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!

Feeling Frosty at the Frosty Loomis Snowshoe 10k Race--Hammond Hill State Forest

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am please to bring to you my report on the Frosty Loomis Snowshoe race that took place Jan 31st of 2015 for the inaugural event. It was a cold morning and with this race, I ended up networking with a bunch of guys where we would run the course Wednesday nights in Hammond Hill. I found that having the chance to run the course has not only helped me in terms of snowshoe running shape, but also helped me for race day.

As a first year race, it was exciting to have a snowshoe race for people in Central New York in a location that is close for those living in Ithaca, Cortland and Binghamton as there has not been such a race in quite some time. The Finger Lakes Running Club helped put on the event as the Frosty Loomis Snowshoe race's Main Sponsor. I was excited to have some fun and to have the opportunity to get another quality snowshoe race in the books.


Leading up to the event, it was wonderful to be able to spend many Wednesday and/or Thursday Nights with a crew of Ithacans running out along the course we would navigate on race-day. I felt very strong coming into the race though as classes had just begun, I was a little tired coming into the event.


After marking the course with Boris, one of the RDs through a cold snowy morning that had me propel my car into a little bit of deep snow (no one was hurt including the car), I was gearing up to run somewhere around sub 50 minutes for the course.

For anyone that knows Hammond Hill State Forest, there are some solid hills to the course, great views, and a solid challenge for the snowshoe running enthusiast. In the 10k course, it begins with a solid 2 miles of gradual uphill climbing followed by a few short uphill bursts and small downhills. Once by the 5k, the course levels out then begins a roller-coaster ride of hills with 2 solid downhills. Then you climb up the steep snow-drift area up a nice long half-mile climb followed by a flat plateau and some downhills. The finish is a nice last-mile downhill finish back to the warming hut.

My guess is that this course gains about 1,200-200 feet in elevation in the 6.0 miles of the race course.  It is a balanced course perfect to simulate any type of course lay-out for Snowshoe Nationals.

Race-day was a cold morning with temps in the -5 to single digits with sunshine and some strong gusts. I had all of my Mammut gear to keep me nice and warm and even two pairs of gloves to warm those hands of mine up. I soon found out that running mits are the way to go if you want to ensure you keep all of your fingers in-tact.

We arrived at the line and then departed for the race. I immediately took to the lead and started to push up the steep hills of the first 2 miles.  I was huffing and puffing as my legs started to fatigue quicker than what I would have liked. But what really got to me was the cold air on my face in the first mile had frozen my face to the point where my skin felt like leather. I kept smacking and rubbing my face to get some warmth and blood-flow going to the region. I also had freezing cold hands as they burned through the climbs of the opening miles. I had a decent lead maybe 20 seconds or so to spare. As I came through the 5k point, my face was beginning to warm-up and my hands began to heat up some too ...except for my left pinkie finger!  I kept clutching that darn pinkie as I was running up and down the hills of the course.  In the first few miles, I wanted to drop out because I felt super cold to the point where I was a little worried about frost-bite. I split the 5k somewhere near 21 minutes and the early hot pace through the rutted snow path was taking its toll on my body. I began to relax into a slower pace to recover some and then make a push the last mile.

Miles 4-5 had me slow-down a significant amount yet I still could not see anyone else behind me. With about 30 minutes elapsed, I felt it was time to slowly stride out more on the flats, hammer the down-hills and then charge the remaining uphills. I regained my tempo back to the early pace I was running to begin the race. Once I saw the sign labeled, "Finishline" I knew I was a mile away. I picked up my pace faster than I have ever run in a race in snowshoes next to the Bend, Oregon Snowshoe Nationals and hammered to the finishline.

I came across the line exclaiming a "Loomis!" in honor of freezing my body for 6 miles of sheer winter wonderland bliss. I ran around 46:56 which for the 6.0 mile race was about 7:50's which for a day which had me on low energy-levels and tired from a 90-mile training week, I was very pleased to run the way I did.  It was not my prettiest race, but all in all, it was a solid day out on the trails.

It was great to converse with everyone as they came across the finishline. Boris and Eric and the crew did such a great job organizing the event and I think everyone had a wonderful time.

This is the point in my story where I thank Mammut North America for being a company that has inspired me to reach for new heights in my running, Boom Nutrition for keeping me going with energy gels chock-full of fruit goodness  as a gel before each race has proven to be a huge success, Redfeather Snowshoes for working with me and for giving me snowshoes that have changed the way I train and race, Karhu/Craft North America for great training shoes along with Mammut to keep me running light and fast as well as the best baselayer in the industry, Fits Socks for the best fitting athletic socks around and for keeping my feet super insulated. And to my new team: Red Newt Racing/Mountain Peak Fitness for helping me in my endurance racing endeavors for 2015 and beyond.

