Mark Lundblad (picture courtesy of Jake Wheeler) won the Mt. Mitchell 40 Mile Challenge and set a new CR in 4:52:32. Mark wore the X-talon 212's. Dwight Shuler was 12th OA in the Black Mountain Marathon with a 3:42 clocking, also going with the X-talon 212's. Peter Maksimow won the 4th and final leg of the Pikes Peak Winter Series in 1:17:47 on a very windy day. Peter also won the overall Pikes Peak Winter Series title for the 2nd year in a row. Peter rocked the X-talon 190's. Camille Herron got 4th OA female at the Anthem 5k in a speedy 16:46, also a PR for her in the 5k. Dave James won the American Canyon Ultra 50k in Auburn, CA with a swift 4:42. DeWayne Satterfield also wearing the 212's was 1st master/3rd OA at the Mt. Cheaha 50k in 4:54. At the Northeast Snowshoe Federation Championships (5.5 miles), Kevin Tilton got the OA win in 45:49. Jim Johnson was close behind in 45:53. Ben Nephew was 7th OA in 49:53. Abby Mahoney also had a strong snowshoe race and was 2nd OA female in 56:59.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Weekend Results
Friday, February 25, 2011
This Weekend's Starting Line
Abby Mahoney, coming off a big snowshoe win last weekend will be at the Northfield Mountain 5.5 mile Snowshoe Race, also serving as the Northeast Snowshoe Championships. Dwight Shuler will be at the Black Mountain Marathon while Dane Mitchell and Mark Lundblad will be in the Mount Mitchell Challenge 40 mile field which is the same race venue. Both races start together in Black Mountain, NC and finish back in Black Mountain at an elevation 2,360'. The marathon climbs to 5,340' to the turn around on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The 40 mile goes to highest point on the east coast at 6,684' to the Mt.Mitchell tower before turning back.
DeWayne Satterfield will make it back to back ultra racing weekends by running the Mt.Cheaha 50k. A point to point mostly single track course and billed as the race to the top of Alabama, finishing at 2,407'. Camille Herron will be racing at the Anthem 5k in Louisville, KY. This will be Camille's final tune up for her goal race next weekend at the Napa Valley Marathon. Here is a nice article the Napa Valley Register wrote about Camille this week leading up to the marathon.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Beaver Brook Snowshoe Race Report by Ben Nephew
Beaver Brook 5k Snowshoe Race 2011
Although I’ve been doing most of my miles this winter on my snowshoes, I haven’t been snowshoe racing as much as usual. The plan this weekend was to head to Windblown XC ski center in southern NH for a mini-vacation, and the Beaver Brook race was on the way, so we headed over to Hollis on Saturday morning. The NH races tend to start pretty late, usually around 11:30, which usually results in the race eating up most of your day. Since Hollis was a short drive and we had to pack up all our stuff for the weekend, I didn’t mind the late start.
With a couple of warm days prior to the race, I had put in a deep cleat in my Dions for extra traction, but of course the trail was completely solid at Beaver Brook, and I had to switch back to the stainless ice cleat. From taking a tour of most of the course on the warmup it was obvious that it was going to be a fast race. I usually do better on slower courses, but one objective for doing this race was to get a few miles at faster tempo to make 50k pace feel easier, and it’s fun running fast on snowshoes through tight singletrack.
The start was quick as everyone wanted to get to the very narrow singletrack, and I settled into third behind Jim Johnson and Ryan Kelly. Jim started to pull away from Ryan, and since I had beaten Ryan at an earlier snowshoe race and was feeling pretty good, I decided to ask to get around him. The trail was very narrow, and you would break through several inches if you tried to go off track. Ryan soon let me by, and I seemed to be maintaining the gap with JJ for a few minutes. I was definitely working hard, as I could feel excess lactic acid in my arms, but I was hoping to recover on the downhill and flat terrain in the middle mile.
I never got more than about 5 seconds ahead of Ryan, and once the course started to go downhill, he was right in back of me. JJ was pulling away as I let Ryan move back into second, and my legs were telling me I had gone out too fast. The one large hill on the course was right in the middle of the race, and I lost contact with Ryan by the time I got to the top.
Despite not being where I wanted to be in the race, I was still running hard and enjoying the trails. This was my first time on the trails at Beaver Brook in any season, and it was clear that whoever planned the trails knew what they were doing. Steve Wolfe, who would end up in 8th place, actually mapped out the course, and did a great job of making a fast 5k course feel much longer. I’m sure my ambitious start helped with that as well, though. I haven’t been doing much short speed work, so I wasn’t totally surprised at not being able to handle the pace, but sometimes I can get away with a fast race off of mostly ultra training.
