Over the Mountains--From the Adirondacks to Mammut Headquarters and Back!

Let me begin by saying that my Trip out to Burlington, Vermont was Amazing!!!!!  I had some travel difficulties that I will explain in my post, but overall, it was well worth it.  Here's Why:

1. I had the chance to see the Adirondack Region for the first time

2. I set a summit record of Gore Mountain (3,600 feet in 2 miles)

3. I met all the amazing people at Mammut

4. I got some cool Mammut stuff

5. I got to see a little of Burlington, VT

6. I took a Ferry on the way back!

7. I saw some great fall foliage!

Leaving the farm country of Cortland, NY

Sign at Hoxie Gorge State Forest

Hoxie Gorge State Forest near Cortland, NY

Ok, so my story begins with me heading out in my Honda Accord on a perilous journey, through the wilds of the Adirondack region.  I began my trip from Cortland, NY around 9am. The plan was to be in Burlington around 1-2 to preview the HQ and get to meet everyone at the Mammut race/event.

I headed out to Syracuse then to the Utica area then out into the southern section of the Adirondacks near Lake Pleasant.  The drive was going great.  Around noon or so I would stop for a detour at Gore Mountain because while on this trip I desperately wanted to peak bag my first high Adirondack peak. Because of limited time, I thought that Gore Mountain would be a easy mountain to find and run up and down with not getting lost.  Driving into the Adirondack region was better than I imagined. There was lovely trees, rivers, mountains that are unlike any other mountains I have ever seen. The whole wilderness experience was awe-inspiring. Reading about the region in my Park Management classes was so amazing to know all of this intell and knowledge about the Adirondack Park but to actually see it was something special.  As I drooled out my window like a dog going for some yummy steak, I was fully enamored with the whole Adirondack Ethos!  Winding along the road passing through little towns and villages I just fell in love with the place the same as many others have before me.  In no-time I had made it to Gore Mountain.  Ok, it was time for a peak summit.  I got my running vest ready, my phone to map my run on Strava, my running shorts and gear and off I went.

Here are some photos I took on the descent of Gore Mountain:

Trail Map--Going from Base Lodge to Top Summit

Base Lodge

Mammut MTR 141 shoes!

High Peaks in the Distance--Had to be careful with the cliff drop-off

THe Road to the Peak

***The Run---Well, the run started off...HARD! I was gasping for breath from the get-go.  Running up a steep ski slope is tough work and really is a grind.  I slogged up the slope little by little with the occasional power-hike thrown in there to allow for the body to rest a little.  Before I knew it, I was right near the summit. I mentally pushed and told myself "Push Cole, Push!!!" Before I knew it, I had made it to the observation deck at the top and some burly-looking grounds guys came out and asked my what I was doing. We went into detailed conversation about the Escarpment Run in the Catskills and how it is crazy and that I should look into that race. I do not know if I have the ability of signing up for a body thrashing as that race I have been told is a body-thrashing type of race.  After about 20 minutes or so to reach the summit. I took some sweet photos and then headed for the dowhill fun.  It was interesting to feel the cool air as the base was at the time at 56 degrees and at the summit it felt like the 40's. I was very pleased with the run.

The Top only a few hundred feet away

What a view up near 3,000 feet

The photos do not do the views justice! It was breath-taking seeing both the Adirondack High Peaks on one side and the Green Mountains in Vermont on the other side!

Coming down the slope--Beautiful Fall Foliage at Gore Mountain

***I headed back to my car and pushed off for the rest of my trip. The time was now near 1:20 or so.  

As soon as  I got back on the main road, I looked and saw that my phone was almost dead.  Oh no!  I did not print out any maps or anything so how am I supposed to make it.  As soon as I was heading to Interstate 87 which I knew I had to get off near Ticonderoga to catch a bridge across to Vermont where I would take 22A North to Vermont 7 into Burlington.  Before I could do anything, my phone died. It was at the worst possible time!

WOW I AM GOING TO BE LOST!!!!!

