The last race to qualify for Western States 100 is this Saturday. The Miwok 100k will have challenging fields for both the men and women. Scott Dunlap will be representing Team Inov-8 this Saturday in Headlands, CA, on the out and back course that boasts over 10k feet in climbing. Greg Feucht will be at the largest half-marathon event in the US, The One America 500 Mini Marathon in Indianapolis , IN. This road course is an out and back from downtown that circles the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dewey Peacock and Joe Gray will be at the Bloomsday 12k road race in Spokane, WA this Sunday. DeWayne Satterfield and myself will racing at the Strolling Jim 40 mile road ultra in Wartrace, TN. Paul Low will be back at it for the Green Mountain Hill Climb in Ripton, VT. A 10K road race from the center of Ripton to the top of the Middlebury Gap. Lastly Kelli Lusk is racing at the Collegiate Peaks Trail Race (25 miler) in Buena Vista, CO.
Scott Dunlap - Miwok 100k
Greg Feucht - One America 500 Mini Marathon
Dewey Peacock - Bloomsday 12k
Joe Gray - Bloomsday 12k
DeWayne Satterfield - Strolling Jim
Mark Lundblad - Strolling Jim
Paul Low - Green Mountain Hill Climb
Kelli Lusk - Collegiate Peaks Trail Race
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Who's Racing This Weekend (updated Friday)
Monday, April 27, 2009
Chippewa 50km results and report are in!
(photos courtesy of Bryan Cochran)
Results and report are now up on the race site. Tomorrow I will have images uploaded courtesy of Bryan Cochran who quite possibly took some of the best running photos I have ever seen. Thanks Bryan! Please take a browse through Bryan's work to scope out some great scenes from the race: Bryan's Photos
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Swept off our feet
Ready, set, sweep...
A little frivolity before falling in behind the last runner at the Promise Land 50K in Virginia. Poor Jenny...a double amputee runner. (Picture by Andrew Wilds Photography)
Gardner Takes 2nd at Chippewa 50km
The 2nd annual Chippewa 50km was another success. Mother Nature was especially kind to us as the rain held off and we dodged the previous day's mid 80's humidity and heat. The course was sweeter than a plate of pancakes with extra syrup. We had 150 starters and 142 finishers including 74 year old Dave O'Brien who got an early start to the morning and finished in 13hrs. The men's field was battle of Duluthians along with a mix of others. The lead pack of 5 were definitely pushing it hard all day and all of them looked pretty wrecked each time I saw them at an aid station. It was a matter of who would hold on the longest. Andy looked like a salt lick by the penultimate aid station with Chris closing the gap and picking off runners. There were a few lead exchanges all the way to the bitter end. Spectators get to see quite a bit of the finish unfold as they look down from a bluff onto the course. Andy came out of the trail head, meandering through frontage path and up the last big hill to the finish, which I added this year and seemed to be a crowd favorite! It is now dubbed by many as (T.F.H.) or That F&*%n Hill. My pre-race predictions called for a sub 4 finish, but even without snow the Ice Age trail lived up to its name once again by being very deceiving. It's never flat, anywhere. Andy bolted to the finish to just get under 4hrs. This was followed very closely by Chris who finished just a minute back and really made up some ground on the finishing stretch, just not enough realestate. Post-race included good eats, libations, and camaraderie. This was the 2nd race in the Fab5Fifites ultra series. Thank you to the runners, volunteers, sponsors, and of course the Ice Age Trail as we raised over $3,000 for the trail's maintenance, building, education and land acquisition. Results, pictures and report will be posted very soon in the race website.
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Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sweeping Queen
3 for 3: Dead Last
I have always thought that every runner should sweep at least one race. After the Promise Land 50K on Saturday, I think it should be a requirement for every runner--especially the really fast ones--to sweep a course.
The view from the tail end is different. As your trash bag fills with taken-down streamers and gel packs strewn by the wayside, you become aware of the runners in front of you--all of them. You hear their stories, you see their struggles. You wonder how they deal with the fact that as they descend the "Dark side", the lead runners pass them on their way up; a hefty 15 miles in ahead. And yet they run on, undeterred. Sometimes, like on Saturday, the last runner drops out and you have to chase down the next to last runner. It can be hard out there. It's a test of patience. Virtually no one is there to cheer them in at the non-triumphant end. You almost wonder why they do it.
I think we would all have a little more respect for the runners who bring up the rear if we saw them in action. I wonder who does more work...the winner who runs 5 hours or the straggler who is out there in 90 degree heat for 11 hours. If you aren't sure of the answer, do the research by spending time at the back. It is a humbling but fantastic experience!
(Photo courtesy of Andrew Wilds Photography; Terrapin Mt 50K)
Weekend Race Results
Mother Nature was having her way this weekend especially in the Southeast with high heat and humidity making all the race distances a much bigger challenge. Aaron Saft was 4th OA at the Country Music Half-Marathon in Nashville and reported that higher temps made it a rough day on everyone. Anne Lundblad ran a great race at The Owl's Roost Rumble Trail Half-Marathon in Greensboro, NC battling it out with the women's returning champion and was 2nd OA by just a few seconds with a time of 1:36.
Team Inov-8 went 1st and 2nd OA at The Promiseland 50k. Sean Andrish defended his title in 5:02 and held off teammate Jeremy Ramsey who ran a great race as well in 5:09. At the Chippewa 50k in WI on the beautiful Ice Age Trail, Chris Gardner ran a great race and was 2nd OA in 4:00:59 coming in just about a minute behind the race winner. At the Big Sur International Marathon, Scott Dunlap was 20th OA and ran a very nice 2:59 on a challenging course.
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Coast to Coast in 'Rica
Team member Daniel reporting...
