As I climbed I kept peering up the gravel road, noticing the increase of snow.  Everyone had warned about the high volume of snow the second half of the course received via Tropical Superstorm Sandy.  1 inch, 2 inches, 3 inches, until I veered off onto The Loop (33 miles)  where the snow became a constant 6-8 inches deep with drifts coming up to my knees.  This trend continued until the final 2 miles of the course where we finally dropped below a certain elevation unknown to me.  Sun was bright in the mountain sky nonetheless.

Walking

Clark Zealand has continued to make Mountain Masochist as special as it was when Dr. Horton started it in 1983 and directed for 20 some years.  The 30th annual of MMTR ended up being as eventful as ever.  The ultra-community in central Virginia is great and the people that go to all the Lynchburg area ultras are great people!  Mountain Masochist was also the first ultra my wife had been too, making it a more shared experience for me this time.

WMO

2012 is long gone.  It ended as years normally do, just the way they start I suppose.  A yearly recap is 62 days late and I'm recalling the events of 2012.  2012 was the most eventful year of my life to this point - with that said, running (in terms of mileage) was at a career low.  I moved to Virginia from Ohio in January only to move right back to Ohio in May.  I started one grad school, left and started another in an 8 months span.  Oh, and in that time, I married my beautiful wife, Bobbi.  That is eventful in itself.
My left leg has given me trouble for several years.  In 2007, while doing 20 x 400 meter intervals on grass, I slipped on the start and felt my left groin "pop."  I kept running and for 5 years I handled the groin by frequent heating, icing, stretching.  The injury would usually only pop up 3-4 times a year and last for a week or so before it would go dormant for a few more months.  It never hindered me or stopped me from doing what I wanted with running.  Last year, it caught up to me.  In March, most of my muscles in my upper left leg were so tight that I had a hard time running past an hour.  I took some time off and with more dedicated stretching it went away again. 

After a 50K and two 50 milers later, the pain was so constantly dull and debilitating that I knew running in this state would only make my leg worse.  Not that I wanted to run - by that point the injury reduced my motivation for running almost completely.  Even on "good" days I would go out with intentions of running longer only to decide to head back inside after just two miles.  I still tried to run the Frozen Sasquatch 50K in early January but dropped after the first 25K loop.  I was done.

A DNF at Frozen Sasquatch after winning the previous three years.

Running had played such a major role in my life for 5 years and for the most part I floated through it.  I ran a lot of miles without worry and was able to dictate how long or how fast I wanted to go.  I scheduled my days and months, trips, and basically life around running.  I have been reading The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg in which he talks about how the choices we make are not actually decisions, but instead are habits.  Over time, after repetition upon repetition, habits are formed.  Running Free and long became a habit for me by training my mind to do so day after day and week after week - the "10,000 hour rule."

Motivation is a strange thing too.  It seems like motivation is only around when things are going well and that it acts upon a continuum.  I was riding that motivational wave until it collapsed.  I had been overcompensating for weak and imbalanced core and upper leg muscles mile after mile for five year.  When the time came that running was no longer fun for me, it didn't take long for my motivation to shift directions.  It was easy to use the time for other parts of life.  I was spending more time working on grad. school, teaching, being a husband and working on a house. 

From November to mid-February I ran very little.  By the end of the time off I realized that I still love running.  I have been slowly rehabbing my body and building a little mileage into my weeks.  Motivation for running is creeping back into my life and I find myself dreaming of long trail runs in the forest.  I am not sure when I will race again - I am just focused on getting to a point where my body can sustain a decent week of mileage so I can enjoy rugged hills and trails.  When you go without something like this, you only ask for the small things back... and they're coming.

#Karhuthedog approves this message

WMO

Run On 

New addition to our family - Ellie

Races are an emotional endeavor - I find emotions to be especially amplified at 100 mile races.  The time and energy spent on training, the support and encouragement needed to pull through the actual endeavor, experiencing a shared-struggle with friends, and the outside trust put on race directors and volunteers to provide the necessary arrangements to make a 100 mile race go smoothly are all factors that contribute to this emotion.  Focusing on the self now, we have constant ups and downs, battling the mind and body to conquer numbness and pain, and finally, and hopefully, a felt sense of accomplishment after finishing the run.

I felt these emotions during this years Burning River 100 and harnessed them to have a satisfying race.  I had not raced since November of 2012 and in the eight months since, I took two months off from running while rehabilitating a strained groin, struggled to find the motivation that had always come easy, questioned my reason for running ultras, and questioned whether or not my training was sufficient to do well in a 100 mile race.  It's no wonder I found myself hugging my wife, choking back the tears and outflow of emotion after crossing the finish line after a "sprint finish" in 2nd place, 15hr48min17sec after starting.  This was a journey, and sometimes the journey is as memorable as the ending.

After finishing... sharing with Bobbi.  Photo by Steve Pierce

The morning started cool - low 60's with a bit of humidity laced in the air - rain was in the future.  The weather was polar opposite from when I ran Burning River 100 in 2011, my first 100 and only until this years - 95 degrees and extremely humid was the forecast for that day.  The difference in weather was welcomed by most runners but I knew that many runners might get in over their heads early in the race.  My race tactic remained the same - go out conservative and just wait, be patient.

I found myself running around 6-8th place in the early goings of the race.  My race was comfortably slower than 2011 in the early parts and that was just fine with me.  I was relaxed and content with letting other people spend energy in front of me.  One thing that I kept conscious of was to not let other people dictate the way I raced early in the day.  There were several occasions when I normally would have went with someone who passed me but didn't.  I came through the marathon mark in 3:23:00 in 7th place.  This was 7:44 pace - a pace that I figured would have me at a higher position, but also a pace that was very controlled.

To this point I had ran pretty much the entire race with Zach Bitter, whom I linked up with in the field of the starting area.  It is strange how friendships are formed along the trail - although Zach and I had met once before, we didn't really know much about each other.  We ended up sharing the first 50 miles together at Burning River before he went ahead of me, and during those ~7 hours, we got to know each other pretty well.  This is a characteristic of ultra-running that is unmatched by any other sport - intense competition equaled by intense camaraderie (and this was the "100 mile Trail National Championship"!).  Zach unfortunately got off course around mile 70 and cut a few miles off the course, which led to a disqualification.  I'm convinced he would have finished in front of me by many minutes if the mishap would not have occurred.

So, I had executed the first fourth of the race perfectly... I felt strong and Zach and I only waited for people to start coming back.  We talked about our pace and figured that if we were on course record pace in 5-6th place, that meant the top 4 people were well under course record pace and the odds of 6 people breaking the course record was low in my opinion.  This thought was reassuring - keep moving and people were sure to come back.

Running into an Aid Station with Zach around mile 42.  Rain has started.  Photo by Pat Dooley

The rain started mid-morning.  A light sprinkle turned into a hard rain and back to a light sprinkle again.  This trend continued until the afternoon.  The rain made the trails in the valleys of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park a sloppy mess.  From 40-50, Zach and I basically walked the downhills to prevent falling and half ran/half walked other sections.  I kept good spirits through this section and hoped that the runners in front experienced the same slowness that I was.  I second guessed my decision to lace up road flats (Nike Lunar Racers) as I fell on my butt a couple times.  After the race I learned that the guys who wore trail shoes with bigger lugs were able to get through the muddy sections with a lot more ease.  Nonetheless, I made it through these sections and savored the road/towpath sections more than I normally ever would.

