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!

Start the Year Tough: World Snowshoe Championships and Breakneck Point Trail Marathon

Let us start talking about how the World Snowshoe Championships went.

I was excited for the race in that for the first time it would be held in the US.
Location: Saranac Lake, NY

I was not able to get a ton of time on snowshoes before the race (maybe 2 runs) but felt confident in my snowshoe running ability.

The World Championship course was expected to have record snow. Little did they know, that the week leading into the race, the 6 feet of snow base they had melted to the point where the race almost did not go on.

Now enter the World Championship Snowshoe race as more of a Tough Mudder than anything else.

Race temps were near 60! That's right 60 degrees.

I had a great family support with my delectable wife, Ashlee and my wonderful Father along for the ride. I also had my really cool Redfeather ColeVapor Snowshoes that have my name etched into them.

 

 

We were able to have some fun in the Lake Placid area before and even after the race. We went to many of the cute Adirondack shops and was able to get a true Authentic Adirondack Winter Experience.

The race though  was my worst executed snowshoe race of my career. The course was reduced to an 8k and volunteers shoveled what little snow they had around the clock just so the series of races could even go on.

My hats are off to the incredible volunteers, the town of Saranac Lake and US Snowshoe Director, Mark Elmore for putting everything together.

Fast mountain and ultra runners such as Zach Miller and Joe Gray were toeing the line and my hope was to place in the top 15 and maybe even the top 10.

I made the mistake of getting boxed-in at the start as the course funneled runners through a very narrow track. I almost tripped and went to about 50th place. Looking back at the run, I should had remained relaxed and gradually worked my way through the crowd. But instead, I wasted more than my fair share of precious energy to surge back into the top 10 places. I was running through deep mud off of the icy trail path. With each step, mud was being kicked-up and kept hitting rutted-out sections more reminiscent of a potholed road.  I hit hard paces around 6-7 minutes a mile to catch-up.

I soon linked-up with Jared Burdick, a teammate of MPF/RNR and we kept pace together.  I then began to make a move. By the end of the first loop, I was feeling gassed. I tried to hammer the next uphill section but could not. The mud, ruts, and panic of being farther back wore on me. I felt that with ever step, my legs felt like lead, especially my right foot. Jared soon passed me as well as many others.

I laughed after falling face-first into a mud section that have virtual rivers on the once icy trail. I thought to myself, "This is not a Snowshoe race!". I brought it home and finished in 25th place in 34 minutes. I was off from my goal of 15th place and under but I was happy to be in one piece.

As I headed to the car, I later found that I had lost a tailpiece from my awesome Colevapor Snowshoes by Redfeather. I took the shoe out of the bag and chunky mud came right out of the shoe. It turned out that I was running with what felt like a 50 lb weight on my right foot.

This still with a bad race was a great weekend. Teammates: Jared ran to 13th place and Matt Lipsey ran to a stellar 8th place.

To conclude the weekend. All of the power in Lake Placid went out and its was sheer pandemonium in our hotel. We were hit with 8 inches of fresh snow and ice overnight and as the whole town shut down, the only place available for food was at the hotel. It felt like the end of the world but nothing that a few post-race adult beverages couldn't solve.

The next morning we dug out and adopted two adorable dogs: Ozzy and Daisy!  A true adventure that I will never forget.

Team MPF/RNR post World Champ Snowshoe Race. Credits: Ashlee Prewitt Crosby

Breakneck Point Trail Run: Marathon

I finally mustered enough courage to give this race a shot. I had run some of the trails through here and was truly amazed with how unique and challenging they were. This would be a solid rust-buster of a race for me to kick-off my schedule.

2016: Year in Review

The year of 2016 was a busy, but wonderful year.  I have traveled a bunch, running in some cool places. I have also had the chance to race a decent amount with some decent finishes. I am eager to take the lessons that I have learned into the new year. I also was able to tie the knot with the love of my life, Ashlee which was the most incredible moment of my life.

Some Highlights of the year:

1. Got married!!!
2. Ran in all kinds of cool places
3. Have an awesome job
4. Have made so many new friends
5. I am in good health
6. Nothing to complain about only happy memories of the year.



With my job at Nathan, I have traveled as far west as California for work trip and as far south as Texas and Florida. It has been such a wild time. I am looking forward to a fun 2017 with the company. Here is my photo montage of the year as the Nathan Eastern Region Tech Rep:

Ragnar with the Salomon Crew. Photo Credits: Cole C.