There were some tricky sections with icy banked trails in the last mile, and I tried to push these sections to make up some time on Ryan. By the time I finally spotted him again, he was running towards the finish about a minute behind JJ. I came in about 30 seconds later (21:51), and could taste blood for about 5 minutes after the race. At the very least, I got in a good effort. Steph and Gavin were just coming back from a trek out to a wigwam they found in the woods, and Gavin insisted that I go take a look. He was right, it was pretty cool, with huge 4x4’ pieces of flat bark covering the entire exterior. We hiked around a bit more, grabbed some corn bread during the awards, and headed over to Windblown to do the only thing harder than snowshoe racing; pushing 40 lbs of Gavin in his ski stroller. In addition to be being incredibly hard on the legs, it also takes some upper body effort to balance the stroller
My big mistake of this winter was waxing Steph’s skate skis, as I now have no hope of keeping up with her. I end up killing myself just trying to keep her in sight, as Gavin sleeps like a newborn. He actually got on XC skis for the first time this weekend, and he was more than happy to jump in the stroller after about a half hour or hard work on his dinosaur rental skis.
We ended up having dinner and spending Saturday night at the Woodbound Inn in Rindge, NH. Our meals were excellent, especially the homemade gnocchi. The huge bathtub was fully appreciated after the long day. We headed back to Windblown for some more skiing and snowshoeing on Sunday before heading home, and we were all exhausted by lunchtime. It was pretty cold on both days, but my 318’s keep my feet dry and warm, even while helping out Gavin with his XC skis. The 230’s worked great as usual at the race, but for regular snowshoe runs I always wear my 318’s.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Lake Chabot 30k Race Report by Gary Gellin
Pacific Coast Trail Runs - Lake Chabot 30k
February 20th, 2011
Place - 1st Master, 2nd Overall
After a week of heavy rain in the San Francisco Bay Area, the skies cleared for the inaugural Lake Chabot trail races in Castro Valley, California. This venue also hosts the classic Dick Collins Firetrails 50 mile race in October. The race is part of the popular Pacific Coast Trail Runs series, with distances ranging from 10k to 50k.
I chose this event as a stepping-stone to the uber-competitive Way Too Cool 50k race which is three weeks later. A 30k with a good mix of flat, dirt roads, steep climbs, and several miles of fast pavement fit the bill perfectly. The course had about 2500 ft of climbing. I chose the X-Talon 212's which worked well throughout, and especially well in the muddy, cow-grazed meadows.
As is typical in the early season, a few fast road/XC racers showed up to this trail event for some good training. From the mass start for the 10, 20, 30, and 50k races, a small group quickly formed at the front. We sped through the first mile in about 5:50 - pretty fast for a 30k trail race. I quickly ascertained that my competition in the 30k would be in Matt Laye, a 29yo former UC Davis and Transports Elite Team runner. Matt and I ran together for about 6.5 miles until I couldn't quite match his road speed. I was able to catch him on a steep climb at mile 10, but he pulled away again. I finished 2nd, about 2 minutes back, in 2:01:50 - not bad for this old guy. Third overall, about 12 minutes behind me, was Heather MacFalls, who recently qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials.
I had a good time meeting new and old friends after the race, including a woman who ran her first ever trail race today and wants to find some Inov-8 shoes for her second ever trail race next month. I chatted for a while with Ian Sharman who was volunteering. Ian is the new buzz of the ultra world, having just shattered the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile record. I look forward to racing with him at Cool next month.
Next up after the March 12th Way Tool Cool is the similarly uber-competitive Chuckanut 50k one week later in Bellingham, Washington. I'm told by RD Krissy Moehl that "the double" has been done before, but it will be a new test for me to try to recover quickly from a 110% effort and then repeat it.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Weekend Results (updated 2/22)
Even with unseasonable warm temps, Eric Charette won the Black Warrior 25k with the 3rd fastest winning time in 1:43:48 for the 25k distance and DeWayne Satterfield got 2nd OA in 4:10 in the 50k race. Peter Maksimow as well had tough weather conditions and grinded out a 2:39 finishing time, grabbing 7th OA at the Austin Marathon. Chris Reed got 8th OA in 18:01 at the 2011 Bridge Run 5k in Brunswick, GA. Gary Gellin had a strong race and was 2nd OA at the Lake Chabot 30k in 2:01. Jim Johnson ran a twin bill of snowshoe racing this past Saturday. He took 1st OA in 20:21 and Ben Nephew got 3rd OA in 22:51 at the Beaver Brook Snowshoe Race in Hollis, NH. Later that night, Jim took 2nd OA in 22:51 as teammate Kevin Tilton got the overall win in 22:53 at the Kingman Farm Moonlight Snowshoe Race in Madbury, NH. Both Jim and Kevin used the F-lite 230's with their snowshoes. Jim Johnson, with his most recent showings won the Granite State Snowshoe Series for the 3rd year in a row. Aaron Saft won the hilly Frostbite 10k with a 33:06 winning time. On Saturday, Abby Mahoney won the female overall title in 1:15:02 at the Moby Dick Snowshoe Race which is 7 miles of up and down Mt.Greylock. Amy Lane was 2nd OA female behind Abby in 1:15:59. Amy then got back out there on Sunday at the Hallockville Orchard Snowshoe Race (3.5 miler) and got another strong 2nd OA female finish.
