Denver Trail Runners (DTR)
FAQs

General Information:

This document contains just about any information you might possibly want to know about DTR.

I realize that it is quite long, however I do appreciate you taking the time to read it. The group has grown tremendously, and I do not have time to respond to every individual request or question. I have tried to make the group as self-service as possible. Almost ALL of the information you need is in this document and/or at the Yahoo site. Please read this and some old messages at the Yahoo site before asking any questions. Then, if you still have questions, feel free to ask. If I do not respond to your e-mail or phone call, it's probably because the info is already there for you.

1. DTR GENERAL INFO

We are an informal group that likes running trails. Informal means: no dues, no sign-ups, no t-shirts. Just show up and have fun. You don't have to be on the e-group to join in.

The goal is to get people together, discover new trails, help find training partners, and to have fun.

All ages, abilities and interests are welcome - really. We have people from the teens to 70+; from low 30s 10k speed to 70+; from roadies, to people training for Pikes and Imogene, to ultra-runners training for Hardrock or Leadville, to adventure racers, to those who just enjoy running on the trails.

Several in the group also do triathlons, adventure racing, etc. So, you may see some of us riding the trails before/after the runs. You are welcome to join us. Just ask someone at one of the runs.

We can do whatever you want. I am just the guy who organizes the Thursday runs and sends out the messages. Anything else you want to happen is up to you.


2. E-MAIL AND THE YAHOO GROUPS

Communications is done through the Yahoo group. I send out a weekly e-newsletter with: run locations, upcoming trail races and other events, etc. Although the message is sometimes long, most people prefer that instead of clogging their mailboxes with many, smaller messages. The newsletter will contain a table of contents at the top, so you can scroll down to the sections you want to read.

This is not a discussion group. In other words, you cannot post messages to the group without my approval. If you have information to send to the group, please send it to me the week before you want it to go out. If appropriate, I will include it in the weekly message. I do this is to keep the volume of mail down and to prevent solicitation. I may help promote something if it is directly related to trail running, such as trail races or clinics.

Getting on, off, and changing e-mail is self-service. That information is at the bottom of every group message.

All old messages are archived at the Yahoo site (without attachments). If you need delete the e-mail, you can find it there. Please read some of the recent and older messages to see what we are and have been up to.


If you have questions or comments about the group, please send them to Adam at denvertrailrunners-owner@yahoogroups.com
DO NOT REPLY TO THE GROUP ADDRESS.


3. THURSDAY NIGHT RUNS

The main activity is our Thursday night trail runs. The main group meets usually at 6:15pm. An early group usually meets around 5:30pm.

Early Group: This group is usually smaller and more casual. Most of the runners in this group are older (late 40s to 60s), and mid to back of the pack runners.

Main Group: There is a wide range of abilities in this later group. The faster runers generally run in this group, but we also get plenty of middle and slower runners.

Winter: The main group tends to be smaller, and mostly the more hard core crazies who don't mind running on sometimes icy trails at night. The early group has the same core of runners runs through the winter, though a little smaller.

Summer: The group gets larger during daylight savings time. We'll often get 30-40 in the main group over the summer.

I will send out the location of the run in the weekly message, usually by Tuesday evening. If you do not get the message, check Yahoo site. Your ISP or firewall may have blocked the message. In case of rain or muddy trail, there will usually be an alternate site.

I usually prescribe several courses. We run for time, not distance on trails. The different courses are designed to get everyone back at about the same time. Try to be back at the prescribed time. I include a rating for each trail on technical (how rocky, narrow, slanted, etc), physical (steepness and number of hills), and navigational (how hard it is to find the routes) difficulty. The rating is my own, subjective system of 1-5, with 5 being the most difficult. This is to help those unfamiliar with the trails.

The runs are not intended to be races. Some people hammer; others may hike the whole way. Please don't feel intimated or pressured to run faster than you want. Over the summer, once a month, we hold a time trial, usually at Mt. Falcon -  2.5mi, 1,500' climb. This is a chance to gauge your progress throughout the season. The time trial is handicapped with the slower runners starting first. We finish at about the same time, then do a slower, short, group run on the upper trails before heading back down.

Dogs and baby strollers (ever try pushing one of them up a rocky trail?) are welcome. Dogs are required to be on leash at almost every place we run. Even if you have the sweetest, gentlest dog in the world, others may not know that or may be afraid of dogs. Please use your judgement and be considerate of others. The leash law is also to protect wildlife. Chasing a rabbit or deer may seem harmless, but it puts them under unnecessary stress with an already fragile ecosystem.