This is what I exclaimed in the car. I was so angry.  I grab a car charger from my glove box and of course it is not working. I pull-off to the side of the road and then continue to plug and re-plug the jack, then my phone, then the jack, then my phone.  Of course, it is still not working.  This was perfect. My whole family is going to think I fell of the face of the planet. I had my regular charger but I would need to find a store where someone would allow for me to use their jack.  I used my best navigation skills and followed the signs for the Adirondack Highway (I-87).  I rounded the loop onto the highway and it was nice getting to go faster.  OK, so if I keep going north I could stop in Plattsburgh and then take the ferry over or I could get off near Ticonderoga and charge my phone, grab some lunch and figure this out (this is what I thought).  So I re-grouped and thought getting off near Ticonderoga I was close enough where I could potentially figure out where I needed to go. I saw a sign for Ticonderoga and BAM I was off of that interstate. At this point I followed the signs and was doing a great job. I saw some notes of a Champlain Bridge so I headed that way because maybe that was the bridge.  I needed gas really bad as I was almost out so I needed to stop badly.  Luckily I entered a 4-way intersection and took the route into Ticonderoga.  I stopped and filled up my car and then proceeded to a Walmart I saw earlier at the 4-way.  Off I went, grabbed some lunch at a nearby BK (Burger King) I know that is not good runner food at all and then went to look at some maps and get a car charger.  To make a long story short, I drove to the Ft. Ticonderoga bridge hoping I could get across. Oh, and that car charger I bought, it was not working.  So I was waiting for the ferry to come with a long 10 car line.  I got out of my car and noticed that the ferry could only shuttle one car across at a time. Great, I would be there all night.  So, I went back into town. This time, I went straight into the downtown and stopped at a small bed and breakfast and talked to a little old woman who directed me to take 9N to Crown Point and then take that bridge over. YES!!! I was back in business.  I flew to my car and off to 9N I went. I crossed that same 4-way intersection for the 4th time and then headed to 9N.   I noticed flashing lights in the distance a mile from the intersection and ....GREAT, a cop car had blocked off the road.  Apparently, there was a really bad fatal accident that had the road blocked off from Ticonderoga to Crown Point!  Well, I have no idea where to go now so I stopped in a local CVS Pharmacy.  I stopped in and was helped by some girls telling me to take this mill road.  I entered that 4 way intersection not knowing where to go  and used my best guess down the one road I had yet to go.  I followed it and it seemed like a lost cause until I passed a mill and kept going.  About 5 miles later, I made the turn onto 9N into Crown Point!  From here, I had lost that 2.5 hours of getting lost and still had at least an hour and a half to go. I eventually crossed the Crown Point Bridge into Vermont and I let out a huge sigh of relief.  

Vermont Bound-----I navigated the Vermont country roads and luckily had nice solid road signs were I found myself heading into Burlington.  I had made great time and decided to charge my phone so that  I could find the hotel.  I stopped at a local liquor store and was helped by some nice ladies.  I sat around and was glade to have my phone somewhat alive. There was a bunch of traffic but that was a good sign. I crossed some interstate road and landed at my La Quinta Hotel for the night. Sweet. Finally after a long 8 hour plus trip, I had made it.  I got some dinner and then rested up for the next day.

The Stampy Stomp 15k--Mammut Heaven!

THE PRE-RACE:::::

 

It was great to finally meet the staff at Mammut.  I enjoyed having the chance to meet everyone and help with a little of the set-up (team morale at least).  It was a crisp day and I was ready to have some fun. My real focus was going to be for the Can-lake 50 miler to set a new course record there the following weekend.  I was still in a little of recovery mode from the Virgil Crest Ultra where I ran the current course record in 8 hours.  I was feeling a little beat-up from the race but nothing where my training was sidelined.  It was a great set-up at the event and for a first-year event, excited filled the air.

It was a lovely day, nice and cool.  

THe Mammut Tent

All the Amazing Shoes!!!!!!

New 2013 and 2014 Models! I will be rocking the light blue kits for 2014!!!!

The Mascot--Stampy--Coolest Logo Ever

THE RACE--------

The Fast Start at the Stampy Stomp 15k

 

The race went out hard which I have no done in a trail race in a while.  I latched on with a fast individual as we winded through the lush rolling hills of Vermont. I remained relaxed through 5k as we went back and forth with pace changes probably running around 6-7 minutes a mile.  The next section had the hills. Little did I know, we had some technical winding single-track and a few steep climbs.  At that point I gave the 1st place runner a little space-probably too much in terms of trying to close on some flat sections. Little did I know, there really was not any fast flat sections on the course besides the eventual finish.  I hung tough as 1st just slipped away from view. The way the trail was twisting and turning, I was a little hesitant on the downhills afraid to twist my already weakened ankle from a training run during the middle of the week.  I conceded first. I let him get away and tired to close the gap but I could not. Next year, I am going for it at the gun!  I finished 2nd running close to an hour for the run which was not too bad. We ran pretty quick! 