Friday, February 18, 2011
This Weekend's Starting Line
New Inov-8 team member, Gary Gellin will be racing at the PCTR Lake Chabot 30k at Lake Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley, CA. This race has multiple distance options and varied terrain. Chris Reed will be in Brunswick, GA racing the 2011 Bridge Run. This 5k race goes up and over the tallest bridge in GA making it a tough course. Eric Charette and DeWayne Satterfield will be at the Black Warrior 50k in Bankhead National Forest, Moulton Alabama. DeWayne won the overall title here last year with a speedy 3:54 winning time. Aaron Saft will be at the Frostbite 10k in Fletcher, NC this Sunday afternoon.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
World Snow Shoe Invitational Championship
The first race of the World Snow Shoe Invite was very unique and new to the world of snow shoe racing. The host country, Japan put together a short course featuring flags every 100 hundred meters totaling 400 meters. The course was pretty technical. The first 100 meters was comparable to running straight down and up a halfpipe then you get a flat section followed by a slight downgrade with the last 100 meters trekking uphill on a narrow path. The race was not just a 400 meter sprint. NO sir. This is where it got interesting.
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| Race Information Packet |
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| I've grown to really love Japanese food as you can see. Pictured here with David L.P. of Quebec |
Little did I know some of the other runners in the race had people on course who would hand them water so I carried extra weight for nothing. It was Canada and America up front and we exchanged the lead over the next few kilometers. The snow was literally so deep that you could not make a move. Neither of us could break away and I could sense we both were just waiting for the finish area where we would have another sprint finish as we did in the 400 Championship.
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| Buddha |
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| All you can eat sushi and sashimi the night before the race |
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| Green Tea |
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| Receiving award after winning sprint championship |
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| The good stuff |
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| A gift from a local. Green tea & Yatsuhashi |
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| Local Myoko Kogen brew! |
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| Heading back to the USA |
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| This is maybe one thing I won't miss too much |
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| UDON |
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Gary Gellin
Trail and Ultramarathon - distances from 20k to 100k; mountain and road biking
2) Team member since:
2011
3) City/state of residence:
Menlo Park, CA
4) Occupation:
Mechanical Engineer; occasional race director, bicycle tour leader, and environmental volunteer
5) Goals for 2011:
Top overall and top Master's finishes in trail ultra and sub-ultra distance races.
Stay healthy, run new trails, and meet new friends.
6) Notable achievements/memories/PR’s in your sport:
The epic San Juan Solstice race in Colorado was my fondest experience of 2010. I came alive after mile 40 to move up to 4th Overall/1st Master in a tough field. This was my first 50-miler and I had the added stress of a knee injury which hadn't resolved itself until the day before the race. The small town spirit and beautiful scenery made this event a classic. Rounding out the year with a 2nd place at Quad Dipsea and coming close to breaking the 4-hour barrier was another highlight.
7) Favorite inov-8 gear:
My go-to shoes currently are the Roclite 295 and X-Talon 212. The X-Talons have a great fit and feel, and performed well at both the muddy edition of the 2010 Quad Dipsea, and the hard-packed, Dick Collins Firetrails 50 mile.
8) List one thing others may not know about you:
The summer before college I was a bicycle messenger in downtown San Francisco. It was as fun and exciting as you might imagine.
9) Favorite energy drink/food:
Before a longer race or long training run, my routine is coffee and oatmeal. My primary fuel for training and racing are gels, energy chews, and Nuun tablets. Craft beer and gourmet pizza are my weaknesses.
10) Your favorite race and why?
San Juan Solstice for the scenery, difficulty, and being one big loop.
