In The Long Run

Holiday Lake

2012-02-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

I found out long ago; it's a long way down the Holiday Road.
That's what the song says...
The road to destruction is paved. Run trails!
That's what the shirt says...
If you can run a marathon you can run a 50K!
That's what they say...

This was my first ultra 2 years ago and the trail around Holiday Lake rolled out in front of me like a snow covered trail of tears. Okay that is dramatic because if you can run a marathon you can run an ultra. Right?

Oh and we all know who they are. They are the ultra runners. The guys and girls who think a marathon is a good training run or a bad 50k is a great training day. I wasn't sure I fit into this relatively small group of athletes after I finished Holiday Lake the first time I ran the race back in 2010. Well 2 years and 13 ultra marathons later I am convinced I do belong and it wasn't the 100 milers the 100 K or the 50 milers that gave me this incredible sense of welcome to this crazy community of ultra running. It was the 50K. Now don't get me wrong I love 100 mile trail races, 50's are the bomb and Hellgate made me feel like I was hit by a bomb but it is the 50 K; that is the gateway drug to becoming an ultra runner for so many of us.

As fate would have it Holiday Lake 2012 was not going to leave a lot of room for excuses whether you would be running your first ultra or are an ultra running veteran; the weather was perfect in the 40's and the course was in as good of shape as a trail can be in which proved to be very beneficial to the 370 or so runners who made their way to Appomattox VA to start the race. The race course is a 16+ mile loop around Holiday Lake that is run in reverse on the second lap. This format is really cool because the faster runners get to see the slower runners on the same trails they ran and the slower runners get to see the faster runners on the race course. That is one of the things I like most about Holiday Lake though you had better be careful not to fall off the edge of the trail into your first ice bath of the day as you're rounding the lake avoiding other runners! It's great seeing all of those folks who are about to transcend the marathon for the first time along with seasoned ultra runners out enjoying some magnificent SW Virginia single track.

My race went well I would say. I ran into the halfway point around 2:10 and was slowed down by some hamstring cramps around mile 29 that forced me to walk for a few minutes. Fortunately I shook them out and was able to run again after a painful 5 minutes; not a huge time loss really though I did get passed by 5 people I didn't see again until the finish line. Another one of the things I like most about running Holiday Lake or any David Horton race for that matter is running into an aid station or to the finish line and hearing David scream JOE DUDAK! Yeah that's nice and does not get old.

Holiday Lake, like all of the Ultra Trail Races we enjoy was made possible through the selfless efforts of incredible volunteers, smiling faces and loads of encouragement from crews, family and friends of runners along with the race directors and their partners. My deep heartfelt thanks goes out to each and everyone of them for making incredible events like Holiday Lake 50K++ a reality.

Saucony Xodus 3.0 Finally Arrives

2012-01-16T06:01:00.000-08:00

I was kinda concerned when Saucony decided to "improve" the Xodus as it has been my go to shoe for about a year running. For me finding the perfect trail shoe often works like this: you find a shoe that you really like; you run in it for a couple of models and the manufacturer gives it a facelift. You know the one that starts out Angelina Joelie and ends up Kenny Rogers. Just not a win win situation. Well Saucony took that gamble and it looks like they may have just hit a homerun.

The Xodus 3.0 is an entirely differnt shoe from the Xodus 2.0 and this was evident the instant I laced it up and took my first few steps. The Xodus 3.0 features a 4mm offset which is significant compared to the 12mm offset the 2.0 utilized. I felt the lower ride immediately; the outsole is still Vibram...and it's still a Sucony Xodus so it is stiff out of the box. That is about all that remained of the shoe I had grown to love.
Here are some of the changes I noticed most:

There is more room in the toe box/forefoot.
The shoe is much more stable than the previous Xodus.
The traction has been significantly improved thanks to a completely different tread pattern.
It sheds mud much better than the 2.0
The shoe drains water much faster than the old Xodus.
The laces are thinner and the tongue has a shoelace garage that actually works.
There is a black piece of foam in the midfoot that seems to act as a stabilizer or post if you will. This black piece of foam really seems to stabilize the shoe both medially and laterally. I like it regardless.
It is lighter.

As I write this I have put a bit over 45 miles in my new kicks over 3 runs. I definitely feel I am running a bit faster due to the change in drop of the shoe which is limiting the braking effect of even the most minimal heel strike. The shoe has exceptional traction, it gets rid of water fast, the mid foot is snug, the forefoot is roomy and it's lighter than the 2.0 I think I have a new favorite shoe.

Through the Gates of Hell

2011-12-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

It's going to be cold, dark, wet, very mountainous, off camber, rocky, covered in leaves, unforgiving and longer than you think. Oh and the idea of running a 100K is just that; this race is special. The thought of running through the night well into the daylight over extremely difficult terrain in potentially life threatening weather doesn't appeal to everyone that is a fact; but this is Ultra Running so it did however appeal to the 137 runners who toed the line to run Hellgate 2011. This was going to be my first opportunity running Hellgate. Earlier this year Horton told me if I ran a good Grindstone I would be invited to run Hellgate. So shortly after Grindstone I was allowed to enter Hellgate. I had no idea then how hard this race would prove to be for me.

I started the race like most everyone else feeling kinda cold and a bit jittery though that could have been the large cold coffee and 3 cupcakes I chomped a couple hours prior to the start. 11:55 we sang the Canadian then the American National Anthems, said a prayer and we were off. I immediately realized I over dressed so by the time I reached the 1st aid station I donated a Brooks podium tee to the volunteer aid worker...I comforted him with the fact it was only the 2nd time I'd worn it and it was his size. I hope someone likes it. From there it is mostly easy running to the aid station at Petites Gap with some long climbs which were not that big of an issue. It was still very early. The race is basically broken up into three sections and this first section of the race does have the bulk of the climbing , it's cold and everyone had wet wet feet to make those climbs that much more interesting. Yee Haw Hellgate! So about 22 supposed miles in I topped out at the 4th aid station on Headforemost Mountain feeling super confident and ready to tackle this course. I chugged some hot soup and took off.

The next section of the race is the easiest on paper and I swear it is the longest. This had to have been where Horton Miles came into play (miles that are not measured in feet but something much longer). Some of the trail was very runnable while some of it was covered deep in leaves that hid a lot of big rocks making it challenging to go fast. I felt good through most of this section until I rolled my right ankle hard and twisted my left knee bad enough to change my gait for the remainder of the run. I was probably 40 mile in when this happened. Initially I set a goal for myself to finish the race in less than 13 hours; it seemed as though I was going to have to make some concessions after that fall. At the Bearwallow Gap aid station I was greeted by David Horton and Clark Zealand along with a host of volunteers. Horton told me I was doing great and I was taking way too long at that aid station. He also told me one of my friends had to drop and I had better not quit no matter what. I didn't want to tell him how bad I was hurting after that last fall so I just told him thanks for the pep talk and I wouldn't quit. He said "Great! Only seven miles to the next aid station :-)" Clark quickly chimed in "7 no more than 7 hahaha!" The forever section was yet to come which I found laughable after the length of that last stretch of trail.

