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

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

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

At Chair Hill-- Heading out feeling alright

Photo Credits (Trailsroc)

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

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

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

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

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

Here are my photos from the Event:

North Face Sale!

The Start

So where does that lead me…

Run 1: Route 41A

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

Run Two: Tuller Hill State Forest--Access Roads

New Mammut MTR Long Shorts and MTR 141's 

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

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

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

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

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'

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!!!!!!!!!