The halfway point came in at 7:03:00 - Zach had just left me for the last time and I prepared to run the next 30 miles of the race alone.  These moments in a 100 miler, when you've crossed over the halfway point, and you know you have 50 more miles to run, knowing most of them will be alone, are a true test.  This is a point where you can be patient just a bit longer before waiting for the carnage.  The first person I saw drop out was Todd Braje at the 55 mile aid station.  More mud, and more miles.... I finally reached The Ledges aid station (mile 65.7) and saw my crew for the first time in 24 miles.  They were awesome all day - my wife, Bobbi, my dad, and my sister - and pretty much took care of keeping my mind in the game from mile 1 to 101.  I looked forward to the aid stations that allowed crew all day as a way to pass the miles.  Here, I learned I was in 4th place, with pretty big gaps in front of me.  Still, I just kept moving and being confident with my game plan.

Coming into the Ledges at 65.7 miles.  Photo by Johnny da Jogger

Talking to people at the aid station, trying to figure out how I moved into 3rd place without realizing it!

The next aid station (70.6 miles) is where I moved into 3rd place without realizing it.  The workers at the aid station asked if I had passed Zach Bitter.  I hadn't and only speculated that he was off the trail using the bath room or off course.  Later I learned about how he had gotten off course only to find trail markings to a different part of the course.  Tough luck on his part but this was another position up for me.  I rolled into Covered Bridge (79.6 miles) and once again was told I was higher up in the race than I realized.  Shaun Pope, who was only 8 minutes up on me at mile 70 had yet to come in but I never passed him.  I later found out he took a wrong turn and tacked on a few extra miles.  This moved me into second place for the first time.

The next section of the course was my downfall from 2011.  The 5 mile section after Covered Bridge forced me to walk and stagger and eventually sit down for 9 minutes.  This year I went into it with vengeance and for the first time all day, started to push.  Even though I thought I was moving well, almost immediately after Covered Bridge, I looked behind me and saw a runner that I hadn't seen all day.  Jim Sweeney caught up to me after running an incredible race, being in 14th place at mile 40.  This was a decisive point in the race for me.  Either let him go by and settle for 3rd or go with him and make a race out of it.  Fortunately as he moved by me on an uphill, I tucked in and ran with him.

After 30 miles of solo running, I was with someone again and it was nice having Jim to push me.  We interchanged leading on the trails and got wrapped up in conversation - once again, competitors showing camaraderie in the heat of battle.  We ran together to Howe Meadow at mile 90.7 and I left before he did.  I thought I escaped but he was back with me at mile 93.  From here, we ran into the last aid station at 96.2 miles and on to the finish.

I never expected to have to "race" the last mile of a 100 miler, but this is just what happened at Burning River.  Jim and I ran across the last trail section together, up the 200 stair steps leading into the town of Cuyahoga Falls, and onto the last little road section.  Side by side we ran, with hardly a word, but a few grunts signifying our shared discomfort.  The pace quickened as the finish line grew closer.  Each turn I expected to see the clock ahead, and each turn a surge was thrown in by one of us until finally the finish line was so close we could feel it.  At this point we were both maxed out on our speed and I was able to get a few steps in front of Jim.  And going what felt like 5 minute pace, I crossed just 14 seconds in front of Jim for second place at 15:48:17

Running as hard as I could at mile 100.9.  Photo by Steve Pierce

Hugging Jim Sweeney after finishing 14 seconds from each other.  Photo by Steve Pierce

Overall, this was an amazing experience and epic last 20 miles.  I was so blessed to have been able to share 50 miles with Zach and the last 20 with Jim.  Both provided great company and energy.  Like I mentioned before, my race plan was to stay consistent and wait.  It did not get me the win, because Peter Hogg ran an incredible course record at 14:25:14 (I was never even in the race for first - congrats to Peter for going for it and getting it done), but at least I stuck to my plan and let the cards play out.  My time was 38 minutes faster than it was two years ago and I finished one position better so I couldn't ask for more.  No super low points physically and only a few sluggish mental sections that I had to work through - and all in all I kept a pretty structured food intake, water intake, etc. plan.  The course was great and all the volunteers were so supportive and helpful.  The work from race directors, volunteers, and everyone who had a part in putting together the race need to be applauded.

Big thanks to my crew for being so helpful.

Here are my splits with time spent at aid stations in parenthesis.  Looking back, I probably spent ~23-25 minutes stopped at the aid station.  Strange to think of the time spent not running, but probably worth it.
Start - 00:00
6.2 - 51:00 (-)
12.4 - 1:36:00 (-)
17.2 - 2:11:00 (< 1)
23 - 2:57:00 (< 1)
26.2 - 3:23:00 (< 1)
31 - 4:06:00 (1)
35.4 - 4:56:00 (1)
41.7 - 5:36:30 (1)
46.4 - 6:19:00 (1)
50.4 - 7:03:00 (1.5)
55.5 - 8:04:00 (2.5)
59.4 - 8:50:00 (2)
65.7 - 9:51:00 (3)
70.6 - 10:49:30 (4)
73.6 - 11:23:30 (< 1)
79.6 - 12:30:00 (2.5)
84.3 - 13:22:30 (< 1)
86.7 - 13:43:30 (1.5)
90.7 - 14:20:30 (-)
93.2 - 14:41:30 (1)
96.2 - 15:08:00 (< 1)
101 - 15:48:17

Photo by Johnny da Jogger

Photo by Johnny da Jogger

______
Below are some pictures of the days following Burning River.  Bobbi and I were able to relax by camping along Lake Erie in Ohio and on up to New York.  A nice little vacation to send off summer as school approaches for both of us!

For the past year I've been putting a lot of thought into developing a trail running club Southeastern Ohio (SEO).  I have the distinct opportunity through my graduate program at Ohio University to create a project that aims to make an impact on the community.  I believe a trail running club can make that positive impact in our community.

The intentions of the club would be to:

• be 100% non-profit
• be the central hub for SEO runners to seek information on trails in the area
• host trail races and trail ultramarathons
• hold group trail runs
• develop trail running workshops
• give back to the trails we love
• ....and more.

Early spring view up a bridle trail at Shawnee State Forest in Southeastern Ohio

Overlooking a foggy Brush Creek Forest in Southeastern Ohio

Stolen from The North Face EC California-Championship Homepage

A couple days ago I registered for The North Face Endurance Challenge, California-Championship 50 mile race.  I'm stoked to have the opportunity to participate in this race again; in 2010 this served as my ultra running debut.  The race that year was considered one of the most competitive ultras to date.  Since then, of course, the ultra world has seen an emergence in prize money, elite athletes, sponsors, and internationalism - it seems like every big race is being dubbed "the most competitive."  With the race organizers deciding recently to open elite registration and the same $15,000 prize purse per gender being offered, this years version of TNF is sure to be just as exciting as past years.   

Without a doubt, my experience at the TNF EC in 2010 was very pleasurable and since then, I've been wanting to go back.  One moment I remember vividly in 2010 was coming  over a ridge on the Coastal Trail still early in the morning and looking out over a foggy Pacific Ocean and seeing a light on the water illuminating a sailboat.  These moments are what captures the imagination of my soul while trail running.  I'll be looking forward to similar experiences on December 7th.