Nathan at USB Sales Conference. Photo Creds: Dan Suher

Ragnar events. Photo Cred: Cole C.

Weekend getaway with Ashlee at Letchworth State Park. Photo Credits: Ashlee Prewitt Crosby

Demo with Finger Lakes Run Co and Robert K. Photo Credits: Cole C.

Demo run in Asheville, NC. Photo Credits: Andrew Snow

The Perfect Oklahoma Wedding. Photo Credits: Bailey Salisbury.

Demo in Hotlanta. Photo Credits: Cole C.

Fun DC Demo run with Fire Up Your Run night and Johnathan. Photo Credits: Cole C.

Fall Running in Princeton, NJ. Photo Credits Cole C.

Christmas long run. Photo Credits: Cole C.

For my races in 2016: I ran 6 Key races/events and here is how they went:

Febuary I ran the Cast-A-Shadow race which is usually a snowshoe race but instead was a 6 hour muddy trail run.

I placed 1st running about 42 miles in the 6 hours.

Running strong. Photo Credits: Ron Herkins JR.

March: Caumsett 50k: 7th place
Then I raced the Caumsett 50k, a USATF 50k road championship. I placed 7th in a PR run of 3:11 which I was happy with due to no specific speedwork in training and some nutrition issues during the race.

Running with the Pack and friend, Eric Senseman. Photo Credits: Charles Crosby

April: Hyner View Challenge  3rd Place.

A Race where I had no expectations as I had not gotten any elevation training in months, the effort paid off. I ran with Mike Daigeaun and Adam Russel and helped push the pace to all three of us besting the old course record. Quite a day. And it was a blast hanging with the Nathan crew.

1st big climb. Photo Credits: Momentum Photography.

Chasing the leaders at the first climb. Photo Credits: Mark Lengel




June: Cayuga Trails 50 mile: US Trail Champs DNF
DNF at mile 28. Puking my guts out. I came into this race primed and fit. I left it broken after having pre-race nutrition mis-cues. No whole fruit with the skins EVER AGAIN! It was great to see so many great performances even with the heat.

3 cool dudes. Photo Credits: Lauren Ashley.




 

September: I Run For Half Marathon and Marathon : 1st in 2:38

This race I used as training for Tussey Mountainback but it went as well as it could have gone with me bonking pretty hard at mile 18 but great effort given the hills.

Myself with Anne. Photo Credits: VPPhoto.com




October: Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile/USATF 50 mile road champs: 3rd place in 6:22
 

This race for me I had a solid training block for it but was a physical and mental wreck come race day and fell apart at mile 21. The hardest I have ever fought in a race to come out holding on to third place was by far the race of the year for me.

Last long run before Tussey. Photo Credit: Cole C.

 

 

 

Tussey Pre-race gear. Photo Credits: Cole C.

SO what does that mean for 2017 you ask? Well, I hope to mix things up. I feel more comfortable in my current job with Nathan and will be looking to add some great races to the mix.

Here are a list of goals and races I on my radar to run in 2017:

Some Snowshoe Races: This would include the World Champs in Saranac Lake, NY and National Champs at Bend, Oregon.

Setting some FKTs around some of the larger Finger Lakes: Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka etc.

Syracuse Half-Marathon

Hyner View Challenge 25k

Breakneck 42k

Binghamton Bridge Run Half Marathon

UROC 100k in Virginia or Dirty German 50 mile

Ontario Summit Trail Marathon

Herald of Victory Marathon: Guinness World Record for Marathon in Toga

Maybe Cayuga Trails 50

Finger Lakes 50 Mile

Twisted Branch 100k


Fall 100 miler or 100k

Tesla Hertz 100k or 100 mile

Stonemill 50

Hellgate 100k


I want to thank everyone who has been with me this incredible journey in 2016.

Thank you to my lovely Wife, Ashlee.

Thank you to my friends, family and the whole team at Nathan and USB!

Thank you to my sponsors who have helped me become the person I am today:

Mammut North America: for being with me every step of the way with the best shoes, apparel, and gear in the industry.

Nathan for being not only my employer but also with aiding me with the best in hydration, visibility, gear and runner's care essentials.