11) Advice to other athletes:
My main mistake when new to the sport in 2008 (after many years of cycling) was racing too often which led to a lot of nagging, minor injuries. I find that focusing on endurance in training (a lot of medium effort) and saving the hardest efforts for races is the best way to get through the season healthy and successfully.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Weekend Results
Another great weekend of racing for Team Inov-8 athletes. Sabrina Moran was the 2nd OA female at the Holiday Lake 50k with a finishing time of 4:52. Sophie Speidel was 9th OA and 1st Female Master in 5:14. Aaron Saft ran a speedy 15:53 and got 2nd OA at the Valentines Day 5k in Black Mountain, NC. Speaking of speedy, Camille Herron won the female overall title at the Mercedes Marathon in 2:43 and Eric Charette ran well despite recovering form the flu and got 14th OA in 2:48. Jim Johnson (pictured) continues to rack up the snowshoe wins. On Saturday Jim won the Horsehill Snowshoe Race in Merrimack, NH (4.56 miles) in 30:47. On Sunday he went back out and won the Bear Paw Classic (3.8 miles) in 25:49. Abby Mahoney also had a great snowshoe race at the Camp Saratoga 8k in Wilton, NY with a 1st place female winning time of 38:42. Peter Maksimow raced the 3rd leg of the PPRR Winter Series and despite starting the race 2.5 minutes late got 4th OA in 1:04 for the 10 mile course. Peter wore the X-talon 190's, as he weaved back through 250 runners to the front. Dave James was 3rd OA at the Pemberton Trail 50k in 3:54.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sabrina and me at the Holiday Lake 50K finish line
Sabrina Moran and I ran the Holiday Lake 50K in Appomattox, VA yesterday in perfect weather. Sabrina was second female in 4:52 and I was ninth female and first Master in 5:14, a 50K PR for me. I wore my Roclite 268s and they were perfect for this new, improved Holiday Lake course---lots of fast single track mixed with rolling fire roads. It was a blast to have another inov-8 teammate to cheer on during the race! Welcome to Team inov-8, Sabrina! Results are here. Sabrina's highly entertaining race report on her blog is here.
Friday, February 11, 2011
This Weekend's Starting Line
Sophie Speidel and Sabrina Moran will be racing at the Holiday 50k+ in the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest of VA. The course is mostly trail with a dual loop design, reversing direction after loop 1. Eric Charette will be testing his turnover at the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL. Aaron Saft will likewise be hitting the speed button at the Valentines 5k in Black Mountain, NC. Jared Scott will look to recover from Uwharrie and hit the slopes at the Kahtoola Agassiz Uphill Race in Flagstaff, AZ. The course goes up a ski slope from 9,000' to 11,000' and back down. Jared will be wearing Kahtoola Microspikes with the F-lite 195's. Abby Mahoney, likewise will be in the snow but wearing snowshoes at the Camp Saratoga 8k Snowshoe Race in Wilton, NY. Scott Dunlap will be at the inaugural Steep Ravine 50k in the Headlands of San Francisco. Dave James will be at the Pemberton Trail 50k in Fountain Hills, AZ.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tokyo!
After almost getting hit I made the proper adjustment or rather I just found a better way to get around without worrying about cars. In downtown Tokyo there is an under ground system of sidewalks that link up with the rail way station and shopping malls throughout the city. Even down there I found that you had to stick to the left side of the sidewalk or else people would stare at you like a foreign object, which I was, in a sense. After finally getting in to my hotel room I wanted to crash almost immediately after the long day of traveling totaling around 17 hours! I decided I’d get out and try my first hand at REAL Japanese cuisine. I saw a place on the way in that I heard was pretty good so I stopped by. I drew attention instantly as I stared around waiting to be served a menu. Someone finally comes up to me and in broken English says, “Put money in machine and press what you want.” I thought it was neat and I probably looked like a little kid in a candy store as I was smiling uncontrollably pressing button after button the machine followed by a printed ticket you then hand to the waiter and shortly after, WHAM there is your meal. I guess this is the Japanese way of fast food? I couldn’t tell you what I ordered but I know this first serving (Pictured) I got was some type of miso with chicken and vegetables, some I’ve never tried before or heard of, but as always, I love trying new things so I was more than eager to dive into something I couldn’t even pronounce.
On the way out I noticed my room was the only room without a newspaper): I knew exactly why. The night before I joked with the receptionist that I could speak Japanese fluently and she looked at me with shock and said, “Really”? I then tried to say the one thing I knew, names of food and “Thank you”. She laughed and tried to teach me how to pronounce the words correctly. It took a while. It was obvious I wouldn’t be reading a Japanese newspaper so I guess that’s the reason you see my room was left exempt.
さようなら
Off to Myoko...