WMO

p.s. - what will happen if the government is still shutdown come Dec. 7th, since the race is run on a NPS unit? :-)

For now, I am using my blog to disseminate information on the formation of a new trail running club in Southeastern Ohio.  Sometime in the future, the organization will be looking to develop a website.     The first meeting for a new Trail Running Club that covers Southeastern Ohio will be held on November 10th at 4:00pm at the Athens Community Center. Everyone is invited – whether you are a seasoned trail runner, road runner, beginner runner, or just someone who enjoys the outdoors, we want you there! The meeting will cover topics such as: -club logo and color (brand)     -what the goals and objectives are -what types of events will this club host -how this club can give back to the community... -and more! Your ideas are what will make the club – since this is the first meeting, the direction and shape of this club will be influenced by you. The meeting will last about one hour, but please stay and join us for a group trail run after. From the Community Center, there is easy access to Sells Park and a wealth of singletrack trails that leads to Strouds Run State Park. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at owenw@mymail.shawnee.edu or via Facebook. Looking forward to seeing you there! Happy Trails, Michael Owen   Click here for the Facebook event page

The past couple months you may have seen a couple posts about a new trail club I have been in the process of developing.  I'm excited to announce the formation of Southeastern Ohio Trail Runners or SEOTR, a new non-profit organization that covers SE Ohio.  SEOTR is a group of like-minded people from the area who love to run and who love trails.  Our mission and vision will be based around these objectives:
1. Create a community of trail runners - establish a trail running culture in SE Ohio
2. Direct and host high-quality trail races in SE Ohio
3. Give back to the trails we use

I'm excited to have the opportunity to be a part of such a great group and see the growth of trail running and ultra running in SE Ohio.  What is so special, I think, about this area is the abundance of state parks and state forests, etc. that are untapped with potential for prime trail running.  Myself, along with a contingent of other runners in SE Ohio, have made that connection with these natural areas and want to share them with the community in the form of group runs, trail races, and community events sponsored and put on by SEOTR.

In early November, an informal meeting and run was held in Athens, OH to "introduce" SEOTR.  22 people attended the meeting and 12 people shared a group trail run after at Strouds Run State Park.  After this, things started to get underway to make the organization "official" - sanctioning, 501(c)3 status, etc. 

Similar organizations and trail running cultures that I am aware of gave me a lot of inspiration in the development of SEOTR.  Groups such as WVMTR, VHTRC, and ultra-running cultures like the one in central VA, plus others from around the country have given me confidence and frameworks for a successful trail running group.

So, I wanted to use my personal blog to further expand SEOTR to the public.  SEOTR does not currently have a website and is using Facebook pages for information and reaching people.  A website is planned for the future though.  Click on the link below and "Like" SEOTR's page!  Some group runs are scheduled and you can see when on the events page.  If you are from SE Ohio, join us for a group run and be a part of our organization! 

"LIKE" SEOTR on Facebook   

I always revel in tradition.  Sometimes going back to a place that is particularly meaningful for some reason or another after not being there for some time can make that place even more meaningful.  It's about creating memories and experiences in that place and then revisiting them.  My first ultramarathon was in 2010 at TNF EC 50 Championship in California.  The experience of a first ultra alone will always stand out for an ultramarathon runner; in 2010, the field was stacked as always and I was shown the beautiful world of the ultra running community along with an amazingly scenic course.  Since then, I'd hoped and wanted to travel back to California for this event.  This year I finally had the opportunity to do so.

Going into the race I was calm and relaxed and looking forward to being free from school and work and enjoying a beautiful area of the States.  I've run three ultras that took place during or close to finals week of school and I've always took that time to relax and reset my mind; spending over 7 hours in nature is a great way to do that, even if it is a competitive atmosphere.  Speaking of competition, this years version of TNF50 was possibly the most competitive year yet, maybe even the most competitive 50 mile trail race ever.  Check out iRunFar's preview to see the pre-race excitement.  I was mentioned as a "top-ten longshot."  I will take that honor when stacked up against all the names above me!


All photo's by Bobbi or Becca Owen.

I'm always fast to arise the morning of a race and eager to begin the adventure.  I was late getting into the starting corral and settled in a position about 10 people deep.  All the who's who of the ultra running world were standing in the chaos in front of me, including all the elite women.  After the 10 to 1 countdown, we set off to a pace that seemed quick, probably because I was trying to inch my way through the crowd - soon though I settled into a place that I felt comfortable with beside the "older" guys like Karl Meltzer, Dave Mackey, and Mike Wardian.  These guys were sure to set an even, controlled pace even if there were 25-30 people in front of us.

We made our way up the Bobcat Trail and around to Alta and back down the Rodeo Valley Trail where everyone bypassed the first water stop.  I didn't have a good idea of our pace but I wasn't surprised to look ahead and see a few outlying headlamps bobbing in front of the main large group; I joked with someone that it was sure to be Cameron Clayton, and it was.  The pace was somewhat relaxed though as we made our way up another stinger and down into the Tennessee Valley aid station at 8.7 miles.

The section after Tennessee Valley is one of my favorites - once we crest the ridge, not only are runners able to look behind and see a beautiful string of headlamps gritting their way up the Coastal Fire Road, but its the first time we get a good glimpse of the Pacific Ocean.  Overlooking Pirates Cove, as in 2010, I was greeted by a dimly lit horizon with a foggy ocean speckled with little lights of boats on the water.  This is all right before bombing down a semi-technical singletrack section before going up and down into Muir Beach.

A nice elevation profile from the runners packet - the big uphill stands out in the middle but it was the downhill at mile 26 and the cumulative short downs that really did it in for my quads.

From here and onward for the next 7 miles or so, I was running next to Alex Nichols.  I had just read a RunTramp article on Alex and knew of his recent success in the Skyrunning Series - in my mind Alex was a contender and I was more than pleased to be able to lead him up the largest single uphill of the day going into Cardiac at mile 17.9.  I felt confident with my uphill running all day and Cardiac gave me some added spark going past Pantoll and onto a fairly flat portion of smooth trail.  Shortly after leaving Cardiac I saw Miguel Heras, two time winner of TNF50, walking back toward the aid station - he was the first known drop of the day.  I was thinking maybe there would be some carnage from that huge front pack. 

After getting onto the Matt Davis Trail I got ahead of Alex and didn't see him the rest of the day - I later learned he dropped.  I caught and passed a struggling Matt Flaherty - told him congratulations on his JFK50 win a couple weeks ago and got onto the only out and back section of the course, the Coastal Trail.  After passing a couple people and feeling confident from the long climb up Cardiac, I came down to earth a little, the spark of nailing Cardiac had died.  Mike Wardian and someone else came blazing by me and I was hardly able to respond, I just didn't have the legs on this semi-flat section of the course.  Shortly after this Peter Hogg caught up to me again - we met up earlier in the dark and exchanged pleasantries.  Peter ran an incredible Burning River 100 in July beating me by a staggering 1hr20min - and since I finished 2nd, his time was that much more impressive!  I was stronger on the early hills but now he had re-caught me - we ran and chatted for the rest of the Coastal Trail until the turn around at McKinnons Gulch at 22.7 miles.  While running with Peter we got a brief glimpse of the leaders when they came back through on the out and back - we noted that we were probably in about 25th place and 12-15 minutes back.  Peter got out of the aid station about 10 seconds quicker than me and unfortunately I was never able to catch back up to him.  He ended up running a great second half, finishing 14th place and 20 minutes ahead of me.


Definitely not rushing through Stinson Beach aid station - trying to find salt.