Team RNRMPF for allowing me to be on a roster with some of the best and most kindhearted trails runners in the East.

Boom Nutrition for helping to fuel me with the all-natural fruit power of Boom gels.

Fits Socks for making the best merino wool socks that fit better than a glove.

Redfeather snowshoes for the ColeVapor shoe and the best in snowshoes.

Karhu NA for great road shoes for all of my ultra training and road running exploits.

Craft NA for the best baselayers, running tights and winter gear.





Here is to what has been an incredible 2016 and I will raise a glass to 2017. Time to make some dreams and turn them into reality!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Summer: A Tale of an ultra DNF, a Road Race, and The Journey for Perfection

The summer has began to take shape. I have finished with Graduate school and so now I am a free man to spend my time working on my career, running to my hearts content, and spending time with friends and family.  Making the transition from school to the "real world" has been hectic but I can finally write to you noting that I have made some strides in my transition.

To begin the summer season, I decided to run the Binghamton Bridge Run for a fun tune-up half marathon effort before Cayuga Trails.  I felt that as I have never run this race, it was a great idea to finally take the plunge and compete at the event.  I was still a little banged up from the 50k Provisional World Record Indoor Track Attempt but was training at close to full-strength so I thought, why not jump into a road race. 

CHAPTER 1: The Binghamton Bridge Run---A Grand Ole' Time!

While still living in Cortland, NY at the time, the early morning drive saw me rise at 5 am and then head the 40-50 minutes to Binghamton.  I stopped and loaded up on Dunkin Doughnuts as there is nothing better than a small iced coffee and a glazed doughnut before running hard. I had no idea what expectations I had coming into the race except to contest for the win and run a smooth first 5k then pick up the pace based on how I felt. I never had the intention to shoot for a personal best but if the race dictated that type of effort, then I would do what I could.

I showed up to the race site just in the nick of time as I had 15 minutes before the start. I collected my bib and did a few strides and then I lined up for the race.  I also took a Boom Grape/Pomegranate gel right before the race start which is a strategy of mine to give me a consistent flow of energy so that I do not have to worry about low calories during the race.Talking with people I heard I had some competition for the win with a Ben Snodgrass, who just graduated from Binghamton University and has been tearing up the local road racing scene with some solid times. I saw him at the line and he mentioned that he was doubling both the Half Marathon and 5k and I thought he might try to run this race more conservative. 

The gun shot off and we were off to begin 13.1 miles of sheer fun. I went to the lead with a small pack of about 4 of us with Ben Snodgrass running stride by stride with myself.   We immediately started talking and decided to get rolling after the first 5k as we were running 5:45-5:50+ miles and I wanted to separate early from the chase group.  With the next two miles in 5:18 and 5:21 that separation was created and then became ultimately a 2-man race. 

Thank you Cassandra Hamilton for these photos:

As you can see the chase pack and one other runner right behind us only 2 miles into the race.

Miles 3-5 saw us form quite a solid gap.

From 10k-Mile 10:

We kept pace and chatted the whole way clicking off miles in the 5:20 range as the weather was perfect and it was nice to have some solid company.  I slowly tried testing Ben's willingness to change tempo as we would surge for one mile then ease up the next followed by another surge. Once I hit 10k around 35:26 (5:42 mile pace), I knew I had to start trying to go more uptempo.  From 10k to mile 10, I through in some strong surges seeing if I could drop Ben.   

Clicking off 4 miles at around 5:05-5:13

We ran those 4 miles from 10k to mile 10 in 20:35 with a 5k split of 16:13! 

As you can see, Ben kept stride with me the whole time. We stopped chatting a little during this point but then recollected coming into the final 5k of the race. He was ready to run and ran really strong as the moves I made only dropped him a mere second at points during those 4 miles yet he always managed to surge back.

Photo Credits: Harry J. Back

Last 5k: We hit the 5k easing up from our last miles and then picked up the pace the last mile and we decided it would come down to a sprint finish. We hit the final finish shoot and his track speed gave him the edge as he pulled away by about 2 seconds. I began to close quick the last meters to almost nip him at the line finishing the race a mere .8 seconds behind. 