The Awards:::::

$200 Mammut Gift Card!!!!!  Trust me, at Mammut, they go big!  For Overall and age group awards, this race far surpassed some of the best events out there!  You need to be there next year!

It was an incredible event and an incredible day!   I really had a wonderful time with everyone in Vermont and I look forward to next year. On the way back, I also got to ride a ferry back to New York which was a fabulous suggestion. The views were spectacular and overall, it was a much easier trip home.  Thank you to Bill, Gribbin, Joanna, Tim, Everyone at Mammut! Thank you again.

 

2014 is going to be the year!  With my races at Virgil and the Can-lake, it is time to start looking to my next big challenges: Tussey Mountainback, Snowshoe Nationals, Worlds in snowshoe, Cayuga Trails, the Adirondack Marathon, maybe the Madcity 100k, the Manitou's Revenge, the ADK 80k and many other races and endeavors. Time to build on what strides we have made in 2013!

2013 Cranmore Hillclimb--USA Mountain Team Down-UP Year!!!

I am a week away from the Cranmore Hillclimb!  This is my first time up this slope and  I am very excited to have the chance to run up this incredible slope with the BEST competition at a USA Mountain race ever. Not only will runners such as Max King, Joe Gray, Matt Byrne, and so many others but tons of fast road racers are giving this race the shot at making the team.  Whether I make the USA team or not, that is not my worry, I am going out there to compete and to have fun. Recently, I have really taken a liking of the ultra distances and though this race is a mere 12k, it incorporates some great elements you could feel in an ultra.  With tons of ups and downs, this race is very exciting and I look forward to another fun competition. Heading out to New Hampshire at least once every summer has become a starting tradition for me. With Acidotic Racing, one of my gracious sponsors, heading to New Hampshire feels more like a family reunion. I am so excited about the race and with smelling some of that fresh mountain air.  I will provide more with pictures and a full-race recap when all is said and done!



What a weekend! I did not have my best race probably one of my worst honestly considering my fitness, though I slugged through and had a nice time! The race went out super hard and I think that hurt my quads a little bit. Also, being pushed in knee-deep mud is always enough to stop a runner right in their tracks.  For me, I ended up tweaking my back enough that I felt like my back was tied to a huge wooden plank.  I was a stiff as a board attempting to run uphill as all I could muster was a fast power-hike. I lost a lot of time from around 20th place to 40th place or so.  It is in races like these that I appreciate ultra races more so and really feel like my strength lies in ultras.  I can run a pace for a long time and playing with endurance is a fun aspect of the ultra distances. You are always trying to figure out how to run as fast as possible while still leaving a little left.  With Cranmore, my 4:50 first mile placed me around 17th as the top 5 probably split 4:20 down the mountain which is just Crazy! It is because of reasons such as that where I have not done the specific explosive training to excel at a race such as this one.


The journey began as  I drove out early Saturday morning and man the weather was wonderful. The drive was a long 7 hour drive but it was scenic and really not a lot of traffic.  I drove through the scenic Southern Vermont section winding up and down through the Green Mountain National Forest, then I passed Keene, NH one of my favorite places and then off to the White Mountains.  I pushed straight through on the drive and made it to North Conway just around 3:30 and by that time my legs felt stale from being cooped up in the car.  I got an awesome milk shake at McDonalds then proceeded to my camp site.  Once I settled in, it was time to go for a nice shake-out run. I had forgot my watch and toiletries so I knew that I would need a Walmart run.  I ran through the awesome state park,  White Lake State Park and got to hang out there for the big day.  After my nice 70 minute run, I decided to get cleaned up and then head to Walmart.  This is where my adventure begins.

I load-up into my car and all of a sudden, I type in the GPS Walmart.  It gives me the location in North Conway which I was about 10-15 miles away from Conway.  I got into my car and off I went.  I followed the directions as they asked for me to turn onto a particular road.  Soon the road becomes a gravel road and the sun is going down, my gas light is coming on and I get diverted to Walmart road in the middle of the woods on a private road.  I am lost.  The GPS signal is bad as I find my way to a gas station in Conway as the sun fully sets and I have just 5 miles before I am expected to be empty.  Pretty wild stuff.  I then look up the Walmart location and find the store in North Conway with ease.  I grab some goodies without ever eating dinner and then head back.  I make it home near 10pm after leaving around 8. What an adventure.  I microwave up some frozen dinners and eat the pizza lunchables for dinner. Around 11 it is lights out as I crash into a deep slumber.


