Good luck to the following Inov-8 athletes in their respected races this coming weekend! Run strong and have lots O' Fun! Kevin and Devon will take on the beautiful rolling coastline at the Miwok 100km. DeWayne will head to familiar stomping grounds to try and add another coveted yellow "sub 5hr." shirt to his collection at the Strolling Jim 40m. Paul will be tackling the 7 Sisters. Scott will go from east coast marathon to west coast marathon and Kelli will hit the Barr.
Paul L. 7 Sisters
Kevin S. Miwok 100km
Devon C. Miwok 100km
DeWayne S. Strolling Jim 40m
Scott D. Eugene Marathon
Kelli L. Barr Trail Mtn. Race
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Who's Racing This Weekend
Monday, April 28, 2008
Ditto on PL congrats!
Just want to say congrats to both Sean & Rebekah on good runs at Promise Land. In particular, Sean's 4:44 is a very impressive time especially considering how warm and humid the conditions were on Saturday. I wasn't able to stick around but did manage to shoot a few shots of the early finishers...gotta love the dirt smear on your shirt Sean!
Andrish and Trittipoe Look Promising at Promise Land 50km / Morrison is Capitol One!
Brian Morrison
(photo courtesy of: Glenn Tachiyama)
Congratulations to Sean Andrish and Rebekah Trittipoe on their impressive finishes at the Promise Land 50km over the weekend. Sean won the overall with a fine time of 4:44 and Rebekah winning age division. Out west, Brian Morrison took top honors at the Capitol Peak 50mile (7:37). Looked like a snowy romp all the way to the top! Great Job everyone!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Checkpoint Zero/Inov-8 leads Endorphin Fix Adventure Race after 36 hours of racing
After a day and a half of biking, trekking, rappelling and white water river swimming in West Virginia, the adventure racers of team Checkpoint Zero/Inov-8 (Peter Jolles, Paul Cox, Michele Hobson and Jennifer Rinderle) are currently leading the pack with a 6 hour lead.
With a third of the course still in front of them the team faces stiff competition from the likes of several accomplished teams such as Running Free, MOAT/Mannatech, Action-Learning.com and ATP/PVAdventures.com.
The Odyssey Adventure Racing Endorphin Fix is part of the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8.
Follow the race online at CheckpointTracker.com.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Team AR Navigation Supplies/INOV-8 at Lake Sonoma 50 Mile
Last weekend Grant Sisler of Team AR Navigation Supplies ran his first event as an INOV-8 team member finishing 21st overall wearing his new team jersey.
Team AR Navigation Supplies Wins the 4 Person Division at Norcal-AR #1
Team AR Navigation Supplies racing for the first time as part of Team INOV-8 won the 4 person Co-Ed division and took 2nd overall at the first event in the Norcal-AR series. We were up against some tough AR teams like Eco Challenge veterans True Grit and Thin Air. The course was tough and the weather interesting to say the least. We had rain, thunder, hail and even snow all at 1200 feet in Northern California! Very unusual.
The team was fantastic just missing the overall win by a slim 3 points out of 100 maximum in this Rogain style event which tool us 8 hours and 25 minutes.
For the full story see the link below.
http://www.arnavsupplies.com/news_articles/NorcalAR_031508.htm
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Denning, Low, & Tilton Dominate at Tuckerman
Paul Low's team (Eastern Mountain Sports) won and Kevin's team (Keep It Classy Tilton) finished second. Kevin ran 34:10 and Paul ran 34:22 for the 3 mile, 2200 foot ascent on the snow covered Tuckerman Ravine Trail. The MudClaw 0+ worked great. Pictured above is Denning on the "ski" leg of the race.
Who's Racing This Weekend
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Devon Crosby-Helms Wins Leona Divide 50 mile / Kevin Sullivan Takes 2nd OA
Congrats to Devon Crosby-Helms for her victory this past weekend at the Leona Divide 50 mile. She was 5th overall and just 2 minutes shy off the course record. An amazing performance. You can read all about her big win in her race report below.
