25 years of Masochism!!

I am getting very fired up for my next race---the Mountain Masochist 50 mile Trail Race, otherwise known as MMTR. This event is part of the Montrail Ultra cup and is celebrating its 25 year under the leadership of David Horton. Next year, David will turn over the reins to Clark Zealand, so this is an extra special year to run the race, as it will be David's last one as R.D.

I have run MMTR twice before---in 2003, it was my first 50, and I suffered terribly with a hip flexor strain but managed to finish in 10:25 alongside Ryan Henry, whom I met on the trail and has since become a very good friend. In 2006, I ran a faster time (9:40) but I know I can break 9:30, so that is my goal this year.

Today, my training partner Bill Potts and I went into Ragged Mountain Running Shop here in C'Ville for some last minute coaching from owner Mark Lorenzoni, who has coached me for the past two years. Mark is an awesome coach and his wise words: "Even if you feel great, slow down!!" He is right. I hammered the first half last year and paid for it. This year, Mark had me run big mileage weeks in July and August and I did some intense speedwork in September and October, so I feel better prepared than ever. We'll see...the weather report looks awesome!

There will be some excellent women out on the trail...Nikki Kimball, Krissy Moehl, Annette Bednosky, and Bethany Patterson, just to name a few. Montrail will have many runners there and I am looking forward to seeing some of my Montrail-Nathan teammates.

It is absolutely gorgeous in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia right now---the leaves are turning and the skies are bright blue. I will run this race with a heart full of gratitude for my health and fitness, and the chance to play in the mountains all day with my friends. And the best part is that Rusty and Virginia will be at the finish line waiting for me...woo-hoo!

The Virginia Slam

On October 13-14, 2007, my friend Keith Knipling completed the "Virginia Slam" of 100-mile trail races by finishing the fall version of the Wild Oak Trail (Hot TWOT)100 in a course record time of 27:11. The Virginia Slam is currently the Cold TWOT, the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100, The Old Dominion Memorial 100, the Old Dominion 100, and the Hot TWOT. Keith was the first finisher in each these events with the exception of Massanutten, where he finished third.

Quatro Hubbard and I had the honor of running the last 8 miles with Keith, and watching his calm and focused attitude at the end of this grueling event was extremely inspiring. He was running at an easy and comfortable pace and didn't seem tired or stressed, and he ran this final 26-mile loop in 8:03, which is considered fast for even one loop. The TWOT 100 has nearly the same total elevation gain as the Hardrock 100 (about 32,000 feet total, 8,000 per loop). Keith's time at TWOT was in the same range as the leaders of the 2007 Hardrock 100 (although Keith downplayed that comparison because of Hardrock's altitude). Nevertheless, it is a remarkable achievement. I took a video of Keith running with about a mile to go, and of the finish.

Keith's father Gary, with whom he finished the Grand Slam in 2006, was at the finish line waiting to greet Keith, along with Dennis Herr, the founder of the TWOT 100 and the first person to finish all four loops. Dennis' daughter Holly was also there to lend support. Here are the guys celebrating (click for larger):




Congratulations, Keith! Happy Trails!

Odyssey 40 Miler, 9/22/07

A few years ago, when I was still racing triathlons, I did the Odyssey Half Iron Tri at Lake Anna, VA. It was a tough race but very well-organized, and it had the added bonus of being held concurrently with the Odyssey Double and Triple Iron Tris (yes, that's double and triple the usual Ironman distance). It was very cool to share the course with the uber extreme triathletes, and watch them go their distances like it was no big deal.

Odyssey Adventure Racing is the organizer of these events, as well as well-known adventure races such as Beast Of the East and The Endorphin Fix. A few years ago they started the only full Iron distance off road race (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) and today it is the only race of this distance and terrain in the US (there are others in Europe). Last year they added a half marathon and marathon trail running race, and this year was the first for the 40 mile ultra distance race. The races are held at Douthat State Park near Covington, VA, and knowing that the trails at Douthat are revered by mountain bikers and runners, I signed up for the 40 mile, along will a few other VHTRC friends. I really love the 40-mile distance, as it is always a perfect days workout, usually taking me about 8 hours to finish.

Because we were running three loops of a 13.3 mile course on a trail marked for triathletes (they were on their bike leg while we were on the trail, and would start their runs in the evening), there were mile markers posted on trees. Thus it was interesting (and deflating) to see one's mile splits change from loop to loop as the sun came out and the temperatures jumped. The total elevation gain for the 40 mile was 9,282 feet of climb,and the first 7 miles of each loop were on rocky, technical trail that lead to 6 miles of awesome downhill on wonderful, runnable trail and dirt road.

