2018- North American Snowshoe Championships 2nd place

Well, my running blog has taken a little bit of a beating with my busy schedule but in 2018, I am looking to make a more conscious effort to report on my races and events this year in a more timely fashion.

I am writing this now as a snowstorm is moving into Binghamton, NY getting ready to give us the last bit of Winter before the Spring season commences. This recap comes on the eve of Snowshoe Nationals that are being held in Bennington, Vermont.



The North American Snowshoe Championships is a race  with rotating sites each and every year. It just so happened that this year the event was to be held at the Cockadoodle Shoe near Plattsburgh, NY, an event I have done a couple times in the past. I love this race and course and was excited to finally get back into more serious snowshoe racing after a two-year hiatus from having a dedicated season.

Weather forecast for the race was perfect Adirondack style: cold, no very cold. Temps hovered around 3 degrees for the Noon start with windchills near -15. Now that is what we call a PARTY!
My wife, Ashlee and our two dogs, Daisy and Ozzy made the trek to the Northern Adirondacks. This was as we trekked from a snowstorm in Binghamton and the NY region which made travel a little difficult but was well worth it the closer we made it to Plattsburgh.

It was a great time hanging out in Plattsburgh pre-race and even getting the chance to see Bob and Denise Dion, owners of Dion snowshoes at the local brew-pub.

The race had a strong field assembled with 2017 World Champion Snowshoer, Joe Gray at the front. I came to this event hoping to just have a fun day and not get too swept up in any pressure to compete a certain way. This more relaxed and easy-going mentality and approach to racing has always boded well for me. It was great to see so many familiar faces before the race and reconnect with runners I have no seen in quite awhile. I was able to hang a little with Mitch and Nick who went to Cortland during my Grad school years and had a full "Send Em" crew for the race.

A nice handful of Team MPF/RNR members were on hand with Elizabeth and Joe documenting the race and taking some killer photos, Ben Nephew, Julian, Jay Lemos  , Jan Wellford who was sweeping the course, and many others.

Myself, Ben and Jay ready to go! Photo Credits: Joe Azze

Check out our team page here: https://www.mountainpeakfitness.com/team/

Here is also A MPF recap of the event:Photos

Sponsor Plug here: If you have not tried Redfeather Snowshoes, you should. I started my Snowshoe running in Dions which are a staple to snow shoe racers the world over. Bob and Denise do a great job! I branched out the next year and became an athlete with Redfeather wanting to try something different and found their shoe design for some reason works magic with my stride. The Company is based in La Crosse, WI which is wear my family on my father's side grew up, hence also a reason to initially support. They are a non-profit company part of ORC Industries and employs many workers with disabilities and learning difficulties and teaches them crucial work skills in the manufacturing and assembly of snowshoes. Pretty cool stuff.

The "Cole Vapor" snowshoe has been a project I have worked with the brand on and man is it an incredible shoe. It is light but not the lightest out there. The V-tail design, deep crampons, and nice surface area of the shoe creates a shoe that glides over deep snow well and allows for my legs to remain fresh for the last kilometers. Check it out at the link below!

http://www.redfeather.com/product/vapor/


The Race ___________________________________________________________________

I took my 1 Boom Gel 15 minutes before the race which is a now staple of mine as I have always felt better with some energy in me close to the race going off. Call it a superstition.

To not see Joe Gray blast off to the front would be suspect as this guy is one of the most decorated endurance athletes around. I cannot keep track of how many USA teams he has been on but between XC, Mountain, Snowshoe, Trail, its like 8-12 teams which is unreal.

The start is very chunky snow and funnels from this open field into the single track. It is by no means a fast start and hearing from Mitch that the trails had some deep spots brought back my last race here 2 years ago where my positive splits from a 21ish 5k had almost a 30 minute second 5k that year.

Joe shot out and took to the lead as the snow was flying everywhere. I took my time not looking to get snagged up in the shuffle. My plan was to remain relaxed and in contact through 5k before making a push the last 5k as the second half in my opinion is harder than the first half.

I made some adjustments and settled behind Mitch, Nick, Ben and Tim which I felt was a good crew to be with. We hung out through the first kilometers and now the fun had begun. I saw that Nick was separating some from the group and then Mitch made a move to close the gap. I looked at my watch and saw the pace fluctuating between 8:30-9 a mile. I felt really fresh and wanted to run near 7:30-8 pace as the second half eats you up and making some time in the beginning helps.

I made a move and then pushed to Mitch. I sat with him and enjoyed the beautiful Adirondack scenery. Mitch let me get ahead and I kept on the tempo increase. Deep in the woods maybe a minute or two later, I came up on Nick. We hung out for some time too before like Mitch, Nick gave me the right-away and I took to the lead. At this point I knew I was in a good position, possibly top 3 which was my "A" goal. I floated through the deeper downhill sections and hung tough on the uphill portions. I was now in that 7:30-8 minute a mile range and took in the sights. This course screams beautiful deep pine woods with sun creeping through the canopy. To me, it is true snowshoe running at its finest.

