Caledonia Argus

Mountain biking to the extreme

Posted: 9/23/03

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

Barreling down hills at 20 miles an hour, with hands riveted to shaking, jumping bike handles sounds like an adventure for gutsy adolescents, not middle aged folks in Houston County.

Think again.

Youíre never too young to try out a new sport or get in shape, says Dave Runningen of Houston.

Runningen along with Cathy ìMuffieî and John Klug, and Peggy Perry joined a few thousand others in a 17 mile mountain bike race called the ìChequamegonî on Saturday, September 13 in Hayward, Wisconsin.

The race involved hilly terrain speckled with ìbig huge boulders, the size of basketballs,î said Peggy.

Many bikers risk falling during the race, but that didnít deter this group of bicyclers from competing. They had planned for the race since their names were pulled by lottery in March of this year.

Runningen explained why he took the risk, ìI saw several people fall. Itís dangerous, but itís so fun.î

Peggy described the scene, ìYouíre careening down those hills and bouncing off the same rocks (as the other bikers). Once someone fell in front of me and broke their collar bone.î

Some pile-ups are avoided by people yelling ahead of the spot where its happened.

Muffie remarked, ìYou really have to hang on to your handle bars. You really have to trust the bike.î

John Klug introduced the Chequamegon to his group of bicycling friends after he competed in it last year. Klug, who is 52, admits that there arenít a lot of people in their 50s who are tearing down hills on a mountain bike, but then maybe they just donít know how much fun it can be.

It all began four years ago when the Classcycle Bikes shop opened in Houston and Wednesday night bicycle rides were scheduled for anybody who wanted to go.

Attendance averaged from between five to ten people who rode 35 to 55 miles on trails and highways. Sometimes there were moonlit rides and century, or 100 mile, rides.

Part of the lure of bicycling, said Muffie, is being outside to enjoy the scenery.

An exciting part of the Chequamegon, she added, was the sense of accomplishment one felt after finishing it.

Runningen recalls the finish, ìOne mile before the finish, I hear the roar of people. Iíve never experienced anything like that in athletics. Itís kind a like, oh, I better not fall.î

Everyone experienced being spattered with mud during the ride. Runningen said, ìI avoided them (puddles) a few times, but then I realized that you donít get as wet if you ride through the puddle.î

Peggy commented that she liked the mud, ìIf youíre going to be in it, you might as well get wet.î

Everyone finished close to the goals they had set for themselves in the race.

John, who had placed second in his age group last year, finished with a faster time this year, but placed fifth in his age group. He completed the course in one hour and one minute.

ìThere was a guy who I had beat by eight seconds last year, but this year he beat me by three seconds at the end,î said John.

But the competition is friendly. ìHeís happy when I do well and Iím happy when he does well. Itís just good to finish,îremarked John.

Muffie finished 11th out of 30 in her age group.

Peggy met her goal by finishing under an hour and a half. She finished in an hour and 23 minutes and placed in the middle of the pack in her age group.

Dave finished 55th out of 83 in his age group in a time of ìa hair over an hour and a halfî.

Muffie, bragging on her her husband, John, reported that John finished first in his class in the circuit of mountain bike races in the state of Minnesota for 2001. Then, in 2002, after he was elevated to a more competitive class he finished runner up in the state of Minnesota in mountain bike racing. Places are calculated based upon points taken from how each person finished during the circuit of races during a season.

Bicycling part of keeping healthy

Everyone in this group of bicyclers is also involved in other athletic activities that keep them healthy.

Peggy Perry and her husband, Dick, have cross country skied for 15 years. As a matter of fact, Dick had trained for the Chequamegon, but sustained an injury two weeks before the race that prevented him from competing.

Peggy enjoys running and walking and often does it with Muffie and other friends. Even bad weather does not stop them from exercising every day.

One time the two stopped in at a store in Caledonia, while exercising on a day when school was closed due to inclement, snowy weather. Muffie laughed when the clerk asked if she had fallen in the snow in the parking lot because snow had fallen on her when she was outside exercising.

John Klug sometimes biked on snowmobile trails in the winter.

Runningen, who has taught physical education at Houston High School for 26 years enjoys competing in the triathlon in Houston every year. Her encourages everyone to participate in a form of exercise that they enjoy doing. ìYou need to find your own little niche and get in the habit of doing it four or five times a week. Youíll have more energy and a lot fewer health problems.î

He feels his involvement in the triathlon sets a good example to the kids. ìIf I can do it, they can do it.î

Runningen also participates in a basketball league during the winter.

Everyone in the group believes the camaraderie and social time with each other is another benefit for exercising with a friend or partner.

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