The 2012 NSIM will be starting at a later time than years past with the addition of the 1/2 marathon running event.

Here is our new schedule:

6:45 – 1/2 Marathon Inline Skate
7:00 – 1/2 Marathon Run

Full Marathon:
9:30 – Elite Open Men
9:35 – Elite Master Men 30-39
9:40 – Elite Master Men 40-49
9:45 – Elite Master Men 50+
9:50 – Elite Open Women
9:55 – Wave A
10:00 – Wave B
10:05 – Wave 1
10:08 – Wave 2
10:11 – Wave 3
10:14 – Wave 4
10:17 – Wave 5
10:20 – Wave 6

10:25 – Rollerski (Classic skiiers)
10:50 – Rollerski (Skate skiiers)

The 2011 Age Course Records are now updated and available for viewing.

Congratulations to all of those that broke records this year!

Find them here.

…all of our 2011 Volunteers, Volunteer Coordinators, Contractors, Local Governments, Sponsors, Board Members, and Staff! Without these folks, the greatest inline event in the US would not be possible!

Volunteer Coordinators:

• Ross Creveling – Race Announcer
• Chief Referee – Marty Hope
• Chute Pushers/Chip Removal – Marilyn Sjovedt & Bill Hall
• Finish Line – Kris Kolenz (Volunteer #1)
• Finish Line Crowd Control – Dan Jabs
• Finisher’s Food – Maren & Tom Hustad
• Gear Bag Distribution – Dawn Cutler
• Kids Sprints – Jay Seiler
• Knife River Water Station – Matt Dewerff & Woodland Hills
• Lakeview Castle Water Station – CSS XC Ski Team
• London Road Water Station – Cyndi Venberg
• Medical Staff – Terryl Patterson, Wade Lillegard, Tom Nooyen, and Dick Bodine, Doug Nelson
• Packet Stuffing & Pickup – Marge Swor & Family
• Race Day Registration – Amanda Abrahamson
• Scaffolding Crew – Carey Mascarenas
• Start Line – Sue Bott & Janelle Jones
• Start Line Waves – CSS Softball
• Race Director’s Work Crew – Juliana Bertelsen, George Fall, Gabe Fall, William Duppler, & Eric DeGonia
• Technical Director – Clyde Cornelius
• Vendor Hospitality – Martha Ballek
• Water Station Clean Up – Darryl Eckenberg

Local Governments:

• MN/DOT
• Lake County
• Two Harbors Chamber of Commerce
• Two Harbors Police
• Lake County Sheriff’s Department
• St. Louis County
• St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department
• City of Duluth
• City of Duluth Police Department

Contractors:

• Ducette’s
• Brent’s Biffies
• Sound Central
• DECC
• Jamar
• Jeff Foster Trucking
• Budget Truck Rental
• Hartel’s DBJ
• 10 Fold Solutions
• Pro Print
• Superior Event Construction
• On the Limit
• mtec Results
• Audio Visual Resources
• Let the Whole World Know
• Janelle Wourms Design
• MN Army National Guard

Photos from the 2011 event are available now on brightroom.com

Use this link http://www2.brightroom.com/75733

Visit our gallery page for NSIM photos.

http://northshoreinline.com/race-info/gallery/

I have been training on the finest Rollerblade equipment and personally trained by the world’s finest inline skating instructor, Noelle Robichon the Director of Robichon’s Skating School.  Noelle has had to come up with lots of original ideas for my atypical body and its asymmetries.  She has taught many people ranging from beginner on up to advanced elite athletes at the highest levels of competition, many which she introduced me to, and some that I had the privilege to skate a little with.  I simply believe that she is the best inline instructor in the world – innovator par excellence – bar none.  She was with me the first moment I stepped on Rollerblade skates less than two months ago; we have skated for several hours nearly every other day since, and we had me ready to complete the Sixteenth Running of the world renowned North Shore Inline Marathon Race!

The actual skating of the NSIM race was remarkable for me. From the very start our wave was cued by the St. Scholastica Women’s Softball team – arch rivals of my daughter Ally’s University of Minnesota Morris Women’s team – so the teasing was brilliant bliss for shaping the mood of the last half hour before we rolled across the starting line.

It was at milepost three where the endorphin release was adequate to smooth out my body motions and minimize the energy expelled in catching my balance.  The NSIM course has more long gradient hills than I have trained on.

Everything went very well thru the sixteenth mile which in retrospect compares well with the twenty-two mile peak distance we made in training.  In the race course twentieth mile my nutrition expired.  Next year I will add a bread product to my morning diet which should fix that challenge – French toast seems appealing at this writing!

At the twenty-fourth mile my body went into a new kind of numbness that reduced some control of my legs that was most pronounced with my right foot.  I was able to work, but all concentration resources were required.

On the last hill that crests at the twenty-sixth mile post our body of mine was tapped out.  There is a large expansion joint at the transition from the ramp gradient to the bridge deck; at this point I was in a duck walk chatter step in our full charge to combat the gradient.  I tripped on the joint and went down hard –all on the pads and no head contact.  We got back up and whipped some road grit across my lower lip, licked, spit, threw my hands forward to drive our body forward into the hill crest and on into through the corner to roll down the last hill, breathing with every recovery technique I knew of to blast enough oxygen into my being and navigate the final curves gracing the harbors tranquil waters on the day.

Of course Noelle was filling my mind with encouragement and technical suggestions as she skated backwards in front of me. She only spun to turn forward to grasp my outstretched hand so that we could hold hands while crossing the finish line.  Noelle is an incredible sight as she dances on skates with her world renowned athleticism.  There are no qualifiers or apologies necessary in calling her the world’s finest.

After gathering my body in the moment again, we skated into the Exposition hall to enjoy our companions and fellow athletes.  The racers food was a very generous table of prized fruits, vegetables, carbs and the starts at a big protein rebuild.

After clean up and refusal to nap they called us back to the awards ceremony where Noelle and I were awarded honorary medals.  Skeeter Moore, NSIM Executive Director, even insisted that we stand on the medalist podium where our audience showered us with more than generous applause and precious cheers.

Yes.  We did this. WE found a way to have a marathon experience with our recovery with our vessel of my body.  My spirit still feels profoundly surrounded, embraced,supported and encouraged.

-Don Obernolte

Also, see Don’s story on Fox 21

…will be ready by this Friday (Sept. 23) at the latest.  You can find them here http://www2.brightroom.com/75733