The loop format was deceptively difficult for me...after the first loop, I felt great. But after the second loop, the heat was on (it was 12 noon and in the mid 80s), and my cooler in the transition area, filled with ice-cold drinks, was beckoning. I saw fellow VHTRC and Montrail teammate Bryon Powell there, and was surprised, as he is always a top finisher...but he was calling it a day after falling badly. I also heard that Jeff Wilbur (scroll down to see him at Hardrock climbing Grants Swamp Pass) was also stopping after two loops and it was tempting to join the party...but Helen Cacciapaglia and Bryon were adamant that I get back out there, so off I went for the final loop (thanks, guys!). Needless to say, it was brutal knowing what was ahead and running alone for the entire loop, but also a good exercise for me in having a positive attitude and eating and drinking sufficiently. I came across one runner who was having big problems with the heat, but Greg Loomis had given him some gels when he passed him earlier, and he was coming back after sitting on the trail for an hour because of nausea.

I was hoping to run around 7:30 given my first loop split (2:20), but the heat affected my next two splits (2:40 and 2:53), so I was thrilled to break 8 hours in the end, finishing in 7:53. At the finish line, I saw Rusty who had finished third overall in the 56-mile mountain bike race (there were 11 other endurance events held on the trails and roads of Douthat as part of this race weekend), and we celebrated finishing with Greg Loomis, my training buddy who was worried I would beat him when we ran together three weeks ago...Greg finished second overall and beat me by over 30 minutes! I ended up third overall and first woman (though there weren't many women racing...).

Ed Cacciapaglia finished the 40 as well, and Kirstin Walcott, Jay and Anita Finkle finished the Half-M. Hopefully next year we can get a larger group of VHTRC friends to join us...despite all the other events going on alongside the 40 miler, the entire scene was very low-key and friendly, and Susanna, the trail race RD, was eager to hear our feedback (for Coke and fruit at the AS, for example). The adventure racing mindset is very much a part of this event, as the time cut-off for the 40 miler was 24 hours (allowing for the triathletes to finish), the aid minimal but adequate, and the course very tough...but as a new event on the ultra calendar, I expect more folks will come out to experience the great trails at Douthat State Park and that the minimal kinks of a first-time event will get worked out. I particularly enjoyed doing my race while Rusty did his and having him hand me an ice cold cappuccino Ultragen at the finish line! YUM!
Click here for more photos of this great day in the woods.

VHTRC Womens Trail Half Marathon, 9-8-07

The VHTRC Women's Trail Half Marathon was my very first VHTRC event in 2002, and each year I look forward to coming back for a variety of reasons: for an anaerobic suffer fest "training run" for my longer ultras; for a great workout on the hilly BRR 50 course; for the camaraderie that only a race for women can provide; and to be able nurture dear friendships forged from this and other VHTRC events. The photo above shows me with wonderful volunteers Tom Corris, Gary Knipling, and Keith Knipling, who were just a few of the many folks who helped RD Margie Schlundt put on such a great race.

The 2007 edition of the race was hot, humid, and dry, thanks to weeks without rain. The trail was in good shape and despite the hot temperatures, some very fast times were run by some very fast women. In fact, I was marveling at how fast the ladies in the 40-45 age group were (this is my age group, of course). I had just read this interesting article in the New York Times about women runners getting faster as they get older, and the WHM not only confirms the author's observations about speed, but also about embracing competition: when women are given opportunities to be competitive in a supportive environment like the WHM, they can shed their inhibitions about being passionate and can find physical, emotional, and spiritual energy they never knew previously.

I was very pleased with my race this year. I was just a minute off my PR for this course from 2006 despite much hotter temps than last year and some annoying GI distress. I also appreciated the great competition from fellow VHTRCer Challen Edwards, who pushed me all morning and ended up with a huge WHM PR, over 7 minutes! It was also great to see VHTRC women Bunny Runyan and Luanne Turrentine, who are awesome race crew members at many ultras, finish strong. Yay ladies!

This is the essence of the WHM, after all: bringing women of all running abilities together who are willing to take risks, try something new, and challenge themselves and one another. I hope that the many women on the trail today who were first-time trail racers will allow their WHM experience to be a stepping stone to future adventures on (and off)the trail, and that those returning to the race were able to nurture their competitive drive, with passion and spirit!