iRunFar

Winter Running Prep (and YaxTrax Pro Giveaway!)

2009-11-30T06:00:00.008-05:00

While we are still eagerly anticipating the arrival of winter here at iRunFar headquarters in the Sierra foothills, old man winter already has a firm grip on many places. With that in mind, we're going to take this opportunity to highlight some of the winter running resources that can be found here on iRunFar.com. As a bonus, we'll be giving away five Winter Survival packages that include YakTrax Pro, our favorite winter running traction device. More on the giveaway later.

Winter Running Resources
If you stop by iRF looking for our latest winter-related articles, click on the Winter Running tab at the top of every page or use our winter running tag URL. If you're looking for something more specific winter running advice, below are some examples.

Gear Resources
Last winter, we pulled together a series of winter running traction device reviews. The series, which focuses on over-the-shoe devices, includes separate reviews of the Kahtoola MICROspikes, the Kako Ice Trekkers Ultra (discontinued), STABILicers SPORT, and the YakTrax Pro - our top pick in the lot. Stay tuned for an overview of other winter running traction methods later this winter.

We've also reviewed some shoes that are particularly suited for winter, such as the Inov-8 Roclite 312 GTX, the Asics Gel-Arctic WR 2, the Inov-8 Mudclaw 330, and the La Sportiva Crosslite. We'll also publish a quick review of Saucony's ProGrid Razor on soon.

If you're looking for ways to stay warm, take a look at our reviews of Moeben Arm Sleeves, the Original Buff, the Merino Wool Buff, and the Lululemon Sergeant Jacket.

Articles and Entertainment
We've also got a couple winter articles that you might enjoy. First off, there's one discussing the merits (or lack thereof) of snowshoe running. Then there's Kevin Sullivan's highly entertaining Why I Hate/Love Winter Running. If you enjoy Kevin's winter running article, check out his poignant Will Running on the Treadmill Make You Insane?

Winter Survival Box Giveaway!
We're sure that you haven't forgotten about about the YakTrax Pro giveaway and neither have we! To enter, leave a comment on this post (we'd love to hear about what running fun you've got planned for this winter) before Friday, December 4 at 5 p.m. to be eligible. We'll post the results on Monday, December 7. Be sure to let us know who you are in your comment. We find that first name, last initial, and location is good enough. That said, you've got to be in the US or Canada to win.

Don't forget that this is a Winter Survival package that you'll receive if you're one of the five lucky winners. Each winner will receive the following items courtesy of Implus Footcare:

YakTrax Pro;
Little Hotties Warmers (hand and toe warmers);
A pack of Granger’s 2-in-1 Wash and Waterproofer detergent (like the name suggests, it cleans, deodorizes and waterproofs any machine-washable item);
Sof Sole socks; and
A Sof Sole insole.

A Favor
We don't make you "do" anything to enter this giveaway. No need to fill out a form, sign up for this, or subscribe to that. However, if you appreciate iRunFar and what it does, we just ask that you spread the word. You could share news of this giveaway with others or tell them about the website on your next run.

While you're at it, consider further embracing the iRunFar community through one of the following options. Not only will they keep you better informed (we share different news on the website, the Facebook fan page, and Twitter), but you'll help us out, too!

Subscribe to iRunFar via RSS or via email
Become a fan of iRunFar on Facebook
Follow iRunFar on Twitter

Help Support iRunFar.com!

2009-11-30T05:59:00.003-05:00

We'll keep this post and its plea short and simple. If you plan on purchasing an item off Amazon.com or Backcountry.com this holiday season (or anytime), please consider using the respective link in this post or in iRunFar.com's sidebar. You won't pay a penny more for the item, but your purchase will help support iRunFar, as we receive a small commission on any purchase made through those stores' links on our website. Your support will help keep iRunFar.com... running. That's it. Have a great day!

Black Friday 500th Post Blowout Giveway Extravaganza?!?!

2009-11-27T06:00:00.002-05:00

A few months ago we realized that iRunFar.com was quickly approaching its 500th post. We briefly toyed with approaching companies to provide product to giveaway in honor of this milestone (we'd still accept products and add them to this post!), but noticed that we already have a huge stash of gear here at iRunFar world headquarters. As luck would have it, our 500th post coincides with Black Friday... a day on which we had a huge giveaway last year. I guess we'll have to call this a tradition. Whatever we call it, there's a ton of gear to giveaway and some of it could be yours. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment with your name and the items in which you're interested in winning. Below are the Rules and the Prizes!

The Rules
Really, there are no rules to speak of. To enter, just leave a comment as described above. If you're comfortable leaving your full name, go for it. Otherwise, a first name along with a final initial and town should be fine. We're not trying to collect your confidential info, we simply need a way to identify the winners. We are afraid that we'll have to limit this contest to American and Canadian shipping locations only.

We ask that you please note in the comment only the gear pieces in which you are most interested. The specific requests add to our work, but mean the gear goes to the folks for whom it would be most useful. There's no limit to the number of items you can enter to win, we just ask that it be reasonable.

The drawing for each item will be random ... for the most part. One caveat of this giveaway is that you'll only walk away with one item with the exception of small smaller prizes. (A good reason to only enter for the items you want most.) With that in mind, there may be instances where we will deliberately divvy up prizes so that more people walk away happy.

To be eligible, you need to enter by 5 p.m. PDT on Friday, December 4. We'll post results on Monday, December 7.

The Prizes
You'll notice that some of the products listed below note light use. All that means we briefly tested the product. We wouldn't be giving you anything that's heavily worn or that we wouldn't accept if we needed that type of gear.

Gear

Rab Quantum Top Bag AR (very light use) - Folks, this is a top of the line, ultra lightweight sleeping bag. It weighs all of 19.4 ounces (550 g) and would be a great addition to a stage racing or fastpacking kit for use in places with moderate nighttime temps.

Hydration/Packs

Black Diamond BBEE (orange) - If this 12-liter pack were any more minimalist it would cease to exist and yet is still has internal pockets, hydration capability, and an adjustable sternum strap.
Body Bottle - A 10 ounce water flask that velcros to an arm band. Yeah, you heard us right.
HydraCoach Intelligent Water Bottle (light use) - This water bottle isn't the sort of bottle you'd run with, but it does monitor your fluid intake.
Leadville 100 Totebag/Backpack - This jack-of-all-trades bag has a cell phone holster and water bottle holder, too. This is NOT for running!
Nathan QuickDraw Plus (black) - You can't go wrong with Nathan's excellent handheld bottle carrier.
Polarpak Flowjo (light use) - The waist belt hydration bladder uses Polarpak's Moflow technology to shoot water into your mouth once the system is pressurized.
Salomon Ultra Twin Belt (used once) - Not available in the US, give this Salomon double bottle belt (with Salomon's triangular bottles) a go. As a bonus, we've already trimmed down the lengthy waist belt strap. ;-)
Water bottles - If you need water bottles, just let us know... they don't hurt your chances of winning other prizes.

Apparel

Rab Drillium (medium size - light use) - eVent fabric makes this shell a game saver on cold, wet runs.
Gore Running Wear Mythos SO Jacket (men's medium - light use) - A highly technical soft shell with W.L. Gore's Windstopper fabric. It's black, but has excellent reflective features for your night runs this winter.
Saucony Polartec Thermal Pro Hoody (men's medium - gray) - Looking for a "technical sweatshirt" to keep you warm this winter? Look no further than this full-zip sweatshirt made from Polartec's Thermal Pro fabric. (Blue version of sweatshirt here.)
Original Buff (2 in green) - Other websites might list a Buff under hats, we know better. We've reviewed the Original Buff and the Merino Wool Buff.

Shoes

Merrell CT Converge II (men's 9.5 - light use) - A high mileage, neutral road shoe.
Montrail Hardrock 09 (men's 9 - light to mild use, more scuffs than anything) - The final model in Montrail's legendary Hardrock series (look for the forthcoming Sabino Trail).
Teva CT-140 (men's 9 - light use) - A trail/road hybrid that's never going to see the light of day now that Teva has stepped out of the running shoe business.

Shirts
[Note: Winning a prize in the "Shirts," "Hat," or "Other" categories does not preclude one from winning other prizes.]

Mountain Hardwear Duration s/s shirt (men's medium - light use - khaki) - A solid (performance and color) tech shirt with chitosan for odor control.
Annecime (men's medium - worn once - white) - cotton short-sleeve hand-imported from France.
Blue Ribbon Run (men's medium - white) - Old school graphics on a cotton short-sleeve T from Silverton, Colorado's Fourth of July Run this year.
Leadville Trail 100 (men's medium - black) - A technical, long-sleeve T from this year's Leadville Trail 100 mile run.
Pocatello 50 (men's medium - blue) - cotton/poly blend short-sleeve.
Rudy Project (men's medium - gray) - cotton short-sleeve.
Shoe-Odometer (men's medium - yellow) - technical short-sleeve.
Vasque "Run in sync with nature." (men's medium - gray) - cotton short-sleeve T made by American Apparel.

Hats
[Note: Winning a prize in the "Shirts," "Hat," or "Other" categories does not preclude one from winning other prizes.]

First Endurance Cycling Cap by Hincapie Sportswear. Just a simple cycling cap... we prefer helmets!
GU Energy Gel-branded Headsweats SuperVisor (black) - We wouldn't give this one away if we didn't have another... three. The SuperVisor rules.
Headsweats Race Hat (red - light use) - It's the hat on which we based this Outside Online review. Wait a month for a much cooler version of this hat.
Mountain Hardwear (tan) - A mesh/fabric mix with a longish brim. We can't figure out the model.
Smith Optics Endurance Hats (two - 1 white, 1 black) - Smith, the sunglass manufacturer, knows heads. These are two of the highest quality tech hats we've ever seen. Trust us.

Other
[Note: Winning a prize in the "Shirts," "Hats," or "Other" categories does not preclude one from winning other prizes.]

Darn Tough Run-Bike 1/4 Sock - Cushion (Large) - Well-cushioned merino wool socks.
Jimi Wallet (orange) - A minimalist, splash-proof wallet.
Nike Running/Cycling Non-Cushion Sock (unisex, but sized men's 9-11 - black) - Winner get's 3 pairs of these simple 1/4 cut Dri-Max socks.
Salus Muscle Relief Gel - We're a skeptical lot... but call use convinced. This stuff takes our pain away.
Vasque Bandana - A badass, black bandana.

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Also, anyone looking for an iRunFar bumper sticker, please use our contact page to request one. We'll need your full address for that!

This Week... In Thanks

2009-11-25T06:00:00.004-05:00

This week, there is no This Week in Running. We hope Tony Portera, TWIR's author, is at home with his family rather than at work. Regardless of where he is, I would like to take this opportunity to give my personal thanks and my thanks as Runner-in-Chief of iRunFar to Tony Portera and all the others who've helped make iRunFar what it is over the last year. Without their contributions, encouragement, and guidance there's little chance I would have quit my job to make iRunFar my full-time gig. Below, I give my thanks to those who deserve it. Read on, as you'll get a little insight into iRunFar and the people behind it. After you're done reading, feel free to give your thanks to the relevant members of the iRunFar team!

Tony Portera
It should not surprise anyone that I will lead off by once again thanking Anthony Portera. Tony is iRunFar's Swammi, the booming voice behind This Week in Running, iRunFar's nearly weekly rundown on what's happening in the world of ultrarunning. I couldn't be happier that I asked Tony to bring TWIR from his IRunUltras.com to iRF and that he enthusiastically agreed to do so while we sat in Dunkin Donuts before we both paced at the 2008 Vermont 100. Since then, Tony's also become a good friend. Last winter, I went and visited Tony and the result was a winter running traction device overview series. I now consider him a close enough friend that I visited him as I departed the East Coast in June.

Elyse Braner
Not long after my last Thanksgiving post, Elyse Braner from my road running club agree to be iRunFar's first female voice with her Elyse's Closet pieces. Since then she's written about Lululemon's Sergeant Jacket, The Runner's Cookbook, hairties and headbands for runners, exercise addiction, Born to Run, her experience coaching ultrarunners as a non-ultrarunner, and the merino wool Buff. Despite her extensive writing for iRunFar over the past year, I'm even more thankful for her role in turning my life around. You see, at a running club happy hour last winter I subjected her to a lengthy, drunken ramble about how she should pursue her passion of running as a career rather than settling for a high-paying consulting gig. To my delight, she chose the latter route. Her courage helped me follow my own advice. Thanks for setting me free, Elyse!

Gavin Boyles
Gavin "Sparky" Boyles is someone I've known about since I was a high school freshman running cross country in Mercer County, New Jersey. He was a speedy senior on the Princeton High team, while I brought up the rear for Hopewell Valley. Three years later, we were teammates at Haverford College. Given that Haverford's Honor Goats (as the men's XC and track teams are known) are so close, we continued to bump into each other from time following graduation. He went on to the Vermont Law School, while I later followed in his legal footsteps when I attended George Mason Law. This secondary connection kept us in even closer touch. Eventually, he followed me to trail ultras, which is how I found myself joining him on the starting line of the Stone Cat 50 in 2007. He didn't finish, but he did start contributing to iRF with a Stone Cat race report and, later, various gear reviews, including the Inov-8 Roclite 312 GTX, the Asics Gel-Arctic WR 2, the Inov-8 Mudclaw 330, and the Nite Ize LED Sport Vest reviews. Like with Elyse, I'm more thankful for what Gavin's done for my change in careers than for his writing. I'm so thankful to have Gavin, a fellow attorney and someone who saw my supreme under performance in college, respect my choice to follow my passion, so thanks for that, Sparky!

Kevin Sullivan
You haven't seen too much writing from stud ultrarunner Kevin Sullivan here. Sure, he's contributed the amusing pieces Why I Hate/Love Running in Winter and Will Running on the Treadmill Make You Insane?, as well as a review of Rudy Project Noyz sunglasses, but I'm most thankful for Kevin's personal counsel. He's another attorney, but different in that I actually met him through work. Small world, huh? I'm so thankful for Kevin's willingness to be an iRunFar sounding board and for being another cheerleader of my career change.

Allison Pattillo
Allison Pattillo, a/k/a Non-Gear Girl, is the newest addition to the iRunFar family. I'm so glad that she's joined up with us following her time with Trail Runner Magazine. It's great to have another regular female voice on iRunFar. I can't thank Allison enough for her thoughtful consideration of iRunFar and how to make it work over the past 4 months. She's been more than willing to think about what makes iRunFar tick, how it could improve, and how to make it a viable business. Thank you so much, Allison!

Mitchell Goodman
Remember the Western States 100 prediction contest? That was all Mitchell doing. Mitchell, thanks for bringing iRunFar the most fun it saw all year!

Meghan Hicks
Normally, I put a stone wall between my relationships and iRunFar. However, it would be the biggest of oversights if I failed to thank my wonderfully supportive and ever patient girlfriend, Meghan Hicks. Thanks for putting up with me staying up until the wee hours of the morning working on iRunFar and for listening to me fret over this comment or rejoice over that email. Thank you for being a catalyst for my career change and move to Sierra foothills. Thanks for all of your feedback on everything iRunFar... and for providing iRunFar with its world headquarters. Oh, and thanks again for the patience!

Others
I could spend the rest of the week writing my thanks to all of the friends who've been quick to offer their thoughts on iRunFar as well as to the friends and family who have been supportive of my move. I'll offer up just four quick thanks.

I'm not sure what specifically to thank two ultrarunning buddies - Sean Meissner and Andy Jones-Wilkins - for, but their enthusiastic support in general over the past year and a half have meant more than they can know.
Then there are two voices of the sport who have gone out of their way to guide me on countless occasions.