I would also like to congratulate Kevin Sullivan for taking 2nd place overall. Kevin has battled back from injury and seems to be running strong once again. Great job to both of you!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Leona Divide 50 mile race report
I have been shying away from writing this race report, I keep thinking that I should sit down and get it all out, but there has been something stopping me. I feel like I don't want to write it down, because I am not ready to let go of some of the excitement and enjoyment that I experienced this weekend at Leona Divide 50 mile. I am not ready to (or perhaps haven't even started to) revel in the experience.I have been doing a great deal of thinking about my running and my direction therein recently and finally realized that I like to run. I know you are thinking, well duh!! But what I mean is, I like to run runnable courses, I like to see how fast I can run over long long distances. If you look at last year, all of my races were "my kind of races". Lots of flat, some cement, and the not flat was very runnable, wide dirt fireroads and single track. I recently realized that I want to focus on two main things for the next 4-5 years. First, I want to try and qualify for the 2012 Olympics in the marathon. Second, I would like to drop my 100k time down into the 7:40s. And meanwhile, I want to intermittently run some great trail races. With that decision in my head, I really look forward to the training I am going to get to do for that with help of my new (hopefully) coach, Howard Nippert. It is a pretty big step for me to take on a coach because I have been self-taught my whole marathon/ultra career but I know that my own knowledge and research can only take me so far. Sometimes the smartest thing to do is get an expert on the job. Howard, is definitely that. And he is my teammate on the 100k team and really understands where I am coming from.All of that exciting stuff was bouncing around in my head as I traveled down to California on Friday. I landed in LAX, drove up to Valencia to the Whole Foods which I had staked out, bought all my food needs for pre & post race and then drove onward to Palmdale where I was staying the night. By the time I arrived it was about noon and I felt like crap. I was exhausted, I had a really bad cramp in my leg from the flying and driving, I was dehydrated and I was feeling no confidence in my taper. I ate my lunch: salad, brown rice and veggies with peanut butter and decided a nap was a good idea. I needed to get a run in to shake my legs out, but I was hoping a nap would revive me first. I took a 2 hour snooze and woke up mentally a bit fresher (I did get up a 4:40am that morning) and headed out for a run. It was hot, really really hot. In the 80s and that worried me, since I felt already behind on my drinking and didn't want the next day to be a suffer fest at a higher altitude. I asked the guy at the desk for ideas of where to run, but he had no real ideas so I just headed out on the barren and boring town streets. It was the worst run ever. After about a mile, I thought I was going to die, my legs just plodded along and I got more and more dehydrated. By the time I got back to the hotel room, I was not encouraged at all. I was worried, but also not too anxious since I know that my body does have the tendency to rise to the occasion when called upon. But 50 miles is a long ways...I ate my dinner and headed to bed early, and had a fitful night of sleep. My alarm went off at 3:30 and I got up ate my pb toast and banana and went back to bed for another hour. When the alarm finally went off, I got up dressed and grabbed my bags and headed out the door. The morning air was cool and I was very pleasantly surprised. It was probably mid 40s which is a great racing temp for me. I figured if I could get a couple of hours that weren't blazing, I might be able to hang on for longer. I made my way to the start in the dark, I have gotten so use to it being light before 6 being in the north that I was confused and for a moment thought, wait....should I have brought a headlamp?? I parked, got my number and race goodies (a nice blanket with Leona Divide emblem on it) and went back to hang out in my car and check my gear. I was enthused by what I could see of the terrain. It reminded me distinctly of the Headlands, the nice long wide hills, which go on forever in every direction but are very runnable. Finally I got out of the car, strapped on my "Krissy" Nathan pack, grabbed my water bottles (2) and walked down towards the bridge for the start. It was funny to see all the California people all bundled up in coats, hats and gloves. I was basking in the fortunate weather since it had been snowing in Seattle on Friday! I was wearing my favorite Craft shorts, my SRC jersey, my new pink Defeet arm warmers, headband, Rudy Project sunglasses and of course, my fabulous Inov-8s, the newest 295s which I love.I lined up in front, feeling a deep sense of calm and readiness inside. Krissy had told me to use her CR splits as an indicator of where I should be when and despite the 9,000 feet of climbing ahead of me, the potential for a repeat of the day before and some lingering calf pain, I wasn't worried at all. With a clang of a hammer on a saw blade, we were off. I headed out with the lead pack of guys but felt I was being incredibly moderate as we headed up and up and up a nice long fire road. I felt comfortable and in my element. Though we were running uphill for a really long time, I didn't feel like I was pushing myself too hard or straining. If anything, say for instance if this was a 50k, probably could have pushed the first 8 miles 15-20 secs faster. But I was enjoying myself and the field spread out pretty quickly. We wrapped around and around through the hills as the sun came up. It was beautiful and I simply got lost in the moment. I didn't have to think or worry or plan. I just ran and ran with a levity of spirit that had visited upon me once before at Tahoe, last year. Maybe its just something about the 50 mile trail races and me?