Amy Lane & Abby Mahoney Speak to College Class
Tuesday night, Amy Lane and Abby Mahoney (both pictured) were guest speakers at a Sports Supplements class at Holyoke Community College. Amy and Abby both compared and contrasted the diets of ultra and non-ultra distance runners to the class. They talked about their general diets, pre and post-race nutrition, and supplements that they use during races. The students were captivated and asked many questions about the sport of running. In particular, how to stay healthy and how both ladies are so successful in running, all the while working full time. They asked a lot about Inov-8 products as well. Good stuff, ladies.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Aaron Saft
1)Primary sport (s): Lawnmower racing (2 stroke division only – HARDCORE!), but I like Trail/Mountain Racing from time to time as well.
2) Team member since: 2009
3) City/state of residence: Mills River, NC
4) Occupation: Part-time fortune teller (only when the stars are properly aligned), sometimes stay at home Dad, & Running Store Do-It-ALL Guy. Mostly cleaning the floors & windows (I don’t do toilets).
5) Goals for 2011:
Try to take over the world, but realistically I’d like to not get chicked in any race I do. No, but seriously, I’d like to finally get a silver medal at a USAT&F National Championship. Gold would be just fine as well, but I already have one (ha, take that Ryan Woods!). I just want to complete my array of medals.
6) Notable achievements/memories/PR’s in your sport:
I once got to run with Mark Lundblad. He’s dreamy!
7) Favorite inov-8 gear:
I’ve always been a big fan of the Roclite 285. It’s one sweet mamajamma of a shoe!
8) List one thing others may not know about you:
In my previous life I was a Rastafarian barber. I’m also a father of TWO great kids. Keagan (3 years old) & Ambrin (born 1/12/11).
9) Favorite energy drink/food: Love me some Honey Stinger Gold Gels! Their new waffles are scrumdiddilyumcious as well!
10) Your favorite race and why?
The human race. They’re entertaining. However, a close number two is the Klingons from Star Trek. For some reason their name is just funny to me. Oh running race, right. The Bear 5 Mile Race to the top of Grandfather Mtn. There is nothing like running through 200 drunken Scotsmen (Highland Games) waving swords on your way to a summit with a panoramic view at 5200’.
11) Advice to other athletes:
You’ll be defined by the trails you won’t run. Get out there are hit a new trail or a new distance! Finally, and most importantly, Drugs are bad!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Uwharrie Race Report by Jared Scott
Uwharrie 20 Mile Race Report
I gave Uwharrie all I had....
Last weekend I ventured across the country to North Carolina to compete in the Uwharrie Mountain Run. This event had three races to choose all taking place on a single track 20 mile section of the Uwharrie Trail. I came to do the point to point 20 mile race as it was the first race in the super competitive La Sportiva Mountain Cup Series. The other two races consisted of a short 8 miler on the first part of the course and a 40 miler where participants ran the 20 mile course and then proceeded to turn around and do it all over again. I expected the course to be a typical ‘East Coast’ course with lots of roots, rocks, steep ups and down, all on a nice slick trail. The day I flew out, much of the eastern part of the country was being impacted by epic winter weather, but the forecast for North Carolina was calling for rain the day before the race and 50 degree temps on race day…”Great” I thought. Rain came the day before the race as expected, and that evening, I eventually made my way (fighting what the radio was calling “typical” rainy day traffic) to the pre-race dinner. At the dinner, I met seasoned Uwharrie Trail veterans who had been running the race for many of its 20 years to hardy volunteers who were ready to stand at their aid station and endure the elements and feed hungry runners soup, goo, pop and water. Many veterans spoke of previous races and forewarned rookie runners of “The Hill at mile…” or that “The course is not too bad until…”. It seemed that all experienced Uwharrians had “A Point” on the course where it went from “not bad” to just plain “hard”. The race director cautioned us that the leaf cover was so thick that you couldn’t see the trail…but don’t worry the trail was clearly marked with white paint on trees along the trail…but as one veteran put it, “the white marks are tough to see because the marks blend in with the lichen on the trees”. By that point had heard enough and was ready to head to my camping spot and get a good night’s rest in the back of my dry rented Honda Civic. The rest of the night was pleasant but around 4 am I heard rain tapping on the trunk of the car. At 6 am, still more rain falling, but by race time around 8 am the rain had stopped, yet still threatened and it was a cold, around 36 degrees.