From the course, what worked well for me was through deep snow, I did not force it. I slowed accordingly to save energy and when the snow conditions improved, I opened it up. As I had separated from Nick and was now on my own, I had thoughts and dreams of pulling up on Joe in the race with 400 meters to go and we would duke it out in an epic snowshoe finish. This did not happen but it was fun to imagine such a scenario. In the moment, I was having a blast. I felt free and was just so overjoyed to be running in snowshoes again in such glorious conditions.

As we crossed the field section, I knew about a mile and a half was left to the race. As the gradual climb from the field started, I was closing in on someone ahead. Was it Joe Gray? I had no idea and put a little surge to see for myself. I soon found it was Julien who has been the Canadian Snowshoe Champion. I eventually passed him as I could tell the early pace for him and the deeper snow here had made him a little gassed. I took to the front and continued on my pace. Maybe Joe was right up ahead.

The Turn_________________________________________________________________________

What happened next was something I never thought would happen. I came from the trail and right before me was some xc ski poles blocking the trail with yellow construction tape as if not wanting us to go straight. With about a mile or so to go left, I stopped and looked at my watch to double-check distance and to make the best decision. We were on the blue trail and the section here was Red at the intersection. i know of this as the main trail where we came from the Start. I thought to myself that surely we would not turn here. But why is this block on the trail here? I had no idea and with such a pivotal decision to be made, I waited. Julien came up to me maybe a minute or so later as I asked him which way we should go. He said without much hesitation to "Go Straight". I asked him if he was sure and I would rather be lost together than all by myself. We went straight and maybe 200 meters in, we saw the red sign. Whew, we made it. I was then able to relax more as we wound back towards the parking lot area and this was indeed familiar to me from past years. I pushed the pace some more and then made that turn into the straight-away which leads into the final straight. Alright, the race was almost over. I came into the final turn exclaiming I feel like I could do this again! I felt fresh and strong which is never the case for me in a snowshoe race.

Great race photos. Credits In tandem Photography

I hit that line and saw Joe there and a bunch of other athletes. Joe asked me immediately that some of them made a wrong turn and asked me which was I went. I told him I waited for Julien and he went straight through the course barricade or block and he said that was the right way. Man what a level of relief. For those that know me well,  I have a long history of missing course markings and in this race, I was lucky to get it right with the help of Julien.

Coming into the finish! Photo Credits Joe Azze

So there it was...Second Place North American Snowshoe Championships. Pretty cool stuff. I never thought I could put up such a solid performance after having many snowshoe races go terribly bad for me as of late. It goes to show that a positive attitude, remaining patient, and letting the race come to you rather than forcing your effort is the key to success in snowshoe racing.

Top 3! Photo Credits Ashlee Prewitt Crosby

Race Results: https://www.webscorer.com/racedetails?raceid=124721

This was by far my best snowshoe race to date and a massive confidence booster for Nationals. For the Nationals race I will be running the 10k and Marathon. My goal is to run free, have fun competing, and remain patient and race by feel. I will need to save my legs for the hard climb and run strong and just see what happens. Anything can happen but I hope I can find myself able to have a similar day to that at Cockadoodle shoe.

The Last Bend. Photo credits Joe Azze.

Ashlee and Me! Photo Credits Joe Azze

The Thanks_______________________________________________________________________

Thank you to all of the volunteers, RD Jeremy Drowne, and USSF USA Director, Mark Elmore for putting on a true master-class event.

Thank you to my wife for keeping me company in the freezing cold and watching over the dogs that weekend.

Thank you to Joe and Elizabeth Azze of MPF for being such great advocates of trails and the outdoors and for having me be a part of such a team that is MPF/RNR which is more of a family than anything else.

Thank you to my sponsors:

Redfeather snowshoes for the Cole Vapors which continue to give me incredible confidence on the snow in all of my training and racing.

Janji: Thank you to Owners- Dave and Mike and their team for getting me linked-up with an incredible brand that has some killer apparel that provides clean water to the various countries they craft their apparel around.

Nathan Sports for hydration and other great essentials needed to help me Run Stronger and Run Longer. I will be using a winterized Peak hydration belt for the Nationals Marathon that will be crucial for a solid race.

Team MPF/RNR for the constant support and group of amazing people that allows for us to share our stories and experiences and true love for trails with the rest of the world.

Fits Socks for the best fitting merino wool socks out there. These things are gold for keeping feet dry and warm or cool based on your needs. I raced with the Light short racer sock and it was a dream.

Boom Nutrition for fueling me with the best in natural fruit energy. And they taste amazing because a gel should not be a struggle to take.

To SUNY Cortland XC and Oneonta XC for my coaching stints. Two great programs!

Confluence Running, Finger Lakes Running for being great retailers in the community and ones I have been lucky enough to work at!

Thank you to new sponsor: 361 Degrees USA for providing all of my footwear needs. I am really excited about this new partnership.

Onward to Snowshoe Nationals!

2017 Cayuga Trails 50 Mile: A Series of 5ths. Running on Full!

It is amazing how on some days, things just come together. We can put all of the pressure on ourselves to meet expectations, or we can just be free and truly live in the moment.  My 2017 Cayuga Trails 50 mile race was just me running to run, to finally beat-down a course that has beat me every time I have given it a go. On this one day out of the year, on the 5th time, I overcame all my demons and ended up with my best day yet. This is my story...