Cayuga Trails 50 Miler 2014---Last Man Standing

I want to begin by saying that this will not be your ordinary race recap post. This will be a discussion about how far the sport has come, the building interest in the East, and the potential for the sport in the future.

All the race gear!!!!!!

What will be discussed will be my vision that the Cayuga Trails 50 help to validate. And of course along the way I will recap how the race transpired because this year it was unlike any ultra that I have been apart of.  Here we Go.


My personal story begins 4 weeks prior when I twisted my ankle on a training run on a Thursday. It was nothing special just a stupid mistake as I approached the entrance to some trails. The ankle continued to get worse and for the Tom B trail run, I was a little on the weak-side with the ankle so I knew that I had to be cautious. I used the race as a training run and succeeded running 3 sub hour laps until the final lap. I hit a root and with already a marathon in my legs, I faltered and twisted the chocolate sauce out of the thing. I then continued to walk and kinda jog the last 8 miles. I finished in 4:15 crawling at sub 10 minute pace.

The next week was taken entirely off in hopes to heal my really severe medial ankle sprain which is about 5% of all ankle sprains and I am a pronator which means that I favor that side of my ankle. Luckily I had trained some big volume days leading up to the event and by 3 weeks time, would be feeling the gains. By the week of the race, I was back to running my 10-13 mile runs around the same pace I normally would without too much struggle.

I came into race weekend confident I could place well but knowing I had to run more conservative than I would like to because of my weakened ankle where I felt one false slip and I would have done permanent damage that would sideline my running for months on end.

7:46:02!!! 7th Place

Ian Golden has done such a great job with the Cayuga trails and I have been lucky enough to have him for a boss at the Finger Lakes Running Company. It is always great to see all the praise that everyone has given Ian, the volunteers and race management, sponsors for the race. This year had some amazing competition  and I was excited to finally have my name in the mix. I knew that I was not at full 100% but was still expecting a strong race with the solid training I have been able to put together.

The race had so many top prospects: Matt Flaherty--50 mile road champ extrodinare and a speedy guy to boot, not to forget mentioning the most legendary mustache in ultra running history, Chris Vargo---part of the Nike Trail Team and a guy that has run ridiculous times out West in Cali and Colorado, surprise Tristin Williams---- who smacked me at USA Mountain Running last year, Yassine, who is a 100 Mile specialist and Western States top 10 finisher, Ben Nephew the East Coast FTK specialist of the Catskills who is arguably the fastest runner on some of the ickiest terrain, Brian Rusecki who now runs for Patagonia and has run crazy times at Vermont 50, races in Virginia, a solid performer, Jordan McDougal---North Face Bear Mountain Multiple winner and super fast and top three last year, Zach Ornelas a fast mountain runner and young stud running his first 50miler which he could do some damage and SO MANY MORE!

As you can see the race was stacked. A top 10 finish would be lovely and a top 5 or 3 would be ideal.

To put into perspective, this course is one level more runnable than Virgil Crest or any crazy Catskill trail race, but has its fair share of elevation changes, creek crossings, roots, rocks, and crazy steps that make you feel like you are running the Great Wall of China Marathon!  This course had near 12k of vertical gain with the new Red Pine Trail which I have run and has a steep uphill section and the dreaded Lucifer Steps which has an amazing view but makes me feel like I am Lara Croft running away from some stone gargoyles or something of the sort. And I digress…

Back to the story… So I arrive with my father at the race, check in, say HI to Joe Viger, Ryan Welts, Amy Rusecki,  Kristina Folcik, and many others. It was a cool morning and I could feel the pre-race jitters. I hit up the bathroom as usual and hung around nice and relaxed ready to run 50 grueling miles. I had a Clif Bar for breakfast and some pre-race Honey Stinger Cherry Cola Energy Chews, yum. I had all my Mammut gear ready with my MTR 201 Pro Lows in the new icicle blue and my blue and green gear. I had my new Coolmax Fits Socks that are blended with Merino (SOOOO AMAZING) EVERYONE MUST BUY THIS FALL, and my Acidotic Racing Visor and little logo on my shirt!  With 10 minutes I lined-up with the top crew and was ready to roll. Never before have I felt like people know WHO I AM. I had people I have never met before wishing me luck, who have read my blog and have talked about my recent accolades. It feels surreal because I do not approach myself like a celebrity but for anyone that has supported me and looks up to me THANK YOU! Your support and admiration is a breath of fresh air. I have  been blessed to have such wonderful support and anyone that considers themselves a fan of myself Thank you. I will state here that IF I Ever Were to become famous, I will always remain humble and respectful of everyone that is awesome and cares about me. My goal in all of this is to inspire people that hard work pays off. That your dreams can become a reality if you wake up each and every day ready to fight for them. I spent my life being told I was never good enough for anything and here I am today. I am still on the cusp of big success but I attribute what I have achieved to believing and having people that have believed in me has given me the strength to keep on when I felt like calling it quits. Thank you again.