I placed 2nd and really enjoyed the whole experience! I had never run a road race able to chat it up running a solid 32:13. I also had the chance to rock the new MPF/Red Newt Jersey and man was it fun to represent a great team! The rest of the day was spent talking to people about my ultra running, Mammut, and the new Red Newt/MPF trail running team!  Thank to my family to Mammut North America, Fits Socks, Red Newt/MPF, Karhu North America/ Craft Sports North America, Redfeather Snowshoes, Boom Nutrition for all of your support.

CHAPTER 2: Cayuga Trails 50: DNF Stands for Delirious, Nervous, Faint

I was all primed for Cayuga. I had done my fair share of hilly runs, solid mileage, fast training runs and lots of steps.  The week of the race, I caught some sinus problems from moving into a new house in Binghamton, NY and had my fair share of workouts moving belongings from our third floor apartment into our cars and moving vans. It was a long week of moving and very hard to find the time to do nothing and rest up to totally eliminate my sinus troubles. Unfortunately for race day, I still had some sinus issues but felt as ready as I could be for the event. We woke up early from our new home in Endicott, NY and made the 55 minute drive to Ithaca. I was very tired both physically and mentally from a long week of moving but it is where the sport of ultra running shows you that it is in those moments of fatigue that you can find your strength.

I made it to the race site with about 20 minutes to spare. That was just enough time to check-in and use the bathroom and pose for a few photos:

Photo Credits: Mountain Peak Fitness

**I had all of my new MPF/Red Newt Mammut gear screen printed and it looked great for the race. I linked up with some of the members of the team and began to get ready for a big race. I had aspirations of running near the top 5 and if it was in the cards, maybe surpass my own expectations with a podium spot.  The race this year went out like it does every year though the pace felt a little more controlled than the previous two years. As the field began to push through the various steps and ravines of this grueling course, I started to scan the competition for some tough runners that I knew would be there in the end. I kept my eyes on Andrew Benford, who has some USA Mountain Running experience and though his first 50 miler I believe, his ability to combine fast marathons with mountain running experience would make him a strong podium contender. I kept him in eye sight to help gauge my effort.  I linked up close to Ben Nephew as I have always run with him at times during this race the past two years and have not been able to close at the end so I knew keying my race off of him would give me the chance for a solid finish. 

The pace through the first few miles felt solid as I ran within myself. I could see Ben in the slight distance with other runners right in contact. As we went up and down the gorges of Ithaca, my Gps watch kept hitting my other watch and messing up my passing and mileage. I kept playing around with it and then gave up and kept running by feel. My sinus pressure felt okay though I tried not to let some stuffiness get my mental game. I remained tough and kept along the pace. The field strung out as we crossed the deep creek and headed to Lick Brook. Chad Trumbo and myself with Ben Nephew linked up pretty well in Lick Brook and we ran together nice and solid. The pace felt 7:30's on downhills and 8-8:20 a mile as we recovered from a 10 minute mile uphill section from miles 6-15. Myself and Chad worked together pretty solidly while Ben was with us and at times would relax a little only to find him right with us a few minutes later if that. It was a pack of three!

I took the lead at the big Lick Brook Climb and gained a little separation as out of my race, that power hike up the incline was my crowning achievement for the race. I felt pretty relaxed hiking up the trail.  

Photo Credits: Mountain Peak Fitness

*The photo here shows at the section at Buttermilk Falls, Chad had been in and out of the aid station and we both on the downhill to the Buttermilk Aid station put up a little bit of time (seconds) on Ben. The photo shows justice. I felt good here as well strategically running and power hiking sections incredibly well and had much more left even with us running about pace for sub 7:20 for 50 miles. That would be a 20 minute or so PR on this course for me though my last two runs at this race I have not been at full-strength so my potential on this course I have yet to experience. I felt like this day would be the day.  I kept fueling with my Boom gels and was on tap with gels every 45 minutes and my energy levels felt solid. I put in a surge and linked up with Chad.

We ran strong together and I think picked it up some as we were approaching the turn around. At the river crossing (Underpass) aid station we both caught Fred Joslyn and another gentlemen and that was a big boost for us as we were closing well. If we could keep our pace, we would run a spectacular time.  

