For a lot of people, heading out to the country and running in a cow pasture may not be their idea of a nice late summer Saturday morning, but in East Central Illinois there is no other place to be. The Chrisman Cowchip Classic. A grueling three mile course set up in a cow pasture with fresh evidence of cows scattered everywhere. The course winds up and down “Kill Hill” a total of six times in the two lap race.
It is a flighted meet so the number seven runners start at 9:00 am, and then the six runners, until the number one runners finally get to race. Boys and girls are all in the same race. They finish in different shoots. They start races approximately every 15 minutes or so. When each race starts is a science all in its own. Don Hackler has been the starter for years. He knows how to gauge when to start each race by seeing where the top runners are and where there is a slight lull in the kids racing to the finish line. It is fun just watching him.
Getting the cows out is pretty cool too. I used to coach at Chrisman and I showed up early to help get the race set up. The cows were out in the pasture and teams were showing up. The custodian got out his cell phone and called the owner of the pasture. A minute later we hear a bell ringing and the cows take off full blast to the farmhouse. He feeds them corn when he rings the bell. I guess cows love corn.
I usually wear an old pair of running shoes to this meet. Every year I have ended up stepping in a cow pie. Usually a nice fresh green one. One year I slipped and fell shoulder first into a huge pile of cow dung. Most people just laughed. I had to run into the school and take a quick shower. Pretty nasty stuff. I have seen runners splattered in cow stuff. You always see a runner lengthening his or her stride to avoid a mess. The Cowchip is certainly a unique place to race.
This year was hot. The temperatures were hitting 98 at the last race. I had two buckets filled with freezing ice water and sponges. Passing the sponges to any runner that looked like they needed it. I had specific places for my runners to take a sponge, ring it on the back of their necks, put it on their left wrist for a couple of seconds then throw it off on the ground. We had two or three people working each bucket. A couple runners collapsed from the heat. Nick Godsell from Unity had pushed the pace and taken the lead in the number three race, with a couple hundred meters to the finish line he was hurting really bad. He had fallen and was trying to get up and make his way to the finish line. Very heroic tough minded kid trying to reach the finish line at all cost. He was stumbling and at a dangerous place physically. Dyke Stirrett finally got to him and made him drop out of the race. We quickly got him to the shade and covered him the best we could in wet sponges, bags of ice and water. The paramedics took over and Nick ended up at the hospital to get and IV of fluids. It is amazing how tough runners like Nick are. He would have finished that race no matter what. He is doing great.
Coaching the Cowchip is crazy. There are two races going on at a time. You have another set of runners at the start line getting ready for the next race. Plus you have runners that need to start warming up and others that need to start cooling down, getting hydrated and getting something to eat. Without parents and other coaches it would be impossible. We go over the whole strategy a couple days before the race and several more times before we ever step foot on the course. As wild as it is, the Cowchip is a blast. After the last race I enjoy sitting in a chair in the tent drinking a Gatorade eating a banana and homemade cookies.
Overall our runners did pretty well. We took first place in the 3, 2 and 1 races. Nick Hess missed the course record by one second. Steve Schroeder holds it still. Sam Powers missed the two flight record by only two seconds. Brendan ran pretty conservatively and still ended up winning his flight. Had Nick Godsell not gone down he would have been a close second. I could see the heat getting to Nick on the last half mile.That is usually his fastest part of the race and he just did not have that fire in the last 400. Junior Eric Ponder from Tuscola hung pretty close to Nick the whole race. He ended up about ten seconds behind him at the finish. He is a junior and looking really good.
I tell my runners at the Cowchip to go out and do the best you can. It is a very hilly course and we have not trained specifically for courses like this one. I want the runners to have a great time and walk away from the Cowchip with a sense of accomplishment. It is more about beating the course than it is about beating others. I slept pretty well the rest of the afternoon, laying on the couch with college football on the TV. I love cross country season.