After the out and back was the longest downhill of the day on the Matt Davis Trail leading into Stinson Beach - I wanted to take it easier on this section in attempts to save my quads.  I took it easy but it was still a struggle.  My downhill training is just not adequate and I didn't feel confident with my quads going into Stinson Beach at mile 27.7.  I lost a place or two on the downhill and could tell I was losing more time.  But, I did what most ultra runners do best, put my head down and move relentlessly toward the finish line.  The next section is the section that I faltered most in 2010, and the same was true for this year.  The Dipsea Trail leading to Cardiac for the second time is probably the most steep section of trail - it is relentless.  Unfittingly for me, this is the most beautiful forested section of the course and I wish I could say the reason I was so slow through here was because I was stopping to admire the lush ravines.  But, my head was focused on the ground "above" as I attempted to power-hike as fast as I could up the many stair steps on Dipsea.  I passed a Geoff Roes who was a spectator this year and he assured me a lot of other people were struggling on this section as well, but I doubted they were as slow as me.  Eventually after a grueling 2.7 miles and probably one hour +, I reached Cardiac aid station for the second time at mile 30.4 and refueled. 

After the race I broke my day down into three sections: a good first 20 miles, a very slow middle 10 miles, and a regrouped last 20 miles.  Shortly after Cardiac is when my race turned around and I can credit a lot of this to women's 50 mile leader and eventual winner, Michele Yates.  Michele passed me on the Dipsea Trail no more than 2 minutes after I left the Cardiac aid station and I followed along.  I had never met Michele but I definitely recognized her from the success she has had in 2013.  I was not surprised to see her passing me at that point - she was running super strong up and down hills and I was just happy to be moving again.

From here I ran the majority of the winding 6 miles to the Old Inn aid station at mile 36.3, trying to keep up with Michele.  Sometimes I would be in front of her, and sometimes she would be in front of me; we were never more than 10-15 seconds apart.  I didn't stop for long at Old Inn and made my way to Muir Beach at mile 39.9.  Getting to the 10 miles to go mark is always refreshing in an ultra - I was actually excited to attack the steep hill after Muir Beach.  I strongly power hiked the majority of the hill and ran when I could.  At this point I got into a nice rhythm of power hiking the steepest hills and running everything else; I was also sort of over the fact that my quads were rocked and decided running faster downhill was less painful.


Coming into Tennessee Valley aid station with 6 miles to go.

Coming into Tennessee Valley aid station at mile 44, I was shortly ahead of Michele but she got out before I did and it took me half of the next hill to catch her.  I remembered this hill from 2010 when I was in a battle with Thomas Lorblanchet of who could hike the fastest to the top - he won.  This year I felt good enough to run the entire hill; as I passed Michele I gave her some more words of encouragement.  I can't imagine the emotions that must have been going through her head with five miles to go - she was running for the win, a hefty prize, and from the unknown of who might come from behind.  I was glad to turn around shortly after finishing and see her come in less than a minute behind me for the victory.  She ran an incredibly strong race and rejuvenated mine... the way she ran during the ~18 miles we were together, I just thought she was way up on the ladies field.  In reality though there was a good race behind her and she had to work hard to finish it out.  That just shows the level of competitiveness that women are seeing in ultra's.
The last five miles for me was good - I passed a few guys and was told with a few miles to go that I was in 20th place.  I had just passed Scott Breeden at that time and my goal became to finish it out without getting passed to stay in the top 20.  It was tough hammering the last two mile downhill after the Alta aid station with Scott right on my heels, and then to summon up one last finish on the pavement, but I was able to and finished barely ahead of him.  I ended up finishing 19th so I was going to be in the top 20 regardless, but it felt good to "race" at the end.  My official time was 7:21:09.

As always iRunFar was on hand to provide comprehensive coverage of the race.  They just continue to lead the way in ultramarathon news and race coverage, providing spectators at home "up close and personal" live insight to races.  For complete results and references, check out their TNF EC 50 Results Article.

Fun Fact: the lady behind me in the above picture was a finisher of the 50k - her last name was also Owen.  What are the odds.

Although I've now completed nine ultra's, I continue to learn and discover aspects to improve on, weaknesses that need addressed, and new strengths that need continual fining.  TNF EC 50 was no different.  There are many points about TNF EC 50 that are worth bulleting:

• Race specific training needs to be more specific.  I like to run trails.  A lot of times I find myself running trails at a casual pace.  For races like this, I need to be fast in order to compete.  Incorporating some, well probably a lot, of speed work in some fashion is needed.
• Find downhill's, pound them a lot in training.  Southeastern Ohio has hills - they are short, steep and rugged.  Unfortunately they are not long.  I feel like I am adequately prepared for the amount of uphill's in a race like TNF EC 50 since there is no altitude, but the downhill's got me.  My quads need to experience that pounding in training.
• Competition is fun, but be ready for it.  This goes hand in hand with the above two points.  I don't race often, and enjoy trails on a training basis a lot, but when I do race, I like to find competitive races.  TNF EC 50 was super competitive, but I don't think I was ready for it.  Maybe I got psyched out.  I thought it would be nice to finish in the top 3, and even thought I might have a chance, but I was fooling myself because of the first two points.  I didn't train to compete for the top spots, and that is on me.  I got to wrapped up in "thinking" I was training good. 
• I can eat and drink less.  At Burning River 100 I ate a ton and drank a ton, I stopped an peed I don't know how many times during that race.  At TNF EC 50, I ate less and drank less.  I didn't have to stop as much, really only twice to pee and that was all.  During cooler races, I can alter my nutrition and intake to help my performance and stopping time.  I can also pee while moving - who knew!?
• Being happy with any performance.  I had never finished outside the top 10 in an ultra prior to TNF EC 50.  This time I finished 19th.  Even though it was my lowest finish, I was still stoked to finish and have the experience I did.  Ultra running in getting super competitive.  I ran only 4 minutes slower at the same race on a similar course in 2010 but finished 9th that year.  Never be dissatisfied after finishing an ultramarathon!
• Women are catching men and I was almost chicked!  I had never thought about losing to a female in a race, until Michele Yates passed me at mile 31.  I can't lie, the thought of losing to a woman was motivating at the time, but getting beat by someone like Michele Yates, Ellie Greenwood or Emile Forsberg in an ultra is not bad - it just shows that women are bridging the gap to men in endurance performances and the social barriers should be taken down.  Later in the race, I looked at Michele as a competitor and that is what fueled me to stay with her.

WMO

Big thanks to my crew who traveled all the way out to California with me from Ohio (such a hard place to visit, huh?) - My wife Bobbi and sister Becca.  They are becoming quite the seasoned vets in ultra crewing :)

Southeastern Ohio Trail Runners just put out a new website and created a twitter handle.  SEOTR is a non-profit group promoting trail running in SE Ohio and hopes to grow the trail running culture in the area as well as to give back to the trails we use.

View the new SEOTR website

Follow on Twitter @SEOTrailRunners

Also like SEOTR on Facebook 

If you support trail running, support SEOTR!  Consider becoming a member and joining us on the trails!

WMO

From the time I started developing a passion for trail running and ultra running in 2008 until now I have had this desire to create and direct trail races in the place I know best - Southeastern Ohio.  Once I found myself living permanently in my hometown I started seeking ways to share my passion with the community in hopes of growing the trail running culture in SE Ohio.  What I found is that I am not the only crazy trail loving runner in the area; however, there wasn't a central hub or common identity among all the trail runners in SE Ohio.  That is why I began to develop the idea of a Trail Running Club, in the form of a non-profit organization, who's aim is to promote trail running and to continue fostering this idea of a trail culture that I believe can thrive in SE Ohio.

In January of this year, after finalizing the paperwork and duties required to start a non-profit organization, and with help from some other dedicated trail runners Southeastern Ohio Trail Runners (#SEOTR) was officially established.  Good things are beginning to happen and hopefully this organization will spur some more interest in trail running among community members!