I wake the next day around 6:30 am, take a shower, grab some Dunkin Doughnuts and then off I go to the race.  I was still very tired but ready as I could ever be for the race.
I headed to the race and had the chance to meet everyone from my Acidotic crew to the Sorokas who were hosts to me and my family when I ran Mount Washington 2 years ago. I made it to the registration by 7:15. I got myself all checked-in, I had the chance to talk to everyone as this year the race start was at the top of the mountain and taking the gondola up to the top was a fun experience. I am not normally scared of heights but let me tell you that taking gondola when it is windy up there and no railing to hold you in is a little scary. All it would take is one big gust and I would be flying down 2,000 feet to my demise.  So yes, I held onto the back of the chair with a mighty grip because you never know.  The views were incredible having the chance to see the whole entirety of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. 

I made it to the top and just hung out and jogged around waiting for the women's race to begin.  At 8:15am the ladies were off.  It was fun to watch them compete as I had no idea how I would do.  I had not done the exact type of training I should have done for my overall fitness for the event. I had run up and down my local ski resort Greek Peak only three times before the race so I was feeling alright with my confidence but soon would learn of my improper preparation.  As the last few ladies were finishing we hit the line which was a massive drove of men all piled together.  THIS WAS CRAZY! The start was going to be dangerous as we crest the first hill and then bomb downhill to the base of the mountain.  On your marks and "BOOM" we were off.  I tried to settle into a rhythm with the massive group of people.  I spotted Jim Johnson who I have run with before so I tucked in behind him and followed his lead as we headed downhill.  We were flying down as people were passing me flailing arms and all from all directions. It was chaotic. The pace through the first mile was around 4:48 and I was in about 20-30th place.  That meant that the top guys were running sub-4:30 down a technical, rock-littered, muddy and patchy downhill. That is INSANE!  I settled with Jim Johnson mimicking his every move as he knows how to race mountains; he has it with this type of terrain.  We hit the climb together and he exclaimed, "COLE FROM OKLAHOMA!!!!"  I responded with a "THAT'S ME"!!!!  It was fun running tough with Jim.  Then coming up the last climb I was a little behind Jim. I felt pretty solid and was ready for lap 2.  I was sprinting on the downhill ready to make up ground and I was stride for stride with a Mexican national athlete. We were running side-by-side for the whole second loop until midway through the loop through the mud section.  He wanted to cross past me and got tangled up with myself.  He gave me a little nudge and BAM!!!!!  I fell into knee-deep mud collapsing on a rockbed of granite.  It hurt.  I bounced back up to continue and everything seemed fine until I crested the next big hill in the woods.  My back began to tighten as if I had a Wooden Board attached to my back.  I had no climbing strength.  I used everything I had and the steep grades killed my back as  I groaned in pain.  Now my running became a powerhike then a walk.  I thought if I just survive this  I could drop out after 2 laps.  People started passing me left and right.  My race was shot.  I ended up walking all the climbs the last lap being passed by other people and finished around 45th place.  I felt that I was about 20 places away from where I could have finished on a solid day but today I was just not having it.  It is from races like these that you could be angry at yourself and throw in the towel with running.

That is not me.  I feel that every race and competition is a test for oneself to see what one can do on that given day.  I learned a lot from the day and I will take the lessons I learned into both the Virgil Crest Ultra and the Can-lake 50.  I am poised to get back to the ultra distances where  I feel I excel.  I cannot wait to prove my worth out there and to redeem myself from last weekend's race.  With the Virgil Crest, the race is right in my own back yard in Virgil, NY and I hope I can run a solid sub 8:23 performance on the course to set a new course record and to get myself ready for the sub 6:19 record attempt at the Can-Lake 50 miler that will be October 12th.

Running through a state park

Gotta love the trails!

Great place! White Lake State Park

The campsite and the lake with the White Mountains in the distance

New Hampshire terrain

My race gear!

THe start here we go!

Suffering with a bad back but still having fun

The push to the finish!

My gear laid out

Mammut MTR 201 and Fits Socks handeld the race so well!  

Mud on my feet!

Team Acidotic Tent

The Drive back

Team Acidotic Racing

My Mammut gear

The race venue

The steep uphill section of Cranmore

I would like to thank my sponsors for being the best out there: Mammut, Karhu/Craft, Acidotic Racing, Fits Socks, Dion Snowshoes, my family and friends for the continuous support.  

I am on my way and I would love to thank you all for giving me the drive to train hard day in and day out and to work to pursue the dream for excellence. Without you, I would not be where I am today. Thank you!