Once the rams horn went off we were out.

I settled into the pack of top guys. We are like 15 deep as I can feel the excitement of a USA 50 mile trail championship. I know that many of the guys upfront will lose pace so remaining consistent would be the goal. I decided to remain mid-pack as I had no idea how the ankle would hold and the pace was hot from the get-go so I wanted to remain smart. I also knew that the weather would heat up later in the day so running a smart and consistent race would pay dividends in the later stages. I settled along with Ben Nephew, Yassine, and some other fast dudes as we meandered around the gorges. I began to run the uphills with ease so I knew all my vertical was paying off leading up to the race. With my ankle, I strained on the downhills but that was to be expected. The course was of course gorgeous and more importantly was the first race in a long time for the East Coast to bring this deep of competition to an ultra marathon. I have never run 12 miles into a race and still have a pack of guys to run with. I enjoyed the day with the race and up the steep Lick Brook Climb gained some ground on Yassine and company. At this point, it was the large main pack that I had to catch but the race was still early and I wanted to take it easy to ensure a stronger second half. Once we left Buttermilk and then headed on the fields that connect into the last section of the Gorge Trail, Yassine caught me. I was having the beginnings of fatigue and could feel myself losing pace 4 miles before this photo op.

Photo Credits to Ron Heerkins Jr.

We ran together for numerous miles as Yassine would crush the downhills and I would catch back up on the Uphill sections. It was fun to be back running with him again. I was following my gel and liquid nutrition plan getting ginger ale and water at the stations, downing at least a gel ever 45 mins and consuming 20 oz every aid station. I felt good.  Then Ben Nephew caught up to us a few miles from the turn around and we hit the Lucifier's Steps and I could not climb with them. My legs felt real tight from stressing the downhill sections and holding my body back and the heat of the day was starting to deplete my body quicker than what I could take down. I was beginning to become severely dehydrated.  I lost my edge and then the separation began. Once I lost ground on Yassine and Ben, I knew that I had to be smart. My ankle began throbbing and I had the thoughts of dropping. I hit a low point only 3 miles from the 25 mile turn-around. I walked up some of the hills and felt like I was trotting. I remember seeing all the top guys maybe a mile ahead of me and knew that if I could make due and improve my pace something could come of this but I felt exhausted. 

Ron Heerkins Jr with another solid photo! 

Loop 1 coming back to the Gorge Trail

As I came to the turn-around I saw that Jordan McDougal had dropped out and I talked to him about how he felt. He mentioned to me that the top guys were looking strained and that if I held it together, I could get into some of the carnage. I too was struggling now from the heat and beginning to feel its effects but I thought if I was in 8th now, I could pick up some spots and if guys are to drop then I would have a chance. I came out of the aid station like  person reborn. I won the coveted CLIMBER's JERSEY for the fastest section from the turn-around to the next aid station which has some solid climbs and Lucifer Step's again. I was still climbing like a champ and went for it. Once I got back into nearing Lick Brook, a Salomon Runner was with me now. It was hard to fight with this guy as physically by mile 30+, I felt hot!  I would be able to cool myself off at the creek crossings and aid stations, but truly, all the water and GU Brew that I could take down just was not enough to get myself back to feeling comfortable. I was able to pass him near entering the downhill to Buttermilk Falls. I came down to the Falls, and Ian mentioned that I looked like I had stopped sweating. I was cold and clammy and had no visible sweat on me. That was bad. No wonder I felt like I was roasting on this 80 degree day.

I cooled off and kept powering through. The race from this point with 13 miles to go was not good for me at all. I managed my body from going from Heat Exhaustion to Heat Stroke the last 13 by cooling myself off but I felt dizzy, cold, tired, my legs were cramped, I had a headache. It was not comfortable. Myself and Kristina Folcik-Welts experienced much of the same issues as did many of the competitors. Each aid station, I was told runners were dropping like flies and I kept hearing places opening up for myself as people were moving up slots because of the drops. 