Local Art: Sharron Smith

With that said, I was presented with an opportunity to partner with a group of graduate students in the Recreation Studies program at Ohio University to create, plan, and implement a trail race.  With the newly formed SEOTR and some sort of central identity of a trail running group, I felt like this was a perfect time to host our first trail race!

So on April 26th, SEOTR will host the 1st Annual Iron Furnace Trail Run (#IFTR) with a 20k and 5 mile race option at beautiful Lake Hope State Park!  So a dream I've had for years is coming true as I get a chance to direct my first trail race.  The process began in early January and things have had to move pretty quickly.  Luckily I have a solid group working with me to help the process move along faster.  From getting a couple special use permits approved, to figuring out logistics and details, to developing and designing a quality course, it's been a lot tiring but rewarding work.  When I posted the website and made registration live yesterday, I was really pumped that my dream of becoming a race director has come to fruition.

I'm a nut for course layout, design, distances, numbers, elevation profiles, etc. etc.  The logistics to design an event and plan a course is right up my alley.  I'm also naturally organized, to a fault according to my wife, so directing a race was going to be an enjoyable challenge for me.  I do have the support of my trusty team of graduate students to help in areas such as marketing, sponsorship, advertising, etc.  I have the tendency to have the philosophy of "If you build it, they will come." Although the course is 100 percent built for an amazing experience, I probably would only get a handful of participants if I was left to marketing for the race myself!

So this is a shameless plug for SEOTR and the Iron Furnace Trail Run!  Check out the IFTR Event Page and find other information about SEOTR.  Become a member, support trail running, help give back and maintain trails, join our cause and promote the trail running culture in SE Ohio!  Also, follow SEOTR on Twitter @SEOTrailRunners, Like SEOTR on Facebook!

Happy Trails!
WMO

@SEOTrail Runners

This is what a college-aged student said to me after I brought my trail running class to an open grass field and told them to take their shoes off and run a mile barefoot.  I want to preface this by saying that this same kid had no running experience (ex-HS basketball player), let alone experience running trails or barefoot.  After only 2 minutes of running barefoot, he experienced the freedom of not being constrained by norms and the rush of trying something new.  He had an open-mind, and let himself be free.  These are exactly the kind of things I love to hear from my students!

I have an amazing opportunity for my Teaching Assistantship to be able to "teach" running 9 hours a week to around 100 college students.  How amazing is that!?  I find it inspirational to see college students realize for the first time that they can do more than what they ever thought they could.  Whether it is a new runner realizing they can run for 10 consecutive minutes or a seasoned runner realizing they can navigate a technical trail, I've tried to give students the freedom to discover themselves in ways that aren't traditional to the college model.

This is not a blog post about barefoot running - far from it.  The exercise of running barefoot with my trail running class was simply a lesson about the possible benefits of supplementing trail running with barefooting a couple miles a week.  I want to introduce as many concepts that I can to them and let them make their own decisions on what running will mean to them.  But I realized after I heard the reaction from some of my students, that this was more than just a lesson about trail running.  It was a exercise about how to release the inner child within and to make running fun!

We should learn from a new runner who has just fallen in love with the freedom that we felt when we first fell in love with running.  Peel off the thick layer of callouses that we've built from the ritualistic nature of running run after run.  Strip away the parameters of what we think "running" is.  Do something different.  Feel like a kid again, and Run Free!

WMO

Running the Western States Endurance Run has been a dream of mine since I first learned about the race and ultra running in 2007.  I've tried to get into the race via the lottery for the past 3 years, and this year was the second attempt to gain entry into WS via a MUC qualifying race - both being the Ice Age Trail 50.  To make what will be a long story short, I finished 4th in this years Ice Age 50 and exactly 92 seconds behind 3rd place and an entry to Western States.  Although I am disappointed I won't be toeing the line on June 28th in Squaw Valley, let's focus on what was a great day of racing at the 2014 Ice Age Trail 50!

A bunch of Ohio folks in Wisconsin.  "Better watch out."

After a long wait in the bathroom line, I had just enough time to tie my shoes and make it to the starting line.

I was a DNF at this years Cayuga Trails 50.  Not finishing a race is never fun.  It is strange to even sit here and write a blog about it, but this blog is intended to document my trail ultrarunning endeavors so it is only natural to account for the bad along with the good.  Even if I did not finish the Cayuga Trails 50, I still had a great race experience and overall great weekend of traveling and hanging out with great people.

• Strava Data
• Results
• Great photo's of the race and course were shot by Ron Heerkens Jr., Joe Viger, Richard Bolt, and Eric Eagan.  I think images and video's of ultramarathons really capture the essence of the sport and people in it!

Pre-Race

Hanging out at Finger Lakes Running & Triathlon Company with some old and new friends.  Photo by Richard Bolt

The Cayuga Trails 50 came onto the scene quickly at the inaugural race last year with the announcement of a good amount of prize money and a slew of sponsors and backers.  Race Director Ian Golden wanted to assemble a contingent of front-runners to make a competitive 50 mile race in Ithaca, NY.  The 2013 version was a showdown with Sage Canaday winning and Matt Flaherty and Jordan McDougal hot on his heals.  I remember when the race was first announced in early 2013 that I wanted to run it - however, I was still trying to get fit from a nagging injury and my focus was to stay injury free for Burning River 100 later in the summer.  And this year my plans were to gain entry into Western States at Ice Age.  So after not having the chance to run Western States, and feeling recovered soon after Ice Age, I contacted Ian to see if I'd be able to join the pack of other top runners for this years Cayuga Trails 50.

Ian does a great job at recruiting top runners for his race.  He provides what we need without going over the top and makes us feel very welcomed in a down-to-earth style that is so fitting for the sport of ultra trail running.  This year Cayuga Trails 50 was the USATF 50 Mile Trail Championship, so it attracted some more media and coverage.  Although this race catered to "elites" more so than other races, the weekend atmosphere still had the community feel that most ultras have.  There was an entire week of events centered around trail running including Animal Athletics workshops and the Trails in Motion Film Festival.  All of this provided a top-notch event!  The race weekend is also the same as the Ithaca Festival, which made for more excitement in the downtown district.  Ithaca is a cool place and reminds me of a little bigger Athens, Ohio (although I would say Athens has a little more flare and style ;) ).

Early Race

Photo by Ron Heerkens Jr.

Giddyup!  Photo by Ron Heerkens Jr.

The race started out what felt like a casual pace.  After a pretty tight pack for the first mile or so, it ended up being a lead pack of 5 with Matt Flaherty, Chris Vargo, Jordan McDougal, Zach Ornelas, and myself.  I knew these were the guys that were going to be in the front all day.  I found myself running off the back of this pack for the better part of the first quarter of the race.  I was trying to get a good feel of the rhythm and try to run my own race.  I sensed that the pace was fast, and indeed it was as we came through Buttermilk Falls Aid Station (12.4 miles) in around 1:30:00, which puts us on a target that is too fast to achieve.  I also began to sense that I was weaker on the steep uphills and steep downhills than the guys in front of me, but I was gaining during the gradual downs and gradual uphills.  So for the entire first part of the race I was falling back, then catching the front pack.

Crossing the early Lick Brook with eventual winner Chris Vargo.  Photo by Ron Heerkens Jr.