To give you a more general idea of my journey up to this point. Here is a quick recap of the past 4 years of Cayuga Trails.


Year 1-(What was I doing? And ankle sprain): I went out with the lead group (Too FAST) and twisted my ankle at mile 18 to suffer through to a top 10 finish.


Year 2-(Ouch Tom B broken ankle into survival): I had some of my best fitness coming into the race and with a near ligament tear, raced injured but hung tough for a 7th place finish.

Year 3 (Let's talk about stress baby): Had electrolyte issues and lost sight mid-race to have tunnel vision for about 3 hours. Dropped at 42 due to warning signs.

Year 4 (Fruit is good, fruit peels are bad): Came into race ready. Had GI issues with fruit peels from breakfast of apples and peaches. Caused body to force it back up and could not keep anything down after that and had to DNF at mile 31.



Year 5...

I came into the race trained but probably the least prepared that I have ever been in terms of peak fitness. It was not as if I wasn't training but I lacked key long runs beyond 20 miles, higher volume of hills, and strong tempos that I had done in years' past. I wanted to have a solid day out there. If that was just to finish, then I would take what I could get.

I ate oatmeal and bananas for breakfast (something I know has done well for me) and had my raspberry zinger tea.
Weather was going to be ideal with temps near 50 at start and 75 by end of day.
I felt rested and nerves were under control.

Pre-race gear:

I had my Vaporkar 4L Vest with Boom Nutrition gels, the Mcdavid Cooling sleeves, Fits Light Runner Low socks, Mcdavid Compression Calf Sleeves, Nathan Emoji Hat, and the Topo Athletic Terraventures

I joined my fellow Red Newt Teammates and other friends out on the trails and foolishly started to push the pace from the gun. I was leading the race with MPF/RNR mate, Ben Nephew as we hit the first big climbs of the course out along the Gorge loop and the stone steps and cascading waterfalls that make this course well-known for. Not my best moment pushing hard from the front and I knew that I could regret this later but proceeded to just go for it.

As we hit the next "New section of trail" that Ian (RD) set-up, I was amazed how rooty and technical this section was. As Ben dropped back (a wise move on his part), Chris Rauli (Eventual Race Winner) and I think Zach Merrin took chase right behind me. We kept together throughout the next aid station and after our first creek crossing, I had to stop to adjust the fit in my Topo Athletic Terraventures. I think I laced them too loose and my feet were shifting around too much so I took the minute to get the shoe re-adjusted. I was now on my own. I proceeded to run alone the next 23 miles enjoying the beautiful morning. I made sure to take down a Boom gel every 40 minutes and took in plenty of ample hydration. I had some bathroom breaks during the miles of 10-16 that made me lose about 5 minutes on Chris and Zach but kept trucking along.

I felt energized and strong throughout these sections. The early pace only started to tax me some around mile 24/25 as Brian Rusecki and Michael Owen came by me up the gorge as I was slowing some and power-hiking.

I took some time at the half-way point to fuel-up and during that time, Matt Flaherty and Zach Merrin came in and out of the aid station. I went out in chase hopeful my brief low patch would be over. And boy it was. I quickly regained my climbing legs and started to crush the next uphill sections. I was hitting them around 7:30 minute mile pace.

I started feeling really good hitting now sub 7 minute miles which at Cayuga have been unheard of for me unless it was the steep downhill. I soon saw Matt F in the distance and caught-up with him. He was having what looked to be a little but of a rough patch for him. I made the pass and kept on the accelerator.

From here on out, I ran the best I have ever run at Cayuga. I tackled the uphills well, ran the descents strong and hammered on the flats. Going up the Lick Brook Climb the second time, I noticed two signs: one for Altra and another for a pie. It was if someone just placed those out there for me. I picked them up and placed them into my pack as I worked-up the climb.

The rest of the race was running strong and feeling full of energy.  There was a few muddy sections that made running fast difficult but besides that, I felt like a man on a mission.

As I hit the last 5k, I knew that there was nothing that could stop me from finishing this race. I hit my last mile (downhill) splitting 5:23 as I hammered into the finish. I had tears of joy as I crossed that line as I had finally tackled Cayuga trails and won! I finished the race 5th ; the best finish that I have ever had at Cayuga trails. I felt incredibly strong 48 miles of the race and ran with the ability to rapidly change my pace at will which was something I had not been able to do in past Cayuga races.




This Photo Says it All!!!!

* I finished the race, about 53 miles on my gps in 7:57 for 5th place. I had run the race smart and hung tough all day long and powered to a strong finish. I never thought something like this would ever happen as I have been plagued with really tough races at Cayuga each and every year. Running into the arms of my Superstar wife, Ashlee was one of the best moments ever. She has stuck it out with me through 5 tough years at this race, waking up at 4 am to get to the event and staying all-day to watch me beat myself up on the course. My success here was a team effort. With the help of my family and crew, the awesome volunteers (especially the BATS aid station), and all of the kind words of encouragement out on the trails, I was able to feel more motivated than ever before.

If at first you don't succeed...

Try...

Try...

