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

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 !
Read more of This Week In Running (Week of November 14 & November 15)!

Mountain Masochist, Lithia Loop Trail Marathon & Stone Cat Results

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.]
Read more of Mountain Masochist, Lithia Loop Trail Marathon & Stone Cat Results!

Mountain Hardwear Fluid 10 Pack Review

[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.
Read more of Mountain Hardwear Fluid 10 Pack Review!

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

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.
  

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

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

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 !
Read more of This Week In Running (Week of November 7 & November 8)!

iRunFar Summer Road Trip #2 - Onwards and Upwards

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
Read more of iRunFar Summer Road Trip #2 - Onwards and Upwards!

iRunFar Summer Road Trip #1 -The Penske Chronicles

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!

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

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.
Read more of This Week In Running (Week of 10/31 & 11/1)!

Summer Gear Heaven

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.]
Read more of Summer Gear Heaven!

Best Summer Running Memory

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.
Read more of Best Summer Running Memory!