream-crossings and
the mud section. He even imagines there'll be snipers in the woods taking
pot-shots at us. Adventure!

Dan Hawthorne
Fairfield, Iowa 52556
[email protected]

Quivering Quads Trail Runs