The elevation & aid station mapI came through the first aid station at mile 8.3 at 1 hour flat. Ok, so I was moving but definitely still keeping myself reined in. I didn't even stop at the first aid station and headed across the road and up more very runnable hills. For this race, I had decided to carry my ipod shuffle with me for extra added boost along the way, but knew that I could only employ it at the right moment. I couldn't simply just put it on. So I waited. I came into the second aid station at 1:49 and grabbed my first Clif Shot Bloks and headed right back out. There were a couple of guys that I could see on the trail ahead of me and as I ran up the hill, I passed a few of them that I would not see again. I was still within the top 15 range and could see 2-3 more guys on the trail ahead of me as we snaked along, finally on single track. We got on the PCT and there was the sign that Krissy had told me about with the previous years winners on it! It gave me a boost to see Krissy's name up there!The weather was holding, still very mild temperatures with some clouds and lots of wind. It really reminded me more and more of the Headlands and I just floated along feeling pleased with myself and with my ability to run. I came into the mile 20.3 aid station, had them fill my waterbottles with water and I dropped a Nuun tablet in each. I was well under 3 hrs but had decided to ignore my splits and just run. From 20.3 you head up some steeper stuff, which was a bit slower but I was still (to my pleasant surprise) able to power up it easily. The wind was blowing pretty tough at this point and there were gusts so strong that I was worried I was going to be like one of the nannies in Mary Poppins and go blowing up the street backwards in the wind. I made it to the top and passed another 2 guys on the way, including one who in the first few miles had run past me working way too hard for that early in the race and was now suffering for it. The next time I would see him again, he would be nearly 4 miles behind me.After reaching the top, I got to enjoy a nice rolling downhill to the mile 24.5 aid station, where I once again breezed through and headed down more rollers to the mile 28 aid station. In my head, I had thought that the biggest hill had already passed. That said, I also knew at this point that any hill I was running down, I was running back up at some point since from 24.5 back to 42.6 is an out and back. I had been taking my calories, taking a gel or shot blok about every 45-50 mins. At 3 hrs I took my pills (caffeine, S caps and aspirin) and felt a lovely little boost. The chia was doing its magic and I felt good energy and hydration. I kept drinking to stay ahead but was feeling just right. As I was descending to 28, I passed a few more fellows and then had a guy run up on me, as I strongly descended the hill. "Krissy is that you?" I had to laugh, it is a compliment yes to be mistaken for such a great runner as Krissy, but at the same time, last time I checked Krissy hadn't hit a growth spurt and gained 6 inches in height. But it is somewhat understandable. I chatted with the guy for a bit, asked him if he wanted to pass, which he said no to and we made our way down to the mile 28 aid station. I topped up my bottles and off I went.I crossed another road and headed uphill, much steeper than before. But I was still running it. By now I had been running for over 4 hours, I can't remember precisely but I decided to pull out my splits card to see if I was anywhere near what I had anticipated. I saw that I had gone through the #5 aid station still ahead of pace, but as I glanced at my watch, thought there was no way I was going to be able to reach the next aid station by the split I had recorded. I had 4:36 written down for aid station #6 and it was 4:25 and I could still see the aid station (albeit way below after lots of switchbacks). I had a moment of where did all that time go? It was not possible that I had lost 10-12 mins off pace on a downhill. I was still moving up the hill sub 10s as well. I just shook my head, shrugged my shoulders and said, "do work, son", resigning myself to just focusing on the running instead of wasting time calculating splits. I was feeling a bit lower energy as I power hiked up the steep hill and consumed a gel and some more Nuun. The sun was shining now and I was happy to have my sunglasses, but also to have my sleeves since the wind continued to blow.The time had come, I needed to release the secret weapon. On Thursday, I had come upon one of my old running mixes on CD and had gotten really hyped listening to it. I had changed my shuffle mix to songs that I couldn't help but move too. As I hiked, spying the top of the hill and another