With the vertical and the toughness of the course, I dug deep and pushed through. Once I hit the last two aid stations with 7 miles to go, my body was spent. I was walking more of the hills now if not all of them and of course could hardly even run the uphills. I just wanted to be done. 

What ultras teach you is to dig deep even when you are having a crappy day, because you never know what the day can bring. For Cayuga, I felt like my race was not good at all but was not terrible. I have trained hard since November and Snowshoe Running Season has given me a new level of fitness that I am very happy about. If my ankle was at 100%, I feel my performance would have been much different but that is what racing is all about: seeing what you have on the day.

I held things together and finished 7:46 which was much quicker than my 8 hour time last year on a harder course with both ankle issues again. 7th in a much deeper field from 9th I will take it as I struggled but the story of the day was to just hang on and hope the heat would not kill you. I was pleased with a solid day of hurt and struggling but it taught me to hang tough and good things can happen.  My summers I like to train hard to prepare for a fast fall. This Fall, I would like to run more of the Road Ultras as my Can-Lake 50 race was no fluke and I love that I have a real knack for the roads. I also thing as my ankle continues to heal and strengthen, running on the roads might not be a bad idea. Luckily in Cortland, I have plenty of tough ascents on road and gravel seasonal roads so I can achieve a lot of solid vertical up and down without stepping on the rocky and rooty trails.

1st place--Chris Vargo! Climbed well all day and hung tough

3rd Place--Matt Flaherty who had a tough day and hung in there.

I DID IT!!! SO HAPPY TO BE DONE!

Going for the Climber's Jersey

So what was learned from this race: *With a Cold Winter, Heat acclimatization was crucial for success.

* Do not give up

* Take in more calories and gels

* Strengthen the ankle since it is weak

*Keep Training Smart

*Reach for the Stars

The amount of interest in Trail Running and Ultra Marathoning has exploded in the East! This is a very exciting time as more and more top athletes are coming from the East rather than Colorado and the West. There are more and more races featuring prize money and I was amazed with how solid the competition was this year. I cannot even wait for JFK! I feel that my running is coming around and I look forward to getting myself out there more to market the companies that keep me going. I have an awesome bunch of sponsors and they deserve more media time and I hope I can get them there. More and more athletes are being sponsored which is great in the sport of trail and ultra running and people are really taking a liking to the sport. I am very pleased with the excitement that is being generated from the sport and cannot wait for Cayuga Trails 2015! We all learned from a tough day but it was a great day!  

Ready to Climb Buttermilk Falls

Thank you to my family, friends, people that want to support me, my sponsors: Mammut North America, Fits Socks for the most amazing new Cool-max socks, Acidotic Racing, Redfeather Snowshoes, Karhu/Craft and Confluence Running for the support. Thank you Ron Heerkins JR for the photos and Matt Gawors for the photos too. Thank you everyone and have a wonderful summer!

Gear Used: 

Mammut MTR 71 Shirt (Green)

Mammut MTR 201 Pro Low in Icicle Blue!

Mammut MTR 71 Run Shorts in BLue

Acidotic Racing Emblem and Visor

Fits Socks Brand New Cool Max socks in Green!!!!'

Ultimate Direction 20 oz handheld and Essential Belt

Lots of Gels (GU) (12 gels)

Lots of Fluids (11-13 20 oz)

Zensah Calf Sleeves

Next up is Manitous Revenge which is a crazy Catskill mountain race. I look forward to having fun and testing myself. Have a great summer and see everyone next year! 

http://www.manitousrevengeultra.com

This race is BURLY and not being much of a mountaineer, I have no idea how my climbing skills will be but at least it will be a fun experience and I can say I summited a bunch of high peaks in the Catskills.

Today's Greek Peak Training run for Manitous'

Cayuga Trails Preview: Lead-up to an Epic Race

Training has been coming along since Tom B. I unfortunately sprained my ankle severely on the Medial-side of my foot which is a 5% occurrence out of all ankle injuries and I have felt it. I took about a week off from running last week which after a 90+ mile week, that was a smart idea. I feel well-rested and have begun to gain my running legs again. Tom B was a solid  test where I was able to maintain a comfortable 7:20 pace for the three laps then become sidelined with the ankle sprain on lap four. I have been doing exercises from H.E.M. some PT video series that helps strengthen the ankle and allow for it to heal.