Try...

Try...

TRY again. 

For me, the 5th time was the charm. On my next race, maybe it will take me 50 times before I get it figured out. That is part of the beauty of running an ultra. 

Congrats to Chris Rauli for running an incredible race out front to take the US Champ title. Well-deserved! 

Caumsett 50k USA Championship--Lucky Number 7

The other day I had the chance to race the Caumsett 50k in Long Island. The race served as the USA 50k Road Championships and competition would be fierce for a spot to be called the "Fastest US 50k runner of 2016". As mentioned in my blog in a previous post, I have been a busy man traveling all around and have not really done Caumsett 50k specific workouts. Instead, I have been getting in solid volume 70-90 miles a week and have had some runs with uptempo miles to help simulate a little of what Caumsett offers. Leading into my taper week, I had the chance to spend a portion of one day scoping out some of the trails in the Hudson Highlands. Honestly, these trails are not only technical with plenty of rocks and steep climbs and descents (almost sea level to 1,600ft in a mile) but the shape and design of the hills and mountains of the surroundings are unlike anywhere I have ever been. That day, I fell in love with the area! After getting some solid vertical, I was primed for Caumsett.

Check out Jason Friedman's Blog on his race experience here:

http://gunksrunner.blogspot.com/2016/03/race-report-caumsett-50k-too-short.html

Storm King Mountain from the Breakneck Ridge Trail. Photo Credits: Cole Crosby

For those who are curious about Caumsett, it is a simple course but a great race to run a decent time for 50k. The course has little ups and downs throughout the 5k park path that is enough to tax you but it takes some of the strain of over-use your body will encounter in a completely flat looped course. Unfortunately for me, my body took a beating in the race as I cramped up at mile 23 and could not salvage myself back to the continuous 5:53 miles our group was sustaining.

Pre-Race Gear. Photo Credits: Cole Crosby

 

*The Pre-race gear was laid out and ready to go! Mammut MTR 201 Tech Low shoes (My favorite), my Mammut/RNR/MPF Orange and Purple Kit, Nathan Hydration Handhelds: (Exo Shot, Speed Shot) and gels in my Lightspeed Belt. Boom Gels for fuel, Mcdavid Reflective Compression Sleeves, and Fits socks.

I was able to stay at a nearby hotel the night before the race on Long Island which made the drive to the event nice and easy. 30 minutes later following a nice sea of cars to the staging area, I was able to check in quickly and secure my bib. I linked-up with  Eric Senseman who I have seen at numerous races: Tussey Mountainback and JFK. It was great to catch up with him and find out he is now running with Scott Sports which is awesome! They picked up a solid athlete and guy. Eric was planning on using this race as a tune-up for Mad City 100k where his hopes would be to make the USA 100k team.

My Father made the trip up and I was able to connect with him. The race was going to have some fast competition being a USA Championship race and those who could run under 3 hours could get their name in the hat for the World Championship Team. Top guys like defending champ, Zach Ornelas who ran 2:52 on this course last year, Cayuga Trails 2nd place Jared Burdick, C Fred Joslyn who has been an Olympic Marathon Trails Qualifier and a fast dude, Eric Senseman, and Chris Rauli, another runner in Upstate NY who has seen success at JFK with a 6th place finish along with many others.  Realistically, I was not sharp enough to run such a fast time to make Worlds. Maybe one day, I can get there but for now the even longer stuff has been suiting me well.  Looking back at my training, I was getting in volume, but not enough running at race pace: 6 minutes and under to prime my body for the pace.  That is okay, as Caumsett was always a bucket-list race and having the opportunity to even run this event was totally awesome. I also had the pleasure of racing with MPF/RNR Teammate: Jason Friedman who was looking for a solid performance at Caumsett.

My goals for the race:

*PR: Run faster than 3:16.
*If feeling good, go for sub 3:06 or if having a perfect day, sub 3 hours.
*Gain confidence running in a competitive road ultra.
*Test and see how my training has progressed since beginning a more rigorous work travel schedule.
*Have fun and compete.

Talking with Eric before the race, I think we both knew we would run together. We both have similar levels of fitness, have been close in all the races we have been together in with Eric getting me at the events we have race together in, and I know both have similar strengths and goals in ultras. That makes a solid person to work with and enjoy the race experience with. I was hoping to run 6 minutes a mile for as long as possible and be able to run that pace as comfortable as possible for the duration of the 50k event. That time would get us to 3:06.  With the initial start, Zach shot out at like 5:20-5:30 mile place which was way to quick for me to follow. C Fred, Jared and Chris formed the chase pack running 5:38-mid 5:40's which still was a little hot for my liking. The third group you can see in the photo below: Eric in the Yellow shirt, Arturs, and then myself. We really liked the idea of running 3:06-3:10 pace. So we rattled off the miles, enjoyed our time together and ultimately, worked together to keep us in tact through as much of the race as possible. We would trade-off pace leading duties and was able to run consistent 5:53 miles and some 6:02 and 5:58 miles. Ultimately, we would speed it up on mile 2 and 3 and run the first mile as our slowest of the 5k loop.