3rd place - 19:32:26
    -Strava data (Garmin Forerunner 310xt)

Preparation
The Grindstone 100 was slated to be the key focus race for my 2014 schedule.  Once not qualifying for Western States via the lottery, and narrowly missing a chance with a 4th place at Ice Age, I directed my focus toward finding and training for a fall 100 miler.  I needed another Western States qualifying race in order to enter the 2015 lottery, and after being inspired from spectating this years Hardrock 100, Grindstone was a perfect fit to meet those two requirements.  Plus, Dr. Horton was quite convincing when urging me to register for Grinstone as we stood and chatted in Silverton.  So it was, I had from mid-July until the first Saturday of October to train and prepare for my first mountainous 100 mile run, not to mention my first ultra that would be ran primarily in the dark.

I knew I had a really solid base from many weeks of 100 miles or more plus a steady stream of fast workouts from the spring.  I also got a fair amount of running at elevation during a 5 week trip through Wyoming, Oregon, California, and Colorado.  The trip West gave me some good time going up big mountains such as the Nolan's route up Mt. Elbert, the Classic Keyhole Route up Longs Peak, and bits and pieces of the Hardrock 100 course.  In the 11 weeks between being out West and Grindstone, I just hoped to build on my fitness with more long runs, sprinkled with some fast tempo runs, while hopefully maintaining some mountain fitness.

Apprehension
While I never reached the mileage I wanted in those 11 weeks leading up to Grindstone, I did feel confident in getting 7 runs of at least 3 hours or longer including two 50k+  runs where I gained a significant amount of elevation, even for Ohio.  Still, motivation was lacking on many days and I found too many excuses to skip runs.  This worried me slightly as I've never had trouble getting out the door for runs.  Normal runs were hard to get motivated for - the only days I was truly excited were days that I ran long, did a hard workout, or planned to meet with people for trail runs.  I told someone before Grindstone that I would either be undertrained or really fresh for the race...

Other sources of apprehension were present as well.  First, I am from Ohio so getting a lot of elevation is not easy to come by.  Grindstone has over 23,000' of elevation gain, plus the same amount of elevation loss.  How would my quads hold up to that amount of downhill running?  Running through the night was slightly worrisome as well.  I've ran a fair amount of longer runs with my headlamp but not on these types of trails.  I knew the Grindstone course was technical and rocky, coupling that with my already less than stellar downhill running ability, and the dark - it had me thinking I would be really slow through these sections.

Received the 4 seed - behind Neal (1), Jeff (2), and Brian (3).

Race Day
When Friday rolled around all the apprehensions washed away and I anxiously awaited the 6:00 pm start time.  After the pre-race briefing from RD Clark Zealand we all had another 4-5 hours to wait for the start.  The topic of the day seemed to be what the weather was going to be like for the start and through the night.  There was a good chance of rain and the hours leading up to the start saw just that.  It was different having a late afternoon start rather than the typical 5-6 am start of most 100 milers.  Camp Shenandoah seemed to be more calm with less rushing around as normal but the rain was still coming down.  After trying to get some rest I started to gather my gear and headed over to the start area.  I kissed my wife goodbye and just like that nearly 250 runners headed off for a long adventure in the forest.  

The Fog
I can't remember how long it rained - I guess I didn't pay much attention too it because there were other things more important to focus on, namely the fog.  I settled into the back of a pack of 10 or so runners at the start.  I knew there were a handful of guys that I wanted to keep an eye on who I knew would run a smart and solid race.  Josh Finger was way out in front and shortly after punching in at Elliott's Knob (mile 10)  I settled into the back of a pack of 4 that included Jeff Browning, Brian Rusieki, and Neal Gorman.  We were still chasing Josh, but I could tell this was the correct place to be at this point.  Even at this stage in the race I knew the eventual winner would come from this group.

What was more challenging than the rain was the fog brought by the warm moist land and cooler air.  Our headlamps had a hard time cutting through the water crystals floating through the air, and instead reflected around the dense cloud surrounding us.  At this point, I was happy to have three guys to run with, as it increased visibility slightly.  With the unstable rocky trail below us, we had to focus more than normal on the footing.  Although it slowed us, I skated through this section without rolling over an ankle or tripping, which is good considering my lack of training on rocky downhill and the fog.  At some point during this foggy downhill section before the Dowells Draft aid station (22 miles) Jeff was fourth in line and he asked to get around us.  He was clearly feeling comfortable on the downhill and it would be the last that I saw of him the remainder of the race.  I would have liked to say that I was able to catch back up to him late in the race and actually contended, but he gained the entire way.  Props to Jeff for a great race, the win, and the completion his 30th 100 mile!

Getting Tough
Things started to spread out heading into Dowells Draft and then the Lookout Mountain aid station (30 miles).  Sometime in this section Jordan Chang caught up to Brian and I and we all basically ran in and out of Dowells Draft together along with Neal.  Positions started to juggle around a bit and I moved ahead of Josh after his early lead.  I was in second alone for a time being but Jordan once again caught up to me and we ran into the North River Gap (35.5 miles) together.  The last section seemed to be going well for me, and I was already a third of the way through.

Coming out of North River Gap was when things started to get rough for the first time.  Even though I had left Jordan walking up the long climb to Little Bald Knob, I was beginning to feel a low point - my perception of time was getting off, and I kept wanting the next aid station to be there.  What seemed like forever, took even longer and the 7.8 miles between North River Gap and Little Bald Knob dampened my spirits.  When I finally rolled into the aid station I was still in 2nd place but I was expecting to see lights behind me any moment.  After spending no more than one minute at the previous 5 aid stations, I took about 4-5 minutes getting some real sustenance in my body and I needed it desperately!  The aid station workers here were great, as they tried to encourage me to get moving - they also had pierogi's, which was the best ultra food that I could have imagined at that point!  As I was getting ready to leave the aid station, another light came down the trail and I didn't wait around to see who it was.

That big climb right there at 35 miles is where things got rough for me, and again at 65.

After Little Bald things didn't get much better for a while.  I was able to resume running along the flat grassy road after the long uphill walk, but it was a slow run.  Once turning off the grassy road onto the gravel road heading to Reddish Knob (49 miles) that headlamp caught up to me and it was Jordan once again.  This was the second time he had caught me and it shows how consistent his race was.  We chatted for a while and power-hiked at a quick clip up the gravel road before Brian rolled along.  After running through the dark alone for a long time, having a couple companions was uplifting and I was happy to be running, as Brian was rolling along good at this point.  Brian and I ran up to the Reddish Knob punch location, but couldn't find the punch.  We didn't search long and headed back down the paved road together all the way to the turnaround point.  We saw Jeff coming the opposite direction and was informed later that he had a good 35 minutes on us!

It was nice to see my wife at the turn-around.  I put my head on her shoulder and told her that I was just ready for this to be over.  Although I had no intentions of even thinking about dropping out, I was tired, ready for daylight, and in need of a moral boost.  I didn't spend too much time here (~2.5 minutes), but Brian left with his pacer and I headed out along a minute or two after him.  Much like Jeff, I never saw Brian again after the turn-around, and he secured 2nd place easily.

Turning Things Around
All I was focused on in the next section was turning things around.  I knew I had about 15 miles of either downhill or flat running where I could use my strengths.  I wasn't as concerned about catching Brian or closing the gap with Jeff as I was on making a bigger gap between me and 4th place, which was Jordan.  I was able to run pretty fast on the paved road before the Reddish Knob aid station (54 miles) and kept a consistent forward motion back into Little Bald Knob again where I refueled on Pierogi's and Ginger Ale, another welcomed ingestion.  Here though, I learned I was around 15 minutes behind Brian, which means he must have really nailed the last section.