I was put in touch with Adam Chase by a mutual friend before I began publishing iRunFar based on the fact that he and I are both ultrarunners who ran for Haverford College. In 2006, Adam paced me at the Leadville 100 and we struck up a friendship. As I was drawn toward trail running as a career, I regularly sought out the advice of Adam, an attorney who balances his professional life with numerous trail running gigs, such as being the ~~Trial~~ Trail Editor at Running Times and Salomon's Trail Running Community Manager. I still seek his advice... about pretty much everything and cannot possibly find enough ways to thank him for all he's done for me.
I met Garett Graubins when I responded to his request for a pacer at the 2005 Hardrock 100. While I've infrequently seen Garett since then, our handful of runs together over the past two years have included some of the most important conversations I've had during that span. With that in mind, I thank Garett for being so willing to share his candid thoughts and uncanny insight into the trail running establishment.

YOU!
My final thanks go out to everyone that makes iRunFar happen on a day-to-day basis. No, I'm not talking about the other writers again. I'm talking about all of you - the iRunFar community. Without you, there'd be no reason for me to write another word about trail running. "You" includes so many people:

my friends and family,
folks at the trail running companies, the support of which is crucial to iRunFar, and
all the trail runners out there that I don't know... yet.

I sincerely thank all of you!

Ozark Trail 100 Race Reports

2009-11-23T06:00:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago (Nov. 7-8), the inaugural Ozark Trail 100 was run over 100 miles of the trail's 350 miles that wind through the Missouri Ozarks. We weren't there, but we got in touch with a few folks who were and we'll share their experiences. First, we provide a race overview by Travis Liles, who publishes the video-centric ultra website Run the Ultras. He can attest to the course's difficulty as he dropped at mile 68. Next up, we're fortunate to share some thoughts from the men's winner and Team Patagonia member, Jeff Browning. Last, but not least, co-RD Paul Schoenlaub was kind enough to answer a few questions about his race for us. Oh, and we're psyched to bring you Paul's full Ozark Trail 100 race report at the end of this post! Jump down and read Travis, Jeff's, or Paul's thoughts on the OT100 or Paul's full report.

Travis's Ozark Trail 100 Race Report
The inaugural Ozark Trail 100 mile endurance run is in the books. This point-to-point event took place on the Ozark Trail located in the Mark Twain National Forest of central Missouri. Race day brought unseasonably high temperatures that knocked on the door of a record high for the November day and peaked near the 80's. The downed trees along with technical rocky footing covered in thick fall leaves led to lots of bumps, bruises, cuts, stubbed toes, overheating and a fair amount of DNF's. Of the 126 starters only 56 finished making for a 44% finisher's rate.

Jeff Browning (38) of Bend, Oregon took the lead early and held on to the overall win for males coming in at 18:38:59. Rachel Furman (26) of Peoria, Illinois clocked in at 25:28:21 to take the overall female prize in her first ever 100 miler!

Rachel Furman (far right) refueling at the Stillwell Hollow aid station (mile 22.8)
(Photo: Shannon Drohan)

The great work by Co-RD's Paul Schoenlaub and Stuart Johnson along with help of the St. Louis Ultrarunner Group (SLUGS) made this first time event go off without a hitch. Official results can be found here.

Jeff Browning's Ozark Trail 100 Thoughts
Paul and Stuart have put together a beautiful and tough course in the Ozarks of Missouri. The course is 101.5 miles, point-to-point, running south to north on the Ozark Trail. On paper, this course looks really fast. My Suunto T6 clocked 10,906' of ascent and 11,572' of descent—so, pretty low elevation gain by trail 100-mile standards. It's all at low elevation, rolling, no major climbs, and 98% singletrack. It traverses many cool little valleys and lots of creek crossings. I didn't have a lot of high expectations for my performance.

The plan was just to run hard, enjoy myself, and visit with family (I grew up in Missouri). I wasn't sure what to expect from my body later in the race—especially coming off a fast Iroquois Trail 100 (now Virgil Crest 100) just 7 weeks prior. Having only run two 100s in a single season one other time (2007 Hardrock and Arkansas Traveler), I was hoping my body would respond once the miles piled on.

Jeff Browning en route to the win near the Stillwell Hollow aid station (mile 22.8)

(Photo: Shannon Drohan)

Course difficulty? This was the most dangerous course I've ever been on at night. With over 80 miles under 4+ inches of fallen oak leaves, the footing was quite challenging in the day and the night. With that much leaf coverage, you can't see the obstacles under the fallen leaves—trail by braille. Tricky, especially when trying to run downhill fast.

Even with all the challenging footing, it still was a great course with awesome volunteers. I didn't fill one bottle, as the aid stations consist primarily of members of St. Louis Ultrarunning Group (SLUGs) and I found the stations to be well-stocked, well-manned, and wholly prepared. I was impressed. It was a great excuse for me to come back to visit my family and run in the beautiful Ozarks. Giddyup!

[Trail Goat Note: Go to Jeff Browning's blog to read his full Ozark Trail 100 race report.]

Another shot of Browning for good measure

Co-RD Paul Schoenlaub Answers Questions
iRunFar (IRF): How did the race went from a logistics perspective?

Paul Schoenlaub (Paul): Logistically, I think the race went without a hitch, given the fact it was the first year of a logistically difficult point-to-point race. Many people had suggested to me, both before and after the race, that I should make this race an out-and-back to make the logistics easier. Note that none of the runners made this suggestion. My response to this has been, and still is, that I wanted this to be a point-to-point race and accept the logistical challenges of such an event. I seriously doubt that any of the runners would have wanted to have seen, or stumbled across, any of those hidden rocks TWICE! :-)

iRF: Were you surprised by the dropout rate?

Paul: I had estimated a finish rate of 50 to 65% for this race. I was a little surprised at the finishers rate of only 44%, but I think the unseasonable heat for an early November day explains the lower finishers rate.

iRF: What makes the Ozark Trail 100 Mile unique?

Paul:

It's the only 100 mile race in Missouri.
It's one of relatively few point-to-point trail 100's in the US.
It is deceptively difficult, primarily due to much of this technical trail being covered in fresh leaf fall.
It's run entirely through a national forest, but runners are exposed to sunlight almost the entire time they are in the forest during the daytime hours (due to the fact the leaves are under their feet instead of in the trees).
It is run entirely on what I consider to be one of the most beautiful undiscovered trails in the United States.

iRF: Thanks, Paul!

A waterfall along the Ozark Trail 100 course

Full Ozark Trail 100 Race Report by Co-RD Paul Schoenlaub
Three years ago, on Thanksgiving weekend, I set out to explore a few miles of the Ozark Trail in the Mark Twain National Forest in south-central Missouri. I ran about 12 miles of the trail on Friday and another 42 miles of the trail on Saturday. That weekend I fell in love with the Ozark Trail and decided a race should be run on this rugged trail to showcase the beautiful forest to ultra runners across the country. One and one-half years later, Stuart Johnson came on board to work with me to organize the first 100 mile ultra marathon in Missouri, resulting in the birth of the Ozark Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run. My dream was for a point-to-point race on this single track trail in November, when the views through the predominately Oak forest reveal the stark contrasts of the ruggedness of the terrain and the structure of the majestic trees is simply striking.

Fast forward a little over a year. The US Forest service issued a permit for the race and we began accepting entries in March 2009. I was shocked at the support we received initially from ultra runners across the Midwest. Soon after entries began coming in, it was clear we had interest from across the nation and beyond. Then, in May, a tremendous storm called a derecho struck south-central Missouri, devastating a portion of the Mark Twain National Forest. Literally thousands of trees were downed by the storm. The southern 50 miles of the planned course for the Ozark Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run were impassable. With the trail closed, the future of this inaugural event was in question. Immediately, the Ozark Trail Association began assessing the damage to the trail and organizing work parties. The United States Forest Service contracted with professional crews to begin clearing the trail within weeks. Before Labor Day, the trail was re-opened and the entire original route we had planned was again available for the race.

It seemed everything was falling in place nicely for a clear trail on November 7. Then came the floods in the weeks before the race. Relentless rainy days in the weeks leading up to the race left the creeks and rivers swollen with floodwaters just two weeks before the race. The weekend before the race, we found many of the water crossings were again impassable due to additional heavy rains late that week. Then, just one week before race day, the skies cleared, allowing the creeks and rivers to drop back into their banks by the Thursday before the race. Once again, the race appeared to be well on its way to a successful introduction.

The race had an entry limit of 150 and, within a week of race day, we had 144 runners signed up from 28 states, Canada, and Singapore. The race had been well received. Now, if we could just pull this off, we would have something worth talking about. Thanks to the United States Forest Service for issuing the permit; the Ozark Trail Association for building and maintaining miles of trail; several amateur radio clubs, spearheaded by the Current River Amateur Radio Club, who provided emergency communications for the race; our sponsors: the St. Louis Ultrarunners Group for providing many eager volunteers to help with the race, Hammer Nutrition and Salomon, for providing products and other support for this event; and volunteers from across Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas, who helped with so many different jobs to support the runners throughout the race . . . we were able to provide a great race that flowed very smoothly on race day.

I had planned for cool weather for months leading up to the race, knowing well that we could have a warm autumn day with the unpredictable weather of Missouri. So, for the inaugural running of the Ozark Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run, we had . . . HEAT! Yes, we had an unseasonably warm day with temperatures reaching into the upper 70’s. With the leaves down off the trees and full sun, participants were left with some very warm conditions with which to contend.

At 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning, 126 runners showed up at the southern end of the Karkaghne section of the Ozark Trail and took off under the starlit early morning sky, heading for the finish line at the Bass River Resort, 101.5 miles away. Not long after the race began, the participants realized what we had attempted to convey in our pre-race information about this trail: there are plenty of technical sections on this trail covered with leaves from the predominately Oak Forest the runners would be traversing for the next 18 to 32 hours.

The day began to heat up early and, by the time the runners made it to Sutton Bluff aid station at mile 17.6, it had warmed into the 70’s. At the 8 mile aid station, runners hardly needed to even top off their water bottles, but most were filling completely empty bottles at Sutton Bluff. Later in the day, the early November heat would begin to take its toll on the field.

Jeff Browning had begun to pull a lead by Sutton Bluff. He was followed 8 minutes later by Ben Creehan, David Wakefield, and Ryne Melcher. Gregg Buehler and Michael Adams were just 5 minutes back and the men’s race was beginning to take shape. Theresa Wheeler led the women into Sutton Bluff, with Rachel Furman just 5 minutes back. Ellen Erhardt, Jen Foster, and Jennifer Aradi were another 5, 6, and 7 minutes, respectively, behind Rachel.

As the sun continued to rise through the clear autumn sky, most discovered how hot this November afternoon could be in central Missouri with the leaves off the trees, allowing full contact between the suns warm rays and the skin of the runners hour after hour. Through the next few aid stations, in the heat of the day, Stuart Johnson and I were visiting aid stations restocking them with additional water and ice to quench the runners’ need for these necessary elements. By the Brooks Creek aid station at mile 43.5, Jeff Browning had continued to expand his lead on the men’s field and was now on pace for a 17 hour finish. David Wakefield and Ryne Melcher had moved into second and third place 54 minutes back. Michael Adams had moved up to fourth place, another 12 minutes back, with Ben Creehan just 3 minutes behind Michael. Kyle Gibbs had moved into sixth place just a minute behind Ben. As these men moved through the aid station, it became apparent that the difficulty of the trail was taking its toll on the lead runners as Michael Adams flew through the aid station with what was presumed to be a broken finger. He appeared to shrug it off though as he flew through the race with the ailing finger taped to the finger next to it, proving that you can finish an ultra with a broken bone, so long as it’s not a running part.

The women’s race had taken a dramatic turn by Brooks Creek as leader Theresa Wheeler had dropped to fourth place due to a knee injury, which resulted in the demise of her race. Rachel Furman had moved into first place and was pulling away from the field with a 30 minute lead over second woman, Ellen Erhardt. Jennifer Aradi was in third, 8 minutes behind Ellen and the top 5 were rounded out by Theresa Wheeler and Susan Donnelly, another 27 and 28 minutes back, respectively. Lucia Alzaga had moved into sixth place another 23 minutes back.

Many of the runners began to recover from the days’ heat as the sun set on them coming into Brooks Creek. Being the first year for this race, I had made a decision to eliminate the first cutoff for the race this year at the 28 mile aid station, which most runners hit in the heat of the day. The second cutoff was at Brooks Creek. I had hopes that many runners who were dragging themselves through heat would recover in the evening hours and begin moving better. With this in mind, the cutoff at Brooks Creek was extended by 30 minutes, allowing only 2 additional runners to leave that aid station, neither of which would finish the race.

Back to the front of the pack. At Hazel Creek aid station, mile 68.5, Jeff Browning had pulled a commanding 2 ½ hour lead and it looked like nobody was going to be able to touch him now. As the day cooled, he had appeared to pick up his pace and was moving forward with impressive determination. Michael Adams had moved up through the pack and was now in second place with his taped fingers, followed closely by Kyle Gibbs four minutes back, who had also danced through the rocks to move well up in the field. David Wakefield and Ryne Melcher were now 23 minutes behind Kyle, but appeared to still be joined at the hip. The big question of this race was whether or not these two of the men’s leaders would stay together through the entire race. Ben Creehan had dropped back 28 miles from David and Ryne as the heat of the day had appeared to take its toll on him.

Arriving at Hazel Creek, the women’s race had not appeared to change at all as far as the placement of the ladies leaving Brooks Creek. In the spirit of Jeff Browning’s example in the men’s field, Rachel Furman had built a commanding 1 hour 50 minute lead on the women’s field. Ellen Erhardt was holding on to second place, with Jennifer Aradi hanging tight just 9 minutes back. Susan Donnelly had dropped an hour back from Jennifer, with Lucia Alzaga yet another 43 minutes back. Beth Simpson-Hall had now moved into sixth place just 10 minutes behind Lucia.

The night running had brought with it a new discovery for most runners. The rocks that were so difficult to avoid as they hid under the blanket of leaves on the trail during the day seemed even more difficult to see at night. This trail has a mysterious majesty at night though, as the trail corridor opens before you, which makes the might running a captivating experience.

Many runners arrived at the Berryman aid station, mile 81.5, under cover of darkness, but just under half the field came into this aid station near sunrise or later. The cutoff for the Hazel Creek aid station had been extended by 45 minutes and, in like manner, so too was the cutoff at the Berryman aid station. Extending the Hazel Creek cutoff had allowed another 11 runners to continue their quest for the Ozark Trail 100 belt buckle, 7 of which made it to the finish line under the 32 hour cutoff. Extending the Berryman cutoff also allowed 11 runners to continue the race that otherwise would have been pulled. Amazingly, 10 of these 11 runners made it to the finish line under the 32 hour cutoff. The only one who did not make it to the finish line of these 11 was Lucia Alzaga, who ended up having to drop due to an injury after an amazing race at her first attempt at a 100 mile race.

Oh, yea: back to the leaders at Berryman. By 8:33 in the evening, Jeff Browning had increased his lead to well over 3 hours. He certainly was untouchable. Michael Adams was solidly in second place, with the twins, David Wakefield and Ryne Melcher, 30 minutes behind Michael. Ben Creehan had seemed to begin to pull out of his mid-race funk and was in fifth place, just 9 minutes back, and apparently closing on the dynamic duo. Kyle Gibbs had dropped to a distant sixth place at an additional 50 minutes back.

