Go for the Bix

It's only 7 a.m. and I'm already sweating, standing in a throng of similarly sweating people, gazing up a massive hill, wondering once again if I've lost my mind.

But this is the Bix -- the largest seven-mile road race in the country -- and I know that my nerves over conquering that hill, and the slight sense of claustrophobia from being mashed like cattle on a city street with 11,000 other runners, will turn to sheer joy once the horn blares and the race gets under way.

Yes, this is a day trip story, not a fitness story, but the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, Iowa, is more than just a race. It is a true day trip in the sense that the race, the people and the city will capture your heart before the day is out.

The race is seven extremely hilly miles and winds through Davenport, offering spectacular views of historic riverfront homes from the mid-1800s where you can imagine ladies and gentlemen fanning themselves on the massive wraparound porches while cooling themselves with a mint julep on a hot summer night. But the atmosphere of the race is anything but historic.

The entire population of the Quad Cities turns out, or so it seems, to cheer the runners on. As you start the grueling climb up Brady Street hill (which, for the record, is a quarter-mile climb that is so steep that my 10-year-old Honda Civic never managed to cough its way up), you'll hear the encouraging whine of bagpipers amid the crowds of people cheering.

As you gratefully round the corner onto a reasonably flat street lined with homes, you'll see families filling their front yards, cheering you on and offering you ice chips (or a beer!) and a spray from a hose to cool you off. Trust me, you'll come to love those people with the hose.

The Bix is typically run the last weekend in July where temperatures and humidity soar (the last year I ran it, the temperature was 79 degrees with 85 percent humidity and more than 120 people were treated for heat exhaustion).

As you pound the pavement for mile after mile, you'll also get a taste of the local music scene. Several bands, from country and gospel to punk and rock, line the race route to help keep your spirits up. And don't be surprised if you spot a stranger shouting your number and cheering you on.

The residents take such personal pride in the race and your accomplishment, it feels like all the spectators are members of your own fan club.

Several people dress up for a costume competition during the race, so don't be surprised if Elvis or a bunch of guys dressed in tights and wings like angels jog past you.

The race route is tough, no doubt about it. And if you thought Brady Street hill was the worst of it, you'll discover on the route back, which is mostly a long, steady uphill climb, just how wrong you were. But rest assured, with the entire town cheering you on, you'll find the motivation to push yourself to your own limits, and beyond.

A great post-race party awaits you, with food, water, beer and (thankfully) outdoor showers.

After the race, whether you ran or walked it or just joined the street-side parties, you can hit the downtown jazz festival and fair. The Bix is named after Bix Beiderbecke, who was born in Davenport in 1903 and became a well-known musician in Chicago speakeasies (after he was kicked out of Lake Forest Academy for blowing curfew and bad grades). Bands from around the world play at the four-day festival.

LeClaire Park is an ideal place to plant a chair and rest your sore muscles while the music swirls around you with a (hopefully) cooling riverfront breeze from the Mississippi River.

If jazz in a quiet park is too tame for you, the streets and bars of Davenport are packed with post-race revelry. The downtown feels more like New Orleans during Mardi Gras (sans beads) than a mid-sized town in Iowa.

The street fair offers your typical food with some local favorites (don't miss the butterfly pork sandwich), craft booths and rock bands. The street fest is family-friendly with children's activities and a family entertainment stage.

While hitting Davenport is an easy day trip (about a 2½-hour drive depending on which suburb you live in), it's well-worth investing spending the weekend. Quad City hotels fill up fast with many people booking in the same hotel year after year, so it's wise to make reservations early. This year, the Bix 7 will be held July 26.

Come for the race and stay for the party. That is, if you can make the run back down Brady Street hill on rubbery legs to cross the finish line!

More information

bix7.com/2008 or bixsociety.org

While you're there:

Food

• Happy Joe's Pizza: The best, best, best taco pizza in the world!

Various locations, happyjoes.com

• Circle Tap: A local, semi-divey bar, with amazing fall-off-the-bone tender, monster-meaty ribs and crunch fries.

1345 W. Locust St., Davenport, (563) 322-9276

• Whitey's Ice Cream: A tradition in the Quad Cities with the creamiest ice cream I've ever tasted; the peanut butter chocolate is outstanding.

Various locations, whiteysicecream.com

Other attractions

• John Deere Pavilion: A museum across the river in Moline that recounts our agricultural history.

deere.com/en_US/attractions/pavilion/index.html

• Figge Art Museum: More than 3,500 works of art housed in an impressive glass building in downtown Davenport.

figgeartmuseum.org

• Rhythm City Casino: A riverboat casino in downtown Davenport.

isleofcapricasino.com/Rhythm_City/home.php

• Isabel Bloom: A local artist known for concrete sculptures with a unique green-tinted finish.

iblooom.com