It was at the dreaded Lucifer steps, 4 miles from the turn around where something odd happened. I was running powerhiking this section with the group feeling still strong but ready for some more gels when my heart rate skyrocketed and my vision went dark for a few seconds. While almost at the top, i braced the wall of the steps to hold myself upright. My vision returned and a ringing noise popped up in my ears. My head felt cloudy and highly pressurized like some soda cans that were shaken up. I suddenly felt extremely weak. I lost the group of guys as I felt like I was going nowhere. I looked back and saw Ben ascending up the steps. I could not go up the steps as I wavered on each step trying to retain balance. From Ben's perspective, I must have looked like some drunk fool dancing around the steps almost 1,150 feet high. I regained a little focus once at the top, took a gel, and drank the last of the GU brew in my bottle. I was bummed I lost contact after running so smart and strong the first 20+ miles. I descended into the next aid station and took my time fueling up thinking maybe it was low blood sugar.  I then headed to the turn around. 

Photo Credits: SportTracks!

I did not feel good at all. I felt dizzy, delirious and faint.  I felt my race would now be a long suffer fest for another 25 miles. This is not how I wanted my race to go. I felt dejected as I was passed by maybe 4-6 people in those last 4 miles. I would have to run really strong to improve upon my 7th place finish from 2014 (last year). I had trained very well this year and felt my progress was to lead to a high-caliber finish for this race. That was not in the cards for the day.  I told my family that if I would improve how I felt by the Buttermilk Aid station mile 37 or 38 , I would continue to the finish. I spent quite some time fueling up and off I went. I ran and power hiked the sections but my energy even with all the calories felt rock bottom. It was great to see Carlo and Silas, both Red Newt/MPF teammates run so well. I felt bad I had nothing to keep pace. The next 12 miles I was pretty much to myself. I kept running but my pace dramatically slowed. Everything felt heavy and my vision turned to tunnel vision where I could only make out the trail and a pink flag as the course marker. At the turn around (Mile 25) I noticed this tunnel vision and lack of specificity in my vision. At times I almost missed turns on the course and I tired to be optimistic but as I left Lick Brook and entered Buttermilk, nothing seemed to change as I kept up with my 45 minute gel strategy. I was thinking, it cannot be blood sugar. I caught both Sam Jurek and Fred Joslyn as they were struggling from the early pace. I was passed by Brian Rusiecki, a east coast ultra stud who I have been blessed to race with at Cayuga Trails and Manitous Revenge. I told him I was having a rough day and it was maybe low blood sugar. Like the gentleman he is offered gels and I kindly declined. I kept going to the aid station. 

I then descended into Buttermilk. Physically, I felt better as my legs could offer my last two miles in 7:10 and 6:52.  As far as the way my vision was, I was exactly the same. As an oath to myself, as I came to the aid station greeted with the cheers of my name from the Trails Roc crew, I said my number and that I was seriously dropping. I will forever remember their shouts of "NO, NO, NO, Don't Do IT". I felt done. I laid in a nice chair and took in calories of every goody out there. I consumed oreos, broth, watermelon, gels, M&Ms etc. The color in my face soon started to return but I still felt like I was KO'd at a boxing match with little birdies flying around my head like a cartoon.

MY Race was OVER.  I called it quits at Mile 37/38. I was in 11th place at the time of the drop which was not too bad but I felt off of what I could do.  Trails Roc worked hard to convince me to keep going but there was no such luck getting me to change my mind. I met my father and Ashlee at the aid station, spent 15-20 minutes there then headed into the van to return to the finish line. 

I had the chance to see the first few finishers who ran solid races. Amazing performances  across the board. The collection of times were much faster than the previous two years.

Here is where I thank everyone who made this day a huge success.

Thank you Ian Golden for putting on such a well-run event. The race seems to get better and better each year. 

Thank you to all of the volunteers and runners out on the course that gave some encouragement out there. It is always a great boost to hear my name out on the course.  The aid stations were perfect with great help from some stand-up people. Thank you to the Trails Roc crew for all of their help and support. You are one fabulous band of people.

Thank you to my sponsors:

Mammut North America: The MTR line continues to improve and our MTR 201 Tech Low performed as a super competitive shoe for trail racing and ultra marathons. The cushioning of the shoe blew me away and the upper feels luxurious for swelling feet and the outsole felt good on every surface Cayuga Trails had to offer. The MTR 201 Tech Low is a must-buy Mammut shoe! The new apparel keeps me dry, fits perfect, and chaffing...that word is not in my vocabulary.

Boom Nutrition: The tattoos were great. I had them on my legs but washed away in the big creek crossing. Of course your gels keep me going with a boom of real fruit energy and flavor with the most calories of any energy gel. 