The women’s race was not changing much, with the exception of Lucia Alzaga dropping back in the pack with her unfortunate injury. Rachel Furman continued to expand her lead by what was now almost 2 ½ hours. Ellen Erhardt and Jennifer Aradi came into Berryman at the same time, while Susan Donnelly was solidly in fourth place. Beth Simpson-Hall had closed to within 42 minutes of Susan as she moved into fifth place. As Lucia dropped back, she came in another 36 minutes back with Jen Foster.

The final 20 miles of the race had some great runable trail, as well as more of the leaf covered rocks that had been the theme for the day. The final few miles of trail that had been scheduled for completion prior to the race were not quite finished due to weather during some of the scheduled trail building weekends earlier this year, resulting in the last 2 ½ miles of the race finishing on a gravel road. I think most runners welcomed this unanticipated road section in what had been planned as a 100% trail race. Rest assured, the final section of trail should be completed some time next spring.

Jeff Browning came across the finish line in 18:38:59, setting the course record for the Ozark Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run and pulling an impressive 4 hour and 20 minute lead over the next closest competitor. Shortly after Jeff crossed the finish line, he commented that he was on pace for a 17 hour finish, but as night fell, he found the rocks, as difficult to see as they were under the leaves during the day, became virtually invisible under the leaves at night, thus slowing his pace considerably. Still, he had quite an impressive race for this inaugural event.

Rachel Furman had an impressive first hundred, finishing first and setting the women’s record at 25:28:21, all while maintaining over a 2 hour lead over the nearest competitor. This was good enough for seventh place overall.

Ben Creehan had moved up through the men’s field to finish in second place, while PoDog Vogler finished tenth overall to capture the men’s masters’ title.

David Wakefield and Ryne Melcher rounded out the top 5 men finishing together, as they had started the race. Kyle Gibbs hung on to finish solidly in sixth place.

Ellen Erhardt pulled a 20 minute lead over Jennifer Aradi to finish second in the women’s race, while Susan Donnelly was able to hold on to a 12 minute lead over Beth Simpson-Hall to take the women’s masters honors. Susan and Beth rounded out the top 5 in the women’s race as well, with Lynn Saari moving into sixth place by the end of the race.

Interestingly, the second place men’s masters runner was Dale Humphrey, a 50 year old and the second place women’s masters runner was Beth Simpson-Hall, a 51 year old. Way to go for a couple of runners with a combined age of over 100 years between the two of them.

I was impressed with the performance of all the participants in this race and very pleased with the many positive comments they have made about the race. Even among those who were unable to finish the race, many have already told me they plan to return to run the race again.

It is very noteworthy that 11 of the first 20 finishers completed their first 100 mile race on the Ozark Trail. I find that impressive and, although I would not suggest that this is a great first time 100 mile race, it is certainly achievable as these impressive athletes have proven. Once again, among the first time 100 mile finishers was the women’s champion, Rachel Furman.

There were many other impressive performances and valiant efforts by some who were unable to finish. I admire the toughness of all those who toed the line for this event and am impressed with what each and every one of them was able to accomplish. Though the finishers rate was a low 44%, I am impressed that there was little difference between the finishers rate of veterans at the 100 mile distance and first timers.

Thanks again to all the participants, volunteers, sponsors, the Ozark Trail Association, and the National Forest Service for their parts in helping to make this race a reality and achieving my primary goal of showcasing Missouri’s Ozark Trail in the Mark Twain National Forest to the ultrarunning community.

Booty Found: Mountain Hardwear Pacer Advance Short Review by Meghan Hicks

2009-11-20T06:00:00.049-05:00

[iRunFar in-house gear tester Meghan Hicks was kind enough to provide the following review.]

If you’ve been a runner for a while, you’ve likely become accustomed to wearing traditional, elastic waisted nylon running shorts. Over the years, you may have sampled the models of multiple manufacturers, settling on your favorite. Now you own ten pairs of those shorts, probably in each color of the maker’s production palette. If this sounds like you, then you might be stuck in a running short rut. About six months ago, I was stuck in the same place! No new running short model caught my eye enough to deviate from tradition until I met the Mountain Hardwear Pacer Advance Short, or what I’ve come to call the “booty” short. Let me introduce the short that will break your running short rut in more ways than one.

Mountain Hardwear's Pacer Advance Short in Black.
(The short is also available in Blue River, Chica (salmony), and Titanium.)

Almost every element of the Pacer Advance Short is unique; let’s start from the top. First, the waistband is wide, fitted, and made of a material that feels like a wicking jersey knit. Hidden in the waistband is a drawstring if you need to put the cinch down. The shorts sit low on your hips, the drawstring falling at your hip bones. (Countless women, including me, have folded over the waistbands of our favored running shorts so they sit in this very same sweet spot!) These low riders don’t overlap with hydration/running packs, thus reducing the chance of chafing. Finally, three small, hidden, fold-over pockets are built into the back waistband and are perfect for gels or a small pair of gloves.

The outer short is composed of a thin nylon/elastine/polyester interbreed, and the result is a genetic freak of soft, stretchy, wicking goodness. Because of the stretch factor and the addition of side seam slits that provide for any movement a runner might make, the shorts take a narrow line against the thighs. These aren’t compression shorts, but they do hover nearby your skin. On the right hip lies a small, angled, zipper pocket. If you’ve got something important like your car key, iPod, or a fiver for coffee afterward, this is the place to keep it. The inner brief has a nice cut that hugs itself gently into the crease between your butt and your thigh enough to stay there, but not so much as to let others know where that crease precisely is.

There’s only one change I’d like to see in the Pacer Advance Short: the drawstring is way too short! While my shorts fit nicely everywhere else, I can only get a small, unsupportive tie in the string. As a result, it’s dangerous for me to fill the back pockets with more than 3 gels lest I leave my drawers on the trail. With a longer drawstring, I could make a pants-saving cinch.

You’re probably still wondering why I’ve coined these the “booty” shorts. Think for a moment about your favorite pair of nylon running shorts: there is ample fabric everywhere that emerges from the elastic waistband. Running shorts nylon isn’t traditionally stretchy, so short makers add enough fabric for runners to move their legs within said shorts. By using a nylon/elastine interbreed, Mountain Hardwear removes this bulk and a runner’s range of motion is accommodated not by more material, but by stretching. Because of this, there is no booty hiding here; the treasured results of your hard training are well displayed in the Pacer Advance Short.

MH running in her MH Pacer Advance "Booty" Shorts through Zion National Park

So, break out from your running short rut and pirate yourself a pair of Mountain Hardwear’s Pacer Advance Shorts. You (and the people you pass on trail) will be glad you did.

[Trail Goat Note: I've been wearing Mountain Hardwear's similar, but not equivalent for men's Refueler Short. [The Refueler Advance is the direct equivalent. The non-"Advance" has a more traditional waist band.] I normally prefer traditional split-side road running shorts to longer trail options, but I've been enjoying my runs in the Refueler.]

[Disclosure: Mountain Hardwear provided a free sample pair of both the women's Pacer Advance Short and men's Refueler Short. Also, links to Amazon in this post are part of an affiliate program that helps support iRunFar.com.]

JFK Preview on This Week In Running (Week of 11/21 & 11/22)

2009-11-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

In our last installment of TWIR before Thanksgiving (yes, we will be so busy preparing the turkey next Wednesday that we won't be able to grace you with a Thanksgiving edition of TWIR), we could fill you in about the Cardiac Endurance Trail Run (50 mile, 50k and 25k) in Warda, Texas. Or, we could detail the Santa Monica Mountains Trail Run (50k, 30k, 18k and 9k) taking place in La Jolla Canyon, Malibu, California. Better yet, we could highlight the NYRR Knickerbocker 60k in Central Park, New York. No, we won't tough any of those. Instead, this week's edition of TWIR will take a look at one race, and one race alone. The largest ultra event in North America. The 47th Annual John F. Kennedy 50 Mile.

Alright, Tony, go enjoy some turkey and a trail run. It's Bryon Powell, aka Trail Goat, here to fill you in on this year's JFK 50 mile. To start off, this year's JFK 50 mile is once again a Montrail Ultra Cup race. As such and given the fact that it's a 50 mile race, both the top two men and top two women will earn spots in next year's Western States 100. All competitors that finish will receive points toward the overall MUC rankings. (Read iRF's discussion of the MUC.) Below, I'll direct you to some JFK 50 resources, throw out some names of folks who are running it, and share some advice on JFK that I sent out yesterday.

Best of luck to everyone running the JFK 50 Mile! Leave a comment if you are running the race or would like to send a racer well wishes.

JFK Resources

The Official JFK website
Reflections on the JFK 50 Mile Run by Anstr Davidson- The seminal piece on the race.
2009 Entrants List (as of 10/23/09) - Check to see if your friends are in the race or which speed demons are racing.
My 2007 JFK Race Report - A detailed report of a PR effort.
My Running Times JFK Article -Presidential Race: JFK 50 -The legacy of the JFK 50 lives on was Bryon's first published running piece.
iRunFar's JFK Photo Contest - We ran this contest to generate photos for the Running Times article. There are 10 great shots.
iRunFar's Readers' Thoughts on JFK - This post generated input for the Running Times article.

The Contenders
Rather than putting together a resume for each "contender," I'm simply going to let you know who some of the big dogs are on this 1,000+ entrant list! I've surely missed some top runners among the hordes, so throw out any that I missed in a comment. Also, feel free to handicap the top runners... it's going to be quite a race. The only non-race is the open team competition, which goes to Ian Torrence et al, but more on that later.

Women

Meghan Arbogast
Annette Bednosky
Francesca Conte
Devon Crosby-Helms
Justine Morrison
Monica Ochs
Jill Perry
Jennifer Vanallen

Men

Todd Braje
Pete Brenckinridge
Josh Brimhall
Eric Clifton
Gregory Crowther
Chris Farley
David James
Scott Jurek
Hal Koerner
Oz Pearlman
Ian Torrence

I'll indulge with a bit on Ian. He's has been a member of all but one JFK team champion. This year he's joined on the Rogue Valley Runners team by the likes of Brimhall, Clifton, Jurek, and Koerner.

Advice on Running the JFK 50
I wasn't planning on sharing any thoughts about running JFK in this post, but this afternoon I ended up writing the following advise to a woman running her first JFK on Saturday. The advice is tailored for an experienced marathon who may or may not have run an ultra before. It, however, is not tailored for folks trying to break 8 hours at JFK.

* * * * *

As for Saturday, you won't have to worry about not having run technical trails of late. Supposedly the first 15ish miles are trail. That's only partially true. There are a couple road miles out of the gate and then another section of paved bike path on the "trail." To be sure, there are miles of rocky trail on the AT - especially the final descent! Take it easy - there will be plenty of roadies to keep you company. You will make the early cutoffs even if you walk chunks of the technical trail. Just keep the rubber side down.

If you're waffling over trail versus road shoe, I think that even more trail runners wear road shoes. If you can be careful early, you'll be thankful for the road shoe feel later! That said, some hybrid trail shoes like the Brooks Cascadia or Asics GT-2140 Trail would be fine choices, as well.

Once you get down to the tow path, the easiest of run-walks would keep you ahead of cutoffs. At most 50 milers, I'd advise people to walk the places where the terrain suggests that you do so. That could be ruinous at JFK, as you've got a pancake flat marathon following a 15 mile trail run. If you're in it to finish, take walk breaks on a schedule. If you've got some solid marathon or ultracredentials, you shouldn't have to set up a 5-1 or 10-1 walk ratio. Instead, grab what you need in the aid stations (i.e., get your hydration supply topped off, drink some fluids, and grab some snacks, if so inclined) and then walk out of the aid station. You can keep eating and drink, but (1) you keep moving and (2) get a nice walk break.

As the tow path drags on, consider scheduling a one or two minute long walking break between aid stations that are spaced farther apart. If you've prescheduled the breaks, you won't feel defeated and 2 minutes of walking after half an hour of running won't slow your time down by much.

A quick word on aid stations, as I suggested above, walk out of them if you are concerned with time. Go in with a purpose and don't get overwhelmed by the choices or coaxed into letting someone cook something for you. Grab and go! :-) Lots of time can be wasted this way.

Given than the weather is cooling off, don't overload yourself by carrying 60 ounces of water. You'll be fine with the equivalent of one handheld bottle that you can refill at stations. Sometimes I even run right through an aid station without topping off if I figure I have enough fluids to get me to the next one. One way to help nurse the water you carry is when you do stop at an aid station to get a bottle filled and someone else is filling it (they often do), take the time to drink two cups of fluid.

The Road to Trail Running Success?

2009-11-16T06:00:00.183-05:00

I like road running and think it has a place in training for trail races, especially trail ultramarthons. There, I've said it, let the hate mail commence...

OK, so it may seem hypocritical for a trail running website to suggest that road running may help someone into a better trail runner, but that's what came to mind during my18 miles on pavement and graded dirt that snaked through the Sierra foothills yesterday afternoon. That notion was reinforced with an exclamation point when the toll of 2,000+ feet of climb brought me to a walk somewhere around mile 13 or 14. (The full run had around 3,000 feet of climb.) It later occurred to me that I'll be in the best shape of my life if I continue running such routes for the next six months. I could be wrong. Below are a few thoughts on why a trail runner might want to hit the roads. Be sure to let everyone know how you use road running (paved or not) in training for your trail races... or exactly how much you detest road running.

Clarifications
Let me make it clear, I don't think road running is necessary; however, I do think that running roads, canal tow paths, flatter non-technical trails, etc can be beneficial to racing on the trails. (I'll stick to using the terms trail running and road running from here out, but know that I include the previously described terrain under "road running.") I also think that road running is of more benefit to ultrarunners than to those who race shorter distances on the trails. (That said, those short distance trail racers may benefit more from track or tempo workouts.) It goes without saying that getting in the trail miles pays big dividends come race day, I'm just suggesting that a variety of terrain might help you in the end!

Why Isn't Road Running Evil?
Below are a couple good reasons why I think road running and its ilk aren't the work of the devil.

Continuous and Consistent Running
When you hit some honest to goodness trails they can put a hurting on you in a hurry. Maybe steep climbs abound that get your heart pumping like a hummingbird's and reduce you to walking. Perhaps there are particularly technical sections or gobs of mud. Those things are a blast, but they can take you out of your running rhythm. On the flip side, a long, steep downhill may give you long sections where you can let gravity do the work while your cardiovascular system goes on vacation.

For sure you need to be prepared to do the above in many a trail race, but you'll likely want to run a bit as well, right? I find that when I run moderate distances on mountainous trails, I don't end up fatiguing some of my running muscles as much as I can by continuously running on the roads. Those very same muscles often DO come into focus in ultra distances and I, for one, like having them ready.

I also like putting my cardiovascular and endocrine systems through consistent two, three or four hours tests. I find I don't often keep a very even effort when training on trails where there are steep hills, obstacles to navigate, and views to take in. However, I do keep a very even effort (heart rate wise) when racing ultramarathons on the trails. I want my body prepared for that.

Run The Hills!
I love walking. I really do. When I'm out running in the mountains, I'm quick to switch into walking mode even while my companions keep running. I consider my walking ability a strength in ultras and specifically hone it before competing in a mountain 100 miler. That said, there are plenty of inclines to run in many trail races.

When out on the roads, I don't switch to walking even on grades that I walk on the trails. I guess roads keep me honest. If I put in my uphill road miles, I hope that I become a better uphill runner on the trails and end up moving the grade at which I switch from running to walking to a steeper grade.