On the course, I begin to notice that the rain from the day before and early morning collected nicely between the endless roots and rocks in the form of puddles and underneath those puddles could be anything from more roots, rocks, leaves, to ankle deep mud. Three of us took to the led consisting of fellow Inov-8 teammate Ryan Woods, a guy named Tom Clifford who was decked out in cross country spikes and was racing his first trail race, and me. Both Ryan and I opted for our trusty X-talon 212’s, which is the most ideal shoe for the wet conditions on the Uwharrie Trail. I led us through about 3 miles but then on a steep decent, Tom passed me with his spikes clicking on the rocks as he went by, and begin to get a pretty good lead on Ryan and me. After an aid station around 8 miles Tom took a big spill and Ryan and I were able to catch him. We all ran together until I led us off trail at a stream crossing that we shouldn’t have crossed around mile 10. We found the trail back across the stream. Ryan took the lead. I chased Ryan the last half of the race keeping him in sight whole way. He would gap me more on the downs but I was reeling him back on the ups. Eventually, at around mile 17 or so, there was nice steep uphill, and I almost caught him but the hill was not long enough and he hammered the crest and then was out of sight. After that hill, I decided was my “Point” of the race where the race was finally hard. This was the point where my legs ached, my toes had huge blisters and burned every time I stepped on a root (which was almost every step), and making sharp left turns was painful due to an imperfect landing on a root. I began to mistake the distant white paint marks on the trees for Ryan’s white jersey, like a mirage. However, every once in a while, those white marks were not mirages but were actually him. At those instances when I saw the real Ryan, I would try to speed up and each time I did, my feet would burn, or I’d hit a stream crossing and then slow down. I calculated that he had about 20 seconds ahead of me…which wasn’t that much considering the rugged trail. I knew my only hope for winning would be a long steep hill…like the one at mile 17…but was it ever going to come? At this point in the race the steep ups were very short followed by a steep decent which required a lot of focus to keep from falling and also brought on the burning sensation under my blisters. Finally, there was a nice uphill, I began to push but as I did I tripped and, “Whack!” Both my knee caps smashed into a root. I got up literally shaking. I tried to run but the fall had taken out what little energy I had left. I had no more strength. I was done.
Luckily, my fall occurred with about ¼ mile left of the race and I finished. I gave Uwharrie all I had.
Arrowhead 135 Race Review by John Storkamp
Race: Arrowhead 135 (Foot Division)
Location: International Falls, MN to Tower, MN
Date: Monday January 31, 2011 to Wednesday February 2nd, 2011
For the past 6 years I have spent the first few days of the month of February pulling a 40 LB sled full of survival gear 135 miles through the remote Northern Minnesota wilderness. Battling this race over the years I have earned 3 wins, one tie for third and two DNFs - with finishing times ranging from 53 hours to 40 hours. Even though the weather presented some challenges this year (OK, it does every year), overall this was an up year for me, finishing in first place, about 3 hours ahead of 2nd place and a very talented field in a time of 43:32:00. Conditions varied from just above 0 F to - 40 F. Once again I lived the accumulated lessons I have learned over several years racing this type of event; respect your fellow competitors, respect the remoteness of the trail and respect the extreme cold. Thanks to the Race Director(s) Dave and Mary Pramann and all the
volunteers for putting on a top notch event. www.arrowheadultra.com
Gear used: INOV-8 Flyroc 345 GTX - my feet were warm and dry for 44 + hours in sub zero conditions, reaching consistent lows of -25 F and reports from the trail of -42 F. Each year all of the worlds major automobile manufacturers spend millions of dollars cold testing their cars and trucks in the area of Northern Minnesota where the Arrowhead 135 is held - I have tested INOV-8's Gore-Tex shoes in these brutal conditions for the past several years. Have they passed? You be the judge. http://www.inov-8.com
Monday, February 7, 2011
Rocky Raccoon Race Report
History books got re-written this past weekend down in Huntsville, Texas at Rocky Raccoon 100 and 50-miler. You can read my report HERE. Happy Trails! Type rest of the post here
Eric Charette
1) Primary sport (s): Trail and ultra running
2) Team member since: 2010
3) City/state of residence: Huntsville, Alabama. Hometown: Kingsford, Michigan
4) Occupation: Professional Electrical Engineer
5) Goals for 2011:
- Break 4:30 and finish in top 5 at Mountain Mist 50km
- Break 7 hours and set state age record (7:14:49) Delano 50 mile
- Break 5:30 and finish in the top 5 at Strolling Jim 40 (41.2 miles)
- Overall win at Keyes Peak Trail 50km
- Sub 2:45 at New York City Marathon
6) Notable achievements/memories/PR’s in your sport:
In 2010, I set personal records at 2 mile (10:38), 5km (16:36), ½ Marathon (1:15:32), Marathon (2:43:40) , 50 mile (7:14:16) in 2010. Also I finished in the top 3 places 24 times of 36 total races, including 9 overall wins.