Fits socks: Best fitting socks around. No blisters as my Light Runner Low socks have just enough padding for the ultras but keep my feet dry in the moist, dank, and wet conditions of Cayuga like a real champion does.

Mountain Peak Fitness/Red Newt Racing Team: Thank you Elizabeth and Joe, Ian too for all the support, and for having such a great team of people that love the outdoors. 

Redfeather Snowshoes: Thank you for keeping me fit in the winter as the hard training is paying off this summer!

Finger Lakes Running/Confluence/Run On Hudson: For a great job helping to help shape our running community. And great tattoos!

Karhu/Craft Sports: For amazing gear and footwear I train in and race in while on the roads. 

USATF Niagara: For being a great governing body for our sport here in Upstate New York.

Thank you to my friends, family and everyone who reads this. Your support and enthusiasm keeps me running!

Chapter 3: The Journey From Here:

The Nervous side of this race comes with the NOW. 

Amazing MTR 201 Tech Low shoes that have been a major player in solid training and racing! Amazing job Mammut!

So where does my racing take me now?  I am currently training for the Whiteface Skymarathon which I hope to run a race where I can redeem myself from the DNF at Cayuga Trails. I have been getting in some solid hill training in to hopefully improve my overall fitness and prepare my muscle-memory for the rigors of a sky race.  I have been talked into running both the Gorges Ithaca Half Marathon and the Vestal 20k both as road races to provide some uptempo training for myself which is always a good thing.

Here is a photo from JFK 50 last Fall. I came into that race, still not fully-recovered from some bad bronchitis but rallied to a 5th place finish. 

After a summer where I had a severe ankle injury, I was recovered well and raced to a course record at the Virgil Crest 50k. 

USA SNOWSHOE NATIONALS----Eau Claire, Wisconsin From 13th one day to 5th the next day! The Longer the Better!

Well, it has been about a month since my race at Snowshoe Nationals, and I have found that I have a little time to start working on my thoughts on the whole trip and the race weekend!

Some cool links to the Race Weekend: http://snowshoenationals.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Half-Marathon-Division-Results.pdf

http://snowshoenationals.com/


The trip was a wonderful 5 days and it was great to see another part of the country.  I began my trip boarding a plane from Syracuse Int. Airport around 7am to Philadelphia then off to Minneapolis. I had some flight delays which cost me some extra hours of settling in hence why I flew 2 days before the first race. I ate plenty of Auntie Anne's pretzels as I awaited my arrival in Minneapolis.

Once I made it the Minneapolis around 4pm Central time, I was pleased to be greeted with plenty of sunshine but they had almost no snow maybe a half an inch. I thought... "I hope there will be enough snow in Eau Claire to even have a race." I picked up my sweet luxury Toyota Corolla with back-up camera and fancy headlights and headed out to Eau Claire, WI.  After my 90 minute drive, I picked-up some pizza for dinner and then checked into my room for the next four days and headed to Walmart to pick-up some few items. I was settling in.

The next day was nice as I had the whole morning of Friday to kill some time before registration at 1pm. What was nice was that my hotel was a mile from the race site so I had plenty of time to explore Eau Claire. The city/town of Eau Claire reminds me of any typical 70k Midwestern town.  There was a shopping mall, tons of franchise eateries, a state college which I had the opportunity to check out a little, a nice downtown with some cool shops and boutiques and fairly easy driving.  I began my morning with a 4 mile jog around town as their was maybe 2-3 inches of snow on the ground but we had perfect sunshine and very  cold temps hovering -20 in around 7 am warming to about 11 by midday.  It was fun to explore town and to get myself prepped for the 10k/half marathon double.

Once it was close to 1pm and I had explored the University of Eau Claire, the downtown, the shopping mall, etc, I made my way to the race site. I hit the highway and took the exit near all of these car dealerships to the Expo Center. I parked my car and proceeded to head in.

I was pleased to meet Bob and Denise Dion, Owners of Dion Snowshoes, Mark Elmore, Director of the USA Snowshoe Association and my new friends at Redfeather Snowshoes who I joined their athlete team this winter. It was great to spend some time chatting with everyone and catching up. By the way, I was amazed with how Redfeather operates as a Non-Profit Organization and the amount of creativity they put into all of their snowshoes. I was pleased to have my Redfeather Vapors adjusted with a better crampon for the hardly packed snow of this race.  After meeting with everyone, I decided to preview the course.