Me enjoying (for the time being) a 3,000' run up from Mono Lake to Tioga Pass in June

Specificity: Specifically Flat Terrain
I don't know about you, but many of the trail races I run have a great deal of flat, runnable terrain in them. Western States 100? Check. Leadville 100? Check. Bull Run Run 50? Check. Stone Cat 50? Check. Well, perhaps in addition to training for the hills, we should put in some boring, flat, monotonous miles in training! I can attest that in my two biggest races of 2009 I at least perceived my lack of training on the flats to be a detriment to my performance.

After running many a rolling trail mile with a heavy pack in preparation for the Marathon des Sables, I ended up wishing I'd spent much more time cruising flat pavement. My biggest problem by far at MdS was fatigue from many miles of continuous flat running across the desert. Hello, hip flexors!

Then there was Leadville. Actually, there almost wasn't a Leadville 100 for me. Why? Well, one reason is that I thought I hadn't logged enough long continuous runs for this course. Maybe my performance there suggests otherwise, but when I run Leadville again I will be sure to include many more flat miles before I head to the start at 6th and Harrison.

Logistics
For some, road running isn't a result of training requirements; instead, it's for logistical reasons. Many folks don't have trail out their front door. When I've lived around Washington, DC, I logged nearly all of my weekday miles on the roads, because I didn't have trails that I could easily incorporate from work or home. Even now when I could drive to trails any day I like, I prefer the easy logistics of rolling out my front door and running... even if that means hitting the roads. Some who have trail access aren't able to log their weekday miles during daylight hours and are understandably leery of running on the trails alone at night. There are plenty of other logistical reasons why many a trail runner may log road miles and those road miles are better than no miles at all!

Conclusion and Call for Comments
Have no fear iRunFar readers! We'll be back with more trail running goodness on Wednesday. While road miles have a purpose that doesn't mean we wouldn't rather be out on the trails!

As noted in the intro, it would be great if you could share how you use road running in training for trail running or why you don't.

Stroller Discussion & BOB Sport Utility Stroller Review

2009-11-13T06:00:00.005-05:00

It just so happens that the ages for top running prowess and child rearing overlap a great deal. We're not sure whether this is an evolutionary adaptation to optimize running away from predators while carrying a child or to help speed up late night runs to the Kwik-E-Mart for baby supplies... or perhaps it's just a coincidence. Regardless of the reason, many runners face the dilemma of how to continue running once they've got a wee lil' one to look after.

Sure, some folks give up running. Others hit the treadmill with their kid close by. A lucky group have ultra supportive spouses that watch the kiddo(s), while they go hit the trail. However, a large number of runners end up bringing their child along on the run. World class ultrarunner Michael Wardian has spent countless hours running around Arlington, Virginia with his BOB Revolution Dualie, while Elinor Fish, Trail Runner Magazine's Managing Editor, has been logging miles with her first born this year. Below we provide iRunFar reader Meredith Murphy's experience with a BOB Sport Utility Stroller. We'd love to hear how you trained when children entered your life!

Before I got my BOB jogging stroller, I asked every running mom and dad I knew which jogging stroller they used. The majority used the BOB Ironman and a few used the BOB Revolution. Talking with BOB directly and going on the BOB website, I was directed to a feature on their site called "Which BOB is right for me?" and decided on the BOB Sport Utility model.

BOB Sport Utility Stroller

I am an ultrarunner and avid trail runner and the Sport Utility Stroller is the best option for off roading. I also opted for the infant seat attachment and the handlebar console accessories.

The stroller came and I enlisted my husband to assembled it. It was easy to put together and we have since learned that if you misplace the instructions and user manual all the information is on the BOB website. My husband kept commenting on how nice the stroller was and how high end the parts and materials were. I could not wait to use it!

My daughter came early and after 26 hours in labor I had to have a c-section and that was a big bummer. I had stopped running 6 months into my pregnancy, and all I wanted to do was run, but I had to be patient to heal.

At my 2 week follow up appointment, I was cleared to walk and out I went to the trail with my BOB. The infant car seat fit nicely and securely on the infant attachment with the baby facing towards me. I started walking, just a couple miles at a time, and every step was great. Even with walking, I was enjoying the BOB and it got dirty fast.

Most of my early walks were on a local trail and it held up great through large puddles and thick mud. The knobby tires on the Sport Utility model were perfect for the terrain. The suspension also made it smooth and easy to go over rocks and roots with the stroller. Even with the variable terrain, the baby slept 80% of the time.

Baby sleeping away in the BOB Sport Utility Stroller

Almost every day I got out there with that stroller and was soon fast walking 4-6 miles a day. The handlebar console was a good addition to the stroller. I can easily have two bottles of water right in front of me and the deep middle pocket held my keys, camera, phone and anything else. The big, deep pocket under the seat of the stroller easily holds my bug spray and well stocked diaper bag. On top of that, the back of the stroller has a large mesh pocket for extra storage. As a pack rat ultrarunner, I love having lots of places to stash lots of things and the BOB did not disappoint!

As my baby came early, she was tiny, but from the start she was super strong and active. By 3 months old, we decided to try her in the BOB without the infant seat since she could easily hold her head up for extended amounts of time. [NOTE: BOB recommends not running with a baby in the stroller until the baby is at least 8 months old. Likewise, it warns against running with the Infant Car Seat Adapter installed due to tipping risks.]

She did great from the start. The harness held her in there comfortably and securely; the straps on the harness are well padded and easy to adjust and latch. There are interior pockets next to the baby to stash toys, as well. The sun canopy is also very functional and multi-positional. On the top of the sun canopy, there is a nifty little window so you can keep a watchful eye on the baby while you jog or walk, but there is a flap that can pull over the window if the sun is hitting the baby. You can have the canopy open just a bit or fully, which pulls down in front of the baby to really shield him or her from the sun or wind.

My first few runs with the stroller were awkward, but soon became easier and more comfortable. There is a fast learning curve to running with a stroller. The handlebar is fixed and nicely padded. The padding does get a bit sweaty in the heat of the summer, but I cannot think of any material that you could use on the handlebar that would be padded, hold up in all kinds of weather and not get sweaty. There is a safety wrist strap to wear so the stroller does not get away from you, as well as a strong hand brake. On the back, there is a parking brake, which comes in handy while loading and unloading the baby from the car to the stroller and vice versa.

For trail running, this stroller is tops. The suspension on this model, in conjunction with the knobby tires makes it great. Early on, I knew it was great for walking on the trail, but once I started running I was unsure how it would hold up over the roots, rocks and uneven terrain, and it surpassed all expectations I had. Even with running on the trails, the baby sleeps most of the time in the stroller.

Last, but not least, the stroller is quite lightweight. I have little upper body strength and was concerned about getting it in and out of the car, but it folds up easily and I have no problem lifting it in and out. Also, the wheels easily pop on and off for an easier fit in smaller vehicles.

I had researched many brands and models of jogging strollers, knowing that as a serious and high mileage runner, I would need one. The BOB was definitely the most recommended by other runners and I soon learned why. Between the high quality of the components and the design of the stroller, the ease of usability and all the small details, it is a top notch jogging stroller for all runners. Even though I have the off road model, I have run on it on the paved trails and it soars, so I feel like I have the best of both worlds. The BOB did not disappoint. Also, only 11 weeks after being cleared to run, I ran 60 miles at a local race. The BOB was my key to getting back into shape post pregnancy.

Meredith with baby and BOB

[Disclosure: BOB provided the Sport Utility Stroller at a discount. Also, the links to Amazon in this post are part of an affiliate program that helps support iRunFar.com]

This Week In Running (Week of November 14 & November 15)

2009-11-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

Ah....November. The leaves have turned colors and are falling to the ground, the tempertures are dropping, and the number of ultra events are slowly decreasing as we prepare for the "feasting" holidays in November and December. However, one ultra runner that is showing no signs of slowing down is Geoff Roes. Roes, of Juneau Alaska, added to his list of 2009 victories with a first place finish at the Mountain Masochist 50 Mile (6:27:55), thirty minutes ahead of second place finisher Lon Freeman (6:58:25). The USATF Marathon Trail Championships also took place at the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon last weekend with Max King (2:40:23) topping Sam Robinson (2:42:54) by a slim margin of 2 minutes to take the overall title. On the women's side of things, Cynthia Arnold (3:08:42) took top honors, followed by Becca Ward (3:16:14), Devon Crosby-Helms (3:16:20), Krissy Moehl (3:17:58) and Ellen Parker (3:30:40). For more detailed coverage of the Mountain Masochist 50 mile, Lithia Loop Trail Marathon, and Stone Cat 50 mile, check out iRunFar's post covering those races. Moving on to this weekend, here is a look at just a few of the races/events taking place on the weekend of Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15.....

We begin with the 14th Annual Rockledge Rumble (50k, 30k and 15k options) taking place on Saturday in Rockledge Park in Grapevine, Texas. The course is on the beautiful and rugged Northshore Trail along the scenic shore of Lake Grapevine. The terrain is rocky and provides a challenge for even the fittest of athletes. The 30k goes out-and-back from Jackson Pavilion to the turnaround. The 50k course is one long out-and-back to the turnaround, then one shorter out-and-back.

Oh, do we love this one! The Upchuck 50k, yes that's right, the Upchuck 50k, is set for its second official running this weekend in Cumberland Trail, Tennessee. The course is a point-to-point trail race that is run entirely on the technically challenging single track of the Cumberland Trail. The course has huge climbs and huge descents into Soddy Creek, Possum Creek and Rock Creek. It will, "without a doubt, go down in the race log as one of the best 50k courses you will ever do". We don't just love this race simply because of its logo...it also comes with its own warning - "Please do not attempt this run as your first 50k. This is a serious endeavor and will quite possibly be your slowest 50k to date. Let us reiterate: this is seriously difficult."

Speaking of events with warnings, how about the UltimateXC Moab in Moab, Utah (50k, 20 mile and 10 mile). In an area known for its mountain biking, this event will take runners though the spectacular terrain on foot. Yet, BEWARE - "No bab(ies) allowed. Most of our distance(s) advertised are wrong. For instance, our 10 miler turned out to be a 13 miler. Our 20 miler was really a 24 miler, and our 50km was in reality a 56km." Wait, there's more. "This is not a normal or standard 50km. The Ultimate Xc Moab Edition 50km is considered as one of the hardest 50km on the planet. Most of our participants will attest that this is as hard as a 50 miler. As a rule of thumb, if you can run a 50k in 6 hours, count on running this one in 9 hours. Yes, 50% more time to complete the same distance. If this sound(s) like a daunting task, this race is probably not for you."

Also taking place this weekend is the Run the River Trail Run (Granite Bay, CA) and the Rhode Island 6 Hour Ultra and Relay (Warwick, RI).

That will wrap things up for this week. Enjoy the great running weather while you can !

Mountain Masochist, Lithia Loop Trail Marathon & Stone Cat Results

2009-11-09T10:50:00.005-05:00

Since we previewed three big weekend races we thought it only fair to provide you with race results for each of those races. Below are resources for what went down at the Mountain Masochist 50 mile (MMTR report) and Lithia Loop Trail Marathon (LLTM report). Kelly Wilson of Vermont was kind enough to provide us a full race report from the Stone Cat 50 (and marathon), which we include at the bottom of this post.

Mountain Masochist Trail Run 50 Mile
Montrail's Geoff Roes continued his record breaking season (and cemented his iRunFar men's ultrarunner of the year status) by setting a new course record at the Mountain Masochist 50 with a time of 6:27:55. That's more than 20 minutes under Dave Mackey's previous course record! Speedster Lon Freeman (6:58:25) took second more than 30 minutes behind Geoff. Canadian Gary Robbins took third with a 7:00:28. Brazilian Valmir Nunes (7:12:17) and Virginian Jeremy Ramsey (7:33:33) rounded out the top 5.

Tamsin Anstey came down from British Columbia with her GORE-TEX TransRockies Run partner, Gary Robbins, and took the women's win in 8:09:07. Another of Tamsin's traveling companions, Nicola Gildersleeve, followed Tamsin in to take second with a time of 8:39:53. Young Virginian Heather Fisher was third in 8:47:00. Montrail runner Annette Bednosky brought home fourth in 8:56:46, while Ginger Smith of New York was fifth in 9:08:08.

The full MMTR results are up. The race also posted live text, audio, and video updates from the course that, when put together, make a nice narrative account of the race. Geoff Roes has posted a brief race report.

Lithia Loop Trail Marathon
No surprise in the men's field with Max King ending the day as the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon winner and, more important, the new USATF national trail marathon champion. Max's win is all the sweeter considering he essentially made his marathon debut a week earlier at the New York City Marathon where he placed top-20 with a 2:19. The men's top five was geographically diverse. Behind Bend, Oregon's King were California's Sam Robinson in 2:42:54; North Carolina's Aaron Saft in 2:48:42; Arizona's Greg McMillan in 2:54:50; and New Hampshire's Jim Johnson in 2:56:57.

from l-r: Max King, Sam Robinson, Aaron Saft and Jim Johnson photo: Ian Torrence, LLTM co-RD

Cynthia Arnold of Lexington, Kentucky took the women's championship in 3:08:42. Becca Ward's sprint to a 3:16:14 was just good to claim second. Three ultrarunners took third through fifth in the women's race: Devon Crosby-Helms (3:16:20), Krissy Moelh (3:17:58), and Ellen Parker (3:30:40).

Full Lithia Loop Trail Marathon results are available. Also check out the fine Mail Tribune article on the race.

Stone Cat 50 Mile
As noted above, Vermont's Kelly Wilson provided the following report on the Stone Cat 50 mile. [Trail Goat Note: I also covered the race for Competitor Running.]

It was a beautiful, sunny fall day in Ipswitch, MA at the Stone Cat 50m and marathon trail races. The morning started out on the chilly side at 27 degrees but warmed into the 50s with a slight breeze.

The racers lined up at the start at daybreak, Gil gave the word to go and they were off with the marathoners turning left to do their mini loop first while the 50 milers headed into the woods.

About an hour and a half later the 50 mile lead pack came in with Kevin Sullivan, Leigh Schmidt, David Herr, Brian Rusiecki (right), Jack Pilla and a short distance behind Todd Walker.

The sun had come out and the air was warming up nicely when Kevin Sullivan came in first to complete the second lap with Leigh Schmidt about 20 seconds behind. Brian Rusiecki followed about a minute later with David Herr and Jack Pilla not too far off pace.

Kevin headed out for his third lap looking over his shoulder for Leigh. However, shortly after the leaders had left, Kevin was walking back across the field. He was dropping due to a calf injury. Todd Walker came back too with an IT band bothering him.

Leigh Schmidt came in first at the end of the third lap with Brian Rusiecki about a minute behind him. David Herr and Jack Pilla weren't far behind.

Brian Rusiecki passed Leigh on the fourth lap and went on to win the race and set a new course record of 6:27:55. Leigh Schmidt finished second in a time of 6:32:06. Jack Pilla finished third in 6:51:49 passing David Herr on a hill within the last mile of the race. David Herr finished in 6:52:20.

The women's race was exciting as well with Aliza LaPierre winning her second Stone Cat 50 mile. Her main competition was Amy Lane who has had a great season winning most of the races she's entered this year. Aliza and Amy ran together for the first two laps. After the third lap, Aliza came in by herself and was out for her fourth lap before Amy came in. Aliza finished in 7:19:15 and Amy finished second in 7:54:40. Sue Dodge, a well known VT runner in the marathon and shorter distances, finished third. This was her first ultra.

Aliza Lapierre winning the women's race at the Stone Cat 50 mile
both Stone Cat photos: Mark Bentsen

Ben Nephew won the marathon in a course record time. [Trail Goat Note: Here's Ben Nephew's race report.]

