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Written by Joel Niemann Joel Niemann

Some of you know very well what the DCR is. So refer to the SHORT MESSAGE.

Some might NOT know what the DCR is. For you, skip down to the LONG MESSAGE.

The Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Mile Ultramarathon and Relay is Sunday October 7th.

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SHORT MESSAGE:

"It's 50 miles to the finish, we have a full tank of gas, a half case of beer, it's dark (at the start), and we're wearing sunglasses (due to the glare off Costas's running shorts)." "Hit it."

You'll be singing the Blues if you miss out on doing this race with your running Brothers (and Sisters, of course). OK no more lame, forced movie references. I'm not a witty wordsmith like Bwana. To get to the point, there was no DCR last year. Several people, including me, mentioned missing it. So let's try to bring it back!

We need to know SOON if we have enough interest. Email me, Joel Niemann, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or the club listserve if you might like to join.

Also, get the word out! Talk to friends, coworkers, family members, people at your gym or yoga class...

Thanks!
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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LONG MESSAGE:

The DCR, Draft Challenge Relay, was started up over a decade ago to form relay teams for the Tussey Mountainback....

Wait. You haven't heard of the Tussey Mountainback???? It's one of the area's premiere races! A personal favorite of mine. It is a 50 mile course through Rothrock State Forest that is broken up into relay legs. 12 legs, and you can have up to 8 people on a team. Some legs are quite challenging, and some are quite easy. The course is mostly on unpaved fire roads, winding through the woods. No pounding the boring pavement or sucking car exhaust.

 

Visit http://tusseymountainback.com to see more about the race and the course.

The Tussey Mountainback also raises money for Team Ream, a local not-for-profit organization. The mission of the Team Ream Foundation is to assist the everyday lives of financially disadvantaged individuals in State College and surrounding areas who have been affected by cancer and serious medical conditions. So a portion of your entry fee will go to support something truly good for our community!

OK. So now you know what the Tussey Mountainback is. You want to run part of it? Great! I knew you would! You need a team? Hey, that's where the DCR comes in! We'll put you on a team. All you need to do right now is let me know you are interested.

Later, we will ask that you submit a short 'bio' about your running abilities (I'll provide a form to make it super easy). Now, I know. That may sound rather pretentious or intimidating to some. As a slower runner myself, I get it! But please trust me, it's not! Here me out. We're not judging you or anything. It's just so we have an idea of your running abilities. From the pool of runners, we will take the fastest runners and make them team captains. The captains will then pick team members like a draft. If you're slower like me, sure you'll be picked late. It's not a big deal, and here's why. EVERY team will have faster runners and slower runners. This creates a race within a race. Because the legs of the Mountainback have to be done in a certain rotation and we'll all have the same team size, the faster runners will end up tackling the longer, hilly parts of the course, and will be running against the faster runners on the other teams. Slower people like me will be given the easier or shorter legs to do, and I'll be battling it out with the other slower people. It really creates a fun racing experience. One of the years I participated in the DCR, almost all the teams finished within 5 minutes of each other! After 50 miles! There were lead changes often, and the teams got to hang out together at the transition zones while they waited for their team mates to make the hand-offs.

Trust me! This is a fun way to spend a Sunday morning and afternoon!

Oh. And did I mention there's beer? Food and beer at the finish!

You've probably seen the emails from Mike Casper lately about "Discovery Runs". That's where you go out to the course on Thursday evenings and go for a jog on 1 or 2 of the legs of the Mountainback course. Give them a shot.

Please consider running the Mountainback and joining the DCR. I promise you'll have a great time!

We need to know SOON if we have enough interest. Email me, Joel Niemann, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or the club listserve if you might like to join.

Also, get the word out! Talk to friends, coworkers, family members, people at your gym or yoga class...

Thanks!
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.