bobbing head ahead of me, I put my headphones on and hit play. I nearly shrieked and laughed when the first song came on and was also the first song on the aforementioned CD. It is a great motivator and my pace suddenly quickened. I had it to the top. I would find out later that THAT was the hardest climb and that my split on my card was suppose to be a 50 something not a 30 something. I arrived at mile 32 aid station where it was a full on luau. Everyone was in grass skirts and coconut bras. "Here comes Devon" somebody yelled and I smiled and powered through the aid station, "there goes Devon", somebody said as I waved and smiled and said, "I'll be back soon!".Out to 35.5 was interesting terrain for that point in the race. It was really rolly, almost mountain biker appealing rolly and I was feeling a bit tired, but still good. I ate more gels and played cat and mouse with the guy in front of me. I kept taking my SCaps every hour and drinking my Nuun since I could feel myself getting nice and salty. The sun was brilliant but the temp was only about 60. I saw only 3 guys coming back from the aid station as I ran. I rounded a bend and could see the aid station through the trees. I caught up to the guy in front of me and he said, "man you destroyed that hill!". That was the nicest thing anyone could say because I have had waining confidence in my ability as an uphiller. We caught another guy who had stopped for a pee and all went into the aid station together. The guys at the aid station filled my bottles with water and again I dropped in my Nuun which I was carrying with me in my "Krissy" pack, aka a hydration pack without the hydration pack. Essentially it is like a singlet with pockets on the front for gels, nuun, ginger, etc.I headed back out, the timer telling me I was in 5th overall. Nice!!! And I was going to finally have the opportunity to see where the next woman back was. I now ran strong, enthused by the turn around and feeling like I was heading for home. 14.5 away from home, but home nonetheless. The front of the field was very sparse. I saw a few of the guys I had passed earlier coming along, but each one still fading away. At long last, I saw the next woman. She was about 1.5 miles behind me but not looking too bad. I decided to not give it any chances, especially since I knew there was one last hill back up from 42 before I would get more downhills. I enjoyed the current downhill alot though. I stopped at the Luau aid station and ate some Clif Shot Bloks and oranges, feeling a bit in need of energy. I took off, still jamming to the beats in my headphones. I greeted every person I passed who was coming up the trail and did my best to not collide with anyone on the corners.I hit the bottom of the hill, crossed the road and hooting and hollering ran into the mile 42 aid station. They filled my bottles one last time, dropped another Nuun and headed back up the hill that I had enjoyed so much on the way down. It was not nearly as steep as the hill going the other direction out of the 28/42 aid station, but I was more tired. It was a runnable grade but I could only intermittently run and power walk. I could see the top of the hill and knew that just beyond that was my final aid station and then beautiful, wide wonderful fireroad down to the finish. I pushed and pushed up the hill, calling on energy I didn't have. I had taken my second round of caffeine and aspirin which helped a bit but not much. I could see the guy who had lauded me for my uphill at the 35 aid station about 400 meters behind me and I pressed on. I finally came to the top and felt so relieved, even though I could see the aid station from a distance, I noticed there was a little rise up out of the aid station. Darn it!I came screeching in to the aid station, glanced at my watch 7:13 ish. And mentally tried to figure out if I was anywhere even remotely near Krissy's 7:42 Course Record. I couldn't do math and I stood there waiting for one of the aid station volunteers (bless them) to open a pack of Clif Shot Bloks for me. He couldn't get it open and I waited patiently, finally he got a knife and plopped them down in my hand. I should have just taken the pack and ran, but at that point in a race dexterity is not there to open those things. I ran out of the aid station at 7:15 and headed along the fireroad. I managed the little uphill and pressed my legs to give me a little more on the downhill. But I had to stop. And take a pee. I did a quick glance around and hoped no one would come down the road and did my business. About 4 water bottles fun of liquid later, I was off and running again. Triumphant beautiful songs played in my headphones and I got choked up. I looked at my distance on my Garmin GPS and it said I had about 2 miles to go. Really? Damn. Then I got choked up even more since I was ready to be done. I also wondering where I had lost that damn 20 minutes since I had been running strong consistent mid 9 splits for the race. Suddenly, I recognized the turn in the path and through the trees I could see the parking lot. Damn! I broke into a sprint and turned off my music, I wanted to hear the cheering as I came into the finish. I ran down off the path and around to the back of the main building and across the finish line. Pumping my fists and so happy. 