Now I had the long section back to Dry River Gap (65.65 miles) and this time it was downhill, which was a lot better than going up.  This might have been the best section of the race for me all day.  I was able to run almost the entire time into Dry River Gap with some pretty quick sections.  When I rolled in to see my wife and crew again, my spirits were high and I was full of energy.  This must have been strange to see after being so low last time they had seen me!  I learned I was only about 8 minutes behind Brian, and that Jeff had increased his lead to 41 minutes.

I was expecting to pick up a pacer at this aid station, either Jeremy Ramsey or Micah Jackson, but they were nowhere to be found when I rolled in, so I just had to leave alone again.  I later learned that they fell asleep in their car at one of the aid stations and was barely late in catching me.  Luckily it was no harm done as I don't think it affected anything.  I did however go through a 5 minute section where I was feeling sorry for myself and wishing I had a pacer but soon realized that I just needed to get over it and run.

Sun Up, Spirit Down
After the two-thirds point the sun was about to come up but I was entering another low point.  I tried to ride the high of the last section but the uphill to Lookout Mountain (72 miles) wore on me.  I couldn't take in the beautiful views the sun glistened upon because I was staring down at the rocky terrain that slowed my power hike to a stroll.  Even after the aid station when the trial was more grassy and smooth, I walked and walked slow.  Once again I was expecting someone to come up from behind me.  Eventually the trail went down and I was able to start running again, but running now was with a new added amount of uncomfortable.  It was being accepted that this would be the feeling I had to endure the remaining 25 miles.  As I neared Dowells Draft (80 miles) my pacer, Micah, was coming up the trail.

Dowells Draft was a crucial moment in the race.  There was a lot of people here trying to help me out including my crew, Horton, Jeremy and Micah, and the aid station workers.  They were asking how my nutrition was going, which was not good at this point, and started forcing me to eat.  I was able to get a lot of solid food down here and it was needed because Adam Wilcox had just run in the aid station and left right ahead of me.  Jordan was also coming in as Adam and I ran up the trail.  I had spent maybe 6-8 minutes here and it was time to get going!

Coming into Dowells Draft at mile 80 in need of a boost.

I promise I'm not that happy to be standing next to Horton.

 Pushing Through
After leaving Dowells Draft with my pacer, I caught back up to Adam and we power-hiked at a good clip up the long rocky climb.  This seemed to take forever but all the calories I had consumed kicked in and it was fairly easy going.  I was content to tuck in behind Adam with Micah behind me.  I focused on making conscious steps and conserving energy while I could.  Once cresting the top of the hill Adam had to peel off the trail to tend to his foot, and I was back in third place.  I ran the last little downhill section to Dry Branch Gap (87.8 miles) with the mindset that Adam was right behind me still and that Jordan was probably not that far back.  I once again was able to get some good calories down (yum, tomato soup) as it was vital for my energy to make sure I did so.

I left Dry Branch Gap and made a conscious effort to push hard for a good amount of time.  Everything hurt, don't get me wrong, but I was really able to have a good push here.  I thought to myself, "if I am able to run hard for 5 minutes, I could double the gap between me and 4th place." I had just walked up the last long climb with Adam, so I thought he might be thinking that I would walk again on this climb, so I ran as long as I could up the hill presuming he would be walking.  Although I wasn't running fast, I figured that if I was able to run ~16 minute pace, and he walked ~20 minute pace, I would gain 4 minutes in just one mile.  So that is what I did.  I cranked hard, ran when I could and walked hard when I had to for the next several miles.

Eventually Micah and I left the woods at Elliott's Knob (~90 miles) after a good stretch of trails.  Running down the steep gravel road from Elliott's Knob was brutal - this is why they call this Grindstone.  My quads were trashed, but luckily they weren't seizing up, so I just pushed through it.  Eventually we made it to the more flat and tame horse trails and to the last aid station at Falls Hollow (96.7 miles), where there was just 5 miles to go.  It was refreshing to see my wife and give her one last hug knowing that I was going to finish soon!

The Finish
After getting some more fuel, I was on the home stretch and it felt good!  Although I had fallen twice and tripped over a couple rocks, I was able to run the last section at a decent clip as the adrenaline of being finished was enough to power me on.  When I entered camp Shenandoah I knew I had two miles to go and I pressed hard to not leave any doubts.  The last thing I wanted was to have someone pass me the last two miles!  Mile 100 was my fastest mile of the day at 7:50!

Rounding the reservoir and coming down the driveway and into the finishing field was a welcome site.  After 19 hours and 32 minutes, 101.85 miles, and 23,000+ feet of elevation gain I finished Grindstone in 3rd place!

The feeling finishing a 100 miler is indescribable.

Final Thoughts
All in all, I couldn't be any more happy with what went down in the Central Virginia Mountains.  Even though I second-guessed myself, I was trained and ready to take this on, both physically and mentally.  I executed a solid race plan that saved my legs in the early parts so I could finish solid.  I didn't know how I would handle the 23,000' of elevation gain but it went well.  I just needed this to make me realize that hiking is okay and the most efficient way to get up a mountain.

My day was sort of like a roller coaster.  For the first 35 miles, everything was smooth.  I was feeling fresh and strong.  This was also the section with the most fog.  The next 15 miles were rough, followed by 15 solid miles, then about 15 more rough miles.  Luckily I had a solid last 20 miles to cap off the day.  I think the fog in the early parts forced people to take it easier than they normally would have, in turn making us more fresh for the last half.

Finishing Grindstone means I now have a Western States qualifier and a Hardrock qualifier.  I will enter both lotteries and be anxiously awaiting the December draw dates to see what my plans will be for next summer.  Western States is manageable, but Hardrock is a bit scary, but will do whichever one I get drawn for, and hoping I get a chance to do at least one!  I feel much more confident about doing a mountain 100 out west after finish Grindstone well.

It was great racing with such accomplished 100 milers.  At the briefing, Clark recognized those who had ran the most 100 milers.  This Grindstone I think was Gary Kniplings 70th 100 mile!  That is fantastic and inspiring.  Jeff Browning was on his 30th and AJW was over 30 - these are the folks that I admire and look up to in the ultra community.  I hope to someday be standing up when they ask who has ran over 30 100 milers.  

I'll never get tired of this feeling after a 100 miler.

A hug from my wife and a hug for the totem pole.

 Thank You
These 100 milers take a lot of effort, not just by the crazy folks who run them, but a lot of other people.  First, thanks to my wife, Bobbi, for being a great supporter in all respects, not just during the race but during countless hours of training and weeks leading up.  I could not do it without her!  To my sister for being a great co-crew with Bobbi!  You two make a great duo.  Thanks to Micah Jackson for pacing the last 20 miles - your course knowledge was great to have and your reminders to eat was crucial!  Thanks to Clark Zealand for putting on such great events, everything is smooth and now after being a race director myself, I know how much of an effort this is.  The volunteers at the camp provided great hospitality for the runners with food and facilities!  The aid station workers are super good at what they do.  They had some great hot foods like pierogi's, grilled cheese, tater tots, and tomato soup that fueled me to the end.  They constantly encouraged us and kept me moving!  Thanks to everyone who supports what I do - this was such a fun and fulfilling adventure!

Run Free

WMO

Although the ultimate day of giving and receiving is upon us, a more pressing date on my mind is December 6th, when the Western States and Hardrock lotteries take place.  On this day, I'll be a wishful thinker hoping 1 of my 9 little tickets is drawn from one (or both :/) of the lottery baskets I'm in.  Okay, so I may only have 8 out of the 6,601 Western States tickets with my name on it - they say I have a 32.2% chance of getting drawn but I look at my odds as being much lower, but 8 is more than the 4 tickets I had in the lottery last year.  I didn't even do the math on the Hardrock lottery because I am just one name on one ticket out the of 1,146 "never" category entrants, some who have 64 or more tickets.  Hardrock does not look promising but there is at least some small percentage for my name being drawn.  "So, you're telling me a chance."