Other trail etiquette:

• Protect the trails. DO NOT RUN ON MUDDY TRAILS. It speeds erosion and leaves nasty ruts. I will usually specify and alternate location in case of rain.

• Stay on the "official" trail; STAY OFF: the vegetation and unofficial (social) trails.
  
• If you happen to be on a muddy trail, please stay on the trail, even if that means getting muddy, rather than on the side where you will widen the footprint of the trail.
  
• Be kind and courteous to the fellow users of the trails. Warn others before you pass, smile and say thank-you as you go by. Formally, bikers are supposed to yield to runners; everyone yields to horses; downhill yields to uphill. However, I usually try to yield to bikers. It is easier for me to stop and step off the trail while running than it is for someone on a bike.
  
• Be safe. If you don't know the route, take a map. Most trailheads have maps available. Try to stay with someone, especially in some of the more remote sections of the trails.
  
• Many in the group go out for dinner after the runs. Everyone is welcome. Don't wait for a personal invitation. If the dinner group gets too big, we may have to split up and go to separate places. We will also have potluck picnics after some of the Thursday night runs.
  
  
  4. MORNING, WEEKEND, AND OTHER EVENTS
  
  Other stuff happens if you make it happen. Please don't wait for me to organize everything. If you want to do a group run on the weekend, or any other group event, let me know and I will send out the word. Build it and they will come!
  
  "Leading" doesn't mean being the fastest one. It just means setting the time/place, greeting people when they show up, and explaining the course to them. That's how the morning runs started.
  
  The Evergreen Runners Circle (ERC) is another free group. They meet on Saturday mornings on trails in the Evergreen area. I will usually include information about their run in the weekly message. Many of the ERC people run with us on Thursday nights, and vice-versa. Find out more info about ERC here :
  
  There is strong interest for long, weekend runs. If you want to lead a group run somewhere, let me know the meeting time and place and I will send out the word. The Mesa trail on Boulder is a popular run. When it gets warmer and the trails dry, we try to venture further/higher into the mountains. We have gone to places like Lost Creek Wilderness, Kenosha Pass, and Herman's Gulch.
  
  We also try to arrange carpools to mountain races and other events. For some of the bigger races, we may have 5 or more carloads going up. Sometimes we just go up for the race; other times a smaller faction will spend the weekend up there. For example, 15 of us camped out the night before the Vail Hill Climb race a couple of years ago.
  
  For those training for Pikes, a few of us may carpool down to the Sunday morning Incline Club runs. If you ever want to ride with someone, let me know the week before, including meeting time and place, and I will put out the word.
  
  Over the winter, look for information about and group outings to snowshoeing.
  
  Let me know about upcoming talks, clinics, TV shows, etc., so I can include the info in my message to the group.
  
  
  5. FAQ's
  
  Please re-read this and visit the Yahoo Site before asking me any questions. Here is an example of some of the messages and questions I will not respond to, because the information is there for you:
  
• "Can you change my address?" Do it yourself with the info at the bottom of EVERY message, and at the Yahoo Site. Unsubscribe from the old address and subscribe with the new one.
  
• "Can you add a friend to the list?" Nope. It's self-service.
  
• "I deleted the message. Where is the run?" Please go to the Yahoo site to read any old messages.
  
• "How do I get to the run?" Directions are in the weekly message and on this site.
  
• "How far is the run?" We run for time, not miles on the trail. The runs are typically 1:00-1:30. If you want to figure out mileage, please check the mileage on the trail map, if available.
  
• "Am I good enough to run with the group?" YES! All-comers are welcome. We have some people who walk all of the trails. The only way to get better is to get out there. I try to make everyone feel welcome, although sometimes I am rushed. Please don't feel intimidated.
  
• "I didn't get the message." The message usually goes out by Tuesday evening. Some ISPs (especially AOL and businesses with strict firewalls) view the DTR messages as spam and automatically filter them out. If you don’t' get a message for several weeks, check with your ISP or network administrator and have them take the group off their spam list. You can always read the messages at the Yahoo Site.
  
• "I just joined your site and look forward to meeting you." We look forward to meeting and running with you too. Introduce yourself at the run. I would prefer it if you didn't send me such messages. I have enough e-mail to go through.
  
• "I've been on your group for a while but haven't made it to the runs yet." For the same reason as above, please don't send me this or similar messages. We'd love to have you join us. We'll greet you when you do.
  
• Questions about ERC. Go to the ERC Site and/or contact Dave Caprera.
  
  Thank-you for taking the time to read this.
  
  Train Smart. See you on the trails.
  
  Adam
  
  When in doubt, run uphill!