5th place overall, 1st woman, 7:44! Had I known, had I known. Maybe I wouldn't have waited so long for the shot bloks, maybe I wouldn't have stopped for a pee. Maybe I wouldn't have tried to meter out my energy for the "last two miles". But really, forget maybe! I ran a near flawless race. I felt great nearly the whole way, mentally I was in a state of bliss, nutritionally I was within a good range (no bonks!), and my hill running was great. I felt great!The RD handed me my finishers shirt, award and dirty girls gaiters which I had one in a raffle. I sat down on the stairs by the finish line and just beamed. The guy who complimented me came in a few minutes later and said, shaking my hand, "you really took off!" I was just so pleased with the experience, the whole journey I just wanted to stay in the moment as long as I could. I headed back to my car and back to the hotel, where my favorite post-run meal was stashed in my fridge: a Whole Foods burrito (yes with a whole wheat tortilla-which I am still paying for now, but is so worth it), kombucha and berries. I took my ice bath, packed my stuff and anticipated going home the next morning.I made it home safe on Sunday, even grabbing the last seat out of sheer luck on an earlier flight. My legs felt great and for the first time in a while didn't do alot of post race swelling. Once back in Seattle, I headed to Flying Apron for a cupcake. I hadn't had a cupcake in a really really (talking years) long time, especially finding out about my gluten intolerance. But I wanted one to celebrate and had been thinking about cupcakes since Alison and I went to Cupcake Royale the week before. I dove into the chocolate cupcake and it was perfect. Sweet, but not too sweet. Perfect texture and all while still being vegan, gluten free and alternatively sweetened. I spent the afternoon in my & my uncles organic vegetable garden turning over soil, mulching and generally "giving my legs a rest" haha. We went to thai food for dinner which is a close second to the post race burrito. It was a great weekend and I didn't want it to end. Or more, I didn't want to lose that feeling I had gotten during the race. I just was lovely, so very lovely.
Posted by Devon at 7:27 AM 3 comments
Monday, April 21, 2008
Honey Stinger's Fueling Variety Delivers!
Once again I can't say enough positive things about the high quality products that Honey Stinger is putting out for athletes and all those who are living active lifestyles. Earlier in the month I commented on how awesome their gels are. I would also like to mention how effective and diverse their other products are. While many "endurance fuel" companies only cater gels, Honey Stinger not only has the best gels, but also a variety of tasty protein bars, and fruit chews. I can tell you that while running a 100 miler or even a 50miler for that matter, I am one who likes to mix up my fuel, as I crave and handle solid foods very well. Relying on pure gels for a 100miler would definitely do me in. The organic fruit chews and protein bars are a great variety deep into a race. I recommend the Peanut butter protein bar, my favorite! It's natural, tastes super, not bland or too rich like other brands.
It's obvious that the crew at HoneyStinger have experience in running or endurance sports in general. Through these experiences of distance, endurance, bonking, and training they know what athletes need for optimal fuel and not to mention fuel that tastes good and appealing to the palate and stomach.
Keep up the great work Stinger Crew!
Type rest of the post here
Chad Denning Takes Solo Title at Tuckerman Inferno Pentathlon
Congratulations to Team Inov-8 member Chad Denning who won the overall solo category at the Tuckerman Inferno Pentathlon this past weekend in New Hampshire. Chad won by 22 minutes in a time of 4:10:59 Great job! http://www.friendsoftuckerman.org/2008%20Website/08%20INFERNO/INFERNO%202008/WEBSITE%20PAGES/2008_Welcome_Page.htm
Peacock is Sweet at Salt Lake
Congratulations to Dewey Peacock who took his speed and Inov-8's to the roads over the weekend at the Salt Lake City half-marathon. You can read more about his account and race report below.