The group. Photo Credits: Mike Gadaleta

 

 

 

Using my Nathan Exo Shot handheld, I had no problem taking down my Tailwind nutrition. With cold weather, my body was not craving a whole lot of hydration which was truthfully my downfall.

 

As the miles rolled along, it became just a waiting game. Could we keep up the pace and not do too much damage to our bodies. The pace felt good for a long while. I took a Boom gel at and hour in and then again in the second hour. 24 ounces of Tailwind and I felt strong. It was until mile 21 that something started happening. My front quads started to cramp. I began to push the pace to see if maybe an increase in tempo could jar the muscles a little. No such luck! 

 

By mile 23, I told the crew that I was no more and had to drop back to try to recover. Before dropping off, our group was closing on the chase pack and to Zach. If only I had felt better. My consistent miles of 5:53 soon became 6 minutes then 6:08 then 6:15, 6:20, I'm slipping!  I stopped at the 1.5 mile aid station and drank down tons of Gatorade to try and get the salt my body was craving. I split a 6:44 mile with the pit stop.

 

I was now running alone, grimacing in pain, praying I would not get caught. I continued to slow down even with taking in more calories and salt. I then played the game of just holding on.

 

Hanging in there with one more loop to go. Photo Credits: Mike Galadeta.

 

 

The last 10k of the race was agony as I was fighting my battered body from completely failing on me. Each step was painful. Having legs of lead is never fun.

 

Half Mile to go. Photo Credits: Mike Galadeta.

 

 

 

As I hit the final out and back section, I was so pleased to be done. I gave Eric some encouragement as he headed for home. As I rounded the corner I knew I was going to run around 3:10-3:11. I pushed with all my might and finished in 7th place: 3:11:44.

 

It was awesome to be done and it was amazing seeing all of the other guys suffering from cramped legs just like I did. This race was such a fantastic event and experience. Next time, I am talking in more salt and probably wearing tights to keep my leg muscles warm if it is on a cold day again.

 

Jared B and C Fred qualified for the World team with 1st and 2nd place finishes sub 3 hours!

 

Overall, It was a fantastic experience. I will run this race again! I know that I can run faster than 3:11 and even when my legs gave out, my aerobic strength was there to help get me through. On not my best day, 7th at a USA championship and a PR is more than what I could have asked for.

 

Thank you to teammate Jason Friedman for the motivation and support, Mammut for the best gear in the biz and for having me build the MTR line, Nathan Sports for killer products like the Exo shot and the opportunity to help integrate your marketing initiatives as a Tech Rep, Team MPF/RNR for the inspiration and support to represent the true #beastcoast team of the trails, Boom Nutrition for the best fuel source out there for running, Fits socks for the best fitting socks period, SUNY Oneonta XC/TF for team support and coaching love, Karhu NA for training footwear assistance, Craft NA for amazing winter apparel and the best base layers around, Redfeather snowshoes for the best snowshoes on the market, and Confluence Running for being my local shop of choice.

 

 

What an amazing race. I will be back for sure. I would love to run under 3:06 here. Now it is time to train for Hyner 50k and for Cayuga Trails 50. At Cayuga with my first DNF, I am returning with a vengeance. I have run this course each and every year with so-so results. I have that feeling that this year is going to be the year.

 

 

Check out the awesome team I am with here:

http://mountainpeakfitness.com/team/

 

 

 

 

 Here are the 50k Race Results:

http://justfinish.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Overall-11.pdf

What a View From the Top: The Lookout Mountain 50 Mile Race Re-Cap

What a special day.  I had such a memorable experience at Lookout Mountain and hope to be back one day!


With my job as a Tech Rep, I was so very lucky to have the opportunity to run one last 50 miler before the year was out in Chattanooga, TN. To put this into perspective: I have always heard such great things about the city of Chattanooga, its people, the racing community, and the host of races and trails that make the area one of the best in the entire country. Running an ultra in Chattanooga has always been a dream of mine!


As I ended up getting my trip solidified, I was excited to sign-up for the Lookout Mountain 50 miler.

This was a part of the Rock/Creek race series but is now under the "Wild Trails" non-for-profit race management group.  The course from what I was able to read online was a fair course with good vertical gain and loss (6,600ft) , had amazing terrain with scenic overlooks, runnable trails, and good long and gradual uphills. I was a fish that had taken a bite on the hook. I knew that after the Virgil Crest Ultra 50 that I had run in late September, I was going to be a little rusty on race tactics but had trained consistently from September and knew this was a prime opportunity to race hard one last time before the year was up so I was going to take it. I knew that this race was going to be an adventure and that in the past years, the race has always brought in some great talent. I was excited to see how I would stack-up to the competition and who knows, maybe run one of the fastest times at the event.

Here is the photo of the course map and design.  I was planning on spending the Christmas holiday with my family in Nashville, TN so everything was lining up perfectly. I signed up for the race the week before as I was making my way to DC, Virginia and Tennessee for work and then began to prepare.

My time spent the week out from the event was great with a highlight of running around the heart of Washington DC, having the chance to see honest Abe, Einstein, and other famous tourism destinations in the heart of our Nation's Capitol. I also really enjoyed my time in Lynchburg and Charlottesville, Virginia checking out the running scenes at UVA and Liberty University. My time the day before in Chattanooga was excellent!