I was treated to a wonderful course of open vistas, some hills, and wonderful winding single-track and double-track trails. The snow was fast. I jogged the 10k in 47 minutes. This would be a solid winning time in any NY State snowshoe race this season as we received our fair share of snow I could not even believe what the pace would be tomorrow. I felt that a PR would be what would happen over the weekend.

I headed to the athlete Meet-N-Greet at the Local Store and V1 gallery. The food and wine samples were great. I also picked-up some great souvenirs. We found out that 2016 Nationals would take place in Ogden, Utah...time for altitude training. It was a fun social event then off I headed for bed for the bid day.

I felt primed for a top performance in the 10k and Half Marathon and was hoping to place top 5 if I had a great day in both events.
The morning of the 10k, it was a cold morning with temps in the below zero range with things warming to about 10 degrees by mid-afternoon. I had all of my awesome Mammut gear ready to go such as my Denali Tights, Anergy Thermo Vest, and MTR 141 Thermo Half Zip. I had two pairs of Fits Socks on my feet, and Acidotic Racing Beanie, Sunglasses, a Craft Thermal Baselayer and Gunde Shorts, and some Boom gels to power me through.

RACE DAY-----10k National Championships  Hosted by Dion Snowshoes

It was cold!!!! -10 degrees to start out the morning. Not too much wind, just straight cold air. I had a nice warm-up and felt as ready as I ever would. I had great snowshoe training this winter and had some solid races even with feeling tired at both events. I knew this would be more like a track race than a snowshoe race so I was prepared to let the race come to me. I wanted to run as relaxed as possible and to maintain contact with the top 5-7 positions to be in contention for the National Team. The field was very strong so I knew I would have to put up a really solid run to place top 5. Guys like Eric Hartmark(MN), Scott Gall(IA), Zach Rivers (NY), Jeff Quednow(WI) and many more. 
The race went out hard. Our first kilometer went through in 3:08
 (5 minute pace!)  We then slowed to a 3:20 kilometer for the second k.  It was a fast pace from the get-go and I was in great position but the pace was tough! I felt like this pace could not be maintained the whole time as it was a relentless pace but the top guys were able to manage a fairly decent average not too far off from the first few k's.

Photo Credits (Skymotion Media)

Photo Credits (Skymotion Media)

The first 2k of the 10k race!

 

Photo Credits (Brandon Nall)

 

Photo Credits (Brandon Nall)

Photo Credits (Brandon Nall)

Coming around the woods loop at 8k

 

 

As you can see, we ran a blistering pace. I think the first mile was in 5:20 or so. With that pace and the cold air, I was foolish enough to not wear anything to cover my face as the cold air seemed to almost shock my system by 5k into the race. I stayed in a solid place 5-8 but soon I felt my chest seize up on me like I was having a heart attack. What was going on??? Physically, my body felt ok but my lungs were trying to power myself as much as possible but I felt like I was running backwards. Was I running underwater? I hoped it was a cramp so I pressed on but my chest never really improved. It sucked. I started to look all pale and was struggling so bad. Like any ultra runner I let the things that happen be as they are and work through the kinks so that hopefully I can improve. Though I never felt better. I went from National Team contention to just trying not to make myself look like a fool out there.

 I  was passed by a couple of guys as I had no response to even move-up. I finished in 13th in the race and ran about 42:30.  It was disappointing to run not so well but it happens in sports. My thought as I reflected on the race was that the cold air at that fast pace zapped my chest a little too much as I had a hard time breathing and warming up the air.  The course was beautiful though it was hard to enjoy while suffering the way I did. I am glad I hung on tough as all of my gear performed great!  I wore all the right layers, my Karhu Flow Trails kick but and my Redfeather Vapors have changed my snowshoe racing for the better. As I reflected on the race I felt that some form of warm face mask would have kept me in the game but you never know when it comes to competition. I felt hungry for the next day as I wanted to run solid for the Half Marathon and go for the win. I fueled up and got some rest for the big day.

 

Redfeather Snowshoes National Half Marathon Championship!!!