Mountain Hardwear Fluid 10 Pack Review

2009-11-09T06:00:00.010-05:00

[We here at iRunFar.com are happy to introduce the newest member of our editorial staff, Allison Pattillo. A Carbondale, Colorado-based outdoor enthusiast and former editor at Trail Runner Magazine, we couldn't be more excited about adding her contributions under the moniker of Non-Gear Girl.

Why Non-Gear Girl? Because Allison appreciates useful products, not extraneous "gear" for gear's sake. Allison's explains: "My take on gear is that it has to serve its purpose, be good quality and easy to use. I don’t like gimmicks and tend to be rather suspicious of new things and updates — what was wrong with the old one? But once a product proves its worth, I’m sold. But if gear doesn’t augment my running experience, it goes straight to the interns - used to anyway!"]

Considering I support myself (somewhat anyway) by reviewing gear, I probably shouldn’t confess that sometimes gear simply overwhelms me. That’s why I run—grab some shoes (or not) and you’re good to go. So when I was invited to the Mountain Hardwear pack testing weekend, I went for the camaraderie and good food, but I got an amazing education as well!

Mountain Hardwear's forthcoming Fluid 10

Being fitted with a sport-specific pack (Mountain Hardwear's Fluid 10 is ideal for trail running, hiking and mountain biking) by the person who designed the pack, and having them show you all of the relevant features is an amazing experience. Going on an 11-mile hike/run with Eric, the pack designer, to give our instant, on-the-trail feedback was over-the-top.

Allison (center with light-blue pack) testing the Fluid 10

You should be wondering how in the hell I’m able to give an unbiased review after such ideal pack testing conditions. Good question—you may just have to try it for yourself!

After other testers tried the Fluid 10, we decided the compact yet roomy 10-liter pack works best on a small to medium-frame person. It has a snug, surprisingly jostle-free fit, with on-the-fly compression to adjust your load without removing the pack. Newsflash for me: sternum straps should be on your sternum—yup that bone just below your neck. No boob smashing required! The sternum strap on the Fluid 10 is on a sliding track for micro-adjustments.

Other features of note for our gear obsessed readers:

The HardWave frame sheet in the back panel truly keeps the back from collapsing without being rigid;
The back panel has plenty of mesh for good ventilation;
The soft-edged shoulder straps rock—no chafing and good breathability; and
The easy access (it really is!), zipper-free hydration sleeve is simple to use and holds most bladders up to 3 liters.

The Fluid 10 has zippered mesh pockets on the waist belt for essentials. They are handy and you can reach them with the pack on, but it’s a two handed affair best done while standing still. The stretch woven side pockets provide even more storage space for gear or water bottles. I could not reach the pockets with the pack on, and fully loaded with a three-liter bladder and two water bottles, the pack gets heavy in a hurry.

The pack is equipped with stretch cords, loops and an internal zippered pocket, but my favorite innovation is the externally accessed, fleece-lined pocket for glasses or a phone. Think about it, the outside top bit of a pack is always empty, so adding an outside pocket for fragile things is a brilliant use of space.

All-in-all it’s a good pack with room for all I need, and then some, for a day on the trails. The Fluid series also comes in 18, 26 and 32 liter sizes for fast-packing and longer trips—you do know the number refers to liter size right? Of course, you already knew that! The 1 pound, 4 ounce Fluid 10 will retail for $80 and will debut with the rest of its kin in Spring 2010.

Races Align: Stone Cat, Mountain Masochist, and Lithia Loop Previews!

2009-11-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Who said the trail racing season is over for the year? (Oops, we kinda did!) Well, this weekend proves us wrong with the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon - the USATF trail marathon national championships - in Ashland, Oregon and two fiercely competitive 50 milers out east with Stone Cat in Massachusetts and Mountain Masochist in Virginia. In fact, this could be one of the most competitive trail racing weekends of the entire year. We're excited to take a look at the fields at Lithia Loop, Stone Cat, and Mountain Masochist. We'll be publishing reports on Lithia and Stone Cat over at Competitor Running next week.

Best of luck to everyone throwing down this weekend. Be sure to let us know how you think these races will play out!

Lithia Loop Trail Marathon - Ashland, Oregon
In only its second year, the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon has wasted no time breaking into the big time. It helps that this year the race is the USATF trail marathon national championships. However, that's only part of the reason that such a great field will be toeing the line on Saturday. You see, the race is put on by Rouge Valley Runners, a specialty running store owned by Hal Koerner, the 2007 and 2009 Western States 100 champion. Long time ultrarunner Ian Torrence manages the store, while stud runners like Erik Skaggs, the current USATF trail 100k champion, work there. In other words, this is a trail race put on by some of the best and most respected names in the sport and that attracts other top talent. $6,000 in prize money doesn't hurt either! It looks like all that talent could have an "interesting" day given the forecast of cold rain down low and snow up high. Here's who the crew have gotten to show up this year.

Men
While many of the top men are locals that still means a slew of men with 2:30 or faster marathon speed when you're talking Oregon.

Max King (Bend, OR) - A past member of team USA at the cross country world championships and US Olympic trails participant in the steeplechase, Max ran a 2:19 last weekend at the New York City Marathon in his first serious attempt at the distance. If he recovers, this is Max's race to lose.
Jeff Caba (Bend, OR) - Jeff won the inaugural Lithia Loop Trail Marathon last year (2:47) and returns to defend his title. In the interim, Caba ran a 2:31 at this year's Twin Cities Marathon.
Andy Martin (where else but Bend, OR) - Andy trains with Jeff, but beat him by 6 minutes at Twin Cities with a 2:25.
Thomas Brooks (Eugene "Hey, we're not Bend!", OR) - A steeplechaser like Max King, Thomas placed third in the event (8:25) at the 2007 USATF national championships.
Aaron Saft (Fletcher, NC) - Aaron will attempt to regain the USATF trail marathon crown that he captured in 2007 with a 2:30:53.
Mark Godale (Aurora, OH) - A road ultra specialist looks to tear up the trails. He's no slow poke though given his 2:30 marathon PR.
Phil Kochik (Seattle, WA) - Not sure he has the speed to compete, but he won the USATF trail 50 mile championships in '04 & '05.
Sean Meissner (Sisters, OR) - Ok, Sean's not going to win Lithia, but he's won three out of four marathons he's raced this year. He was also second at Lithia last year (2:53). We hope this iRunFar favorite brings home some gas money with a top-5 finish.

Women
It's a two woman race. Devon Crosby-Helms versus Krissy Moehl. If they were guys, they'd probably be talking smack right now. Why? Not because they're enemies, but because they're friends. These two (and two others) ran the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim together last month. (DCH's report; KM's report) So how's this friendly showdown gonna go down?

Devon Crosby-Helms (Sausalito, CA) - A good friend of iRunFar, Devon Crosby-Helms gets our nod. Earlier this year, Devon placed fourth at the 100k road world championships as part of Team USA's victory. More recently, she teamed up with Caitlin Smith to win the GORE-TEX TransRockies Run by besting The North Face's team of Kami Semick and Nikki Kimball.
Krissy Moehl (Seattle, WA) - In June, Krissy placed second behind Anita Ortiz at the Western States 100. In August, she came back to win and set the women's course record at the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. Clearly Krissy has had a great year, but can she match Devon's speed?

Stone Cat 50 mile - Ipswich, MA
The Stone Cat 50 mile is one of iRunFar's absolute favorite races. (iRF 2007 race report) Let's call it a quirky classic that is New England all the way. Stone Cat is sponsored by a brewery with a mascot on (and off) course and is organized in the attic of a small mom and pop grocery (Gil's), the basement of which is the headquarters of Gil's Athletic Club that puts on the race. Every year, many of New England's top runners come out to race Stone Cat and this year is no exception.

Men
This year Stone Cat looks like a de facto New England trail 50-mile men's championship.

Leigh Schmitt (Conway, MA) - When was the last time Leigh Schmitt lost an East Coast 50 miler? Yeah, we can't remember either. Some say he can't be beaten. Behind the scenes, some say they can be him. We're waiting.
Kevin Sullivan (Andover, MA) - Kevin Sullivan, an iRunFar contributor, is one man who could take Leigh on the right day. At this year's Western States 100, Kevin took the NE crown by beating Leigh by 2 places and 50 minutes.
Brian Rusiecki (Leeds, MA) - Rusiecki won the Vermont 50 at the end of September. He churned out a 7:12 in horribly muddy conditions to edge out Glen Redpath by 7 minutes.
Jack Pilla (Charlotte, VT) - In 2007, Jack won Stone Cat with a then course record of 7:02. [Trail Goat Note: He schooled me by almost an hour.] Since then he placed 3rd at last year's Wasatch 100 and finally won the Vermont 100 this summer.
Todd Walker (Amherst, MA) - Unlikely to have the speed to claim the win, Todd is a long time ultrarunner who's more of a threat at 100 miles.
David Herr (Canaan, VT) - David does have the speed with 2:3X marathon credentials, but he's never put it all together at Stone Cat. Could this be the year?

Women
There's aren't too many national level names in this field and we plead ignorance on the top women's runners from New England, but here goes. Feel free to help us out with info and suggestions.

Aliza Lapierre (Williston, VT) - As far as we know, this is Aliza's race to lose. Lapierre won the race in 2007 while setting the course record at the time (8:07).
Jenny Chow (Long Valley, NJ) - Jenny has raced 8 100 milers this year and has won three of them (Kettle Moraine, Mohican, and Oil Creek).
Jenny Hoffman (Cambridge, MA) - Jenny won Stone Cat back in 2005 (8:30).
Kelly Willson (Charlotte, VT) - Kelly has won the Virgil Crest (nee Iroquois Trails) 100 the past two years.
Amy Lane (Westfield, MA) - Amy was the third woman at last year's Stone Cat 50 (8:55).

Mountain Masochist 50 Mile
With a few late entries, this year's Mountain Masochist Trail Run went from a good race to a great race. As this is a Montrail Ultra Cup race, the top two runners in both the men's and women's fields will earn a spot in next year's Western States 100. While we note a few top runners below, you can also check out former-RD David Horton's runner seedings for a more extensive list and his predictions.

Men
Given his season to date, we can't help but pick Alaska's Geoff Roes for the win.

Geoff Roes (Alaska) - Geoff Roes is having fun running these days and that spells trouble for everyone else. In July, Geoff became the first runner to break 3 hours at the quarter century old Crow Pass Crossing (24 miles), so he's got speed. In September, he took more than an hour off the Wasatch 100 course record, so he's got endurance and toughness.
Valmir Nunes (Brazil) - Valmir is a fast road guy with some endurance skills. In 2007, he set the Badwater 135 record... in his first attempt at the race. We don't know if he has the experience to handle the rocky second half of MMTR.
????? ???????? (????????) - Forget being PC, Mountain Masochist is the kind of race where stud runners CAN get in last minute. You never know who will show up on race day.
Gary Robbins (Canada) - An ultra friendly Canadian, Gary was setting 50k course records left and right this spring before winning the open mixed category at the GORE-TEX TransRockies Run in August. Gary was second at MMTR last year.
Jeremy Ramsey (Virginia) - Always fear a fast local like Jeremy Ramsey at Mountain Masochist. Jeremy placed third here in 2008.
Will Harlan (North Carolina) - Not a local, but Will is familiar with the rocky trails of the Appalachian Mountains. Harlan is very hit or miss, so he'll need to have one of his good days to compete.

Women
The women's race has some good runners, but no clear favorite. Will it be the talented, the tough, or the unknown who takes the day?

Justine Morrison (DC) - Justine is the defending MMTR champ and there's no one in the field that is clearly faster than her. A repeat is quite possible.
Heather Fisher (VA) - Heather cracked the top 5 in her Mountain Masochist debut last year. Look for this youngster (age 23) to move up now that she has some ultra experience under her belt.
Donna Utakis (MA) - Donna made the trek down to Virginia to win the Grindstone 100 last month. If she's recovered, this ultra veteran is a no-brainer for the top 5 with a chance to place higher.
Annette Bednosky (North Carolina) - Annette is on tough trail runner and is a treat to win any trail race she enters. (She won Western States in 2005.) However, Annette's been hurt and that hurts her chances of winning MMTR.

This Week In Running (Week of November 7 & November 8)

2009-11-04T06:00:00.003-05:00

TWIR spent last weekend in Fountain Hills, Arizona at the Javelina 100, where Dave James of Trumbull, Connecticut crushed the field on route to a new course record of 14:20:54, an hour faster than Karl Meltzer's prior course record. Beverly Anderson-Abbs took top honors for the women with a time of 18:48:05. The top 5 for the men and women were as follows:

Men

1. Dave James, 31, Trumbull, CT, 14:20:54
2. Mark Matyazik, 45, Irvine, CA, 17:22:09
3. Jerome Jourdan, 35, Phoenix, AZ, 18:32:25
4. Tracy Moore, 48, El Cajon, CA, 18:43:49
5. Fred Roberts, 49, Tucson, AZ, 19:50:47

Women
1. Beverly Anderson-Abbs, 45, Red Bluff, CA, 18:48:05
2. Brenda Corona, 48, Escondido, CA, 20:36:46
3. Elizabeth Murphy, 49, Escondido, CA, 21:15:25
4. Kara Scarbrough, 34, San Diego, CA, 21:42:57
5. Veronika Swidrack, 37, Radfeld, Austria, 22:58:26

[Trail Goat Note: Further afield, the US was well represented at that IAU 50k world championships held in Gibraltar. The North Face's Kami Semick won the women's race, while TNF's Micheal Wardian was America's top man in third place. Mike race hard and was running side-by-side with the eventual men's winner, South Africa's Lucas Nonyana. Justin Fyffe was the next American male in 9th, while Amanda Stickel from Ohio took 5th in the women's race. Pdf's of the men's race and women's race are now available.]

We are so exhausted from our trip out West (and the red-eye flight back East), that this week's edition of TWIR will mostly fall on the shoulders of our readers. [Trail Goat Note: Until I bring you the scoop on the trail stompin' competition at this weekend's Stone Cat 50, Mountain Masochist 50, and Lithia Loop Marathon on Friday!]

We have listed a few of the events taking place on the weekend on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8 below. You can head on over to the race web-site for more details. There certainly are others, so drop us a comment and let us know which one(s) you might be attending this weekend.

Stone Cat 50 mile and marathon (Willowdale State Forest, Ipswich, MA)
Mountain Masochist Trail Run (Lynchburg, VA)
Lithia Loop Trail Marathon (Ashland, OR) - The USATF Trail Marathon Championship
Ozark Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run (Steelville, MO)
Pinhoti 100 (Sylacauga, AL)
Mendon Trail Run 50k (Pittsford, NY)
Harbison Forest 50k (Harbison State Forest, SC)

What event are you running this weekend ? Let us know !

iRunFar Summer Road Trip #2 - Onwards and Upwards

2009-11-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

To be honest, my second road trip of the summer started off on the sad side. I flew back from California to say goodbye to friends and family in DC, New Jersey, and New York. While I was moving to paradise and could always come back to visit these people, I was leaving the only life and world I’d ever know behind me. All that said, I went on to explore places I never thought I’d visit during iRunFar Summer Road Trip #2: Onwards and Upwards.

It turns out my parents make just as good a pit crew as an ultra crew!

Rockefeller State Park Preserve, NY
While I ran some hometown trails in New Jersey’s Washington Crossing State Park, those runs don’t feel like part of the road trip. Therefore, the first run of road trip number two was an easy morning run through Rockefeller State Park Preserve with iRunFar writer and IRunUltras.com publisher, Tony Portera. (Tony's review of Rockefeller SPR) Though I rarely see Tony, the run felt as if he and I met up for such runs three days a week. We chatted about life, our upcoming running plans, and whatever else came up. It was a great way to start off the trip.