Here is my Race Recap:

I arrived in Chattanooga the day before the race where I had the chance to settle into my hotel, grab some food and visit the local store accounts in the area. It was such a cool city, with nice rolling hills off of the rivers that it reminded me of Binghamton, NY a ton. It was fun and to get myself ready I gorged myself at a Little Cesar's Pizza Joint (That's right, cheap pizza before an ultra). It was such a cool place with some awesome restaurants, and a packet pick-up at the Chattanooga Brewery which was the place to be on a Friday evening. I ended up getting all settled and then it was a nice night of sleep before the race tomorrow.

Photo Credits: Cole C. All my Race Gear

I carried with me a much different level of running gear than what I have used before. I was planning on racing with:

*Mcdavid Compression Sleeves

*A Nathan Vapor Air Hydration Vest

*A Handheld bottle in combination with a vest

*Multiple layers, jackets, hats and gloves

*Trusty Mammut Racing shoes with 800 miles of wear.

The weather was looking to be cool: in the 20's in the morning with a high near the mid 50's which for me is an ideal 50 mile temperature range. The body warms so much in the course of 50 miles that these temperatures would mean with proper layers and fueling, I would have to worry about over-heating as much as in traditional summer temperatures. I felt that by carrying a hydration pack, I could comfortably stash my layers without use of a crew or drop bags and could do so comfortably. Also, I was hoping to stash a full set of Boom Gels (10 total) into my Nathan Vapor Air pack without much issue with comfort and weight distribution issues. The Mcdavid sleeves were a chance to try out one of our partner company's products and see how they stack-up with other graduated compression products on the market. I can give you a sneak peak and note that they performed nicely.

The sun about to rise 15 minutes before race start. Photo Credits: Cole C.

The race start time was at 7:30am with a sunrise at 7:40am. With a traditional start, I wound my way up the hill to Covenant college, a small religious university at the top of Lookout Mountain. The course would cross the college three times which made for a terrific central location. It was a cold morning with a little frost on the grass and the Wild Trails race set-up is cool with a huge bon-fire and pulsating music. It truly had the vibe of a big-stage event with the lovely southern charm the area's people showcase.


It was such a blessing to have the opportunity to run this ultra. I soon crowded the starting line with the top group as we got ready to race. I knew some top local athletes would be there. Nathan was guy that had won the race the year before in 7:14 and from what I was told from staff at the local running store: Fastbreak Athletics, I knew that he would run a smart evenly paced race and had excellent course knowledge. I was also told that a guy named Daniel was hoping to run 6:30 on the course and was quite a speedster. He would be blasting off the front so I knew to key off of him later in the day.

As the horn sounded for one last 50 miler, I settled in with the top group of 4 including myself. I decided to hang with Nathan as he would be my guy to key the smart race with. As we know with myself, I have a habit of making wrong turns and I was not wanting to make that mistake at all in the event so I wanted to have the security of not making a foolish decision.

Daniel shot out and ran with another gentlemen who turned out to be third place finisher: John Kelly. I ran the nice road section as we left the college for the first few miles before entering the trail and beginning our descent off of Lookout Mountain.

Mind you, Lookout Mountain has some incredible views and vantage points right on the sinuating trails from the get-go. I was treated to 100 mile views as soon as we entered the trail section. We began the rolling descent along one of the ridgeline trails of Lookout Mountain and man was it perfect. I was in awe of the beauty of the course as the sun was rising through the trees. It was so great to spend the early miles hanging with Nathan, a solid local Chattanooga Ultra runner who had some great accolades himself such as a 7:14 on the course last year for the win. We talked and enjoyed the early morning miles and I even had a slip-up where I banged and scrapped up my knee pretty badly. With my fall, Nathan stopped to help me up to begin our pursuit of 1st and 2nd. We kept that group in sight for the most part but knew that after the ascent back up the mountain, then the real race would begin. Anything to kill yourself too early on could be a move that had the potential to bite you in the rear later in the race.

 

Aid station one in the race went by nicely!
Photo Credits: Wild Trails

After the first few aid stations, we began to make our move together running a strong and smart pace. As we hit the first few climbs, my lungs could feel a little of the early fatigue from not having insane vertical training before the race but I knew my body was primed and well-trained for the race. I had to be at ease with feeling a little extra fatigued from the hills.  As we made our way along the ridgeline back up to the summit, I must say it was so much fun running the race with Nathan and having that chance to get to know him. This guy is going to do great things in the ultra world. I cannot wait to see how he does at the Georgia Death Race! 
As we hit the last climb, Nathan let me go ahead hoping that we may see one another later in the race. I began to begin making a slight surge up to the top. As I hit the top, the morning sun was clear in the sky and man the view from the top was unbelievable. It was awesome! I kept a steady effort through the finish area and then felt ready to start rolling into a higher cadence in the next few miles. I was hoping to run miles 25-30 faster than my previous 25 and then work on picking up the pace miles 30-45 and then hold on for what I have left. I was able to do just that.