Running in a race like Hellgate with a time goal can be like singing a song you don't know the words to which is quite alright as long as you know how to hum along and you are willing to change your tune. As I ran out of Bearwallow Gap on my way toward Bobblets Gap I discovered that I had no choice but to maintain my altered gait and running downhills became nothing short of torture. Several times I had to stop and knock on my shin to see if was broken. I'm not real sure how much good that actually did but I convinced myself I was okay to keep on keeping on. My pace had slowed dramatically. By the time I had left Bobblets Gap I had completely thrown my time goal out the window and opted instead for a goal of : do not DNF. Bobblets came and went as did Day Creek which felt way longer than it should have. That segment of the race involved some technical single track that sent waves of intense pain radiating through my legs with each step. Wow I was hurting. As I made my way to aid station 9 the final aid station in the race I was on autopilot. I had a 3 mile climb and a 3 mile descent before I would see my wife Jen and the finish line. Nothing could stop me at this point; I was going to finish Hellgate. In my mind that was never really in question but it was nice to get half way through that last stop, top out on Blackhorse Gap after crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway and run what should have been 3 easy miles to the finish line. The climb up was never an issue on my legs and I was quickly reminded as the trail turned downward that all wasn't well in my lower legs. I picked through those last 3 miles at a painfully slow pace. I got passed alot here. Agony in every step. There was a light at the end of the tunnel; I could hear the cheering of the finish line. I rounded the corner into Camp Bethel. Finally that cheering was for me! I saw Jen waiting right at the marker leading up to the finish and Horton called my name with big congratulations! I had finished Hellgate.

I have never been in so much pain at the finish of any race I had participated in. I don't know how difficult that race course actually is but I know this; I gave that race 100% of everything I had at the time. Can I run it faster? I believe I can take significant time off my 14:44:36. I will worry about that next December. Right now I am happy that I was able to finish an amazing adventure with a body that was not cooperating very well at all. I learned a lot about myself in 66.6 miles of what has to be one of the greatest Ultra Marathons in existence. David Horton was right, Hellgate is a very special race. I will see it again next year!

Grindstone 2011

2011-10-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

"THIS is what it feels like to hurt." I'm saying this out loud to myself so I actually recognize what it feels like to run through pain when the time comes; it's also encouraging to hear my own voice because it probably means I am still alive...

The weather could not have been more perfect for a 100 mile race in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Forecast lows in the low 40's and highs in the mid 70's meant good things for everyone who toed the line. The race starts at 6 pm Friday night from Camp Shenandoah just outside of Staunton Virginia and ends in the same spot 101.85 miles later. It's is a very mountainous out and back course with 2 more summits going than you run returning but that really didn't seem to make the 23,000+ feet of climbing any easier for me.

Grindstone is considered by many the toughest 100 mile trail run on the East Coast. Those who disagree with that probably think Massanutten Mountain Trails is the only real contender for toughest East Coast 100 miler. I must be a glutton for punishment because this race was my 2nd 100 miler after running MMT this past May. My goal for the race was different than my first 100. I got to start this race knowing for a fact that I can run 100 miles now I just wanted to run faster. For me anything better than 30:14:57 was going to be a PR and I was looking destroy that time. Going into the race I had a stated goal of 26 hours which was something I believed to be difficult yet realistic.

The day started with Andy (who would be pacing me from mile 52 to 67) and I driving to Camp Shenandoah to catch the 1 pm pre race brief and see some friends who would be running and crewing this epic adventure.

Okay, race details:
As we headed out of Camp onto the race course I realized almost immediately I wore the wrong shirt and would be stuck sweating it out in a Smartwool jersey or going shirtless until I met Andy 52 miles later. I have ran in Smartwool before and liked it so the prospect of 40ish degrees for the night made sense: wrong. After 23 something miles the jersey turned into a heavy wool sweat shirt. Yuck. So I decided to stop, tie the shirt around my waist and try not to freeze. I was quite comfortable actually after I began to cool down. Infact I had been going through some dry heaving I think due to being too hot and those issues vanished as well...
So on up the trail I went feeling much more confident I was going to have a good race. At this point I had already been through the first major Aid Station which was Dowells Draft

When I reached North River Gap the first time I was ravenous. The crew had just taken some perogies off the camp stove and offered me a couple. I inhaled them and must have looked desperate so I was handed 2 more. I ate them immediately and the guy working the aid station said " hey dude seriously if you want the rest go ahead and eat them because we have tons of food." Hallelujah! So 8 perogies and several cups of ginger ale later I was headed to the Little Bald Knob Aid Station. Once I got to Little Bald I began to feel the 40 degree chill. Knowing the miles to Briery Branch Gap and back were somewhat exposed I was expecting to freeze. Jonathan Basham was working that Aid Station and he was kind enough to give me a fresh poly-pro shirt I was able to use until I reached Andy and grabbed a singlet. I was running steady and reached Andy at Briery Branch Gap with little trouble. We hooked up and took off quickly only sparing time for me to grab a shirt. At this point in the race I was in 15th place overall; I felt strong and I was gaining time.

Here is where my race took a turn:
Actually it is more like I didn't take a very important turn which made things worse. Running back toward Little Bald with Andy there was a turn somewhere near mile 57 that leads runners back to the Aid Station and the finish. We missed that turn. I had my head down and was basically allowing Andy to think for me when I realized I had not seen any course markers for quite some time. I questioned him regarding our position and he assured me we hadn't missed any turns; I agreed having not seen one myself so we pushed a bit further. Ultimately we pushed 3 full miles in the wrong direction before turning around and backtracking to our missed turn. Adrenaline, Anger, Frustration, Confusion, Embarrassment, Pain, Loss and Uncertainty were just some of the emotions that flooded my body and my mind as I ran back toward Little Bald. At one point I wanted to drop but that would have certainly damaged me more than the 12 positions I lost to the field upon reaching the Little Bald Aid Station. Now in 27th place instead of bettering 15th I handed Jonathan his shirt, ate some food, took my lumps and headed down the trail with Andy. He felt bad. It was my fault. Water under the bridge. It was time to regain time. We passed several runners as we ran back to North River Gap.

At North River Gap we met Wes and Jen. That was very good for my shaken mental state. We didn't hang out there long at all though. Only enough time for me to thank Andy, give Jen a few smooches, eat some food and then Wes and I were off to the races. We were facing 3 real big climbs over the next 33 miles that accounted for about half of that distance and I was behind massively due to my 6 mile detour. Wes told me he was going to be my drill sergeant and did he ever come through on that promise. We ran all of the descents and I charged up the hills like a man possessed! It was good having a seasoned ultra runner like Wes telling me when to run, walk, eat and drink. That made a huge difference. By Aid Station 13 I finally allowed myself a 5 minute rest in a camp chair which Wes monitored like Big Ben ensuring I didn't fall victim to the chair. The rest paid huge dividends between Aid 13-14. I felt strong enough after that rest we both felt it was warranted I repeat and take a short 5 minute break at Aid 14. After Aid 14 Dry Branch Gap it was a huge descent into the first and final Falls Hollow Aid Station. This was a section Horton informed Wes we could make up time on if there was anything left in my legs. At the start of that long torturous trip down the mountain I kinda wish David hadn't told Wes that because there was no rest for the weary going down that hill! As it is so often proven true in ultra running Horton was right and Wes drove me down the hill like an avalanche into Falls Hollow. It was getting dark (again) by then so we donned the head lamps after a 2 minute rest and headed into the final 5.7 miles of Grindstone. By now I had ran over 101 miles and had I not gotten lost earlier would have been finished or finishing without lights! Oh well water under the bridge. As it turns out it was blood under the bridge as I took a rough fall in the final 3 miles. I was shaken hard and in serious pain. Wes forced me off the rocky ground and we ran toward the finish.