I have been back to running 10.5-12 miles a day at a solid training pace with hills and the ankle feels calm on uneven terrain. I will be doing everything possible not to further damage the ankle such as ankle brace, KT tape, ice and heat therapy; you name it as my goal is to run free and effortless for Cayuga and avoid what happened to me last year.

A person "Must Love Jogs" did a solid race preview of Cayuga found here http://mustlovejogs.com. I am given the 15:1 odds which means that out of 15 people or 15 times results are polled, I win once.  I think those odds are fair considering last year Cayuga was one of my worst races hobbling on a bum ankle for 32 miles. My race splits from last year show it. Going from 7:30 to 8 to upper 9's and 10's show that I slowed down but it was due to physical limitations. I am hoping I can tabulate a Can-Lake 50 type performance.  The weather forecast looks solid and I am primed to perform and run a fast time. My time predictor is around 7 hours which I think is a solid estimate. I feel strong, have my climbing legs, and am ready to run a smart well-paced race. Now that the course is no mystery, I will run relaxed the first 25 and then move hard by 50k. You never know how race-day will play out but regardless, I am very much excited.

NYC

CORTLAND, NY

Running from Winter Into Spring---March

After the Snowshoe National Race, I have been training hard and getting ready to start to ramp up my mileage and intensity to the 80-100 mile weeks instead of my winter 70-77 week totals I have been doing for the last 3 months.  I am feeling stronger each day and look forward to my first big ultra, the Cayuga Trails 50.  That race is June 1st, so in the meantime, I plan on training and racing more local events from roads and trails to help prep myself for a smashing run come June. 


I was able to get my hands on a copy of the Ultra Running Magazine Jan/Feb issue of 2014 which reviews all of the races and the year of 2013 in review.  Not only does the magazine feature a review of my Can-Lake 50 mile record run but also has the rankings for all the fastest ultra performances of 2013. I started skimming through the various pages and then saw my name at number 7 for best 50 mile times this year. WOW! I cannot believe it!  Looking at the other top runners and performances: Zach Bitter's 5:12 Chicago Lakefront ultra, Matt Flaherty at JFK and Tussey, Zach Miller at JFK and Tyler Sigl at TNF Wisconsin, I am in the top 7 and top 5 runners for 50 miles in 2013.  Besides Tussey, Can Lake offered the most climbing out of those other events so it really shows the magnitude and depth that race performance was which is amazing. I never really thought of myself as that top of a performer but seeing such a ranking list, I guess it really shows. 




I am very excited for a big 2014!  With the sun feeling like a Spring/Summer Sun, and the snow finally melting away and the weather on the warmer up-swing, it is only a matter of time before the weather turns into some lovely conditions.  It has been hard this winter to get some quality long runs in when the temps hover in the sub zero area.  I chose to take some time to train before opening my ultra season primarily to get some quality training in so that once the big races come around, all the hard work months out leading up will show on race-day.  So far Cayuga Trails will be a focus race for me, Manitous' Revenge, and the Virgil Crest 50k.  I still have heard if I am in at Tussey which if not I will run a marathon such as the Empire State Marathon instead maybe the Mendon 50k again and to close out the season, JFK 50 my number one goal race for the year. I have also been looking into some NJ Trail series races in the mid summer to maybe run another ultra for a different area and different experience. Maybe the Wildcat Romp in Rockaway, NJ.  Either way, I am very excited to be racing Mammut this year!

Went for a run and this seagull kept following me!

A lovely training day

It is a selfie with the Princeton U hat

Nice view of Cortland hills

The snow is melting!

Credits to Joe Viger for a great Snowshoe National Photo

Fits Socks and Mammut MTR 201

The Christmas Blues- Upstate New York and How to Train in the Dead of Winter

For all those out there, you probably have already seen some significant snow and icky weather to make any commute a headache waiting to happen. Currently, I am living in lovely Upstate New York a mecca for lake-effect snow and cold harsh winter conditions. Luckily, nowadays we have wonderful companies that are producing running/outdoor apparel that can function well in really cold temps.  My sponsor Mammut, has some of the best winter running apparel out there!  Because their apparel has their roots in Alpine performance, you know that the gear is going to last and will keep you warm regardless of the conditions. Below will be my "ode to Mammut MTR", a review of their current winter items I have come to love for my winter racing and training and why they are so awesome!





The First top that I will Investigate is the Kala Patar Jacket Hoody.