Race RecapBeing only my 3rd half marathon, my 1st ran when I was 18, and my 2nd on a challenging course here in Bozeman, I was excited to run a higher profile race. In short, this was a great race and really a lot of fun. Well, fun doesn’t really describe racing, but I had a great time. The course has a net downhill, and a lot of ups and down in general, but all pretty gradual ones (everything seems gradual compared to mountain races). I had a goal in mind, and ran that with the pace in mind, trying to stay relaxed in the first few miles. A lot of people flew out ahead, but all of the elite runners held back, with a lot of dialogue being spoken in English and I’m assuming Kenyan (most of them we’re running the full marathon). We were running around 5:35 pace, which felt easy, but I was a bit nervous that they weren’t running faster. I stayed in a large group behind all of the marathoners to stay out of the wind (the whole course felt like it had head winds until you turned a corner and realized there was actually more headwind that way). I found it pretty funny when all of the lead elite runners after running "casually" for the first 2 miles immediately dropped the pace about 30 seconds a mile, and were not to be seen again. I was planning on running my own race so I payed little attention to it, but realized I was a bit away from the next group of runners, and ran most of the race by myself with a good amount of wind to deal with. I passed a runner around the 5 mile marker who was definitely breathing too hard at that point of the race. I felt a little tired in the legs (my legs were a bit sore from the weekend before of my first mountain running on dry ground), but I felt great aerobically. I felt pretty good at the 10 mile point, and did my best to reel in the guy in front of me. I caught him around mile 12, and ended up finishing about 40 seconds or so ahead by the finish.I felt pretty strong throughout the race, despite running most of it by myself. I finished with a huge PR of 1:14:10 and 7th place overall. Granted someone who’s name rhymes with Malan Ming recently ran roughly two of those back to back(a Montana reference), I’m pleased with a 4+ minute improvement. I’m very ready to take it to some competitive trail races at this point, but that might take some work from the weather gods (it snowed again today in Bozeman, with lows in the single digits).
Friday, April 18, 2008
Brad Acker of Team Tamarack Wins Free Race Entry
Brad won a contest to gain a free entry into The Race to Robie Creek. Billed as "The Toughest Half Marathon in the Northwest". Pretty amusing article with his 13.1 reasons why he should have a free entry. The race is this Saturday, April 19th. Good luck Brad and don't forget to pick up those sticky gel packets during the race.
yogaslackers baja exploits
Team YogaSlackers update - 3rd place in Baja Travesia (introducing new teammate Lina!) , 2 AcroYoga/slackline workshops, Featured (front page) in the Wall Street Journal!
In short, we had a busy March! Following up on the successful 2XtM expedition, the YogaSlackers took little rest. In the Baja Travesia they battled hard, essentially doing a full on sprint triathlon at the end of an 80 hour expedition race (with only 3 hours sleep) to beat our some of Sweden's top athletes (Team Extreme Sports) in one of the most exciting races to the finish AR has ever seen. "To have an 80 hour race come down to mere seconds is unheard of," marveled Jason Magness. In the end it was teamwork that won out, with Jason and Lina (in a double kayak) slowing down to allow teammate Daniel (in a single) to draft. They pulled ahead of the the single kayak from the Swedes team and were able to cross the finish as a full team, behind the two Swedes in the double kayak, but ahead of the one in the single.
Lina (the newcomer to the team) has agreed to join on a more permanent basis, and after meeting the rest of the Slackers, they are all excited for the future...
Shortly after the race, Magness was interviewed for a feature in the Wall Street Journal which came out in early May.
More to come!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Who's Racing This Weekend
Good luck to fellow Inov-8 athletes and their respected races this coming weekend. Spring is settling in nicely and should offer some prime running weather for all to enjoy.
Dewey Peacock Salt Lake City 1/2 marathon
Kevin Tilton Tuckerman Inferno
Paul Low Tuckerman Inferno
Devon Crosby-Helms Leona Divide 50m
Scott Dunlap Boston Marathon
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Runners and Inov-8 Give Back
I am proud to say that the Chippewa Moraine 50km raised over $3,000 which will be donated back to the Ice Age Trail. It will also be used to help fund outdoor education opportunities for the many elementary, secondary and post-secondary students that come to the Chippewa Interpretive Center and terminus to learn about Wisconsin's unique wilderness and National Scenic Trail. The staff at the Interpretive Center is amazing. They take young students on snow shoe hikes, trail quests, live animal research, and interactive experiences like canoe building. Many runners brought their children to the Chippewa Race and the staff at the center did such a great job of creating such a fun experience for them. I hope this continues to be a great family event.
