Tim Erickson

The Cafe to Cafe 40 was the latest of a series of group walking events (http://www.ultrawalk.com/) that I have been lucky enough to be a part of hosted by Ulli and Traudl Kamm. Each event has been superbly planned and executed and this was no exception. The plan was to walk as a group on city trails for 40 miles in the suburbs of Denver. A secondary purpose was to test the course for an upcoming event called the Cafe to Cafe 150, part of which we would be following. I am more of a mountain runner than a city walker but these events are good for improving your walking skills. Most ultra runners would agree that strong walking muscles are important, regardless of the type of terrain. Ulli also professes such exercises are good for mental training. He has been doing ultras for 37 years and knows what he is talking about.

We met at a Starbucks Coffee house in Arvada at about 7:30 a.m. After a few introductions the four of us started walking at 8:00 a.m. The pace was initially about 4.4 miles per hour but would slow to about 4.0 as the day progressed. As we headed out into Arvada the course meandered through various neighborhoods along concrete trails and sidewalks. Shortly we arrived on the shores of Standley Lake with amazing views of the snow capped peaks of the Front Range. The wind picked up here but there was not a cloud in the sky and it was very pleasant. From the lake we followed the Big Dry Creek trail north and east into Westminster all the way to mile 11.4, the first aid station (a Safeway grocery store), at 10:15 a.m. We sat in the deli section after gathering and paying for our snacks and prepared for the next section. I had a small blister which I taped over. Blisters are never a problem for me in mountain ultras but plague me if I walk on hard surfaces for a long time.

After about a 20 minute break we left the comfort of the Safeway for the trail. Now we headed north and west into Broomfield on what turned out to be my favorite part of the course. The majority of it was "lollypop" out and back on dirt trails which felt much better on my feet. I jogged part of it to break up the walking but we still stayed fairly close together. My jogging speed was not much faster than the others walking speed. At mile 19.5 we returned to the Safeway at about 1:10 p.m. This time Ulli's wife, Traudl, was there to host the aid station.

Traudl was amazing. She made sure that we had enough to eat as well as told us all that we looked great. My the blisters were no worse than before thanks to the dirt trails of the previous section. We stayed here for another 20 minutes before heading out again. This time we headed east through more neighborhoods passing lakes filled with geese and ducks. Several hawks were spotted, even one being pestered by a crow! There were more dirt trails on this section of the course for which I was very thankful. The next aid station appeared shortly at mile 27.2 again hosted
by the famous Traudl. We reached this aid station at about 3:00 p.m. which was next to a fire station. There was a group of kids getting tour of the station by the fireman. Much to their delight the sirens were tested several times. Luckily none of us had a medical emergency! We rested here for 15 minutes or so before starting out again.

The next section wandered through more neighborhoods back into Arvada and even included a short cross-country treck across a bridge. Ulli told me that the city had bought the land and built the bridge. The trail would come next year. He spends a lot of time talking the city governments around his house preparing for these events. That way he knows the status of the trails and finds way to improve the courses. After crossing the Boulder Turnpike on a large bridge we came to the next aid station as it was getting dark. It was about 5:00 p.m. and we were at mile 35.1. My legs were definitely getting tired and it really felt good to sit down for a few minutes. Once again Traudl was there to wait on us. A policeman on a bike passed by and asked what we were up to. Ulli explained our event and described the upcoming Cafe to Cafe 150. The policeman was impressed and offered to help out in any way he could. Then he set of to patrol the trails all night. We still had another five miles to go and started out shortly thereafter.

We now passed through more neighborhoods and along a railroad track. It was starting to really cool off but the brisk walking (and jogging by me) kept us warm. It was 6:30 p.m. when arrived back at the Starbucks for the finish. Ulli thanked us all and handed out a small award as we sipped our coffee and talked about the event and other ultras. It was a challenging day for me but very enjoyable. I want to thank Ulli and Traudl for hosting such a unique event. They both put in a huge amount of effort. If you enjoy walking, talking, and great company, sign up for one of their events.
The Cafe to Cafe 150 is next spring but you will have to wait until 2004 for the Cafe to Cafe 205.

Tim Erickson
Littleton, CO