I crossed the finish line of Grindstone 2011 in 26 hours, 35 minutes and 41 seconds finishing in 17th place overall. My stated goal for the race was 26 hours. I was not so secretly hoping to grab a sub 25 hour top ten finish. Had I paid better attention to the course markers and stayed focused I may have achieved that goal. Oh well there is always next year! Either way I am super stoked to have been part of such a wonderful event! I got to run with some great friends and met some new friends along the way.
Ultra Running. I love it.

MmmMmmMmm Appalachian Trail!

2011-09-18T12:11:00.001-07:00

So it's been a bit since I have taken the time to write about my running. Last week I ran 69 miles, all of it was single track with a lot of climbing to boot. This week I logged 51 miles, again all single track with plenty of climbs. I feel pretty good right now and I am ready for Grindstone. No big deal but I do have some lingering pain in my left knee that is minor and doesn't seem to hurt when I run. Hopefully my upcoming taper will take care of the knee tweaks.

Today I ran from Daleville 220 to McAfee Knob 311 on the Appalachian Trail. I was joined be Blaine Lewis, Andrew Holbrook and Wes Best. We cruised that section with relative ease and knocked it out in 4 hours and 8 minutes. That is pretty solid for that 20 + mile section of AT. We all had a really good time out there on the trail today. The weather was perfect low to mid 50's and overcast. Really for running it doesn't get better than that. Everyone ran really well I thought and most importantly we all had fun!

I feel like I am becoming a much more solid ultra runner. Earlier this week I ran a 20 mile section of the AT with Frank Gonzales that involved about 7 miles of climbing and he gave me some super valuable tips concerning my hike which I used today with a high level of success. The hike is crucial in a 100 miler so I hope to make big gains at Grindstone over my Massanutten time.

Regardless. Running on the Appalachian Trail is so sweet.

Bear Bald and Soaking Wet Tuesday Morning

2011-09-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

The alarm went of like it was supposed to at 5:55am proving Jen would be right once again; it was pouring rain still dark and barley over 50 degrees. I reset the alarm for 7. So after coffee with Jen, breakfast with Pearl and Hen I was off to the trail.

No surprise I was the only fool out playing in this kind of weather. I decided to run the road into the lower single track trails in the hopes of seeing the baby Scottish Highland cow and his mother. Score. The 2 female cows were there and Molly the mom was standing fairly close to the fence and her calf was right beneath her having breakfast! She turned to check me out and so did the calf. He is truly amazing; probably no bigger than small Labrador, Auburn red and a giant pink nose. I really need to get a picture of him, especially while he is so tiny.

Moving on. I went into the single track on the Songbird trail. It was so beautiful this morning. There were rivers of water everywhere, rain, the leaves appeared to be brighter than usual; maybe they were really thirsty and they were drinking all of the rain. We needed it bad.As I got a bit over halfway through the Songbird I looked off to my left and not 25 yards off the trail in the woods was a junior Black Bear literally running along with me! I didn't really stop when I saw him jogging along with me I just kinda slowed my pace and made sure I didn't see a much larger mother bear in the perimeter. I quickly decided there wasn't anther bear and I kept running watching the bear as he appeared to be playing with me! After about 2 minutes he shot off in front of me went around the corner and was waiting in the single track. I ran up on him and he darted off in the direction he came from. I really feel like he wanted someone to play with and was hoping I'd chase him. Well that was it for our short lived game of tag with out the tagging. I am sure I will see this friendly bear again.

A few miles later I was down by the water and I stopped at the picnic table on the School House Trail. I scanned the water and the far bank for any signs of life when I noticed a white powder puff in a large dying tree on the waters edge. I stared at what I believed to be a Bald Eagle for at least 5 minutes before it decided I was too much of a threat to sit idle while I watched her hunt for fish. Suddenly she let out a very loud ki-ki-ki-ki-ki... and spread her wings tpo flight confirming what I had known all along. She was indeed a majestic Bald Eagle and she allowed me to watch her for a solid 5 minutes. That was truly awesome.

Okay the clock has been ticking and I had really been enjoying myself in the woods. I had some miles to cover and I wanted to get in some climbing so I finished the majority of the lower trails before heading 1000 feet up the mountain. I climbed Tuck Away and Jacobs Drop, crossed the ridge on Brushy Mountain Fire Road and Dropped down Buck on the Hotel Trail and to the car. It was certainly not fast. 3 hours and 17 minutes to cover 17.4 miles but I had a great time. My interaction with the bear was by far my coolest bear encounter to date, I saw a Bald Eagle and I enjoyed the use of my OR Seattle Sombrero and a long sleeve Patagonia Capillene. Super fun morning@ Carvins Cove!

Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness

2011-09-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

So needless to say, my 1st 50 mile race was last year at Cheat Mountain. I've learned some lessons since that race. This year I hadn't been running lots leading up to CMMM but I did put in in the long single track runs with huge climbs that are essential for racing trail ultras; so I decided to have another go at the race. Last year I made some nutritional and navigational blunders that cost me a lot of time and I also spent way too much time in aid stations just getting myself together and refilling a hydration pack that was way too heavy for racing. Just a couple rookie mistakes I hoped to avoid duplicating this year.

Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness starts promptly at 9pm from Camp Pioneer in Beverly WV. In short the course has 6300 feet of gain and loss. It is a loop type course that runs on dirt fire road and thick, dark mountainous single track. I find long descriptions of what the trail was like every half mile or so really boring to read so I will only say this about the course. It is mountainous, there is a lot of fire road and the single track is way more technical that the 3 stars Ultra Running rates the course conditions; probably made more difficult because we were running in the dark. There were 8 fantastic aid stations spaced approximately every 5-7 miles, a couple of which we doubled back on.

So my plan was to run the 1st 13 miles at a faster than comfortable pace; once I hit the single track my goal was settle into a pace I was willing to be comfortable with for the next 9 hours. I ran with 1hand held and a race belt with 27 oz. so I was going to be able to skip a few aid stations. My drop bag was waiting at mile 33 and I was able to get there with minimal aid and actually didn't even use the drop bag. By this point in the race it seemed my position was beginning to sort out. Adam had told me earlier, I believe at mile 27 or so that I was in 6th place and I was in 5th by that aid station at 33 miles. The race is all fire road back down the mountain from 33 miles out and I was yoyoing back and forth with a couple of runners. I am not exactly sure who was who and in what place any of us were in at that point I just knew I wanted to keep my place, not get passed by anyone and finish feeling like I could keep on running.