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| From Coast to Coast Costa Rica |
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Who's Racing This Weekend
Another action packed weekend for the team. Wynn Davis will wear the RD hat this Saturday and is entertaining a great field of runners at his Chippewa 50k which includes Inov-8 team member Chris Gardner. Another scenic and tough 50k will be found in the VA mountains (where else?) than at the Promiseland 50k, the second race in the Lynchburg Ultra Series and The Beast Series. Sean Andrish is the #1 seed in defense of his 2008 title and Jeremy Ramsey is the #3 seed which is in line with his 3rd place OA showing last year. This is always an action packed and grueling 50k+ race. Brian Morrison seeded #1, will be taking on the Capital Peaks 50 mile and defending his title from 2008. Here in NC my lovely wife, Anne Lundblad will be racing in Greensboro at the Owls Roost Rumble Trail Half Marathon. Aaron Saft will be testing his leg speed at the Country Music Half-Marathon in Nashville on Saturday. Lastly in his final race before turning the big 40, Scott Dunlap will be racing another road marathon this time at the beautiful Big Sur Marathon. That would be a 50k trail and 2 road marathons in 14 days for Scott! Good luck to everyone.
Chris Gardner - Chippewa 50k
Sean Andrish - Promiseland 50k
Jeremy Ramsey - Promiseland 50k
Brian Morrison - Capital Peaks 50 mile
Anne Lundblad - Owl's Roost Rumble
Aaron Saft - Country Music Half-Marathon
Scott Dunlap - Big Sur Marathon
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Team ROAM Inov-8 and Checkpoint Zero Inov-8 get their Endorphin Fix
Two of the top adventure racing teams in the south east teamed up this past weekend to take on the Odyssey Adventure Racing Endorphin Fix. After three hundred miles of mountain biking, trekking, paddling and orienteering we came away with sore feet, swollen ankles, bruised muscles as well as 2nd and 3rd place overall, along with second place in the co-ed elite category and first in the two person male category.
About a week before the race, both Inov-8 teams were left with only 3 team members each due to last minute injuries. Seizing the opportunity to race together, we joined forces and decided that racing as a 6 person group was worth the risk.
Known for their brutally difficult courses, Odyssey once again lived up to their reputation and gave us over 300 miles of torturous terrain. We went up mountains, down mountains, across the tops of mountains, and through the valleys and rivers. Typical fare for adventure racing, spread over 80 hours.
Unlike most races, that put a ropes section far enough into a race to spread teams apart, this years E-Fix had a relatively short 35 mile bike ride before the rappel. Our starting strategy was to be one of the first teams there so as not to get held up by any bottle necks. As it turned out, we hammered the first bike ride and wound up at the ropes first. We managed to get 4 of our 6 people down before ATP / Salomon showed up at the top.
Knowing they were right on our tails, and only able to send one person down at a time, our two person team of Bo and Charlie got down first and quickly set out for the paddle put in. There they started getting both teams bikes situated in the boats, in anticipation of the longest paddling leg. Paddling with a bike in the boat is not high on the list of things that I want to do on a regular basis, but as it turned out that the paddle wasn't too difficult. We took on some water dropping through a series of rapids, but fared much better than the pack that was spread out for miles behind us.
As the race progressed through paddling, biking, and trekking sections, our lead over ATP/Salomon stretched and contracted depending on mode of travel. We were slower on foot, while they were slower on bike. By the middle of the second day, we had come into CP 23 together. As we took a moment to rest our feet, we watched as ATP passed us. I had a feeling we wouldn't be seeing them again.
Because of course cutoffs in place, we were fairly sure that no other teams were going to make it to the point we were at. All we had to do was make it to the finish to secure second place. It is hard to let someone pass you by, but when running around for days, even feet shod in our fantastic Inov-8 shoes needed a break. The hard part of just making it to the finish, was that it was still at least 18 hours away.
As we completed the last major trek section, we found out that one other team, Untamed New England, had made an all out effort and made the trek cutoff. Now they had a chance to catch us. Instantly, our strategy instantly switched from just getting to the finish, back into race mode. The six of us debated on the gap we had, and decided we had to go for several orienteering points at the finish, just to provide a little extra insurance.
We ended up nabbing 2 optional orienteering points, figuring that was enough of a cushion, and started the last haul up to the finish. To our amazement, Untamed New England caught and passed us about 6 miles to the finish! We panicked. Did they have more points than us? Why would they be moving faster than us? Certainly the person at the last TA would have told them how many points we had, and how far ahead we were. Not taking any chances, we pushed the pace to catch up with Untamed.
As we asked them how many points they got, we new that we couldn't trust what they said if we really wanted to keep 2nd place. What if they were tricking us? Realizing we had no choice, we upped our pace and assaulted the last climb to the finish as best we could. After 77 hours of racing, an hour of sleep, and two hours of rest, we crossed the finish line.
Having left almost three hours on the clock, we knew that we left points out on the course, but sometimes pointless suffering must be cut short, no matter how much fun you think you might be having. In the end, Untamed New England obtained 3 CP's less than we did, and we kept 2nd place overall.
As we all sit and nurse our feet back to the land of the living, we can only thank Inov-8 for making such wonderful shoes. It's rare for me to be able to race for 3 days and come away blister free. Now if only I had some Swiftwick compression socks like Julia has, my feet wouldn't look like overstuffed sausages right now.
2nd Annual Chippewa 50km
photo by: wynn davis
This coming weekend is the Chippewa 50km race along the beautiful western terminus of the National Scenic Ice Age Trail. This year will bring MUCH better weather than the epic race in snow we had earlier last year. Temps have been in the 60's and 70's for weeks, so the trail is excellent. Inov-8 is a proud sponsor of the race. Net proceeds from the race go toward trail building and maintenance on the IAT as well as educational courses. Last year over $3,000 was raised thanks to runners, volunteers, sponsors and of course the IAT.
The Chippewa 50km is the 2nd race in the UMTR's Fab 5 Fifties series along with 2 other different race series (shorter trail and 100km/100mile).