*Priced at $149 this jacket does everything you could ask for out of a warm and super-functional mid/outer layer. I love hoodies for running in Upstate New York because of the wind-chill and precipitation that often times the hood is able to add that extra 5-10 degrees of warmth your head is missing.  The Kala Patar Hoody has a great warm wind-blocking thermal fleece called Field Sensor. The jacket also has the following features: Combination of two different functional materials,
Waffle backing retains heat, durable and fast-drying outside, soft and warm inside, Elastic inserts for optimum freedom of movement, Thin and elastic material in the hip area to avoid creating too much bulk under a climbing harness or in the pants, 1 chest pocket with zip, Close-fitting hood, Lots of freedom of movement, Flatlock, non-protruding seams, Thumb loop made for comfort and durability
and an Athletic Fit (As mentioned from Mammut.ch.com). 

If I had to some up what makes this jacket such a core piece it would be

Range of Movement    This stretch top features a great balance of stretchy fabric mixed with the Field Sensor fleece which gives you the proper range of movement desired in running.  The piece moves with you as an extension of the body rather than some piece of fabric that restricts your movement.  The Kala Patar Tech Hoody gives you that smooth flow in running and really excels. From trail running, road running, to snowshoe running, this top is hard to be beat. 

Warmth/Insulation    This top is one of my best that I own in this department. Not only is this hooded jacket light weight and can easily be layered and packed away, but the hoody absolutely thrives in terms of warmth.  Most cold blustery winter days, I just need a technical short sleeve or long sleeve shirt to and the jacket and I am all set. The waffle fleece outer shell blocks some wind making it a wind-resistant top and the hood acts as a great buffer for extremely cold snaps in Upstate which occur frequently this time of year.  I never over-heat in this top and with a proper layering depending on the harsh conditions, this top never goes stale. Also great for snowshoe running as the snow that you kick up on most regular thermal mid layer running tops absorb the snow as it melts and re-freezes. With the Kala Patar top, this does not occur which means you stay nice and dry for the whole duration of a snowshoe run and after.

Versatility     This top is my favorite mid layer/jacket from Mammut for high aerobic activities. Snowshoe Running this top excels, cold long training runs it excels, short quick fartlek runs it excels, and even as a comfortable top to wear around town. Mammut's category of "Alpine Performance" is one of the best and most versatile categories in their line of products. This top is easily packable, able to be comfortably layered with and fits well under soft or hard shell jackets, and provides exceptional warmth.  It can act as a core Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter piece with the right levels of layering. The fleece is also tear resistant and does not feel like it will easily pill which is something we often notice with other outdoor companies and their fleece jackets. Great for running, snowshoeing, hiking, ice climbing, rock climbing, going out on a boat, you name it this top can handle it.

Weight    To sum it up, this top is light but not too thin.



Another great top Mammut has been making is the MTR 141 Thermo Half Zip. This is your nice and warm half zip with reflective Mammut logos on the chest and shoulder as well as a cozy internal fleece and nice stretch warm jersey fabric.  What makes the MTR 141 Thermo top competitive with other brands is that it seems to handle the STRETCH MOBILITY category the best I have seen out of a thermal run top of the same caliber.  Mammut's is warmer than most that would have this level of stretch. It is just a wonderful top that does such a nice job of keeping you warm. I am always excited to see where our Mammut products continue to head.  I am excited to see them continue to morph and adapt and I think that Mammut is on the right course.

Snowshoe Season---Jan 18th--It BEGINS!
My first snowshoe race will be the 18th at the Cockadoodle Shoe 10k, a qualifier for Nationals held in Saranac, NY-in the Adirondack outskirts. I am really excited to get out onto the trails once we get some more snow since it has all but melted due to the warm weather and rain.  I always look forward to this time of year and I am excited to see how things go for me this season.  I think that I have the potential again to make the National team and maybe surprise some people because we will always have those doubters.  I am building off of my best Fall season of racing yet.  I think if all things go according to plan, I will really put myself out there in the National forums for snowshoe, trail and ultra running.  It might be that time I "crest the summit" into the next level of professionalism and publicity.