Being the start of the race is 9pm those who run fast enough get to finish in the dark they started in. I was looking at being in that small group of runners; as I crested the final climb back into Camp Pioneer with a bit of a surge and found out what it feels like to run 50 miles in under 9 hours. Ultimately I finished with a PR of 8:47:20 and a 5th place finish. I am happy with my running and am looking forward to putting that training to the test at Grindstone in October!

Getting Ready For Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness on Lower Miles

2011-08-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow night I am going to drive up to Beverly WV for my second go at the Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness 50 mile trail race. This is one of my favorite runs for a variety of reasons; the terrain is extraordinary with plenty of hills and heavily wooded single track, the race starts at 9pm!, the aid stations are epic in fact last year one aid station had a big screen showing of Star Wars! and Adam Casseday is a really nice guy and puts on a very well organized race.

Due to the fact the race starts late at night Jen has decided to sit this one out. Luckily Drew has decided to run CMMM as his first 50 miler (which is what I did last year) so we can ride up there together. That will be especially helpful on that drive back to Roanoke as I do recall running all night through the woods left me feeling pretty fatigued the next morning.

Well I don't have a whole lot to say about my training other than my mileage going into this race has been slightly less than last year but I feel like the miles I have put down are super quality trail miles opposed road miles which are simply non technical miles for miles sake. Also I feel really healthy right now which is good considering I am using CMMM as a training race/run for Grindstone. I hope to get a good sense of where my endurance fitness is by finishing this race feeling very fresh. It won't hurt if I run fast for me as long as I do not get too trashed come mile 50!

Time will tell. Literally

From the Heart

2011-08-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well last week I went to the Dr after attending a health fair at work where I found out that my blood pressure (whcih has always bordered on being high) has pushed on through to actually being high. I measured in the 150/100 range at the health fair, at home and at the Dr's office the next day; my total cholestrerol was also throught the roof at 270! damn
Alright so my Triglycerides were 47 which is good, my HDL (good) was 86 which is great but my LDL (the bad) was 170...70 points over the max! Holy crap!
Time for a dietary change to keep me off of the cholesterol lowering drugs as I am now on BP meds and that is enough. I will be eating fish oil like a Baleen Whale and virtually eliminating eggs, butter, cheese and beer(for the bp) to help regulate my system. This is crazy...
Alright crazier than that is the fact that when I was at the Dr getting all of this sorted out she did an EKGthat said I have an enlarged left ventiral and possibly had at one point or another...a heart attack! WTF?!?!?
Well 1 week later which was this Wednesday I did a nuclear stress test to take a very close look at my heart. The test was long and boring except for the 18 minutes I spent on the treadmill. ... I basically maxed the treadmill test and aced the heart test. The call from my yesterday confirmed that my heart is tip top and there is nothing to worry about the EKG reading was bogus and I am now sure my heart is alright and out a couple of hundred bucks. Oh well it could be worse!

What a Week...Only Ran 47 miles...6600 Feet Climbed

2011-08-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

Okay so I started this week with the intention of running 60 miles. I got off course after an alarming check up at the Dr.'s office that ended with me finding out i have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. God Damn! I eat really healthy or so I thought. Maybe it is the liver I was born with that is finally catching up with me...and maybe I need to quit eating so much cheese, butter, eggs, and everything else I devour that is loaded with artery clogging cholesterol. I am also going to reel in my beer consumption and add a red wine substitute in dramatic moderation.

Friday afternoon I got my blood work back from the doc and she decided after talking with me about my family history maybe I should consider a blood pressure medicine as well as a cholesterol lowering medicine. I decided to take the Lisinopril to get my BP in check and I will work on my diet for the next little while and retest my cholesterol in 3 months. This coming Wednesday I have a stress test with an echo-cardiogram to look into a potentially enlarged left ventricle that was maybe indicated on an EKG...We will have to see about that. I got so stressed over that I called my doc and we talked for 20-25 minutes about my BP and Cholesterol and she assured me that I would be okay to run in the next 2 races I am signed up for albeit they are a 50 mile night race and a 100 miler!

I ran at the Cove today with Drew and I felt rough. My legs were like lead and I was beat from the beginning...I am not sure if that was the Lisinopril or a combo of not enough breakfast, limited fat calories over the last several days, new shoes, fatigue from 19 on Thursday or what...either way I hope to see an improvement in my performance this week. Stress test Wednesday...I really hope it is not a negative for me. Oh at least this medicine is lowering my blood pressure...

More news next week...

Wednesday Night Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-08-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Night Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

One of these Cows...Molly had a beautiful male calf tonight!

Well some days feel better than others. I felt pretty good today while I was out there running. That seems to be the case more often than not when coming off of a longer week that isn't entirely too long. Contemplating my mileage last week...I ran 51 miles in total and gained a bit more than 7100 feet in elevation. I will do that in a single day later this month in a race that starts at 9pm. It is good that I am feeling good. All the little nagging issues are seeming to be just that so I am not discouraged. This race that I am doing next month is a test to gauge my Grindstone fitness. I really hope I feel as good there as I did tonight.

Oh and for a really cool side note...the cows? that I reported on earlier this month at the Cove...Well they are Scottish Highland Cattle and one of them had a baby 4 hours before I passed by. I stopped my run short and spent an easy 20-25 minutes admiring this beautiful newborn calf!!! I wish I had my camera. I hope to get some pictures of him tomorrow. The owner of the calf said he is a boy and his mom is Molly and her cow friend is Little Bit. They are too much:-)

What a Week...I Rescued Some Puppies and I Ran 51 Miles

2011-08-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

Holy crap what a week!
So after some slack mileage and knee pain in July, an unwelcome reminder to my body that I ran 101 miles at the MMT100 in May I was finally able to break 50 miles in a week. That is good because in less than 3 weeks I am going to toe the line at my 2nd running of the Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness 50 Mile night race! I actually feel pretty decent other than some very mild discomfort on my left knee. That is positive.

I had 2 exciting runs this week both for very different reasons. First...
Today Wes and I ran at the Cove and discovered a new trail thanks to a tip from Mason. There is a trail at Carvins Cove that runs up the mountain from the fire road that connects Trough and Gauntlet to the top of the 1000 Foot Climb between Trough and Gauntlet. This trail is not new and it runs vertical up the mountain. It is very very impressive and very very difficult.
And that isn't even the big news of the week...2nd...
On Thursday I planned on running 15-20 miles at Carvins Cove. I was ready to quit after mile 11 due to the intense heat and humidity. I reached the car after a couple of big climbs including Buck and the Gauntlet when I decided that instead of stopping I would simply run the 4 Gorge Trail and the road back to the car. Less than a half of a mile after leaving 4 Gorge and heading down the fire road I spooked a deer and stopped to look at at it when I heard a dog barking at me? ??? WTF That deer is barking like a dog...no...I thought. At that point I realized that the barking was coming out of a hole that was a drainage pipe running right beneath my feet. I was bonking kinda hard then and it was very very hot but I had to figure out what was happening. I walked to the edge of the fire road to discover a drainage hole that couldn't have been more than 15 inches wide and was obscured by a bit of brush. I crossed the road to get a better look from the other end of the pipe while being barked at the entire time. The hole on the other side was nearly filled in with runoff dirt from the flash flood rain storms. I crossed the dirt road, moved the sticks and leaves, poked a stick into the hole; remembering my rattlesnake experience from the past weekend and I forced my head inside the hole. It took a couple of minutes of me talking to the puppy that was barking at me for me to get my vision working in that dark pipe when I realized there were 2 dogs down there!