- 2008 Huntsville Track Club Male Performer of the Year
- 2009, 2010 Huntsville Track Club Open Male Gran Prix Series Runner Up
- 2010 Huntsville Track Club Male Admiration Award
- 2010, 2011 Ultrarunning Team inov-8 US Selection
- Course Record Delano 50k 3:53:54 March 2009
- Course Record Bartlett Park 50k 4:07:10 August 2009
- 2nd fastest known time Alabama Pinhoti Trail 171.3 miles May 2010
- 6th fastest time ever Dizzy Fifties 50km 3:53:15 November 2009
- 11th fastest time ever Mount Cheaha 50km 4:54:07 February 2010
- Course Record Keyes Peak Trail Marathon 3:19:58 June 2010
7) Favorite inov-8 gear: inov-8 x-talon 190 for short distance and inov-8 Roclite 285 for ultra running.
8) List one thing others may not know about you: When telling a story, I often relate it back to a situation from a TV show or movie that I have seen. Recently I was asked what I thought was the secret to life. I thought back to the movie City Slickers, where Billy Crystal says that it is just "one thing" and later goes on to say that it is unique to each person. For me it is a trail run in the fall with my two beagles (Siri and Fiina) when the colors are changing and the temperatures are falling, enjoying the beauty, serenity and simplicity of the wilderness. There are no problems that can't be worked out in your head when in the solitude of the trails and nothing else matters out there.
9) Favorite energy drink/food: For short distance running I thrive on Honey Stinger gels, especially the Gold and Ginsting (ginseng) flavors. For ultra distance, I found a strange affinity for Vanilla Boost with high protein, along with string cheese. I ate this combination like it was going out of style during the FKT of the Pinhoti Trail in May of 2010.
10) Your favorite race and why? My favorite race is McKay Hollow Madness 25km. This race is held on the trails of Monte Sano State Park and The Huntsville Land Trust in Huntsville, Alabama. The race has four difficult climbs, including the final ascent up Death Trail to the finish. I have always been known as a strong climber so this race and the brutal finish suit my strengths.
11) Advice to other athletes: Never stop dreaming and always believe in yourself. I am an example of someone with just ordinary abilities who trains very hard and strives to achieve extraordinary results. I think that it would be an injustice to the sport and others who look up to me if I wasn't out there on every run trying to bust my tail and realize my potential. I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been given and it is my goal to pay it forward.
Successful Week For Team Inov-8
Lots of stellar performances recently from multi-day events to single day racing. John Storkamp won his 3rd Arrowhead 135 mile in an impressive 44 hrs and 32 minutes. John wore the Flyroc 345 GTX in sub-zero conditions (-35F). Dave James in the opposite climate, won the 6 day Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica wearing the same pair of F-lite 230's the entire race.
We also had a good day for Team Inov-8 at the Uwharrie 20 Mile Mountain Run. Ryan Woods won the OA in 2:23:16 and broke the CR. Jared Scott was 2nd OA in 2:24:17 and also broke the old CR. (both Ryan and Jared wore the X-talon 212's on the muddy course) Sean Andrish placed a strong 6th OA in 2:44:41. Chris Reed grabbed 7th OA in 36:27 at the LVRR Superbowl 10k, wearing the F-lite 230's. Amy Lane won yet another snowshoe race this time at Northfield Mountain in Northfield MA. The course was approximately 5 miles long and Amy covered it in 52:49. Abby Mahoney was 4th female OA in 55:19 at Northfield. Jim Johnson was once again an OA winner, this time at the Exeter Snowshoe Hullabaloo in Exeter, NH. Jim's time was 37:27 for the tough 4.4 mile course. Yassine Diboun was 2nd OA at the Rocky Raccoon 50 mile with a speedy time of 6:17. Yassine wore the F-lite 195's. Peter Maksiomow was 5th OA in 1:15:28 at the Beaver Creek Snowshoe Race.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sophie Speidel
1) Primary sport (s): Ultrarunning
2) Team member since: 2010
3) City/state of residence: Charlottesville, VA
4) Occupation: School counselor and lacrosse coach
5) Goals for 2011: Complete the Lynchburg Ultra Series as top Master Female; Run the 107 miles of the AT through the SNP over three days as an adventure run; and run a PR at Masochist 50 Mile and Hellgate 100K.
6) Notable achievements/memories/PR’s in your sport: I finished Massanutten 100, Western States 100 (in 2006—the HOT year) and Grindstone 100 (twice!). I also completed a R2R2R of the Grand Canyon and I am a five-time finisher of Highland Sky 40 and Hellgate 100K.
7) Favorite inov-8 gear: Flyrock 310
8) List one thing others may not know about you: I was a member of the US Women’s Lacrosse Team back in the day (1982-1984).
9) Favorite energy drink/food: Perpetuem Café Latte, Hammergel, Clif Bloks, Cappucino Ultragen, and egg sandwiches, especially late in a race.