Training for December
Training has been pretty solid this December.  No racing, only time on the feet out amongst the steep hills of Cortland, NY.  I have not had as much in terms of quality training or high mileage but I take December as my rest month. If I feel good, I run, If I don't, then well...I jog easy.  I have averaged probably 60-high 80's for mileage this month depending on my time schedule and at the least have been averaging 10 miles a day or so.  I have run more doubles this winter so far than what I have been used to but this has helped keep my legs fresh and also get in the desired amount of mileage without too much fatigue. In the winter, my focus is on running more by effort than time and mileage. If  I run for 45 minutes that is okay!  I can always get a longer run in later in the week or can have more uptempo days to get in some quality work.  With winter you have darkness, cold temps, icky precipitation and just the holiday rush.  It is more than enough to deter us from consistent training and that is just fine as long as we make an effort to still remain active during the winter and do not hibernate like the bears.  I like snowshoe running for this reason. With snowshoe running, I am out in beautiful snow-covered settings and get an incredible workout in less time than a simple road run.  Less miles and the same if not better level of fitness.  Because snowshoe running is very strength-based, I recommend some road running or treadmill running to just turn-over the legs to keep our muscle fibers firing on all cylinders. It is important to keep us limber so that once the snow thaws and spring races are on the horizon, we are ready to go.



2014 "A" Race Tentative Schedule

1. Mad City 100k- Madison, WI ---USA 100k Road Champs and Qualifying for USA 100k Team

2. Cayuga Trails 50 miler- Ithaca, NY--USA 50 Mile Trail Champs

3. Tussey Mountainback 50-USA 50 mile Road Champs

4. JFK 50 Mile--Most Historic 50 Miler Ever!

Mendon Ponds 50k---The Race for the USATF Niagara Ultra Series Championship Points Series

This weekend,  I will be running the Mendon Ponds 50k Nov, 2nd to ensure I keep my lead in the USATF Niagara Ultra Running Series Points standings.



It is going to be a great experience running with some solid NY talent: Here is Tom Perry (Can-lake 50 race director)'s post on the event:

"The online registration for the Mendon Trail Runs is SOLD OUT for the first time ever. The 50K has 133 pre-registered entrants... Double WOW. The 20K has 82 pre-registered; the 10K has 63 and the (longer than) 5K has 18 signed up.
The 50K has some real horses: Cole Crosby who won Virgil Crest and Can Lake (both 50 milers in new course records), Daven Oskvig (Mendon 50K record holder), Jim Sweeney from Albany (frequent ultra winner). Local stars Phil Nesbitt, Ed Housel, Ted Thull and GRTC President Wilt Alston (in what we believe will be his first ultra) are in the field"


This event is turning out to be historic and I am so lucky to be apart of the history.


I do not know how the race will play out on Saturday but with it being my last ultra of the year for 2013, I might as well go for it. What do  I have to lose? 



The race is over and let me tell you my legs are feeling it today!  It was a hard fought race where the pace we went out in was under 7 minute pace at many points.  I kept that pace until my GPS watch died around the end of Lap 2 into Lap 3.

The race course was actually deceptively challenging. The continuous ups and downs really got to you by laps 4 and 5 of the course. The course being a lovely wooded section with hardly any roots and great trail conditions made for a fast day out there.  The rain towards the end did in fact take away from quick foot speed but by that point, I think everyone was ready to finish like myself included. I had a great time running a 50k which in comparison to a 50 miler is much different than going that additional 20 or so miles in a 50 miler.  The 50k race started out hot from the get-go with Daven leading the way.  I hung behind assessing our pace and just having fun. At times my watch would read 6 minute pace and other times we were near mid to low 7's just depending on a hill or a downhill or flat section. We were running strong.  I felt fairly fluid throughout the run. We kept pace for the whole first loop. Myself running a second or two behind Daven. I wanted to see the course so that I would not get lost or confused later on when I knew I would be tired.  We went through the first 10k aid station point and then continued on lap 2.  Somewhere in Lap 2 we continued to run together and with our blistering 6 minute range pace even on the uphills and then by about mile two in lap 2, I caught even with Daven and then kept going at that fast pace.

Thanks to Tom Perry For these awesome photos:

Making the climb near mile 2 of the race 1st loop of the 50k

Loop 1

Ready to take my Jacket off!

Loop 2

Loop 2 at this point in the photo, I had kept going at that fast pace and just focused on being relaxed. I knew I was already primed to run well so even I was going to tank in the race, I was going to be happy with my performance regardless. The winding trails of Mendon were a lot of fun. The uphills were a challenge later on in the race and the cool weather I think allowed for me to run quick as I enjoy colder weather. The rain made it even cooler on the last loop. And so the games begun. I was running relaxed going up and down the hills of Mendon.

Loop 3

 *By Loop 3, I was in a rhythm except for the fact that my GPS watch died in the second lap past the 5k aid station. I had no idea what pace I was running so I was running quick. I took my gels at this point to get some calories and sugar going and my stomach was actually a little off this run. I had some indigestion from the Hammer Heed which I do not totally love but I fought through it. At this point, I was starting to feel the beginning signs of fatigue but nothing too tough. I also was not enjoying the fact that it was a loop course and I still had 2+ more loops to go.