I had to get help quick. Suddenly I noticed the bonk was gone and I ran probably a 7 minute pace to the house 3/4 of a mile from where the pups were trapped. I turned onto this gorgeous piece of property I often pass and rarely take the time to appreciate when I scared an 8 point buck from his grassy nibbling, ran past a 13 year old Cocker Spaniel who was probably as blind as he was deaf and knocked on the door hoping for someone I could count on. That is when I met River Claytor and his wife, I explained what happened and River quickly grabbed 2 bottles of water, 2 dinner rolls for the dogs and a headlamp at my request; almost as though he had done before.

We hustled up to the hole in the road were the dogs were trapped. I stuffed my head back into the hole trying to calm the barking aa best I could. Nothing was working. The dogs were much closer to the other end of the hole that was blocked so I ran to that side, broke a big stick that I used as a make shift shovel. Several minutes later I had a good look at 2 sweet hound dogs. They were 2 frightened to move. Rivers dinner rolls became just what the doctor ordered. I broke them into tiny pieces and threw the chunks of bread into the hole. Immediately the pups grabbed the handout! Excellent. I gradually lured them close enough to me that I was able to grab the 1st pup and hand her off to River without spooking the 2nd pup deep inside the hole. 2 or 3 more pieces of bread was all I need to have the 2nd pup in my arms and on the way out those unforgiving hot hot woods.

River and I carried the 2 pups in our arms back to his house. They were so sweet. Timid at first but then they relaxed and the one I carried even rested her chin on my shoulder, looked at me and gave me some kisses on my face. They both wagged their tails and were super easy going until we hit the single track and they couldn't see one another. At that point they both started fidgeting and struggling to escape. As soon as we shoed them to one another they calmed right back down as if to say thank you. We put them in Rivers shed that was actually plenty cool and gave them a big bowl of cold water which they promptly polished off. Rivers wife had called Animal Control while we were rescuing them so I decided they were in good hands and I finished my run.

The Claytors house is about 1 mile from where I parked my car which was great because the bonk was back. I finished my run and cleaned up at the car and waited for Animal Control to pass by with the dogs. I successfully flagged the driver down. He was kind enough to allow me to take a couple of pictures of the pups with my phones camera. Actually he took the pics while I pet the dogs. We exchanged info and he told me before taking these sweethearts to the Botetourt Animal Control Center he would swing by Angels of Assisi to see if they could help. In his own words "They're a bit timid but they don't have a mean bone in their body." I couldn't agree more.

So it took a couple of days for me to find them and that wouldn't have been so easy without the help of Wes and Marianne Best. Here is the good news so far. Yes the dogs are at Angels of Assisi, they are both girls, they both had fleas and hook worms which they are being treated for, they are now one Frontline and heart worm preventative, they have both had their full rounds of shots and they are being spayed!!!! HECK YES!!! They will be ready for adoption on August 10th and Jen and I are going to do everything we can to help them find a loving home were they can be together.

Again what a week...

220 Daleville - 311 McAfee Knob Night Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

220 Daleville - 311 McAfee Knob Night Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

It is always interesting running super buff single track at night. With that being said my friend Drew and I decided to tackle a Classic 20 mile section of the Appalachian Trail outside of Roanoke between Daleville and Catawba. The run is fairly remote once you get into the trail and the terrain is quite technical in places, couple that with 4400 feet of climbing and you are in for a real treat. Starting our run my primary concerns were me hoping my knee held up as I've been battling tendinitis, neither of us falling and getting injured and not running out of water too early.

It was about 10 pm when we took off and pitch black as we headed up the trail on our adventure for the evening. The run started off and remained uneventful through the first half leading up to Scorched Earth Gap, though we did have an awesome close encounter with a truly adorable possum hanging out in the middle of the trail leaving a poop! Once we topped Scorched Earth Gap we followed the trail slowly up to Tinker Cliffs. Not a minute after we reached the summit of Tinker we received our scare of the evening. ...

So I'm running behind Drew at this point not even 15 feet back when he lets out a high pitched scream. SNAKE!!! There was certainly some fear in his voice though I for one reason or another figured "BLACK SNAKE" and cruised along in his slipstream nearly stepping right on a 3'foot long Timber Rattlesnake coiled ready to strike me! Drew said he missed stepping on the snake be an inch and I damn near stepped on it as well. While I may have missed a direct hit by 2 or 3 inches I am pretty sure that was enough. I think Drew startled that Rattler and I came even closer to a strike by being directly in his wake. Either way we both agreed that was way too close for comfort. We checked him out for a few and the 3 of us parted company off in our respected directions. We were on amber alert for poisonous snakes for the rest of the run.

That was 11 miles in and we had about 9 to go. Halfway between Tinker and McAfee Drew informed me he ran out of water. I wasn't shocked because he refused his handheld in the name of comfort...my thought which proved to be right was dehydration is more uncomfortable than carrying a handheld. At the top of McAfee I gave Drew the rest of the water in my pack which wasn't much at all and we easily navigated our way down to the fire road which was going to be our path home for the final 2.3 miles. Running down the fire road from McAfee I came close to stepping on 2 baby owls! They scarred me as much as I scarred them. When they flew up off the ground the owl we got the best look at fluttered right up the side of my leg and into the bushes right beside us! I was freaking out because I thought it was a bug the size of something from that Indiana Jones movie! After she landed we got a really close look and it was obvious we had the distinct privilege off seeing the cutest baby owl. I could have easily picked her up but we both agreed that was a bad idea and we headed on down the dirt road to the truck. It was only 15 minutes to the end from there and that was cool because by now we were both totally out of water and running on fumes.

Once we got to the truck we drank some water and New Castles, cleaned up and packed it in. That run went into the books as a great AT adventure. We both learned a few things, came out the other end feeling good and didn't have to use Drews Snike Bite Kit. Thank goodness for that.

Thursday at CC by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-29T05:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday at CC by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Injinji Socks

Wow it has been really hot lately and I have been getting dehydrated and I've been getting some blisters. To combat the dehydration I used Salt Stick and Nuun but still got cured by the sun. To stop the blisters I've been getting on my big toes I picked up a pair of Injinji Toe socks . I was skeptical at first but after a few minutes in the sock I actually started thinking a pair of Vibram 5 Fingers may be comfortable. Any way I ran 14 miles at the cove today and it was hot. 95 degrees and humid so I had every opportunity to get a blister and I have to say my feet felt great. Now my run and my body did tell a different tale on the day.

Here is a pic of the essentials.

I guess it's the heat but I had to cut my planned 20 miler short for a couple of reasons. 1 my water was running out, though I did have more in the car. 2 it was freaking hot as hell. 3 My left knee started hurting and it hasn't done that for a while. I think it was patellar tendonitis brought on by dehydration that has built up over the last few days. I also believe my left leg, quad and hamstrings are overly tight. I will try to loosen them up with some stretching.