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Monday, April 20, 2009
Weekend Results (updated 4/21)
I've got a few weekend results to pass along. First off it looks like Scott Dunlap had a stellar day at the Ruth Anderson 50k where he not only won the 50k OA title in a fast 3:37 but he set a PR by about 15 minutes for the 5ok distance, according to his blog post prior to the race. All this right before his 40th B-day, a nice present to oneself, now we'll see today what he has left at the Boston Marathon. Kevin Sullivan ran another great race at the Leona Divide 50 mile where he finished 2nd OA in 6:49. He almost reeled in the winner who beat him only by 2 minutes. Not too shabby for a "training run" in prep for WS 100. Todd Walker was 5th OA at BRR 50 in 7:17. Amber Moran was 2nd OA at the NC USATF Half Marathon Championships in Charlotte, NC with a speedy 1:22. Chris Gardner used his Fitgers 5k as a final tune up for the Chippewa Moraine 50k this coming weekend and posted a 17:28 (11th OA) finish. Gina Lucrezi had yet another trail race get cancelled on her for inclement weather, such is the life in CO.
Jenny Anderson won the Forget the PR Mohican 50k in Loudinville, OH this past Sunday with a great time of 5:10. At the 3.5 day epic Endorphin Fix AR we had Team CPO/Inov-8 place 2nd overall and 2nd COED 4 person team and Team ROAM/Inov8 was 3rd overall and 1st 2 person team. Scott Dunlap completed his 2 day coast-to-coast racing with a 3:45 at the Boston Marathon less than 48 hours after his victory at the Ruth Anderson 50k. Great job to everyone.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Who's Racing this Weekend
We once again have many athletes toeing the line this weekend. Starting with today we have Team Roam/Checkpoint Zero/Inov-8 combining forces at the tough 3.5 day Endorphin Fix AR in West Virginia. Two talented ultra runners are going to be at the Bull Run 50 mile this Saturday in Northern Virginia, Todd Walker and Aliza Lapierre. There is a side competition at this race put on by the VHTRC with a Civil War theme that pits runners from the South versus the North. Kevin Sullivan will be racing at the Leona Divide 50 mile in the Angeles National Forest in CA. Kevin finished 2nd OA at this race last year and has been improving his ultra skills ever since.
Amber Moran will be at the Charlotte Racefest Half-Marathon this Saturday. Gina Lucrezi will be at the Elbert Reflections 10k trail race in Elbert, CO. Chris Gardner will be at the Fitger's 5k in downtown Duluth doing some last minute race prep for the Chippewa 50k next weekend put on by our own Wynn Davis. Scott Dunlap will be pulling double duty and building up his frequent flier miles with the Ruth Anderson 50k on Saturday in San Francisco, CA followed by the Boston Marathon on Monday. On Sunday, Jenny Anderson will be racing at the Forget the PR 50k in Mohican State Park in Loudinville, OH. Lastly Team Yogaslackers will be competing at the Swazi Extreme AR Race in Africa.
Team Roam/Checkpoint Zero - Endorphin Fix AR
Todd Walker- Bull Run 50 mile
Aliza Lapierre - Bull Run 50 mile
Kevin Sullivan - Leona Divide 50 mile
Amber Moran - Charlotte Racefest Half-Marathon
Chris Gardner - Fitger's 5k
Gina Lucrezi - Elbert Reflections Trail 10k
Scott Dunlap - Ruth Anderson 50k & Boston Marathon
Jenny Anderson - Forget the PR 50k
Yogaslackers- Swaziland Extreme AR
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Roclite 320 Shoe Review
I must admit that when Inov8 first came onto the American Ultrarunning scene I was skeptical. I was certainly intrigued by the concept of low-slung, minimalist shoes but I was doubtful about the way this type of shoe would hold up over 100 miles and how my feet would feel after 16-20 hours in this shoe.
The Roclite 320 proved my skepticism wrong. After receiving my first pair in January, 2008 I took them on runs of all types -- smooth dirt roads, rugged rocky trails, cross-country scree scrambles, even the track. Again and again the 320 was up to the task. Sporting a bit of a beefier sole than some of Inov8's whisperlite models, the 320 proved to be a great ultrarunning shoe. Admittedly, the small toe box can cause some folks problems, however, if you have narrow or average feet the 320 will fit like a slipper and hold up over hundreds of hard trail of miles.
I have now run three 100 mile races in the 320 and each one has provided proof of the 320's excellent durability and top-notch performance.
In Vermont's hot, humid conditions they were simply outstanding. Transitioning from dirt roads to muddy trails was barely noticeable and the upper was surprisingly airy on a very tough day. It is the rare shoe that can perform equally well in mud as it can in dust. The 320 is one such shoe.
Over Wasatch's rocky and mountainous technical terrain the 320 was stable, strong, and supportive. On the brutal stretch after Brighton known affectionately as "Irv's Torture Chamber" the tread was sticky and firm and by the end I finished the race without a single blister.
Then, just this past February, the 320 once again came up big at the Rocky Raccoon 100. Over substantially different terrain than Vermont and Wasatch (more roots and water and fewer rocks and mountains) the 320 made it's mark as a "runner's" shoe. This was the first 100 in which I literally ran every step and it was there for me every step of the way.
For those of you out there who might be shying away from Inov8 as a long distance shoe I urge you to give the 320 a try. It's durability, stablility and all-around utility make it the perfect ultra shoe from my perspective and I look forward to putting some serious miles on them over the next few months as I prepare for and run the Western States/Hardrock Double.
Train well!
Mudroc 280 Review - An inov-8 Classic
Are you looking for an all-around good trail racing flat? My all-time favorite is the Mudroc 280. This shoe is lightweight & fits like a glove. This shoe is versatile & works beautifully in mud, dry-packed dirt, grass & rocky trails. My favorite feature of this shoe is the sensitive underfoot which allows you to feel the trail beneath, resulting in better proprioception. This feature alone helps decrease wasted energy (getting the best propulsion with the energy put forth) and increases balance, resulting in less sprained ankles! I have tried other shoe companies & have found that to get the best out of my race efforts, this is the racing shoe for the trails that I race on in North Carolina (technical single track trails, hard packed fire roads, rocky trails & grassy fields). This shoe has brought great running success & helped to prevent unnecessary injuries!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Inaugural Zumbro 100's
Posted above are images I took of the course during my long run through the Zumbro course. I was able to document the entire course along with some of the runners. It was a beautiful day on an awesome course. A perfect mix of tasty single-track, logging roads, and technical rock sections. Runners are greeted with a mix of running next to the serpentine river bottom. Other parts of the course take runners on some steep and rocky ascents to scenic overlooks along the bluffs. Read more...