Loop 4

By Loop 4, the saying goes "The wheels have come off the bus". I was fatigued. From the 20 mile point to the 31 mile point, my legs had enough. I was not running downhills fast and efficient. I was clopping and having loud footstrikes. I used gels to help keep me going and man I got really hungry this loop too. I was ready for an aid station to manifest a yummy cheeseburger. It was during this time that I thought of all of the hard work that has been put in to get myself to this point. I think of myself as an average 25 year old: going to graduate school, trying to figure out life. My only difference is I love to run and run I shall! This Fall has been a culmination of hard work. Getting into Ultra running, I never thought I would be able to thrive in the sport so quickly but I have just listened to my body and been as smart as I could on the day. Here I was on my fourth lap of a 50k running under course record pace after running both the Virgil Crest Ultra 50 miler in end of September the Can-Lake 50 in October 12 and two weeks later a 50k. I would not do this again in terms of race running. I did not have enough time to recover and then train to build fitness again. You need at least a month for that training to increase your performance.

Loop 5

Loop 5, I lost tons of time in the race. I had trouble powering my legs on the ups and the downhill sections I just managed a crawl. I was running ok but my early pace had finally caught up with me.  And with 6 miles to go, anything could happen. The rain began to fall and I was like NOOOO! By this moment, the trails were a little muddy and you had to be a little cautious on the descents. I stopped at the last aid station to drink some water and power it home. Those last three miles I think I actually started to feel better. I knew I was about to finish and my legs responded a little better than lap 4.
I hit the final section of trail heading across the road and into the finish. I knew I had the race and kicked it in like it was a 5k. It felt great to cap off such a season!

THE FINAL KICK TO THE FINISH!!!!!!!

Kicking with track speed!

With this finish I came in at 3:41:55 under the 3:52 previous course record. It was an incredible year and Fall season of running.  I never thought in my wildest dreams I would be able to get myself this fit. I won the USATF Niagara Ultra Running Series with 351 points which I think might be the highest point total to date. Now I have to wait to get a sweet winner's jacket in the upcoming weeks. And what is exciting is that I still have tons of time to build and grow.  I am brand new to Ultra running and this year has shown some success and I cannot wait to build on it for 2014.


Items Used For Race:

Ultimate Direction Scott Jurek Bottle
Ultimate Direction Essential Belt
6 GU Roctane Gels
3 Cups of Water
1 Cup of Heed (it made my stomach funny)
1 20oz bottle of GU Brew it start the race
Acidotic Racing Head Buff
Mammut MTR 201 Pro Low (Spring 2014 release)
Mammut Active Cap (Black)
Mammut MTR 201 Longsleeve Zip
Mammut MTR 141 Thermo Longsleeve Zip
Mammut Go-Far Hoody
Mammut MTR 71 shorts
Mammut MTR 201 Micro Jacket
Zensah Calf Sleeves


So what it comes down to now is what do I do next?  Well, for starters, I am going to take some time off and just enjoy running. Build that base and get ready for snowshoe season.  Might I do a turkey trot for fun, yeah why not!  I can say that it has been a great journey and I really appreciate all the support.

I would love to have everyone voice their opinions on what races I should place on my calendar for 2014.  I am looking for 2-3 High Profile 50 milers for 2014 with some space inbetween them. Here has been some of my thoughts so far.

Lake Sonoma 50 Miler in California in April

Cayuga Trails 50 Miler in Ithaca, NY (Redemption Race)

Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile Road Championships (October)

JFK 50 mile Road (November)


I have other races of interest such as the Adirondack Marathon, the ADK 80k, Manitou's Revenge, Stonecat 50 miler. If you have any suggestions of races you would like to see me at, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Top Three at Mendon!

Race Results: http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=19386


Thank you to everyone at USATF Niagara, New York Ultra racers, Mammut, Acidotic Racing, Karhu, Craft, Fits Socks, Dion Snowshoes and Confluence Running/Finger Lakes Running for giving me the support and time to have an incredible year! Thank you to my father, my family, and my love and inspiration, Ashlee Prewitt for all the support she gives!

The prize for finishing a cool map of the course!

My birthday present, bundles of socks!!!

Race Ready: Zensah Green Calf Sleeves, Mammut MTR 201 Pro, Fits Ultra Light Runner No-show, and MTR 71 shorts!

Thank you everyone for a great year!

 

 

Here are some more photos provided from the event!!!!!!!!!