Frontenac Provincial Park, ON, Canada
My final farewell involved a trip to upstate New York to see my grandma. From there, I set off on my first trip to eastern Canada. At the border I gave up a can of pepper spray (really?!), but talked the guard into letting me take a house plant across the border so long as I promised that it wouldn’t leave the car. A few hours later I was northwest of Kingston, Ontario with trail running/snowshoeing couple extraordinaire – Derrick Spafford and Sara Montgomery. The next morning Derrick took me out to Frontenac Provincial Park to explore what the “Canadian Shield” had to offer. For 20 miles, we followed the gently rolling single-track as it weaved past numerous lakes and granite outcroppings under a thick maple canopy. We also came across a couple beaver dams, including one that was an integral part of the trail. Oh, Canada…

Derrick showing off a beaver’s toothy work in Frontenac

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, ON, Canada
To make the most of my first Ontario excursion, I took the high road out of Frontenac. In fact, I went about as far north as I could as I traversed the province on Kings Highway 11 between North Bay and Thunder Bay. It was during this veeeerrrrry long drive through Canadian bush country that I first heard of The Sleeping Giant, Canada’s top natural wonder as voted in a CBC poll. The peculiar feature gets its name as the Sibley Peninsula looks like a person in repose upon Lake Superior.

iRunFar's mobile headquarters during this summer's latter two road trips

After first overshooting the park and having to get directions at the Terry Fox Memorial, I hit the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park for a run. As I started down the trail so did the rain. It quickly picked up in intensity as it swept east across the aptly named Thunder Bay. Not a mile down the trail, I passed a group who warned of a large black bear on the trail. Maceless since my border crossing, I picked up two stones and clapped them together as I sang my way down the trail. Never saw the bear, but I sure feared it as I veered right onto some tight single track. I eventually dropped the rocks and into a hidden valley… or so it seemed. It’s rare that I’ve felt so immersed in nature as I did in this place. The highlight of the run was literally being splashed by a beaver that was less than 10 feet away when I had no option but to cross his dam. This was definitely a back track worth taking. Plus, it meant I got to stop at the Terry Fox Memorial twice!

Note the beaver to the left and the blue trail marker ahead

Maah Daah Hey Trail, Teddy Roosevelt National Park, ND
Another day, another trail. I could get used to this! Once I crossed back into the States I continued on a northerly route headed towards Theodore Roosevelt National Park and its Badlands. I had no particular run in mind for the park, but when I learned that the famed Maah Daah Hey Trail passed through the park, my decision was easy. The trail didn’t disappoint. I jumped on the trail where it passed by the intersection of the Little Missouri River and I-80. I ran east on a flat valley tucked between bluffs to the north and the winding Little Missouri to the south.

Running between the Little Missouri River and some bluffs on the Maah Daah Hey Trail

The grass tight along the trail was saturated with ticks, which I regularly stopped to pull off my legs. Two miles down the trail another animal had hidden itself in the tall grass – a rattlesnake. The snake blended in perfectly and it wasn’t until I was on top of the snake that its rattle alerted me of its presence. I looked back and saw it coiled as if ready to strike. I noted the snake’s position in my GPS and continued practically high stepping my way down the trail.

The toothiest of my animal foes on the Maah Daah Hey Trail

Eventually, a trail turned northward. I followed it up to the top of the bluffs from which I had a great view of the trail I’d traveled and the valley beyond the bluffs. On the way back, I bushwacked my way to the very top of the bluffs and was treated to an interesting mineral field that I investigated. The rest of my return trip I was enjoyed to great views, as the bluffs threw ever-lengthening shadows over the flat valley below.

Running off into the sunset on the Maah Daah Hey Trail

Ruby Crest Trail, Elko County, NV
Sometimes the best-laid plans are quickly laid to rest. The evening before what I’d intended to be the crowning run of my first two road trips – a full-length run of the 42-mile Ruby Crest Trail, it was called off. My partner for the run, Brendan Trimboli, and I decided that the logistics of the car shuttle, setting up camp, and running the trail just wouldn’t work given our projected arrival times in Elko. In hindsight, I’m sure glad we bailed because it would have been on long walk of the Ruby Crest Trail.

Lamoille Canyon was all clear… below the trailhead

What I hadn’t anticipated was the sheer volume of snow that would still be on the trail and how slow going it would make any progress down it. Rather than deal with any shuttling, Brendan and I decided a simple out-and-back was in order. Easier said than done. Upon hitting the trailhead we covered a small length of valley floor and then began ascending the switchbacks. Snow patches quickly turned into a snowfield in which we had to carefully search for the inconspicuously marked trail. To be fair, when the trail isn’t covered in snow, it’s impossible to miss. Not so in the snow.

This may or may not be the Ruby Crest Trail, but we took it

We frequently split up only to rendezvous when one of us was certain he was on trail. The route-finding, steep terrain, two-mile high elevation, and goodness knows how deep snow kept us at a near standstill. By the time we reached Liberty Pass, it had taken over an hour and a half to cover two and two-thirds miles. Granted, there was at least 1,600’ of climbing in about two and a half of those miles, but that’s still a pace that would have had us taking over a day to cover the 42-mile length of the trail.

Brendan climbing toward Liberty Pass on the Ruby Crest Trail

At the pass we noted a strong thunderstorm, so after a few pictures we turned around for the trailhead.

Weather forming over Liberty Lake on the far side of the pass

Having long before switched from a cover-the-distance mindset to a enjoy-the-journey one, Brendan and I made the most of the trek back to the car. We kicked things off with some high altitude sledless sledding. Upon reaching one of the small lakes along the way, we came across three other intrepid souls and stopped for a delightful chat. The final leg of our return trip turned into a fun bushwack into the valley.

Brendan sneaking in some running at the end of our journey

iRunFar Summer Road Trip #2 Completed
After the misadventure in the Ruby Mountains I headed home to the Sierra foothills for a few days of recuperation prior to embarking on the biggest of the three iRunFar summer road trips. I need the break as I’d driven more than 7,000 miles in the month since I first pulled the Penske truck (iRF Summer Road Trip #1) away from the curb in Arlington, Virginia

iRunFar Summer Road Trip #1 -The Penske Chronicles

2009-10-30T13:56:00.005-04:00

I started my summer by picking up my life (and iRunFar world headquarters) in Arlington, Virginia moving it to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California in two transcontinental road trips. I followed that up with a trail runner's dream of a road trip. In all, I spent nearly four months roaming the world - primarily America's Intermountain West - in search of sweet trailheads and the adventures to which they give rise. Over the next week or so, I'll share some of the highlights of those trips. If you want more details about any adventure, leave a comment telling me what you'd like to know. For now, I give you iRunFar Summer Road Trip 1 - The Penske Chronicles.

"Wander a whole summer if you can. Thousands of God's blessings will search you and soak you as if you were a sponge, and the big days will go by uncounted. If you are business-tangled and so burdened by duty that only weeks can be got out of the heavy laden year, give a month at least. The time will not be taken from the sum of life. Instead of shortening, it will indefinitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal." - John Muir

iRunFar Summer Road Trip 1 - The Penske Chronicles
In case you didn't know, rental truck outlets set minimum rental periods for point-to-point rentals depending on the length of the journey. As I was moving from Arlington, Virginia to Merced, California, Penske "gave" me a generous 11 days to make the journey. I decided to make the most of it.

My summer of fun kicked off as I pulled away from the curb after darkness fell on May 19th. Over the next three days, I headed west without straying far from America's (or at least my) central travel axis, I-80.

Johnson-Sauk Trail SRA, Illinois
As afternoon waned on Day 1, I veered off the highway toward a green patch I found on my iPhone. It's there I logged a quick adventure run in Illinois's Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area. Though unspectacular, I had a most pleasant time running the trails. As I drove off, I decided to take a picture of Ryan's Round Barn (pictured below). I missed the shot and while turning around I noticed a group of runners gathering. I drove up, pulled over, and jumped out. A few minutes later, I was off on the second half of an impromptu double.

Ryan's Round Barn at the Johnson-Sauk Trail Recreation Area

Vedauwoo, WY
One day and 900 miles later, I pulled off I-80 at one of my favorite spots in the world - Veadauwoo, a Seussian granite outcropping plopped between Cheyenne and Laramie in Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest. While these rocks always have a unique, almost spiritual quality to them, this trip was my most intense yet. As the rental truck climbed from the prairies to the east, I drew ever nearer the cloud bank that sat a hundred feet above Vedauwoo's base. After I parked the truck along the interstate off ramp and set out on my run as the clouds hugged in tighter and a stiff breeze blew over the crest on which Vedauwoo rests. I explored a bit, but the place was way too eerie to venture far a field. I mostly stuck to the large exposed rock formations before heading back to the truck on the roads. I couldn't handle being on the trails alone in those conditions. The first 10 minutes of driving west after the run were the most intense of my life.

Vedauwoo before the cloud ceiling descended

Glenwild Loop, Park City, UT
After running out of gas west of Laramie (N.B. there are no gas stations open at night between Laramie and Rawlins), I made it to Park City the next morning. Having spent two summers living in PC, I knew there was a great trail running option just moments off the interstate. During my Utah summers I would often hit the Glenwild trails on my commute home from Salt Lake City. If you run the route clockwise, you get a short warm up on flat trails, a steady climb, a fun descent, and then a long flat section before a second descent down to the creek at the parking lot. This creek is a fantastic spot after a hard run, as it's cold enough for a soak and there are always plenty of birds to provide you with entertaining company.

The Wasatch Mountains from the meadow portion of Glenwild

Pocatello 50 Mile, ID
From Salt Lake City, I drove the Penske truck north toward Pocatello. Just minutes but still an entire world away from town, I headed west up into the mountains to find an encampment of eager trail runners. The next morning they'd set off solo or as part of a relay team in the first annual Pocatello 50. I'd write more about this race, but I'll be treating it to a full write up in the future. In short, the course was fantastic, but more than I cared to tackle on the day. I still managed to have a wonderful time despite DNFing.

Where's the top? Hell, where's the trail?

After the race, Sean Meissner and I drove down to Salt Lake City, where a kind soul had agreed to provide me with a place to leave the Penske. A yummy breakfast later, I jumped in Meissner's car and we headed south. My transcontinental move was way off course... or was it? We were headed to the Grand Canyon after all!

Bryce Canyon NP, Utah
Not wanting to miss a beat in our training, we looked for a spot to run en route to the Big Ditch. After some debate, we settled on a little green spot on the map - Bryce Canyon National Park. Wow! I'm sure glad we went there. Our 8-mile loop of the Fairyland and Rim Trails ran us through some of the most fantastic landscapes imaginable. The ever changing light thrown by a slow moving cloud bank only added to the fun ... and treated us to a rainbow, too. The run was made all the better by the fact that I shared it with a great friend.

Sean Meissner running Bryce Canyon NP's Fairyland Trail

Grand Canyon NP, AZ
A day later, Sean and I went for a shake out run along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I'll spare you the obligatory picture of me on Powell's point. We ran west along the rim before catching a shuttle back to the main visitor area.

A late day view of the Grand Canyon from the South Rim

Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim. It's an easy concept. It's not an easy journey. Meissner and I started early and I took advantage of early morning light to snap some photos. Then my camera battery died. That was probably a good thing as I was able to spend the rest of the day absorbing the journey, both visually and spiritually.

Meissner descending the Grand Canyon's South Kaibab Trail

I greatly enjoyed the descent down the South Kaibab trail to the Colorado River. The runnable 7-8 miles up the North Kaibab Trail out of Phantom Ranch - not so much... but much more than I would in the afternoon. I did, however, love the walk up to the North Rim once the trail steepened. I love to walk! I love to descend almost as much as I love to walk, so the run down from the North Rim was sweet until the trail flattened out.

I had spent myself trying to run up the same trail earlier in the day and my under-trained hip flexors were not happy. I hung in there until I noticed my heart rate steadily increasing to tempo run range despite an easy effort on a slightly downhill trail. It was mid-afternoon and the sun beat steadily down on us. To make matters worse, the slot canyon we'd entered acted like a solar oven. My rapid heart was a clear sign that I had heat exhaustion. I told Sean that if we didn't make it to Phantom Ranch in 10 minutes, I was going in the stream along which we were running. Ten minutes passed and no Phantom Ranch - into the stream for a nice soak we went.

I arose from the water greatly revived. We trotted down to Phantom Ranch and enjoyed ice cold lemonade and some candy bars in the miraculous air conditioning. I wanted to never leave this oasis, but we did. We crossed back over the river and ran downstream for longer than I thought we would. A turn to the left and we started our Sisyphean climb back to the South Rim. Meissner is a heck of a hill climber, so I just settled into my own pace, while Meissner would wait for me from time to time. Clouds settled over us for our climb up the Bright Angel Trail and we were even treated to some gusty winds and chilly rain in a thunderstorm. It was refreshing. A couple hours later, Sean and I stood atop the South Rim and surveyed what we'd done together. It was awesome. Sean definitely deserved his girly drink that night!

Meissner with his well-deserved post-R2R2R drink

Road Trip #1 Complete
From the Grand Canyon, I flew from Flagstaff back to Salt Lake City and drove trough the night to my new home in the Sierra foothills. A few days later I would fly back to Arlington, to wrap things up before starting iRunFar Summer Road Trip #2! Check back soon to read the next installment!

iRunFar Road Trip #1 - Complete!

This Week In Running (Week of 10/31 & 11/1)

2009-10-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

Spooky, but the right way to kick off This Week In Running's look at a few of the events taking place on All Hallows' Eve, including a pair of 100-milers, Javelina Jundred 100 and Cactus Rose 100.

We begin in Fountain Hills, Arizona, with the 7th annual Javelina Jundred 100 and Jalloween party. The course consists of six washing machine loops (reverse directions each loop) plus a half-loop on the 15.4 mile Pemberton Trail (the final, half-loop is 9 miles, making the total distance of this race 101.4 miles). The gently rolling single track and jeep trail through the desert, surrounded by beautiful mountain views, combines many aspects of desert running, including sandy washes, rocky trail, and thorny vegetation. JJ100 has an overall time limit of 30 hours, but runners must complete the first 6 loops in 27.5 hours. The course record is held by Karl Meltzer (15:25:10 in 2006). The women's record is held by Stephanie Ehret (17:38:51 in 2003).

The 2009 edition of Javelina looks to be quite a battle with a slew of top notch runners on the entry list - Beverley Anderson-Abbs, Michelle Barton, Julie Berg, Josh Brimhall, Jonathan Gunderson, Paul DeWitt, Dave James, and Jorge Pacheco, to name a few. Lots of special awards are presented, including Best Costume (male and female), Congeniality, Geri K (Most Memorable), Best Ass, First Virgin, Oldest Finisher, Youngest Finisher, Best Team Finish, and Dead Last.

Another 100-miler kicking off on Halloween is Cactus Rose (100 and 50 mile options) in Bandera, Texas. This "nasty, rugged trail run" prohibits "Whiners, Wimps, or Wusses" and offers "bonus points for blood, cuts, scrapes and puke." The event is designed to require the least amount of volunteers as possible - a sort of self-serve setup of aid stations and support systems. Like JJ100, Cactus Rose is an alternating direction course. The race starts in the clockwise direction, but runners change direction with each loop. The loops are 25 miles in length. Also like JJ100, there is a costume contest, but in this instance runners need not wear the costume for the entire run (only for one complete loop).