Tuesday Morning by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Morning by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details... What a gorgeous morning for a trail run. Not to hot and the humidity seemed low; maybe I'm just getting used to it. Either way it really nice out there. I ran up HiDeHo Trail then turned left onto Brushy Mountain Fire Road...while I was easing on up the trail just past the original Gauntlet Trail Head I ran into a beautiful medium/ small black bear. She was crossing the trail and didn't seem to notice me until I shouted my usual "HEY BEAR!" upon which she quickly turned and showed me what the bottoms her her big fat bear paws looked like and a bum to match! And she was outta sight. I resumed my morning ritual (working on that part) and crested the top of the Fire Road , took a stretch and gently bombed the 2.5 mile descent. Turned left on the 4 Gorge Trail and made it back to the car 1 hour and 12 minutes after I began...That felt great:-)

Sunday. Trail Run. It's What Happens... by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday. Trail Run. It's What Happens... by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Descending onto Buck

Single Track. Yep that's right. It is where I went today... Again it was hot. In fact it was 95 degrees when I finished my run but it didn't feel nearly as miserable as it's felt all week. There were actually some clouds and there was a breeze that could have possibly been cool every now and then, especially when I got to the top of Brushy Mountain.

Lately I have been a slacker on my long runs. Today I was going to run 15 which would have been long run of the week (albeit a short week) but I changed my mind for the oddest reason. I felt really good out there. I was in super flow mode after I got off of 4 Gorges and headed up the mountain. My heart rate relaxed and it felt really easy. I simply didn't want to wreck the feelings of satisfaction I had by making it feel like work. So I ran across the ridge and down Buck to the car.

One thing I should mention is that today was my maiden voyage in the North Face Single Track running shoe...I will talk more about these shoes after a bit more time in them but I will say I am very very pleased with how the shoe performed.

Friday Morning Trail Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Friday Morning Trail Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Here are the Garmin run details from my Friday morning trail run with Drew. Bottom line...I felt like a piece of poop. My quads were beyond smoked, completely blown out, probably from that intense 2.5 hours in the oven yesterday!

Thursday Run Cut Short by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday Run Cut Short by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

My plan was to run 20 miles at Carvins Cove, do some big climbs and keep the pace around 11 minute miles because I knew it would be the sweat lodge. Um that didn't happen because it was way too hot for me. The temp was 93 degrees when I started so I guess that put the heat index close to 100 if not over and there was no breeze to speak of out on the single track. Just brutal really. I did 12 miles in like 2 1/2hours...impressive only if you are impressed by slowness. I did hit some climbs though, 2100 feet for 12 miles isn't too shabby though I had to walk the Drop Trail.

I guess the heat had the wild life sitting still since I only ran into 2 deer which is really rare for anything over an hour in those woods. Here is a picture of Pearl instead. She agrees the heat is on!

Wednesday Night Group Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Night Group Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Okay so I haven't ran since last Thursday. My legs felt like they were sausages filled with lead. They didn't hurt which is good, just heavy. I hope that was me getting the cob webs out for my long run tomorrow. I really don't want to suffer for 25 miles. I want it to feel easy. It is going to be hot. Maybe hotter than today. Dang

The Hangover...Means Time Off

2011-07-18T04:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon marked the kickoff of the 4th annual Slip and Slide party at Tom and Lindsay McKinnons place. From what I gather about 150 people showed up to slide down a gigantic 150 foot long slip and slide that cascaded down the front yard hill into large hay bales. Earlier in the week I texted Tom "the date is tattoo'd on my calendar" so when I wasn't there he texted me, put me on the phone with Baxter and ultimately convinced me that although I was beat from a long day at work I should get my butt over there. Well long story short. I did call a cab (Jen and I had drank a few beers so driving was out) and I arrived at the party around 9:30-10 pm.
I spent the next several hours drinking beers and hanging out with friends I hadn't seen in years. I really did have a great time. Until Sunday Morning arrived. I spent the entire day in bed suffering from a night of excessive partying.

So I feel crappy after over doing it and I am sure that I won't run for a couple of days because of this.

Thursday Morning Trail Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday Morning Trail Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

I wanted to beat the heat today because the last couple runs I have completed were torturous due to the extreme heat and humidity. Today it was really nice as I started shortly after 6am and the temperature wasn't even in the 70's. Also I decided to skip the big climbs and so I stayed on the lower trails. While I was on Schoolhouse I stopped for a picture next to the picnic table. I was hoping for a photo of some wildlife and I did see a beaver swimming in the water as I ran up to this spot. Unfortunately the beaver spotted me and split.

Cows or Yaks?

I got in 10 miles today, again not much climbing but really fun. I felt good. Earlier this week I had 2 chiropractic adjustments this week with Josh and I think that may have a little bit to do with how well I felt. I have high hopes for improving my health and well being adding chiropractic to my training.

Oh, also worth mentioning...there are some really cute cows or are they yaks? at the cove now!

Tuesday Morning Trail Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Morning Trail Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Enchanted Forest

Since I go in to work late today I got out there kinda early to beat the heat, unlike yesterday. Ran at Carvins Cove as usual. In on the pavement for a mile then a mix of the Comet, Enchanted Forest, School House and Song Bird before taking the pavement back to the car. Not very exciting writing or reading here today regarding my running. I am off to go see my friend and Dr. Josh Gilbert for a Chiropractic adjustment and evaluation...then work...

4 Gorges to the Top of the 1000 Foot Climb & Back by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

4 Gorges to the Top of the 1000 Foot climb & Back by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Too bad you can't see the humidity

Holy Crap it was hotter than Hades out at Carvins Cove today, 93 degrees and very humid. Initially I was going to run in on 4 Gorge Trail then do the lowers and come back 4 Gorges for 15 miles. Um no that did not happen. #1 I wasn't sure I would have enough water and #2 there was 0 wind on the single track. So when I got to the end of 4 Gorge I felt there was a breeze on the fire road and I opted to climb the mountain and catch some wind instead of boiling on super muggy single track. Anyway when I got to the top of the 1000 Foot Climb I turned around and retraced my steps. It was so hot out I drank the entire 70 oz of H2O in my bladder and ate 4 Salt Stick Caps! Those 10 miles easily felt harder than the 15 I intended on running.

Sunday Morning 12 Miler With Blaine and Andrew by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday Morning 12 Miler With Blaine and Andrew by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Trough Trail head taken the other day

I am working on becoming more of a morning person especially with regard to my training. So today I decided to meet Blaine and Andrew for their usual Sunday trail run at Carvins Cove. Generally they stick to running the lower trails including 4 Gorges. Generally. Admittedly I am the "new guy" in the Sunday Morning early run crowd and they have a routine but I suggested changing things up a bit and I convinced them to let me show them some different trails in the magnificent park that is Carvins Cove. We ran up Buck across Brushy Mountain Fire Road to Hemlock Tunnel Trail where we dropped down next to the reservoir and took a trail off to the right that takes you to the steepest section of fire road the Cove has to offer. That road takes you past the exit of Hemlock Tunnel and we continued on to the Girl Scout Trailhead where we dropped down to lower Comet and ran that to the pavement and back to the cars!