The sections go as follows: The River loop, Highwater Trail which goes along the Zumbro, Texas Trail which strolls up and down along the river, then onto some short/steep climbs and rambling single track of Old Pump Trail followed by Walnut Coulee Trail. Picnic Rock trail takes you up to the bluffs as does Turkey Trail. The backside takes you through Upper Sand Coulee trail, then onward to the Scenic Overlook trail where runners are greeted at the top of bluffs overlooking the spread down below including the Zumbro River. Finally runners take a nail biting descent down Ant Hill. I think it would be cool to somehow include the west end of trails into the race like Richies Mountain and Rock Hill trail. It was a beautiful day and beautiful night for the 100km runners starting at midnight. I helped work an aidstation till the wee hours and enjoyed the full moon, hooting owls and yipping coyotes. Larry "trail guru" Pederson put on yet another epic race and course. This is an awesome venue. Entering this state forest is like driving to some drug lab or Al Capone hideaway. It's our wonderful little world for the weekend. Perennial ultra runners Rob Apple and Susan Donnelly gave the course high marks, coming from them that is a fine compliment.
Weekend Results
At the Merrimack River Trail Run 10 miler we had three very strong performances, Kevin Tilton was second OA (59:13) and Ben Nephew was third OA (59:51). Our very own inov-8 president, Lisa Mikkelsen showed off her running skills in her X-talon's and was 2nd Female OA (1:14).
Down in hot, humid Florida where race day temps went well into the 80's, Dwight Shuler got another podium finish (3rd OA) at the Croom Quest Off-Road Triathlon. Congrats to everyone.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Like Water
The 2009 Barkley Marathons
By Andrew Thompson
“And since,
There’s no one else around,
We let our hair grow long,
And forget all we used to know.
Then our skin gets thicker,
From living out in the snow.”
--Arcade Fire
Finishing the Barkley Hundred was not at all what I expected. I didn’t well up. My heart didn’t pound uncontrollably. I didn’t hug everyone there and confess my undying love and appreciation (No seriously man, I love you.). And I certainly never came close to giving my best end-all be-all soapbox monologue. All the emotion and hoopla and sense of accomplishment with which I had begun Loop 5 were quickly worn down to nubs. The ‘victory’ lap quickly turned into survival mode. I was sick, and cold, and damn happy to be done.
Loop 1 Hot.
My top priorities for loop one/ first 1⁄2 day were to take care of my body, not only in the physical sense, but more importantly my chemistry; fluids, salts, sugars. I didn’t use anything terribly sophisticated—S! Caps for my salts, a mix of organic type fruit and nut bars, gels, Nuun drink, almonds, triscuits. My main goal was to maintain my salts at all times, while eating just enough to maintain maximum pace without out ever over doing it or feeling full. I changed my pack this year from a two-bottle system to a camel system due specifically to a newish section (Fikes, spectacle) that goes a ways without good water. I did well and was able to work my way to the front of the pack by the day’s end. I caught Carl Laniak at Beech Fork, and finally the leader Byron Backer at Book 1, Loop2. David Horton, my close friend and mentor, was there to help me pack. I gave him a run-down of how I felt, and what my intentions were for the night. A girl from a local film crew was there with her camera, and Horty started in on her. “This guy probably has the best chance of anyone here to finish the hundred. He’s a strong athlete.” He laid it on thick with his best keep your eye on him advice.
“Great,” I thought, “If that isn’t the kiss of death.” But I was flattered Horty would say such things and that he had that kind of confidence in me. I still had a lot of uncertainty, and I needed to talk to myself.
Loop 2: Clear.
Byron and I made good time together. The night passed quickly and without trouble. Both of us were getting sleepy, and I was beginning to lean pretty hard toward sleeping before loop 3, instead of pushing through. Byron and I talked quite a bit including some backwoods (is there any other?) philosophizing about the hundred. I told him that I thought the key was to keep asking yourself “Am I a hundred miler?” Meaning, am I doing what it takes to finish this thing?. Am I doing what Brian would be doing at this instant? If you ask yourself these and you find that you’re not quite up to it, “out there” has probably already pulled ahead, and you’re out of the running for the full event. We went back and forth with this for a while and I realized the time was right to have a conference-call with the committee upstairs. We topped out on Frozen Head on an unbelievable still and calm night. Moon out, we sat for a bit before making our way out to Indian Knob. “Free mile”, I told Byron, “the only one on the course.” The committee was negotiating. “A lot of guys have the hundred in them”, I said. “It’s just a matter of deciding to do it, committing to the bad dream that lay ahead, taking out the “if” and replacing it with “how”. “I don’t”, said Byron. “We both do.” By the time I began to pull away from Byron toward the top of Big Hell, the committee had reached its decision: It was all systems go. Now is the time. I flipped the switch and never looked back.
Loop 3: Hotter.
At camp I repacked with Davy Henn’s help and attended to the needs I would have once I left camp. Then seeing what time I had remaining I slept for 50 minutes. When I woke all I needed to do was put on my shoes and pack and go. The day was going to be hot, bringing in thunder storms that evening. I felt great and ran off preparing myself for another day of caution, making sure I never got toxic and blew up. It was an oven, Rat Jaw and Spectacle especially — two sunny exposed power line cuts. I was not terribly concerned by the fact that I was hardly eating. My fluids and salts were balanced and my gut was working. My output was high and my blood sugar never dipped. There was no reason to rock the boat if nothing was wrong. As I crested Bird Mountain I remembered my little emergency whistle built into the buckle of my Inov-8 pack. I let it rip, signaling my arrival far down the mountainside to camp. I had no problems on the reverse loop and reached camp at roughly 30 hrs, 30 min. I repacked for the night with Dave. Carl Laniak was helping as well and both would be very helpful during the rest of the weekend. Then hit the tent again for 35 minutes. I left at exactly 32 hrs. I made it to book 10, Beech Fork, by dark.