10) Your favorite race and why? A toss-up between Highland Sky 40 and Hellgate 100K: HS has an amazing low-key vibe, with awesome trails, dirt, rocks, and mountain views. It’s also hard as heck! Hellgate starts at midnight in December and forces me to be super organized and prepared…finishing that race is no guarantee, and it always produces interesting race reports. Oh, and Western States 100—I loved the hype, the history, the trail, everything.
11) Advice to other athletes: The sport of ultrarunning is addicting, so take your time to build a solid endurance base and don’t over-race or over-train during those first few years. It takes these years for your body to adjust to all the training, so sit back and enjoy the trails, yourself, meet new friends, and count your blessings that you found such an awesome sport that you can (hopefully) participate in for many years to come!
Friday, February 4, 2011
This Weekend's Starting Line
We have three speedy trail runners taking on the Uwharrie Mountain 20 miler this Saturday. Jared Scott, Sean Andrish and new team member Ryan Woods look to be upfront contesting for a podium finish. The 20 mile course is point-to-point, technical and on hilly single-track. Chris Reed will be racing the LVRR Superbowl 10k on Sunday in Lehigh Valley, PA. Yassine Diboun will traveling down from the Pacific Northwest to Huntsville, TX for the Rocky Raccoon 50 mile race on Saturday. Peter Maksimow will racing at the #2 race in the Beaver Creek Snowshoe Series. Peter got 2nd OA in the first race in the series last month. Scott Dunlap will be at the USA Cross Country National Championships in SanDiego, CA.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Amber Moran
1) Primary sport(s): Trail, mountain & road running
2) Team member since: 2009
3) City/state of residence: Arden, NC
4) Occupation: Public Health Nurse / School Health Nurse
5) Goals for 2011: half-marathon PR (sub 1:17:27), Qualify for 2012 Olympic trials for marathon, New course record @ Dupont 1/2 , Win the Bear , Place in the Top5 @ National Trail & Mountain Running Championship
6) Notable achievements/memories/PR’s in your sport: Chichester Priory Road 10k- 1st & new PR in 34:36 (Feb 2010), Highpoint Track 5,000 meters- 1st & new meet record & PR in 17:00 (Spring 2010), 7thplace US finisher at Mount Washington Road race USATF National Mountain Running Championship in 1:20:55 (June 2010), 4th Place finish at USATF National Trail 10k Championship 2009, 8th Place finish at USATF National Road 25k in 2008, half-marathon PR of 1:17:27, winning shut-in Ridge trail race both years that I ran it (07 & 08).
7) Favorite inov-8 gear: All of it! My favorite shoes are Flyroc 310, Terroc 308 & Mudroc 280.
8) List one thing others may not know about you: Volleyball player in college
9) Favorite energy drink/food: Ultima/ Bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter & bananas.
10) Your favorite race and why? My all time favorite race is Shut-in. This race is a 17.8 mile challenge to the top of Mount Pisgah. The terrain is rugged single track with lots of climbing & finishes with an approximate 2 mile stair climb. Spectators are throughout the course & the energy & atmosphere is amazing. This is a race like no other!
11) Advice to other athletes: Run because you love it. Keep the passion alive by trying new events. Remain humble. Respect the mountains. Be thankful & you will go far!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Scott Dunlap
1) Primary sport (s): Trail Running (Half Marathon to 100-miles)
2) Team member since: 2006
3) City/state of residence: Woodside, CA
4) Occupation: Technology Executive (VP, Mobile at JiWire, Inc.)
5) Goals for 2011: I’m going for the Moose Mug (run a marathon in 2 hours plus the minutes of your age, 41 for me), XC National Championships, defend my Masters win at the USATF 50k Championships, sub-24 at the Wasatch 100, and get lots of good pictures for my blog, http://runtrails.blogspot.com.
6) Notable achievements/memories/PR’s in your sport: 2010 USATF Masters Ultrarunner of the Year. It started as a fun challenge to try everything from the indoor mile to the 100-mile in one season, and ended up bringing four PR’s and a lot of new friends.
7) Favorite inov-8 gear: X-Talon 212’s, Roclite 295’s
8) List one thing others may not know about you: I once wrote a country song that got national radio rotation.
9) Favorite energy drink/food: Powerbar double latte gels, Vespa, PB&J’s, and post-race pizza and beer
10) Your favorite race and why? Usually the last race I just did. But I’m partial to anything involving trails, redwoods, and mountains like Skyline to the Sea 50k or the Big Basin 50k.
11) Advice to other athletes: Live life to have great stories. Keep a positive attitude, and even your worst finish times become your best memories.