Registration for the 2009 Chippewa Moraine 50km is now up.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Chippewa Moraine 50km race photos
Check out photos from the Chippewa Race. The expressions tell the story! Please check out the race blog too for detailed accounts of the race. Also check out the race blog for detailed accounts from the race.
Tilton and Nephew Strong at Merrimack River
Congratulations to Kevin Tilton and Ben Nephew at the Xterra Merrimack River 16km over the weekend. Kevin taking first and Ben third. Way to go guys!
The Ice Age Cometh!
It looks like it was a weekend of racing in extreme weather conditions. I guess that's how early spring works! Check out the epic adventure that unfolded up here in the Upper Midwest and read some of the incredible reports at Northwoods
Inov-8 Terroc and Flyroc were a popular shoe on course. Male winner using the Flyroc's.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
RocLite 295
After 4 knee surgeries and a few rounds of orthodics, I thought I found the perfect trail shoe in the RocLite 320. Since signing on with Inov-8, I have had the opportunity to try several different styles in many training and racing environments. I went from the RocLite 315 to 312 GTX, to 305's and now the 295's. I have to say this one takes the cake.
They just keep getting lighter and lighter with more stability, support and comfort. I tried the 295's two weeks ago in an offroad triathlon during a huge thunderstorm. Lots of mud and water and came away with a 3rd OA. This weekend, for lack of anything better to do, I raced in a road triathlon. I set up my transition with a pair of miz##5&*! shoes. I was warming up with my 295's. Right before the race started, I left my Inov-8s at my transition area. During the swim, a huge rainstorm blew through and soaked everything. When I came off the bike, I picked up the OTHER shoes and they felt really heavy, I threw them down and grabbed the 295's. They hadn'd soaked up nearly the water weight and felt great on my bare feet. I turned out a 5K road PR. The 295's offer a true size fit, ample toe box room, a solid platform and great drainage. They definitely felt different on the road but not unpleasant. They may have a lot of tread for the road but the lightness and the water drainage really made up for it. I can't say that I would use these on all road runs but if I had to have just one shoe for the year, this would land on top.
Lundblad's Conquer the Bull
CONGRATULATIONS! to both Mark and Anne Lundblad who both took the overall wins at
Bull Run 50m over the weekend. Despite the sultry weather conditions Anne set a new course record and Mark, in his matador red, was the only runner to crack sub 7hr. at the Bull on such a tough day. A testament to this talented duo. This picture is becoming very familiar! I think we have a new rendition of Grant Wood's famous painting of American Gothic. Mark just needs to be holding a pitch fork (:
Great job and recover well! ....wait until you see images and stories of the inaugural Chippewa 50km. Surely to go down as one, if not the most epic 50km of the year.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Blue Planet Run 24 (trail relay)
Held at Asheville’s Camp Rockmont, May 3-4. This unique trail event co-sponsored by Inov-8 features soloists and teams of up to 10 runners continuously traversing 5-mile loops in a 24-hour trail relay race. Launched last year in Black Mountain, N.C. as Run for Africa, this was a very popular event that was well recieved. It has expanded into a national tour under the Blue Planet Run Foundation banner to alleviate the clean drinking water crisis affecting over one billion people. All profits from the event and all donations raised by participants will directly fund drinking water projects around the world. A great place to bring the family, camp out, and do some running.
http://blueplanetrun.org/bpr24/blackmountain
Blue Planet Run 24 Launches Asheville, N.C. Registration
Unique Trail Relay Series Bringing Safe Drinking Water to the World
http://blueplanetrun.org/bpr24/blackmountain
Set against the scenic mountain backdrop of western North Carolina, the unique trail event features soloists and teams of up to 10 runners continuously traversing 5-mile loops in a 24-hour trail relay race. Launched last year in Black Mountain, N.C. as Run for Africa, the wildly popular event has expanded into a national tour under the Blue Planet Run Foundation banner to alleviate the clean drinking water crisis affecting over one billion people. All profits from the event and all donations raised by participants will directly fund drinking water projects around the world.