Loop 4: light fog, rain.
There is no magic bullet upon which I can explain finishing the Hundred.. I got the email a week before saying that Jim Nelson would not be competing due to heart issues. It was also doubtful whether my best friend and one-man support crew, Jon Basham, would attend. No, this was going to have to be the year I would have to do it by myself. I wouldn’t have Jim, the alumnus, to guide me around, and I wouldn’t have Jon to make my life easier between loops. I would have to show up with my running shoes and just go do it. I was secretly excited about the prospect of being my own man, even though I knew Jim and Jon would hate to miss a possible, albeit uncertain, finish. By now I had broken the loop into 4 sections: Hell, Spectacle, Fikes, and the North Section. I intended to get as far as I could before the rain really set in, and I counted each landmark I passed as a gift against time. I became sleepy once I summited Frozen Head Peak, and decided to nap once I got off the mountaintops. It was cold and windy up high. After I collected my page at the keyhole on Rat jaw, I snuggled up against the cliff, where (most of) the dripping rain wouldn’t get to me. However before I could get comfortable the resident rat which lives in the rock became annoyed, so I got up and left. “Oh, well. That was enough of a break I guess.” I took off again, intent on covering even more ground now, before the rain soaked the course. At the New River I forded, soaking my shoes. (Every other time I tip-toed the nearby log that spans the stream.) The Barkley gods were kind throughout the night; though the rain had soaked everything it never turned violent and the course held together well. The ten-minute naps resumed along the North Boundary Trail, finding me curled up against hollow logs and anything else that sheltered a patch of leaves from the rain, my faithful little watch beeping me back into reality each time. After my 3rd nap I woke from a particularly deep sleep in slight confusion as to which way I was supposed to go. I couldn’t wait to sound my whistle. It was becoming my trademark. My time was perfect and I giggled to myself as I climbed Bird, Chirping my whistle and
singing to myself, hardly containing the urge to let it rip again. Finally standing on the pass, high above camp, the whistle shrieked. Yes!
Loop 5: Cold, snow, wind.
“It’s gonna be cold, maybe even some snow,” said Dave. “Good.” “Which way are you gonna go?” I pointed. “Why rock the boat?” I said, gesturing down the road. “Reverse loop, huh?” “It’s easier “I said, rattling off a few key reasons which had me convinced. I thought maybe I saw Gary’s wheels turning. He was giving me that ‘oh,really’ look. Crap. The cat’s out of the bag now. I already felt sorry for the poor bastards who have to come back next year after Gary makes DAMN sure NIETHER direction will ever be confused with being easy. But things being as they were, I saw no sense in changing direction and hiking clock-wise. I obviously knew the course in reverse, and was comfortable with that direction. My chances of getting terribly lost were minimal, and my times on loops 3 and 4 were relatively fast. The Cameraman chimed in, “Why is the reverse loop easier?” catching footage while he awaited a response. “Some hills are trailed some are bushwhacks. It depends on what you feel is easier.” It was the type of question Barkley runners could debate for hours, over the camp fire, sucking on hot pieces of BBQ chicken. So I gave him the abbreviated version assuming someone would take over from there. I had bigger fish to fry. Loop 5. After I had repacked in preparation for a long (supposedly cold day. Yeah,right), I laid out my plan for the remainder of the race. “Gary, I plan to sleep until 46 hours, then
go, leaving myself 14 hours to complete loop 5. Sound good?” Not a whole lot of reaction, at least not as much as I wanted. Everyone sort of stood around nodding, giving me the “I don’t want to be the one to screw things up for you” look. I went on. “I sleep now, for 45 minutes, and then I wake up and run the final loop in under 14 hours. Sound good?” More nods and glassy eyes. Geez, what’s wrong with these people? “OK here’s the deal. I just smoked 2 loops in reverse each under 12 hours. I FEEL that this is the right thing to do! For some reason I felt like people would think I was some sort of maniac if I crawled into my tent (again!)instead of burning off on down the trail . Screw it. This is my race and I’m doing it my way. 45 minutes later Davy scratched my tent door. "You ready AT? Time for Loop 5.”
“Yep. I’m ready.”
The wet course had torn my feet up quite a bit so I taped them up pretty aggressively while sitting in the front seat of my bright shiny white rental car. The radio was playing cuts from various stand-up comics and I laughed out loud as I shored up my feet for another 20 miles. (“The lunatic is on the grass. He, he, he, he!”) Davy and Carl thought I was losing it. A few years ago the race had procured a genuine Swiss cow bell, complete with an embroidered ornamental strap. Ringing it signifies the start of the “bell’ lap. I looked to see if Gary had remembered and there it was, tucked under his arm as he chatted and smoked his cigarette. Gary and I had been the only conscious people in camp last year when Brian set out on his (forward) loop 5. Of the three, Gary, Brian and myself, Brian was clearly the most alert and we sent him off with a hell of a racket, Gary clanging the cow bell, me whooping and yipping, falling all over ourselves like Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed in that crazy scene where they knock each other out. Now it was my turn. I gingerly stepped away from the gate and down the road, weeping and pumping my fists as Gary shook the rafters: Ba-clang, Ba-clang, Ba-clang!!!!!!
Oookayyy Andrew.....nice and easy now....Nothing weird....nothing weird....total control...total control.....Breathe....breeeeathe....
It could be said that I have a history of coming unglued. Mentally.
When I was young my mother made me listen to a set of tapes that dealt with test-taking strategy: How to study, what to do the night before a test and so-on. One of the things (probably the only thing) that rubbed off was a strange little mental queue. The voice on the tape said, “When you go to take a test, pause and look at your pencil. Tell your pencil,’ Pencil, you can only write correct answers. It is impossible for you to write incorrect answers; only the right ones.’” I looked at my shoes and my feet, tender and rebelling. I said “Feet, you can only walk the right course. You don’t know how to go off-course. Every step is true; each step is perfect and fluid. You stride through the forest like water flows downhill, with ease and grace. You waste no energy. You flow through the forest. You are water.” As I crested Chimney Top for the 5th time, snow began to fall.