Cold and windy Chicago, Illinois plays host to the 10th Annual Chicago Lakefront 50/50 this weekend. The course is 4 out-and-back segments along the Lakefront running path, consisting mostly of asphalt with some concrete sections. This race is said to be one of the flattest 50k and 50 mile courses in North America. The current 50 mile world record was set on Chicago's lakefront in 1984.

We finish this week with the Carkeek 12 Hour in Seattle, Washington. Dubbed the "hardest 12 hour race out there, period", the course is a 1.93 mile loop with approximately 430 feet of elevation gain per loop. Of course, there is a costume contest (runners must wear the costume for at least one full loop).

That will wrap things up for this week. If you choose to run an event this weekend.....be careful out there.....strange things have been known to happen on All Hallows' Eve.

Summer Gear Heaven

2009-10-25T02:28:00.015-04:00

The summer Outdoor Retailer show has been over for three months, so why am I writing about it now? For starters, I still want to clue you in on the best gear on its way to market. While a few of the products mentioned below are available right now, most will be released in late winter/early spring 2010. I'd rather limit your gear lust to 3 months rather than 6! Second, I was just too busy this summer to write about the show (think, OR in Salt Late City on Friday evening, Seattle on Saturday morning, and Banff on Sunday), and it now fits in with this week's theme of the iRunFar Summer Road Trip. Alright, enough with the lame excuses and on to the gear!

Top(o) Product

Without a doubt, the product that excited me most at Summer OR was National Geographic's Trails Illustrated Explorer software. This software is based on National Geographic's fantastic Trails Illustrated maps and follows up on the group's Topo! software with which some readers may be familiar. I used Topo! to explore routes in the Appalachians not long after I started running ultras early in the decade. Topo! had great data, but was a pain in the butt to use, as you had to plot a point for every spot you wanted to follow along the trail.

Well, along comes Trails Illustrated Explorer with every trail and road pre-digitized. No more tedious point plotting. Just drag the cursor along an established route and Trails Illustrated Explorer does the rest. The Trails Illustrated Explorer series, which currently includes many iconic National Parks and some entire regions (i.e., the White Mountains, Colorado 14ers, and the Sierra Nevada), is addicting. The only thing more fun than planning a myriad of routes is trying them out!

[I've used the Sierra Nevada edition since I've returned to the Sierra Foothills and love it even more in practice than in theory. Not only is it great for learning the trails of Yosemite National Park, but helps me to easily explore new road routes from home.]

Trail Shoes
New Balance MT100 - Summer OR brought the Anton Krupicka and Kyle Skaggs inspired MT100 one step closer to the market. Low profile and ultra light, these slipper-esque trail shoes are a minimalist's dream. Enough so, that they are one of the most highly anticipated trail running shoes in a long while. The MT100 and their women's counterpoint, the WT100, are already available. (Support iRF by using the following links to purchase the MT100 or WT100.)

[Be aware that the bright orange version of the MT100 you've seen in magazines (and see above) will not be available in the US... just various shades of drab gray for us.]

"Hybrid" Shoes - While Brooks might not be changing much about the Cascadia between versions 4 and 5, other companies are looking to give the Cascadia a run for its money.

Patagonia Footwear's first "running" offering, the Release, was more akin to a light hiker than a trail running shoe. Not so much with the forthcoming Tsali. A thin rock plate and lighter than usual EVA combine to make a 10 ounce shoe aimed at running to the trailhead as well as from it.

The North Face's outstanding gear and apparel were adopted by the outdoor community long ago. That's not the case with TNF's trail running shoes which have yet to catch on widely. The North Face hopes to change all that with the forthcoming Single-Track, a 11.5 oz (men's 9) offering that should help update the company's image.

[Aside from offering the Single-Track, TNF will be actively re-imaging its line of trail running shoes. First off, the classic Half Dome logo is being replaced with a swooshier logo. In addition, previous TNF trail shoe offerings will see name updates. For instance, the Arnuva will become the Sentinel and the Rucky Chucky will become the Devil's Thumb.]

Salomon Reelax - An apres-running shoe, the Relax is a treat for your feet. It was just what my feet needed in the weeks after running the Leadville 100. Keep your eyes open for the Relax early next year.

Just like New Balance's MT/WT 100,

the bright version of Salomon's Relax (above) will not be found state-side

For the barefootin' crowd, Virbam will be giving you two new options. First off, is the KSO Trek ($125) that makes the KSO more trail-worthy by adding a kangaroo leather upper and some light cleating to the tread. The Bikila, named after basefoot Olympic marathon champ Abebe Bikila, is designed for the roads with a padded ankle collar and reflective accents. The Bikila will be available for $100 in 2010.

Apparel/Accessories
My favorite accessory of Summer OR '09 was Mountain Hardwear's Seta strapless running gaiter. The gaiter should work with all running shoes, as it is not subject to proprietary attachment points as have some earlier running gaiters. I look forward to a readily available running gaiter with reflective details and extra velcro patches so that the gaiter can be worn with multiple pairs of shoes.

On the apparel front, it looks like Moeben's arm sleeves (iRF review) will be seeing even more competition this summer as everyone and their mother comes out with arm warmers. Merrell will be taking the concept one step further than many others by pairing arm warmers with matching short-sleeve technical shirts as part of its Trail Mix collection. The men's Dualtrek ($65) is a straight-forward sleeve/shirt pairing, while the women's Longmont ($79) pairs a shrug with the top. Both tops have stash pockets and reflective details.

Lights
I didn't notice any game changing lights at OR this year. That said, two companies made notable upgrades to their lighting lines.

Topping the lighting update list is Petzl's overhaul of its Tikka/Zipka line with the introduction of the Tikka2, Zipka2, Tikkina2, and so on. All of these lights now throw way more light than their precedent model with no additional wear on the batteries. The Tikka Plus 2, Zipka Plus 2, and Tikka XP 2 now feature a battery indicator and an additional red light. The wee e-Lite (iRF review) gains a tiny whistle in the cord lock.

Since 2008, GoMotion has provided chest- and waist-mounted lighting options for trail runners. This summer GoMotion added 1 and 3-Watt Waist Light Kits. The company previously offered and continues to offer a LiteBelt waist pack; however, the new Waist Light Kits allows a trail runner to add an easy lighting option to her or his favorite waist pack.

Hydration
I correctly called the CamelBak Flow Meter's ($30) introduction heading into summer OR. This small hydration tube attachment measures fluid consumption, tracks remaining reservoir supply, and monitors programmable hydration goals.

High in the sky pack maker Osprey is jumping into the hydration game with Osprey Hydraulics. Two packs - the Manta (20 liters cargo capacity) and the Raptor (6 liter cargo capacity) - are scheduled for mid-February 2010 release. Highlights of the series include a nozzle that magnetically clips to the sternum strap and a "LidLock" on the Raptor that will quickly attach a helmet to the pack.

[Disclaimer: We received free samples of the following products: National Georgraphic Trails Illustrated Explorer: Sierra Nevada; New Balance MT100; The North Face Single-Track; Salomon Relax; Petzl Tikka Plus 2, and GoMotion 1-Watt Waist Light Kit. In addition, affiliate links in this post help support iRunFar.com.]

Best Summer Running Memory

2009-10-23T06:00:00.003-04:00

Last week, we asked what fun running plans you had in store for the fall. We thank everyone who shared his or her plans. Go check out other reader's plans and add your own. Aside from running, fall is also a time to reminisce about the great times had over the summer. That's why we're asking you to share your best summer running memory with us. It could be an entire road trip with your family/buddies, a race that you'll always remember, or singular magic moment out on the trail. (Feel free to link to a report when leaving a comment, but be sure to write a bit about your experience IN the comment so people will know what you're talking about!) We'll share some of our favorite comments in the main post.

While we're inviting you to reminisce about your summer, we will, too. After a month back at iRunFar's stationary headquarters in the Sierra foothills, it's finally time to fill you in about the iRunFar Summer Road Trip! We don't want to bore everyone to death, so we'd love to know what you'd like to hear about the most.

A revised itinerary?
Races run?
Races watched?
Other cool trails run?
The non-running gear that made it happen?
Gear we saw along the way?

Let us know and we'll try to cover it next week.

Ultimate Direction Bottle With Kicker Valves Review

2009-10-21T07:00:00.006-04:00

What's the surest way to know that a gear reviewer really loves a product? See them buy the gear full-priced with their own hard earned money. Two weeks prior to the Marathon des Sables this spring I walked into a local running store and bought two 26-ounce Ultimate Direction bottles with kicker valves ($10). If I needed another bottle today, I'd go ahead and do the same thing. As I recently shared on iRunFar's Facebook page, this classic from Ultimate Direction is still the best water bottle I've ever used while running.

I could talk about the bottle's comfortable shape or the fact that the top doesn't leak (surprisingly, not always true of water bottles), but no feature compares to the UD bottles' kicker valve. It's easy to open and even even easier to shut, taking only a wave of the opposite hand or a quick brush against the torso to seal the bottle tight.

The Ultimate Direction Kicker Valve in its various states of openness

The valve is also very easy on the mouth - a big plus when you're using it for 10, 20, 30, or more hours at a time. I've had other bottles tear up the inside of my mouth after extended use.

Questions

What's your favorite bottle to use while running?
If you've used an Ultimate Direction bottle with kicker valves, what did you think?

[Disclosure: The link to Amazon in this post is part of an affiliate program that helps support iRunFar.com. No free samples were received from Ultimate Direction in connection with this review.]

Merino Buff Review by Elyse Braner

2009-10-19T07:00:00.003-04:00

On a few of my maintenance runs during the cool mornings of March, I decided to deviate from my normal ponytail and ear warmers and try the Wool Buff 100% Merino headband ($27). When I first received the product, I was a little skeptical, because it was so different from anything I had worn in my training. I initially thought it would be something that only a hardcore mountain trail runner would wear. I was pleasantly surprised as I did my runs down the dark, early morning DC streets.

Not only is this product great for cold weather, it is highly functional. There are multiple ways that the Buff will keep you warm. I wore mine around my neck under my pullover for an added layer of warmth, as well as on my head, folded over as ear warmers. I was also able to make it into a really cute, thick headband. Due to the thickness of the headband, it stayed on my head and was really comfortable. This product can certainly take you from the ski slopes, to the hiking trails, to keeping your hair back while lounging around. This product is also highly technical. The fabric offers natural stretch, uv protection, and moisture control. I liked this version so much, that I ordered the original all-weather Buff (in pink, of course).

Additional

If any of you have tried the merino wool Buff, please let everyone know what you think of it.
Interested in the idea of the Buff, but live in a warmer climate. Check out iRunFar's thorough review of the Original Buff.

[Disclosure: Buff provided a free sample Wool Buff for this review.]

Fall Fun - What's Yours?

2009-10-16T07:00:00.007-04:00

Autumn is here! With it comes cooler weather, a much welcome relief in many parts of the country. You can now hit the trails and take in the changing seasons - whatever form that may taking in your neck of the woods - without needing to carry three water bottles for a two hour run. For many, it also means the end of the trail running racing season after many months of training and then racing. However, there are still some major trail races like the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon, Stone Cat 50 mile, Mountain Masochist Trail Run, The North Face Endurance Challenge Championships, and the XTERRA Half Marathon World Championships, as well as many, many other trail races. These autumn races often seem like an afterthought... a welcome bonus after a summer of hard work. In some parts, snow is already flying and the trails may be open for only a few more weeks. You've still got time to sneak in one last epic run in the mountains, right? Well, we're wondering what trails runs - races or recreation - you're most looking forward to before the end of the year. Tell us!

With two and a half months left in the year, I've got lots of runs I'm psyched about. In the short term, I'm excited to get in my first ever runs in the Big Sur area the next few days. When November rolls around, I'll have two weeks of exploring the desert southwest. Never having run in Zion National Park or New Mexico, those two spots top my trip To Do list. Once I'm back in the Sierra foothills, I'm hoping to sneak in at least one more Yosemite high country run before it's socked in with snow. Of course, once it does snow, I can't wait to go for my first snowshoe run of the season. I've never snowshoed without a heavy pack, so this next snowshoe will be a fun experiment. Finally, I've got one more race on the schedule this year - The North Face Endurance Challenge Championship in December. I'm not training specifically for it, but it will be a good fitness test before going into a long period of race silence.

Autumn has already arrived in the High Sierras!

Brooks Cascadia 4 Review and Cascadia 5 Preview

2009-10-14T07:00:00.017-04:00

The Brooks Cascadia 4 are the sole reason I've not reviewed a pair of single pair of shoes on iRunFar since reviewing END Footwear's WOW on April 24. (END has since gone belly up.) I started writing this review of the Cascadia 4 way back on April 10. Ever since, I've kept telling myself, "Just one more run and I'll write the Cascadia review," but I just couldn't put the Cascadia 4 in the closet. I liked them too much. Here's what I had to say a full six months ago:

"Man, I sure am glad that I hadn't run more than 2 miles in the fourth iteration of Brook's Cascadia before I ran the Marathon des Sables, because I sure would have had a difficult decision to make. Out of the box, the Cascadia 4 feel lightweight, breathable, stable, and cushy."

Pavement
"During an initial test on pavement, the Cascadia were one of, if not the best, cushioned trail shoes I've ever tried. Even more impressive is the Cascadia's "feel" on pavement. The roll and subsequent gait feel exactly like that of the road shoes many of us are used to wearing. While this may not be all that surprising from what is traditionally a road shoe company, it caught me off guard (in a good way) in what is a from-the-ground-up trail shoe design put together with the help of 7-time Western States 100 winner Scott Jurek. As someone who gets lots of trail shoes, but very few road shoes to test, I could very easily make these my road shoes. Now onto the trail."

Trails

Well, as the last six months of testing show, it turns out that the 12.5 ounce (men's 9) Cascadia are also great trail shoes for non-technical to moderately technical trails. Its easily transfers the same great ride it has on the roads to the trails. The rockplate and small toe bumper are more than enough protection unless you're going up against particularly gnarly trail obstacles. I know that I've never felt like the Cascadia wasn't enough shoe when I've worn it on the trail. Then again, I quickly defer to a slightly beefier shoes like the Montrail Mountain Masochist (iRunFar review) when I know I've got a day of rock kickin' fun in store.

What my Brooks Cascadia 4s looked like about 500 miles ago

However, I've got one major warning regarding the Cascadia, it sucks on slick trails. It can hold just fine on a wet dirt road, but throw in some wet rocks or wood or some slick mud and you're toast. Seriously, the first real trail run I went on in the Cascadia it was a big disappointment. I went out on a tough run on the Allegheny Trail with a man tough enough to be known simply as "Mongold." It was pouring and Mongold squealed with delight as I skated my way down the trail. I can't blame him. It was as if I were wearing banana peels on my feet in a comedy routine.

Additional Features Some Might Like

Asymmetrical lacing that supposedly makes it a good fit for both wide and narrow forefeet. [Anyone want to comment on that?]
A BioMoGo midsole that biodegrades faster than other midsoles, but well after the shoe's useful lifespan.
Recycled laces.
An sockliner (i.e., insole) featuring the Western States 100 course. It's a neat tribute to the course and Scott Jurek, but I have to admit I chuckled when I first saw it. It was partially a laugh at myself, because who else would notice that the sockliner features the current WS100 course, while touting Scott's impressive time on the easier fire re-routed course.

The colorful version of the women's Cascadia 4

Overall

There is no greater praise that a trail running shoe reviewer can give a shoe than to wear it out. For the past half a year, the Brooks Cascadia 4 has seen the bulk of my trail miles and a decent number of my road miles. It was the shoe I chose to wear for the Leadville 100. Today, I logged another 10.5 miles in it over a mix of paved and dirt roads in stormy conditions. Sadly, my pair will soon have to be retired.... long after that retirement was due!