 

 What a perfect day to snowshoe. It was cold but around mid teens and snowing which was much better than the other day. I warmed-up as per usual and physically felt as fresh as could be. Maybe suffering in the 10k was good to prep my body for feeling well-rested for a race I had been waiting for since I found out last summer. As I hit the start line, I noticed all of the top 5 guys from yesterday's 10k on the line too. Dang! Well, my hope was to go for the win but maybe this race was going to be harder than expected. I took to the lead of the race and began to run a fast but comfortable tempo. The top guys followed suit. I think my wardrobe change to the grey Mammut Hoody and Green Beanie plus a face wrag was a great move. I fueled with Boom Raspberry gels during the race: one before the start and one past the 10k.  That worked great. On this day I was a different Cole Crosby.

 

Photo Credits (Brandon Nall)

 

 

The pace was still fast for a half marathon but we went out much more controlled. It was going to be a battle of attrition. Who could hold on to the pace set in the beginning the longest?  As you can see I soon dropped the lead pack of three as I was red-lining a little bit too much so I felt that I had to run a little more within myself. I dropped back but still had plenty of steam to go.

 

 I am off in the distance in fourth.

Photo Credits (Brandon Nall)

 

From there, Eric Hartmark pulled up on me and I let him pass but still wanted to maintain eye-sight of him. Was I going to be passed again like yesterday. The answer would be...NO! 

I hung tough and went through the first lap in about 47:50. I grabbed some water and then kept going after my Boom gel. I knew that 5th and 6th were closing on me. I was in no-man's land so I told myself to kick it in gear if I wanted that 5th team position. I rallied in the last 10k. I started to gain my second wind and pretty soon I was whipping through the trails smiling enjoying the peacefulness of the race fueling at the aid stations and closing on 4th and 3rd even. Eric at the 10k had about a minute and a half of a lead on me. By the end of the race, it was 30 seconds!  My last 4k was amazing. I felt like I was flying with a big old smile on my face as the Half Marathon felt more like my race. The peaceful snow falling and my focus on my own running was intense and vibrant.  I continued to push the pace until the final circuit around the stadium into the finish. I came across the line in 5th place a National Team spot in 1:34:37 where I negative split the last 10k pretty well. I was so pleased to run well in the Half Marathon as the 10k the day before was not a good performance at all. The guys in front of me deserved their placing and props to Scott Gall who won both the 10k and Half Marathon!  I still have a lot of work to do in the sport of snowshoe running. I do not have the speed for the 10k yet. Maybe I can get there. For year three of snowshoe racing, it was a good one.

 

I got to spend the rest of my time in Eau Claire, hanging out with buddies Jon and Matt Grey who drove to see me on a whim and man was it great to see those guys. It had been too long but they have always been like family to me and I think we will always be close till our dying days. Monday, I flew back to Upstate New York, Land of deep snow and cold.

 

Overall, this was an incredible trip. I loved every moment of it. I did miss Ashlee like crazy but I hope for next year we can get her to come along to Ogden, Utah.  I am excited to race the new Marathon Distance Snowshoe Race in 2016 as the longer running is more of my style. What a great season of Snowshoe Racing and I am very grateful for the opportunity to race and represent such awesome companies.

 

Thank you Mammut North America: Your support as my Title Sponsor has been tremendous and I am so luckily and blessed to be apart of the team!

Thank you Fits Socks for the best fitted Merino Wool socks on the market.

Thank you Acidotic Racing and Chris Dunn for your continued support and connections in beautiful New Hampshire.

Thank you Boom Nutrition as your gels are not only the best tasting but have the best packaging, serving size, real-fruit, calories, and everything else that just plain works for athletes.

Thank you to Karhu and Craft North America for great road running shoes for my training and apparel that is great for training and your "cashmere of baselayers" fabric technology.

Thank you to the Finger Lakes Running Company and Confluence Running for keeping me going with gear and a wonderful career in Run Specialty.

Thank you to USATF Niagara.

 

Thank you to Redfeather Snowshoes for the best racing snowshoes I have ever owned. I had so much fun hanging with the crew and it was such an honor to represent the company at Nationals.

 

To a great winter!  Now it is time for Ultra season.  I feel my winter running in snowshoes has given me more strength than ever before. Onward!  

 

Next up will be to break Michael Wardian's 50k indoor track world record of 3:06:03! 6 minutes a mile for 31.1 miles. I plan on an attempt at the end of April!  Wish me luck!  Then it will be Cayuga Trails 50 in May!