The Barkley had turned on itself for the third time. Hot-cold, hot-cold, real-cold. Therefore race strategy had changed once again. When it’s hot you drink and don’t eat. When it’s cold you eat and don’t drink. And I hadn’t really been eating anyway. Save two amazing cups of hot turkey stew at my last two turn-a-rounds in camp. I was saying my good-byes to each major landmark on the course, knowing that (thank God) I would not have to face each steep-ass hill and each dreaded section again.
The mountaintops grew colder and the snow bore down even harder. Half-way through, I threw my “Hail Mary” and consented to abandoning my body in an effort to give one final push. My stomach turned acid and an attempt at swallowing my 3rd caffeine tab of the weekend resulted in violent fit of retching and vomiting all over Jury Ridge. Trying to draw in a breath I scorched my trachea and upper bronchi by aspirating a substantial amount of digestive juice. “Uugh!” I yelled stumbling around the trail, eyes and nose weeping. The cold had crept in and was taking me apart. All of my lines of defence had been annihilated during the last two and a half days, and the wet driving cold was now playing havoc. All the puking had made me feel better although my throat burned from acid reaching the sensitive sterile tissues that get really pissed when shit gets in there. No amount of coughing and hacking would clear it. Hallucinations had set in as well. The 2 inches of snow had turned the lush green forest and its tiny wildflowers to a world of black and white. My mind was free to assign whichever likeness it wanted to the drab black accents laced in white. “There’s a truck.” “It’s not a truck. It looks like a truck. Damn, it really does. Wow.” “Hey, even if it is a truck, who cares you stupid idiot!”
“Hey, there’s a statue of a football player.” “Oooooh...”
Okay, Traildog--one downhill, one uphill, and one downhill, which doesn’t really count because it’s the last downhill. And the last climb doesn’t really count because it’s the last one and, well, you’ll be so psyched you won’t even feel it, right(?), so really, just one downhill left. Although, the first downhill sucks because I’m sick and it takes forever, and snow is blowing in my ear. Then, it’s a long-ass climb that lasts forever, and if you’re ever foolish enough to ‘think you finally see the top’ you’re an idiot and you’re only fooling yourself, AND, the snow is still blowing in my ear. Plus that last downhill is also long and now its covered in snow and it will be dark so I’ll probably crank my right big toe on a rock for the 4,000th time and it will also be cold as hell as soon as I crest that ridge. So in summary...I have exactly one monster downhill, one monster climb, and one monster downhill before I’m done so, shit. My throat ached. It felt like I had a dry sponge lodged down in there and I couldn’t swallow it. I hiked like water, flowing around the switchbacks, rising steadily. I rationalized the distance I had remaining. Funny how 57 hours and a hundred miles makes climbing and descending an entire mountain seem like the equivalent of climbing the front steps. The tiny trillium nodded their little heads away from the storm. Growing heavy with little snow-cone gobs on their little leaves. I picked them here and there, carefully selecting the ones with high snow-cones. The snow cooled my throat as it slid down, and then I picked another. The lilies appeared, marking the upper region of the mountain. Their leaves too held acid-cooling snow piles. I remembered my whistle and chirped it a few times to bring a smile to my face, and some sort of realization of what was happening. I grinned like a wolf. Just as the sun was dying behind the whiteout, I stood atop the pass for the last time. I wondered if they would hear over the storm.
Shrieeeeeek! Shrieeeek, shrieeek, shrieeeek!
Shrieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!
I blew on that whistle for every hill I climbed. For every briar that ripped my legs. I blew on that whistle to announce to the world, “I am coming down off of this mountain. And I am coming down with my head screwed on straight, with eleven pages in my pocket. I told myself I could do it and I did! I told my feet they were perfect and that they would not fail me, and they didn’t. Everything we know says that I should not be standing in this pass, blowing my whistle, but here I am!”
Shrieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!
I exited the trail and hit the dirt road. Davy met me there to give me a hug. Davy and the Cameraman ran beside me as I strode down toward the finish. I could see the yellow gate, and all kinds of lights. I heard the people cheering. The whistle pierced the night as I ran.
Written by Andrew “Traildog” Thompson, Barkley, Class of 2009
April 11th, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
USA Mountain Champs Course Details
USA Mountain Champs Course Details - Now available at race website
Inov-8 is one of the main sponsors of this year's Mountain Champs at Cranmore Mountain Resort in New Hampshire at the end of June. Many Inov-8 Team members will be there competing for spots on the Mountain Team, and plenty of other New Englanders who are doing the race as part of the Inov-8 USATF-NE Mountain Circuit.
If last few years are a sign, you'll see lots of Inov-8 shoes out there on the racers too.
If you have more detailed questions about the course, contact Paul Kirsch, Race Director at pkirsch@roadrunner.com. We'll have photos and exact course measurements up by the end of April once all the snow has cleared off the mountain.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Inov-8 AR teams on the move
Two Inov-8 sponsored adventure racing teams join up to tackle the 2009 edition of the Odyssey Adventure Racing's Endorphin Fix.
Invariably it always happens. Teams get put formed for a race, and somewhere along the line life gets in the way. Whether it is family commitments, work related, or just playing too hard, someone has to pull out. Then begins the scramble.
Last year, when putting a team together for the Planet Adventure Race, it was two days before the start before we found a final teammate to compete. Looking for teammates for a 24 hour race isn't the easiest thing, but it's a whole heck of a lot easier than finding someone who is in shape, has a flexible enough schedule, and actually wants to go out and race a 3.5 day expedition race.
First you start calling your other teammates, asking if they can get out of whatever commitment that prevented them from coming in the first place. Then you ask the people you've race with before. Then onto people you may not have raced with, but come recommended. Finally you start asking complete strangers. One never hopes to take it that far, but with all the time and capital invested in preparing for an expedition race, you aren't as likely to walk away and just not race.