With perfect fueling with Boom Gels every 45 mins and I was drinking plenty from my Nathan Speedraw Plus Insulated 18oz handheld and that was a great call on my part. I felt strong, relaxed and ready to race hard. As I was entering the next section of trail I heard a yell coming from behind me. Then I saw a runner sprinting off trail towards me.

Was I going the wrong way? It was the second place runner at the time: John who came up and mentioned he had been lost for like 5 minutes. I assured him that we could get back on track. I then led the way as we looked around the dirt mounds at the top of the school. There we saw the Race Director: Randy and he apologized about the markings. We maybe lost a minute or two here. Nothing big in the scheme of things. I then continued to lead the charge after Daniel, the race leader. I felt strong and had the confidence that I could catch Daniel. We navigated the Tennessee switchbacks in the deep woods until also missing a turn at the top of a jeep road and luckily a volunteer hollered to get us back on track. Jason held his own with me really well as we worked together to close the gap. After each aid station, the gap was mentioned as either 2-4 minutes. We were extremely close. Jason kept going as I took the time to shed my layers and place them in the back of my Nathan Vapor Air Pack. This was a smart move. I took down some soda and loaded up on gels as I heard this section had a nice uphill push with a rope climb. I surged on the jeep road and was able to catch Jason going up the steep rope climb section. With a solid mix of power-hiking and running at the top of the ridge, I began to pull away. I threw down a surge here to create a little separation.



Photo Credits: Jim T. at Flickr

Let me tell you that the views from this race were unbelievable! Once at the top we were greeted to massive views of Chattanooga. I was in awe of what I was seeing. The next section began the tornado section that was devastated in a tornado and the low-lying windy trail made for a technical hop-scotch game. As I hit the next aid station coming from a 1 mile road section, I was about 3 minutes behind. I fueled well again and then proceeded to try and catch Daniel. This point in the race it was near mile 35 or so and I began to feel a little bit of muscle cramping. I immediately worked on taking gels and fluids. This 5 mile stretch was a tough one. The trail went around a lake and a creek and this winding narrow trail section was hurting my ankles and putting extra strain on my body. I worked hard not to walk here but most of the walking I did do was in fact in this section.  In spurts I would walk 10 seconds here, 20 seconds there, intermixing both walking and running while trying to get my body back to balance. I would feel good for a few minutes then would cramp a little again. This was my rough patch. I was still running strong but had to ease-off my pace slightly.

After this loop, I found that my time down on Daniel stayed the same. That drew confidence for me as the roughest section of the race so far had me lose no time on the lead which showed he was hurting some. After fueling here, I felt like a million bucks. My 5 mile so-so patch was gone and I was back to the hunt. Now I would head back on the course the way I came. It was great to see so many people on the trail giving words of encouragement. On some of the uphills, I had to grind them out but I began to surge and regain my early pace. I went through the Tornado section, the Vantage point section back on the crazy descent of the Rope climb and then back to the Lula Lake Aid. I was 2 minutes behind and began one final push. As each mile progressed, I felt stronger and stronger. Time to Race! I grit my teeth at my slightly tight muscles as I pushed with all I had. Some people I was passing on the trail said I only had 30 seconds to catch him. I was close. I got to about mile 45 and by this point my body was tired from the surges I had made. I briefly power-hiked some of the uphills and hammered the downs. The rest of the story is history. I kept pushing hard the last few miles, slowing in pace as I was truly tired now. I knew that if Daniel was to falter, the past 10 miles was my chance to catch him. He fought hard and earned his victory. I hit the sand dunes and knew I was almost home free.  I fought the last few climbs and then shot through the finish chute.

I finished 2nd in about 6:45:13 beating the old course record of 6:52 and only finishing about 4+-5 minutes behind Daniel. I ran a perfectly executed race for myself on the day and truly felt very strong almost the whole time. I was so pleased with how I fueled in the race and with adjusting to my new life on the road, I did amazing on a great course that is a solid challenge.

The Finish!!!!!!

 

Me and my Award, Photo Credits: Charles Crosby



Podium! Photo Credits: Charles Crosby

All the awesome gear at the race. Photo Credits: Cole C.

I want to give a big Thank you to my sponsors:

Mammut North America

Nathan Sports

Redfeather Snowshoes

Fits Socks

Red Newt Racing- MPF/RNR Team

Fits Socks

Boom Nutrition

SUNY Oneonta XC/TF

Karhu NA and Craft NA

Mcdavid USA

This race performance was thanks in part to your continued support!

I would like to thank my father for making the trip out to see me race. I would like to thank my amazing fiancé for believing in me each and every day.

I would like to thank RD Randy Whorton and his wife Kris for putting on such an incredible event. I would like to thank the amazing volunteers that helped me stay on course, helping ensure I was well-nourished and kept me motivated with some great stories and jokes. Thank you to Nathan Holland for keeping me company throughout the first 20 or so miles of the race. Best of luck in your future races.

The Trail Running Community here at Chattanooga is truly one of the best in the country. The trails are fantastic; the perfect blend of technical with runnable ability and the views and the style of the trails were so cool. The people of Chattanooga are what make this area tick. I met so many kind and interesting people here that with coming from Upstate NY, I felt like I was a part of the family. My advice for those Chattanoogans are keep doing what you are doing. I was treated to one incredible race experience so thank you. What a way to close out 2015! 