The entire run we were on the lookout for bear since Blaine seems to never see them. Today he kept his no bear sighting streak alive! We didn't even come close to seeing a Black Bear...or did we? I guess we'll never know. Either way that was a really fun run. I just don't run with friends enough, likely because it is so easy to just take off on a whim and go hit the trail. Probably one of the reasons I love trail running so much.

Carvins Cove Slow Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Carvins Cove Slow Run by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

This was one of those runs that ended up being nothing more than training. I never really felt good, thought I could run into it and couldn't so I walked sections of Hi-De-Ho as well as Trough. Just brutal really.

Wednesday Night Short Run

2011-07-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Night Short Run joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Sometimes a not so very exciting rather short fast for me run on a favorite trail is exactly what I need.

Brooks Glycerin 9's

2011-07-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a new pair of road runners that will be wearing to work primarily. I have used this shoe previously for running on the road and wearing around. Simply put I love it. Plenty of cushion, very responsive given the ample cushioning, the uppers are very comfortable with no annoying overlaying material (for my foot anyway), great mid foot security with a comfortably snug kinda feeling, and it is also very durable.

Click the title for a link to Fleet Feet Sports Roanoke...

Hot Humid Appalachian Trail Training Run joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-07-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

311 McAfees Parking Lot to Daleville 220 Parking Lot by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Wow today was brutal to say the least. The high for the day was only 88 degrees but with the relentless humidity it felt like it was over 100 degrees. I really though I had it figured out but alas I did not.

Way Too Overheated at 3 1/2 Miles

So the plan was for me to drive up to the parking lot at McAfees Knob and run the Appalachian Trail toward Daleville until I met up with Jen and her friend Meryl-Lynn. They parked in the Daleville and hiked South on the AT to the big overlook that face Carvins Cove Reservoir. I hoped to meet them about 3 1/2 hours after my start give or take (give) 15 minutes. Yeah that didn't happen. I felt like crap from the beginning and I never really found my legs over the 4 and a half hour trek.

There were a bunch of folks out on the trail today, hikers and runners alike. There was also a bear on the trail! Today was the first time I met a bear on the AT (I see them all the time a few miles away at Carvins Cove Nature Preserve)...it was walking down the trail towards me sniffing the ground almost like it didn't realize I was only 15 yards away on his trail! Once I gathered it wasn't going to notice me I yelled at it like I would have yelled at Pearl if she was about to eat my dinner! Eventually the black beauty spared my life and moved out of my way so I could continue exploring it's home trail. Very very cool and also really unnerving mainly because I was not on a well traveled section of the Appalachian Trail at that moment.

I ran out of water for about 2 miles between mile 15 and 17. Lucky for me I was able to get Jen to leave a bottle where we were supposed to meet them. I was running behind and they hiked on ahead of me back to the cars. We met at the car 5 minutes apart to finish our day in the woods. I wanted to hike that last section with them I was just moving at a snails pace all day!

Sunday Morning Trail Run

2011-07-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday Trail Detail by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

So not a big week as far as my running went but I felt really strong the 3 times I did get out. I think my mileage was only like33 or so but they were quality miles. Tempo pace type running in the woods.

Beautiful Morning for a Trail Run

2011-06-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well I took 2 days off the trail and today was my first day back. Recovery makes a difference for sure! I felt great, even stopped to take a self portrait!
Garmin Link
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95880225

15 Miles at the Cove by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

15 Miles at the Cove by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

12 Days Off Work

2011-06-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

The past 11 days have been great. I have had 12 days out of work to rebuild some energy as I begin the transition from the car business back into the running specialty industry. I'm actually kind of excited to be starting tomorrow which sure beats the feeling of dread I had on a daily basis going to the car lot.

This week and a half off has been less about training and more about rejuvenation. I enjoyed 4 mountain bike rides that totaled about 100 miles and 12,000 feet of climbing; add the fun trail runs with some good friends for a total of 77 miles and I am happy. Last week I ran the Conquer the Cove 25K course with John, the 311 to Andy Lane section of the AT with Andrew and finally I got to run with Andy in Philadelphia of all places. Andy was right about Philly having some buff single track but I gotta say he under estimated the amount of pavement we would have to run to get to the trails. Great fun regardless. On the way home from Philadelphia I went to Harrisburg to visit Mom! That was great. It was so nice to see Mom...that does not happen enough. We had a great time catching up, ate some gourmet pizza and drank some incredible beer. There is a place by her house that has like 30 micro brews on tap and they fill growlers!! Yep:-) We were going to get a growler of Stone Ruination but the keg was empty so we had to settle for a growler full of delicious Dales Pale Ale. Rough, I know. The next morning Mom and I had breakfast and I was on the road back to Roanoke.

Jen and I have really enjoyed ourselves while I have been off despite the fact she had to work all week. Over the weekend we went to the Southwest Virginia Bird Fair and got Henri some great new toys and perches. She doesn't seem to be as excited about her new gear as we were which is typical as it does take her some time to warm up to anything out of the ordinary.

(this pic is older but I threw it in there because it really is a great shot of Henri)

We also went to Rob and Lisa's wedding. The theme was A Mid Summer Nights Dream...or something like that. Either way it was great to see some folks we hadn't seen in a while and Rob & Lisa seemed to be really happy.

Okay that was my week in review...

Buck to the top of the 1000ft Climb... by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Buck to the top of the 1000ft Climb... by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Weeks End Trail Run at the Cove by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-27T20:33:00.002-07:00

Weeks End Trail Run at the Cove by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

HiDeeHoe climb then Down Buck by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-27T20:33:00.001-07:00

HiDeeHoe climb then Down Buck by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Philadelphia with Andy by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia with Andy by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

McAfees to Andy Lane by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-27T20:32:00.001-07:00

McAfees to Andy Lane by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

South Roanoke Trail Run! Fun by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

South Roanoke Trail Run! Fun by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Tempo Run... by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Tempo Run... by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Conquer the Cove Half Marathon Course plus 2 Road Miles by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

Conquer the Cove Half Marathon Course plus 2 Road Miles by joedudak at Garmin Connect - Details

Rebuilding My Base

2011-06-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

Again not a lot to talk about as far as my running is concerned and that isn't really a bad thing. I have no real debilitating injuries although I do still seem to have some lingering crepitis in my left knee but there is no legitimate pain associated with the not so smooth action of that joint. I plan on going to see Josh Gilbert for a Chiropractic evaluation...Wes tell me he knows the truth when it comes to runners bio mechanics and Josh is a solid Ultra Trail Runner anyway.

Jen and I on the trail...

So I did a bit of cross training this week being that I had some time during my transition from 1st Team to Fleet Feet Sports. 2 days on the mountain bike for a total of almost 50 miles and a lot of climbing at an intense effort broke up my 3 days of running. I was able to run 35 miles all tempo thanks to my first run with John Robinson on Thursday. He and I ran the 25K Conquer the Cove course much faster than I would have on my own. That pace was good enough to jump start my tempo work for the rest of the week where I got in 2 10 mile runs with a fair amount of climbing at a solid 9.5 minute pace. Factoring the climbs that was tough enough for being 1 month and a couple of days post MMT100
I am off work for 1 week and 1 day and I hope to log some solid Appalachian Trail miles and get in some cross training on my bikes...We will see how it goes.