This year for the Endorphin Fix, we didn't take it completely to the wire, but it was close. Just 6 days before the start we figured out, in the words of Paul Humphreys, a Wall Street merger AR style. Checkpoint Zero / Inov-8 along with Team ROAM / Inov-8 have combined forces to form the feared 6 headed monster at E-Fix. We'll be fielding one co-ed team or four, and a 2 person male team with plans to race together for event.
There are always risks associated with combining teams and trying to stay together the whole time, but in this case we've decided the reward is worth it. To all you other teams racing E-Fix, Inov-8 is on the move!
Be sure to check out all the action at Checkpoint Tracker, starting April 16th!
F-Lite 230 Review - Not Just a Trail Running Shoe
F-lite 230 Shoe Review:
At first sight, the 230's with their rare and eye-catching blue tone come off more like a shoe of fashion. But, don't let the stylish color fool you, these shoes are for the runner looking to run somewhere fast. For me, it was a bonus to have a shoe that looked good. But, after a few races in them I noticed they definitely have a fit that competes with any elite level distance running road flat. I will break down how I felt about the shoe in three categories including comfort, weight, and traction. These happen to be the most important for me and I think for many runners that I have talked with about racing shoes.
Comfort: The 230's are pretty flexible as far as where you can race with them. On the description of the shoe you will find that the company says the shoe is great for hard packed mountainous terrain. This is true, however, I have also found that these shoes are perfect for road races. Most trail shoes are pretty clunky and feel stiff, hard, and uncomfortable on hard surfaces like concrete. The 230's are pretty durable, but flexible. This is a tough feat for any shoe company, just ask any runner who has dabbled in both trail and road racing. Due to the durability of the shoe you are able to run hard downhill and not absorb all the shock from the pounding. Also, the flexibility aids the runner in those times of flat running during a race.
Weight: I have to admit that the first time I tried the shoe I was worried they would be too heavy for road races. As I said earlier about the shoes flexibility, the shoe offers enough flexibility that you still feel light on the feet and low to the ground. Ultimately the shoe feels as light as any road flat I have used.
Traction: In my first race with the 230's I ran on a course in which the following year I wore a road flat. There happened to be rain that year and normal road flats were a bit slippery on turns. So, needless to say, I ended up losing a ton of time on turns on the course. This year, the rain showed up yet again, and this time around I wore the 230's and noticed immediately the difference in traction. The 230 offers a unique feature with a sticky rubber outsole. I was able to notice the advantage of the traction on the 230's in both dry and wet conditions. On a dusty day in the dessert of Palm Springs, I also noticed that the shoe picked up some good traction on dust covered roads, which also helped me shave some time off of my run and also put a few seconds on competitors each turn.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority sponsors Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8
In 2007 the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge burst onto the expedition adventure racing scene and has quickly become a magnet for the world's best racers.
The production value of this event is off the hook.
Race management is among the most experienced and professional in the history of the sport, the cultural setting is nothing short of magical and the locale is...breathtaking.
I'm VERY excited to announce an expansion of our partnership with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. They are now an official sponsor of the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8. Thanks to their generous support we'll be sending a team of 4 to compete in the 2009 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge...for free (including round trip airfare).
We'll be posting updated Series rules this weekend to spell out exactly how this spectacular prize will be awarded. In the meantime check out the list of Series events...you've got 24 races left to wrack up points.
Who's Racing This Weekend
Kevin Tilton will be defending his title at the Merrimack River Trail Run, a 10 mile course in Andover, MA. Ben Nephew will be there as well trying to improve on last year's 3rd OA finish. Ben has raced well here every year and has toed the line at Merrimack 10 times and is a member of the 100 mile club, this will be #11. Finally down in Nobleton, FL, Dwight Shuler goes back to back weekends for 40 miles + of off-road adventure, this time at the Croom Quest Off-Road Triathlon. A 9 mile paddle, 10 mile mt. bike, 11.5 mile trail run, finishing with another 10 mile mt. bike.
Team Roam/Inov-8 Grabs 2nd OA at Blue Ridge AR
This past Saturday, Team Roam/Inov-8 was 2nd OA at The Blue Ridge Mountain AR in the North Georgia mountains. Their team finishing time for the 8 hr event was 6:47. Team Checkpoint Zero/Inov-8 got 5th OA in 7:33. Great job to both teams.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Barkley Conquered by Thompson
Monday, April 6, 2009
Barkley update....
According to Keith Dunn's tweets, Andrew Thompson is out on loop 5. The weather here has become very windy and much colder with snow/rain in the immediate forecast which will make it much tougher going. I have not heard about DeWayne yet. Keep rolling Andrew!!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Weekend Results
Some weekend results are starting to roll in. Amber Moran was 1st female and 3rd OA at the Black Mountain Greenway Challenge 10k in 37:47. Dwight Shuler was 3rd OA at the Coogamooga Off-Road Challenge. Dwight of course chose to race the "Big Coogamooga"Challenge with 40 miles of running, rowing and mountain biking with 2 circuits of each discipline. Wynn Davis was 21st (6:58) and Scott Dunlap was 45th (7:44) at the super competitive American River 50 mile.
Great job everyone! (Don't forget we still have DeWayne and Andrew on loop 3 somewhere in TN at Barkley, you can follow the status of the race on the post below)
Barkley Twitter
If you're interested, you can follow Keith Dunn's tweets from Barkley here.
DeWayne and Andrew are out on their third loop.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Who's Racing This Weekend
We'll start off with the toughest of the tough, the Barkley Marathons. We have one very brave soul in Andrew Thompson going back for more punishment. He made it to the final lap # 5 in 2005 and came excruciatingly close to conquering this beast. He will have two pairs of Roclite 320's, a pair of Flyroc 310's and a Racepro 18 pack as part of his arsenal this time. Only 7 entrants out of more than 650 have completed the 100 miles under the time limit of 60 hours with 52,900+ feet of climb. This means 20 miles per loop under 12 hours per loop = an insane course not to mention what mother nature can throw at you. Most struggle just to complete one loop. (update: make that two brave souls - DeWayne Satterfield will be joining Andrew)
In Sacramento, CA at one of the classic ultras we have Wynn Davis, Scott Dunlap, and Caleb Chatfield racing at the American River 50 mile. A fast course with a fast field will test these speedsters as they run from Sacramento to Auburn. At Chatfield State Park in Littleton, CO Gina Lucrezi will be racing the Chatfield Double Dip 7.5 mile trail race. Dwight Shuler will be in Springfield, SC at the Coogamooga 40 mile Off-Road Challenge while his teammates led by Julia Radman from Team Roam/Inov-8 will be in the North Georgia Mountains at the 8 hour Blue Ridge Adventure Race.