Call for Feedback on the Cascadia 4
If you've hit the trails in the Cascadia 4, please leave a comment to let us know what you think!

[Disclosure: Brooks provided a free sample pair of the Cascadia 4. Also, links to Amazon in this post are part of an affiliate program that helps support iRunFar.com]

Me tidying up my Brooks Cascadia 4 during the Leadville 100

Brooks Cascadia 5 Preview
Why mess with a good thing? That's apparently Brooks's attitude with the current Cascadia design as the Cascadia 5, likely out in February 2010, will see only some minor changes to the upper. For one, the mesh will be more open to make the shoe more breathable and drain water more easily. (Should be a welcome improvement, so long as the mesh doesn't let in too much dust or debris.) Second, Brooks has supposedly improved the laces. (I'm happy to report that I haven't seen any problems with the laces in the Cascadia 4.) Brooks also worked at better locking down the foot in the midfoot area. (Again, I've not had any problems there.) Finally, Brooks updated the shoe colors. The men look to have choice between a black model with light blue highlights and a yellow and black model that's a bit more subdued than the Cascadia 4. The women will have a Cascadia 5 with a nice gray upper with light blue detailing.

The Brooks Cascadia 5 (men's up high, women's below)

iRunFar Reader Survey (And Contest!)

2009-10-12T07:00:00.006-04:00

iRunFar readers old and new, while we always aim to do our best at providing you with quality trail running and ultrarunning content, we know we can do better.... but we need your help to do it. That's why we're asking new trail runners and veteran ultrarunners alike to please help us "dial in" our content, format, and features by taking our iRunFar Improvement Survey. Everyone who completes the survey will be eligible to win a pair of shoes that they can "dial in" in the form of a pair of Vasque Aether Tech or Aether Tech SS shoes.

Update 10/12 9 p.m. Wow! We are so thankful that so many folks have already taken the survey. We're searching out gear stash for additional prizes for those who complete the survey. First up, a Vasque Project micro-adjustable hat that features Boa lacing system.

Update 11/4 A big thank you to everyone who completed the iRunFar improvement survey. In the end, nearly 250 readers chipped in to make iRunFar.com even better. For taking the survey, AK Worm from Anchorage, Alaska will received a pair of Vasque Aether Techs with Boa lacing, while Mark Z from Nashville, Tennessee won the Boa-powered hat.

For those looking for a bit of iRunFar trivia, October 14 marks the anniversary of a the fundamental shift in iRunFar history. Prior to October 14, 2007, iRunFar was Bryon Powell's personal running blog. However, thing changed with the publication of the post How to Select a First Ultramarathon on the 14th and the posting of Training for Your First Ultramarathon just a day later. In the subsequent two years, we've tried to make iRunFar.com your source for mud, mountains, miles, and more. Please help us do an even better job of that going forward by taking the survey!

Time on the Trail with Kilian Jornet

2009-10-09T03:43:00.001-04:00

"Hey, Bryon, can you give me a lift back to my car in Tahoe City?" queried Sean Meissner, not long after winning the Lake Tahoe Marathon two Sunday's ago. I quickly replied, "Sure," as I was headed that way to help out with Kilian Jornet's running of the Tahoe Rim Trail as part of his Kilian's Quest series of adventures. A few hours later we pulled into Tahoe City in search of both Sean's car and my hotel. As luck would have it, Sean had parked directly behind the hotel where I'd be staying. Having heard about Kilian's upcoming run on our drive around the lake, Sean decided to stick around for a bit. He would stay for the run "if [the run] excited him during the briefing." I'll save you the suspense, Sean stayed and we all had one heck of a time helping a tiny Catalan run around a really big lake.

Sean Meissner after winning the Lake Tahoe Marathon

A Meeting By The Lake
Not long after arriving in Tahoe City, the full team assembled in the hotel parking lot and wandered across the street to a promenade along the shores of Lake Tahoe. On a warm day under blue skies, El Gino from the French Salomon contingent welcomed those assembled to Tahoe. Adam Chase was up next with a description of how pacers would be used for Kilian's run of the Tahoe Rim Trail. That was followed by many of the group on hand - Salomon folks, media, and pacers - introducing themselves. Finally, it was time for the good stuff - planning the pacing effort.

Maps were collected, laid out on the ground, and pieced together. With Adam on the lead, Kilian giving his take, and local Ross McMahan sharing his knowledge, the pacing plan moved forward. All were welcome in the discussion. It was quite cool to see so many trail savvy folks put their minds together to hatch a plan that would best help Kilian in his effort. I must say the result was brilliant save for the choice of the leadoff pacer - me.

Kilian explaining his plan for the Tahoe Rim Trail

You see, we jumped in with figuring out who would take on the big pacing sections late on the first day. After some discussion, it was decided that I would pace from Spooner Summit (mile 60) to Kingsbury South (mile 76) and that Ross would run with Kilian from Kingsbury (mile 76) to Big Meadow (mile 99). From there, we worked backwards to see who would run each of the shorter beginning legs. The big logic problem ended with me pacing from the word "go."

Kilian standing over a map of Lake Tahoe in his Salomon Reelax

Start to Painted Rocks
Fast forward to 5 a.m. Monday morning. No, take two steps back. It's about 12:15 a.m. Monday when I hit publish on a post updating everyone on the final plan for Kilian's Quest - Tahoe. Follow that with an unplanned, nervous wake up at 3:38, a snooze alarm at 4 a.m. even, and a final wake up at 4:15. I quickly get ready and pack up my belongings as we'll be spending the following evening in South Tahoe.

Upon arriving at the start area, I go find the folks with the GPS unit I'm to wear, put on the pack, and don my Petzl Ultra headlamp. All ready to go, I wander over toward Kilian. Others at the start jokingly comment, "Are you nervous?" Damn right I am!

As we all wait for 5 a.m., I give a few comments to the camera crew and then meet up with Kilian for our first real chat. Staying on task, we talk about who will lead - he will - and what sort of pace he intends to run at the start - "easy." We wander to the "line."

With what felt like little fanfare, we were off. Kilian and I ran side by side down the road and across the highway. The effort was easy... and then we hit a hill. In an instant, I was huffing and puffing. Panic set in as we climbed the short road section.

We hit the trail and in an instant my lungs ready to explode... most likely to be ignited from the burn that engulfed my legs. To make matters worse, a film crew jumped in the gap between Kilian and I at the trailhead. With a camera at his back, Kilian shifted into another gear. The chasm between KJ and I spread with every second that the camera crew separated us. By the time they peeled off into the brush, the gulf had grown large enough that I was unsure I could bridge it in my pre-dawn rigor mortis. On a switchback Kilian patiently eyed me from above and eased off the gas. This was the first of many instances where I felt like Kilian had to slow to wait for me, the one who was supposed to help him cover the trail more quickly. Some help I was!

A few minutes after one of the times Kilian lets me catch up on the first climb he asks, "Do you run short races?" I'm sure that he was merely trying to spark conversation, but he couldn't have asked a more telling question. "No, I run ultras," was my terse, concessionary response.

Upon hitting the top of the first big climb, Kilian pointed out what he said was a beautiful overlook during the day (he'd run this section before). I suggested that we sit there for an hour until the sun rose. He declined my suggestion. "Darn!" I thought to myself. I was badly in need of a rest.

After this peak, the trail incorporated more flats and short descents. I was thankful for two reasons. First, I could manage to keep up reasonably well on these sections. Second, Kilian and I were able to strike up conversation. We mostly chatted about various US races (Western States, Hardrock, and Badwater), as well as a few of the top American ultrarunners.

I also tried to shoot some video and take photos of Mr. Jornet in early morning action. Let's just say those efforts were a flop... and so was I! I swear every time I tried to capture an image of Kilian I fell. Each time Kilian would stop, turn around, and ask if I was ok. I always responded along the lines of "Yes. Keep going."

What happens when I try to hang with the big dogs!

My frequent falls (three good ones) had many causes. (1) It was pitch black... I'll take that as a convenient excuse. (2) It wasn't even 6 in the morning. I'm not a morning person. Never have been, never will be. (3) I was fiddling around with various cameras. Invariably I fell when shutting down or putting away the camera. Next time I pace someone on a long trail, I pay attention to the trail, stay upright, and attempt not to break my camera... again. (4) Kilian obviously trains for a different sport than I do. That or he and I have VO2Maxs that apparently differ by an order of magnitude.

On the last point, I've never seen anything like Kilian running uphill on this first leg. I didn't understand "mountain running" or "sky running" as a complete separate sport ... until I watched him run. I highly recommend each and every one of you find a top mountain race - be it one of the Skyrunning races in Europe (or America) or the La Sportiva Mountain Cup in the US - and go watch the top runners. It'll be sick and humbling.... and you'll want to run faster. My recent performance at the Leadville 100 caused me to rethink what I was capable of. Watching Kilian made me rethink what humans were capable of and that I'd like to be closer to that human potential.

Ok, back to the narrative. So while I'm suffering en route to the apex of the first climb I keep allaying my fear that Kilian will drop me (as nearly happened within the first mile and then a few times after that) with the thought that I only needed to keep up with him for 5.4 miles. If I could just get him to the road crossing before Painted Rocks I'd be fine. Well, we get to the road crossing and no one is there. Damn! I hadn't checked to see exactly how far it was to the next road crossing, but I knew it was at least a few miles.

Oh man, did I suffer up the 400' of climb in the next mile. The pain was worth it as we hit the top and saw a spectacular Sierra sunrise before cruising another mile and a half down to where the crew was waiting. I can honestly say that it was one of the hardest trail runs I've been on in a long time. Sure it was only 9 miles in 90 minutes, but with 2,000'+ of climb between 6,300' and 7,700' in elevation, it was damn tough. My average heart rate was "only" 159 bpm, but that includes the descents. I spent far too much time at or above 170 bpm... which feels a lot tougher than usual when you're up that high.

Spooner Summit to Kingsbury North Trailhead
After the brutal wake up I experienced on the morning run, this second run only eight and a half hours later was one of the most enjoyable runs of my entire year... and I've had many an enjoyable run. Mr. Jornet and I set off from Spooner Summit in good company. Jayme Moye Otto, a journalist from Boulder, and Devon Sibole, a PR guru, decided to join us on the climb up through the conifers. Not only were we in good company, but the dappled shade and the intermittent breeze distilled from the tree-stifled remnants of the day's gale made for pleasantly cool running on a sun-filled day high in the Sierras.

After a mile of climbing, the ladies bid us adieu. The next four miles were as pure and as tranquil as trail running gets. I know Kilian didn't feel fast on this section, but he was locked into a steady 8k an hour climbing pace that felt just right. We chatted from time to time. Ski mountaineering, Le Tour, and the finer points of Indo-European languages were the topics du jour. We also ran for long periods of silence that were only broken by my offering him a water bottle, him thanking me for it, or either of us pointing out a new spectacular vista as we would round a bend or enter a clearing.

The most joyous of our scenery-based outbursts occured when we hit the rocky, but open Duane Bliss Peak. We must have said "Incredible!" in unison and the view sure was. The sky was clear and the lake choppy with the day's brisk winds. We quickly picked up Emerald Bay from all the way across the lake. Kilian pointed out the Fannette Isle sitting tightly ensconced in the bay. Life sure was good!

Not long after, we came across The Squirrel as we started the descent into the hollow before the small climb to the sections second and final high point below South Camp Peak. The Squirrel, a to-remain-nameless member of Salomon's US operation, was happily sitting atop his mountain bike waiting for us. He had taken off from Spooner Summit about half an hour before us as no one was sure how difficult the climb would be on a bike. (He made it without any problem.) Anyway, The Squirrel was a welcome addition to our small group. His multi-lingual expertise greatly added to the trail chatter while he hung out behind us two runners. The Squirrel did pop ahead of me during one particularly sweet section of trail to film Kilian with a handlebar mounted GoPro cam.

I so wish I hadn't broke my camera (at least for the time being) on my morning run. While the amazing vistas jumped out at me for the first two thirds of this section, I didn't notice them at all during the final miles. The granite dust single-track was true trail porn. It makes me want to come back and run it again and again. The single track snaked just right. Granite boulders walled you in on the uphill side while the other side fell away sharply into a sea of schooner-mast conifers. The stone blocks embedded in the route provided entertainment, not frustration. Excuse me... I think I need a moment....

I was originally scheduled to run the full 16 miles from Spooner Summit to Kingsbury South... that was until I discovered there were 4 miles of pavement between the north and south Kingsbury trailheads. Upon deducing this, I quickly found another, more well-rested runner to spell me on the road stretch. The Squirrel planned roll over to Kingsbury South, as well. Although no relief runner showed up and I felt fine to make the trek over to Kingsbury South, The Squirrel insisted that I stop and catch a ride to save my legs in case I was needed from pacing later in Kilian's journey. I obliged.

Kilian pulling into the Kingsbury South Trailhead with The Squirrel in tow.

Even though I didn't cover the final 4 miles of this stretch with Kilian, I was psyched that he ran the 16 miles from Spooner Summit to Kingsbury South in just under 3 hours... over 2 hours faster than his projected time. Even after an hour spent eating dinner at the "aid station," Kilian left Kingsbury South an hour ahead of his 40 hour schedule.

Kilian raising a glass during his break at Kingsbury South

Ward Creek Road to the Terminus
I was out on the trail with Kilian for the final five miles, but I certainly wasn't pacing him. Not with six of his seven Tahoe Rim Trail pacers out there with him. Well, that was until there were six pacers and The Squirrel on his bike. Of course, that was only until there were NINE runners, The Squirrel, and the star.

Six of Kilian's seven pacers (Ross McMahan is not pictured)
(from l-r: Sean Meissner, Adam Chase, Kevin Johnson,
Josh Korn, Jean-Michel Faure-Vincent, and me)

I'm not sure what we did to help him on this stretch other than shed a little light on the situation. Surely that light was counterbalanced by all the dust kicked up by 10 other folks on the trail. I, however, was having a GREAT time. I started up the trail belting out numerous songs.... all very badly. At other points, I was joking around with the other folks on the trail... and that was when I wasn't snapping photos with my iPhone. Once night fell, I took a video camera from fellow pacer, Sean Meissner, strapped my headlamp to my left wrist, and started filming myself Blair Witch style. I hope I get to see that footage someday!

Sure, it felt like a party on the trails, but the brotherhood that had developed over just three days was omnipresent. Coming together to aid an individual in an adventure like this is an incredible setting to build friendships both on and off the trail. I highly recommend jumping at the chance to help someone with a long trail attempt (record or not) or other personal running undertaking.

Kilian and friends crossing a meadow as twilight fades

Ok, two quick Kilian anecdotes before I wrap up my coverage of Kilian's Quest: Tahoe Rim Trail. The first is that with about half a mile to go Kilian drops the hammer... and everyone who is running with him without warning. He soon drifted back to us, but it surprised the heck out of his entourage. The second happened not long thereafter when, as Kilian approached a low gate, Meissner yelled out "Hurdle it!" After a few more joined in Sean's call, Kilian did, in fact, jump the barrier. I know I held my breath as he went up.

In the end, Kilian smashed Tim Twietmeyer's trail record, but that's not what it was about for Kilian... or for us. It was about the trail and the people and running. Some folks poo-pooed the run as a big European production. While there were photographers and videographers, I can assure you that those who were out there running with Kilian were out there with a sincere love for and, in a way, in homage to trail running. I truly believe that Kilian was, too.

Kilian Jornet after becoming the 967th member of the Tahoe Rim Trail 165-Mile Club.
It took him a mere 38 hours and 32 minutes.