At any rate, if I get into one of these races, it will be my focus race in 2015.  Western States has been a dream for many years now and twice I've narrowly missed a spot via one of the Montrail Ultra Cup qualifying races.  I more than likely will not attempt another MUC race to gain entry if I am not chosen in the lottery.  So to fill my 2015 schedule I've decided to attempt a few of the races in what I consider a new and improved U.S. Sky Runner Series.  The first two races in the series are actually within driving distance from where I live in Ohio, still 8 hours and 6 hours, but it beats the cost of traveling West for the others.  And hopefully I will make arrangements to be in Flagstaff for the series finale.

Pending on a lottery selection for a summer 100, the two opening Sky Runner races would be good tune up races in the training schedule.  So my schedule is semi-crafted to look like this:
March 15: The Georgian Death Race - 68 miles
May 31: Quest for the Crest 50k
June 27:  Western States 100 (lottery hopeful) (not drawn)
July 10:  Hardrock 100 (lottery hopeful) (not drawn)
June  19: Bighorn 100 or Mohican 100
Oct. 3:  Flagstaff Sky Race 55k

This looks like a good schedule and with one more race  is about the max amount of ultra's that I like to do in a years time.  I'll have to find a summer 100 to do if not selected for WS or HR.  I'll be 5 months of no racing leading into March but I don't feel there is a need at this point to pound out a dozen ultra's - maybe someday.
Here's to a good and successful Lottery Season!

Run Free
wmo

Looking West from the top of Copperhead Fire Tower

It's where it all began.  On one Wednesday afternoon in the Fall 6 years ago, Keegan Rathkamp, team captain on the cross country team, introduced me to the trails at the Shawnee State Forest.  In my running log from 9/10/2008, I wrote:

Sweet run today. Keegan and I went out to the forest to get a long run in on trails. It was my first time out there and I loved it. I want to run those trails everyday now. It is so peaceful!

This day was one of the most influential days of my life and the introduction from Keegan to the trails at the Shawnee State Forest easily affects who I am today.  From my sophomore year in college to now, I have visited and revisited this forest dozens and dozens of times for a multitude of reasons - adventure, training, solitude, with friends...  Even now living over 2 hours away from the Shawnee Forest, I make it a point to return as often as possible for re-connection with the land and trails that I grew to know and love so well.

The forest started out as an escape from the city.  The standard 8-mile loop around Portsmouth was getting old.  My back hurt a lot, the streets were littered with trash, people harassed us, sounds and cars everywhere.  The weekly (and sometimes more) drive of just 15 minutes to the Shawnee State Forest was our escape.  Wednesday Trail Tradition.  Running on the trails took the pressure away.  School and even training was an afterthought for the 2-3 hours in the forest.  It was normally a small group of guys, three or four of us at a time.  Miles were slow, the trails are rugged and steep, narrow, often overgrown.  But it was our escape from the city.

The forest became my training grounds.  During the last two years of college, the forest didn't take on a new meaning, but a bigger meaning.  It was still the escape I searched for in the year prior, but now it was where I trained, and it was my thing. My personal bests improved rapidly my junior year in the 8k and on the track later in the spring.  I spent the summer before my senior year working at the golf course adjacent from the forest, and the 2-3 trail runs per week became 6-7 trail runs per week.  Now after 2 years of consistent training on trails, I saw even larger improvements in cross country races during my last season.

The forest is the source of exploration.  Although I went to the forest to run, I was attracted to the mystery of what was hidden beyond the next bend in the trail.  There was over 63,000 acres of forest, and over 200 miles of singletrack trails, doubletrack trails, bridle trails, and forest roads to discover.  Over the course of three years I drove every car accessible road there was and tried to run as many different routes as I could find.  The forest became a place to connect with the land and trails were a portal for this discovery.  I felt like a part-owner of the land, because I invested time and energy into being with it, engulfed in getting to know it.  Still today, I feel like the Shawnee State Forest is mine.

The forest created a wilderness philosophy.  This single moment of introduction to trail running and the Shawnee Forest is what drove me to go to graduate school and earn a masters in Outdoor Recreation and Education.  Issues such as logging and recreation management was experienced in large part because I ran through it.  I had a daily front-row seat to the devastation of logging taking place in the forest.  A perspective that normally only the workers would see from high on the bulldozer seat.  I remember many evenings, after the smoke cleared from the workday, I could run through the clear-cut areas, feeling the dirt, and feeling the hurt.  I was especially devastated two summers after I graduated from college on a weekend visit to the forest after discovering someone made the management decision to bulldoze the popular 40 mile singletrack backpack trail.  The trail is now slowly healing, but it will never return to how it was.  So the forest became a place that I formed thoughts and ideas.  A desire to protect.

The forest is where I became an ultra trail runner.  Trail running at the forest for the first time impacted my life in many ways but it led to a desire to start ultramarathon running.  It was a natural progression into ultra trail running.  I first fell in love with the trails.  I wanted to see more and more trails and the only logical and most efficient way for me to discover more trails was to run more miles on trails.  So it was fitting that I discovered ultra running as I began to research information online about trails.  That is how I found and started ultra running.  Before I ever ran an official ultra marathon event, I ran a 40 mile trail run with two of my best friends at the Shawnee Forest.  I then started entering ultras immediately after my college cross country competition.

Keegan (right) and I on a 40 mile trail run - overlooking logging affects.

_____

This past weekend I met with a group of 11 guys for a trail run at the Shawnee State Forest.  We ran 20 miles and enjoyed a peaceful winter dusting of snow along the trail.  Trips like these revitalize me and I am always overwhelmed with memories and inspiration by being in the forest again.  It had only been about 3 months since I was last at the forest, but I always feel like it has been too long.  Although my trips aren't as frequent as they were in college, I still feel a connection with the land and trails.  There was a 1 mile section from last Saturday's run where I had run ahead of the group a little and was locked into the sweet rhythm of the trail.  I felt the "flow." It was like I had ran this trail everyday for the last month, and knew every rock and root and dip.  In some way, I think my subconscious did remember this section of trail to every degree.

The Shawnee State Forest will continue to impact my life.  It has left a permanent mark on my personality and I am grateful for knowing it.

Happy Trails

WMO

    

Looking at the start of a special Bridle Trail #5 in spring.

Throwing down at Ice Age, beside Max King (Montrail), #2 Ultra Runner or the Year.  Photo by John Zinzow, former IA50 RD

A DNF at Cayuga Trails doesn't take away the experience had.  photo by Ron Heerkens Jr.

Bobbi finishing the Iron Furnace Trail Run and me welcoming her to the finish as the Race Director!

• 2007:  2,334 miles
• 2008:  2,884 miles
• 2009:  3,458 miles
• 2010:  5,157 miles
• 2011:  4,530 miles
• 2012:  2,682 miles
• 2013:  2,898 miles
• 2014:  3,968 miles

• 220.5 miles raced in 2014
• 1 100 miler, 1 50 miler, 1 50k, 1 marathon, 1 5 miler, 3 5k's
• 1 50 mile DNF
• Ultra finishes:  1st place, 4th place, 3rd place, DNF

Cayuga Trails 50.  photo by Joe Viger