Andrew Thompson - Barkley Marathons
DeWayne Satterfield - Barkley Marathons
Wynn Davis - AR 50
Caleb Chatfield - AR 50
Scott Dunlap - AR 50
Gina Lucrezi - Chatfield Double Dip
Dwight Shuler - Coogamooga Challenge
Julia Radman - Blue Ridge AR
50 Trails/50 States: North Dakota's Maah Daah Hey Trail
Flat, windy, and desolate are common misconceptions when talking about the great state of North Dakota. The Dakota's, Upper Midwest's fraternal twins have much to offer when it comes to outdoor exploration. In my mind North Dakota has always been a diamond in the rough. Slightly unpolished and usually overlooked by the neighboring mountain ranges that make up the western front. The Dakota's, particularly North Dakota in this installment, is the Upper Midwest's gateway to the
west.
Maah Daah Hey Trail,
by: Wynn Davis
Demographics:
As a native of the Upper Midwest I have had the good fortune of spending time with my family hunting, fishing, and hiking in North Dakota during summer vacation. The landscape is uniquely strange and far from ordinary. The eastern section is primarily grassland prairie that is plotted with lakes and rivers. Expect blustery winds year round, but balanced with warm sun in the summer. Moving toward the middle and western sections of North Dakota the landscape becomes much more erratic and spontaneous. This is due in part to the infamous black hills that spine in all directions. Below the valley snakes the Little Missouri River along with some of the most beautiful sage grasses and extended flora. Mulies', wild mustangs, big horn, elk, and antelope dwell in this habitat. Total Acreage 70,446.89
The aforementioned demographics largely makes up the incredible Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is home to the Maah Daah Hey Trail. Depending on where you start your journey (southern unit or northern unit) and how (foot or bike) you will experience a nirvana of ubiquitous trail. The 100 mile Maah Daah Hey Trail also includes a host of associated trails that wind down to the river bottom or ascend of the hogbacks and cliffsides up to 3,000 feet, offering panormamic views of the spread.
Currently the MDHT is constructing an extended 50miles of trail near the southern section.
Brief History:
The trail name, "Maah Daah Hey", comes from the Mandan-Hidatsa Indians. In their language, one word or phrase can describe a picture, feeling, or situation. In this case, the phrase means "an area that has been or will be around for a long time." The trail uses a turtle as the trail marker. The turtle symbol comes from the Lakota Sioux, was honored because of its firm determination, steadfastness, patience, long life, and fortitude. (mdhata.com)
Trail Opportunities:
There are plenty of trail restoration and long hike opportunities through the MDHT organization. I encourage you to browse their website as it is one of the cleanest and most accurate trail sites I have seen. I look forward to an adventure on this trail this summer.
Another way to experience the Maa Daah Hey Trail is through experienced trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts Andy and Kim Holak. I have had the good fortune to know these two for some time now and starting in 2008 the Holak's launched their bodacious Adventure Running Co. I highly encourage you to check it out. In short, their service supports both the novice and elite outdoor enthusisast. With their services you will be able to explore some of the country's most grandest trails without having to settle for the loop or spur trails. Adventure Running will allow you to go the distance! One of the trail destinations on their list is the Maah Daah Hey Trail.
Climate
Summers are warm with temperatures in the 80s and 90s with several days in the 100s. Evenings can be cool. Average maximum: July is 87.1 degrees and August is 86.7 degrees. Average minimum: July 54.5 degrees and August is 52.4 degrees. Annual precipitation is 15 inches.Winters are cold and windy with brief warming spells. Snow accumulation is generally minimal although occasional heavy snows are possible.
For these reasons and more it is easy to see why the Maah Daah Hey Trail and the rest of Theodore Roosevelt National Park are the Keynote to trails in North Dakota.
That said, if there is anything worth mentioning in this whole piece, let it be the importance of preservation and modest exposure regarding this unique place.
*Thoughts to all of the civilians living and volunteering to abate the flood of the Red in Fargo.
Nephew wins WMAC Snowshoe Series
Congratulations to Team Inov-8's Ben Nephew on taking the the 2009 WMAC series. It was a close battle the whole season, narrowly besting wily veteran Dave Dunham.
You can read Ben's account below.
It was a fantastic year for snowshoeing in New England. Despite living in southern MA, I was training on my snowshoes almost every day from late December until mid March. I somehow managed to win the Western Mass Athletic Club Dion Snowshoe series this year. I believe I’ve tied for the overall win with Leigh Schmitt in the past, but it’s been a while. The scoring is taken from each runner’s best 6 races in the 17 race season we had this year (a record number of events). As you can see from the final series results, I just managed to hold off Dave Dunham. Tim Van Orden and Matt Cartier also had very strong seasons and were close to winning the series. To give an idea of how competitive the racing was this year, the COMBINED margin of my three race wins totals 22 seconds! If you are wondering what Inov-8 models to use for snowshoeing, I wore the 230’s for racing, and the 318 GTX for training. For some very amusing race videos, go to: http://runwmac.com/snowshoes/default.html
Ben
2009 WMAC DION SNOWSHOE RACING SERIES
01. Ben Nephew 33 6 591.94
02. Dave Dunham 44 6 591.66
03. Tim Van Orden 40 6 587.56
04. Matt Cartier 33 6 587.27
05. Tim Mahoney 29 6 577.51
06. Ken Clark 46 6 575.41
07. Edward Alibozek 46 6 556.53
08. Paul Bazanchuck 54 6 551.05
09. Larry Dragon 48 6 547.30
10. Brian Northan 33 6 543.75