“For as little as $30, you can give someone clean drinking water for life,” says Will Harlan, founder of the Asheville event. “Blue Planet Run trail relays enable runners to make their miles meaningful, as they truly save lives with every lap. Safe water is the most basic of human needs, and this humanitarian effort gives the runners’ pain an even greater purpose.”
In addition to the 24-hour relay, the weekend will feature 6-hour and 12-hour relay categories, as well as a 5-Mile Trail Run on Saturday morning. Each lap features a mix of open field, mountain singletrack, and trail running on a diverse course skirting spring-fed Lake Eden.
Between trail segments, the runners will join family, friends and spectators at the Blue Planet Run 24 Village. Serving as a transition area for runners, the village offers a festival atmosphere for participants and the local community, featuring food and drink, live entertainment, and an opportunity to learn more about The Blue Planet Run Foundation and its worldwide mission. For registration and additional information, visit http://blueplanetrun.org/bpr24/blackmountain.
Learn more by visiting http://www.blueplanetrun.org/bpr24 or contact Jeremy Austin at jaustin@blueplanetrun.org or 828.669.2787.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Who's Racing This Weekend
Good luck to the following Inov-8 athletes in their respected races this weekend. A big weekend of racing, as the Lundblad's and Kevin Sullivan look to wrangle the bull by the horns at the acclaimed Bull Run 50m in Va. Steve Burton will be taking on the whole enchillada at McNaughton 150m!; round and round! Bodies will be ground beef by the end of that one. Across the mighty Mississippi, Scott Dunlap will be running the Diablo 50m. Have fun and run strong! I will be race directing the Inaugural Chippewa Moraine Trail 50km on the Ice Age Trail (North Western terminus). I hear 10" of snow on Friday. Yippee! 160+ brave souls will have their work cut out for them.
Mark Lundblad Bull Run 50m
Anne Lundblad Bull Run 50m
Kevin Sullivan Bull Run 50m
Steve Burton McNaughton 50/100/150m
Scott Dunlap Diablo 50m
Monday, April 7, 2008
Weekend racing
Congratulations to Brian Morrison at Diez Vista 50km.
You can read my race report of my Chicago Lakefront 50km/projectile vomiting at Northwoods
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Looking forward to meeting all of you...
I just want to send along a quick note of introduction as I am thrilled to be joining Team Inov-8 for 2008. I wore the shoes at Caumsett, Cool and Coyote and plan to use them at Western States, Vermont and Wasatch as well. It is great to be part of this excellent group of athletes.
AJW
Race Test - RocLite 295 Shoe and Pro Pack 18
I had a chance to test the RocLite 295's and the Race Pro 18 hydration pack at the Rucky Chucky 50k this year. Both did great!
I had a great run at the Rucky Chucky 50k in Auburn, CA this year. They had to drop an aid station due to access issues, creating a 13-mile stretch each way with no aid station. A perfect chance to try out the Race Pro 18 hydration pack (and it's enormous 2 liter water storage), as well as the RocLite 295's. Both did very well for me. You can get the good/bad/ugly (and there was certainly some ugly) on my race write-up.
(Suiting up with the Pro Pack pre-race)If you guys haven't tried the Pro Pack yet, be sure to do so. Having the water down by your waist is very comfortable! I hope you are all out enjoying the trails.
SD
Who's Racing This Weekend
Good luck to the following Inov-8 athletes this weekend and their respected races. Winter just seems to be holding on white knuckle tight up here in the Upper Midwest, but 50's are in the forecast again.
Brian Morrison Diez Vista 50km
New and excited
Well, it looks like I will be joining the Inov-8 family. I am excited and humbled to be in the midst of so many elite runners. I probably will be the old lady of the group at 51 but I think I can relate to the mass of runners who are middle or back of the packers. You know, we are people too! :) I'm not as fast as I was but...I can still keep on going! I think it's great to be able to have a sport that teaches us so much about life, perseverance and commitment.
I look forward to seeing a lot of you out there on the trails...Thanks for this opportunity!!!
Rebekah Trittipoe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