So I got in my last ultra of the year. Now what for 2016?  For starters, I am going to get back to training and preparing my body for winter. I

Christmas in Tennessee and the Year Ahead:

I had a great time spending the opportunity to run some of the rolling hills of Tennessee right in West Nashville. I had a beautiful 70 degree day running at Percy Warner and Edwin Warner Park which is one of my favorite places to train in period.

I am so excited for 2016 and the year ahead. My plan will be to run many USA Championship events from 50k-100k on both road and trail. Thank you again everyone for an incredible 2015 and onward to 2016.

Photo Credits: Cole Crosby

Photo Credits: Cole Crosby

Photo Credits: Cole Crosby

Photo Credits: Cole Crosby

Photo Credits: Cole Crosby

Final Race Results

0SPF---Rochester Trail Race--DNF and My Summer Training

Let me start by talking about 0Spf.  This race was a USATF Niagara Half Marathon Championship with some decent prize money for a local trail race. The top Men and Women looked pretty solid and I hoped with a month away from Manitous Revenge, I could run a decent race and feel more confident about how my season has been going. Sadly, I am still a ways off from being perfect with my ankle and this race I may had aggravated the healing process. I was very fortunate to make the trip out to Rochester area to run this race and to compete for some prize money. My training since Manitous' had been progressing nicely and I felt that a half marathon trail race could not do me in too much. I had also been feeling that my ankle was improving in strength and dexterity.  This course was a rolling course of lovely single track through the hidden points of a large shopping area.  It was shaping up to be a great race and I was excited to run fast after doing most of my training on the roads.

Once the race started, I decided to hang near the front until the first large move. The move came around mile 2 as Daven pushed the pace and then I followed. Soon, Kip a Stotan Racer took to the lead as we were flying down the trail at sub 6:30 pace. The winding narrow trail was starting to make me wary about my ankle so I began to tone it down pace wise. It was at the second to last aid station on the way out where I cranked my ankle hard on a steep descent and still tried to run but I could sense my race ending early.

At Chair Hill-- Heading out feeling alright

Photo Credits (Trailsroc)

Myself power hiking up the hill--(Ankle is too hurt and had to throw in the towel)

What transpired was I wanted to see how I could hang at least until the turn around. I had poured some water on myself before the turn around and then I knew that after the turn, that I had to drop. My ankle was pounding and I could feel every nerve in my foot screaming out. It was not good. The photo above shows how I felt. I headed to the next aid station and through in the towel. I would have loved to compete in the race but for my first DNF, I knew that with how I felt, dropping out was the right decision. 

I am not much of the DNF type of person as I feel finishing is always the number one goal, but as I continue to build strength into my ankle, I know that the DNF was the smart decision.

It was great to be apart of the event even if it was for a short time. It was great to see such talent run so well and have like 5 people break the old course records for men and women. Great job to everyone out there.  

I also had the chance to check out the North Face store and talk with the staff there. They were very knowledgable and fun. Overall, I was glad I made the trip and it was a great time to spend it with so many wonderful people. TrailsRoc put on some great races and runs and Rochester Area should be grateful to have such passionate people. 

Here are my photos from the Event:

North Face Sale!

The Start

So where does that lead me…

Run 1: Route 41A

This was a hot and muggy day where the creek was so lovely to jump into at the turnaround to get some extra refreshment before I high-tailed it back.

Run Two: Tuller Hill State Forest--Access Roads

New Mammut MTR Long Shorts and MTR 141's 

Because of my ankle, I have been limited from running trails hard and have used the rocky seasonal access roads as my trails primarily because they offer a little of uneven surfaces without the risk of cambered sections which has given my ankle a little of a workout with impeding the healing process.

Run 3---Labrador Hollow Unique Area: Crazy Adventure

SO how have things been going with my ankle. I must say that this medial sprain has become a pain in my side as I still want to keep training but I have been very careful: icing, running with an ankle brace and sticking to the roads. My ankle has begun to heal and I am optimistic that I will be in good health come September. I need the time to rest the ankle and really strengthen it. For example, my trail run at Labrador Hollow, I ran very slow to not hurt my ankle but wanted to test it on some uneven terrain. It is nowhere near where I would like it to be but in a solid week of taking it easy, I have felt much better. I am taking it day by day.  In the meantime, I am trying to enjoy the rest of summer and get some fun and adventurous running in. I plan on my days off to explore new areas I have yet to do. I feel that some of these new locales can help pick-up my spirits as I work to get myself back into form.  I will be running the Wildcat Romp 50k as a 50 miler I feel is too risky for myself right now but I am itching to run a race and see how I fare. I am excited about testing my new Carboom! Energy Gels in a race scenario and I am excited to showcase the rehab I have done on my ankle since the 0SPF injury. 

Mammut is also coming out with some amazing products for Spring/Summer 2015. Be on the lookout on this blog for some sneak peaks. The new redesign of our footwear is going to place Mammut on the Map as well as the new innovative apparel and run accessories. Super excited.  I hope everyone is enjoying the summer.