Not Looking Back

2011-06-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when we come to the end of a trail or find a fork in the road we are faced with the decision to either turn around, retrace our steps and take the safest way back or we can make our journey an adventure and blaze a new path. Create a new experience. Take a risk. That is what I am preparing to do for myself.

I have been in the car business most of my life. There were however several occasions that I was able to jettison the auto industry only to fall back onto the path of least resistance which for me has always been selling cars. Yes the money is good and I have made a lot of friends but the returns for me have always been diminished by the long hours and debasing down time. In the car business you are constantly being viewed as a manipulative self server or a trickster who is only concerned with selling the car today no matter the outcome. I am over those stereotypes, the long hours, the cigarette smoke outside the front door, the same sales meeting every week, the worthless training and almost everything else associated with selling cars.

So the first July I will be rejoining the team at Fleet Feet Sports Roanoke. I worked there previously for about a year so I know what to expect and I am excited! I will be working as a Fit Professional and their Marketing Director. Working with like minded friends in an industry I am very passionate about is going to be a good match for me. I am stoked and look forward to the new challenges!

Easing Back onto the Trail

2011-06-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Well last week I ran 4 easy days but that is still 4 days better than 0 days.

Real quick and almost not worth mentioning but I will...ran 4 Gorges Trail 2 days before work, 8 miles at the Cove on Wednesday followed by a non eventful easy mountain bike ride and finally I did a nice easy 15 mile run at the Cove to polish off my week.

Thankfully each of the runs were pain free and my left knee seems to be healing just fine although there is still a bit of crepitus when I bend the knee with weight...but no pain.

My Old Friend the Road Bike

2011-06-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

Nursing a running injury can be a real pain especially if that injury prevents you from cross training be it hiking, biking weight lifting, tennis or what ever it is one likes to do other than their sport of choice. Thankfully the knee pain I have been experiencing has not affected my ability to ride my bike.

After Jen and I had Sunday morning coffee I called Brian to see if he wanted to ride. Shortly thereafter I was time trialing to Penn Forest Elementary School where I met Brian, Emily and one of Emilys friends Wade. Having only ridden my road bike 2 times prior the entire year I thought I was going to be in really sad condition but surprisingly I was able to cover the 1st 14 miles to P.F. Elementary in a hair over 30 minutes to make the 10:30 start on time. From there we rode up to the top of Wades Gap via the wall but actually took a gravel road around the hardest section of the wall just to make it interesting. That was cool because I have never ridden that section of road before and I was also concerned that too many hard climbs would cause pain in my questionable knee. As we started down the other side of Wades Gap I was feeling really good; that road is so fun it reminds me of what it must be like to ride some of the rural roads in Europe like what you see Cycle Sport Magazine!

After Wades Gap I was in for a treat, instead of going back up to the Blue Ridge Parkway the usual route we turned toward then onto Adney Gap road. I had never been up that climb and can't for the life of me imagine why not. It is a twisty back road that turns to gravel and dirt as it snakes its way up the side of a steep mountain ending close to Callaway. From there we turned up Callaway Rd to the top of Bent Mountain on the BRP. The trip down was blazing, I hit 47 mph on the 6 mile descent at one point which is fast given the road isn't all that steep. Wade bailed somewhere near the Dawnwood overpass and Emily left us at the Masons Knob overlook.

Brian and I pedaled on slowly to give some of the lactic acid a chance to find it's way out of our legs when we spotted a group ride in front of us about a half a mile up the road. We decided to go for it and we actually caught them. The group was about a dozen riders strong, including Dean and Troy for some familiar faces. They were riding faster than I thought or I was smoked from chasing them down or more likely both. Anyway, Dean and Troy and some other dude pushed the pace and dropped both me and Brian. They waited at the base of Roanoke Mountain and we all regrouped. Their plan was to do the Vinton loop. My plan was to get some water instead. Two guys gave me some water from their bottles so I would't have an excuse to bail and we all headed for Vinton. On 2 wheels misery often appreciates company.

We made it to Vinton as a group and that's where I was either going to get some fluid or I was going to die. Brian and I ditched the group at the 1st convenient chance we had to refuel. After a Coke and grabbing some Gatorade we soft pedaled back through the Greenway into Raleigh Court. Brian headed home from there and I spun an easy gear into Salem and up the mountain to the house. As fate would have it Jen was heading off to tennis as I was turning onto North Rd. Very cool, I was able to see Jen before getting refreshed with a shower and some food. My knee did great on the ride; I was never in any pain that I can remember. After my shower I iced my knee and spent some time reflecting on the ride and just how much I really do love road riding here in the mountains of Southwest Virginia.

I got an X-Ray

2011-06-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

The pain I have been having on my left knee cap concerned me enough that I decided to go see the folks at Roanoke Orthopedic for an evaluation. I met with Dr John one of the Sports Med docs other than TK Miller who was out of town for the week. After a consult with his RN he ordered x rays. What he showed me didn't appear to be all that traumatic. He said that I have what appears to be some softening of the cartilage under my knee cap, a precursor to arthritis.

The treatment is simple. Scale back my running for the next 2 to 3 weeks; if I decide to run make certain it is pain free; limit my distance. I can do some cycling while I am recovering providing the knee dosn't hurt while riding. To me that makes the road bike seem like the best option. While it will be virtually impossible to avoid hills I will ride them slower and in an easier gear than I normally would focusing on my spinning.

I think if I listen to my body and take the advice I was given I will be able to continue my ultra endeavors maintaining a healthy frame.

Knee Pain

2011-06-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

So it has been almost 3 weeks since I ran the MMT100 and I feel reasonably well with 1 exception; my left knee kinda hurts. This knee pain isn't crippling but it is kind of annoying and it is slowing me down for sure. Actually I don't think I hurt my leg running Massanutten but I do think I tweaked it by running too much too soon following the race. The pain really raised it's ugly head when I was running a section of the AT including McAfees Knob and Tinker Cliffs about 10 days ago.

Here is how the annoyance is presenting itself: When I bend or squat my left leg with body weight I get a crackling sensation. This doesn't hurt per say though it is troubling. When I run after a few miles I feel like there is a bit of tension that builds across my knee cap that is relieved with stretching though it seems to come back. I can run through the pain since it isn't that bad but I don't think that is a great idea. If I had to put my finger on the pain migrating any where I'd say it does seem to be just below the knee cap (not under) when running. I have also done some cross training on the bike; the pain is still there and again it isn't debilitating. I do find it curious that the tenderness is at the top or above my knee cap when cycling as opposed to on the top or below the knee cap like when I'm running. There also seems to be some crunchiness above my knee at the insertion point of my quadriceps...

Patellar Tendonitis? Runners Knee? Cartilage Damage? Tight Quads, Hamstrings, Calves? Bursitis?

I am just not sure?

Memorial Day

2011-05-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well I had to work from 9 until 6 at the car dealership. That was probably the last straw. I am very tired of all the long hours required in the car business. Gonna be putting my feelers out in search of a better life work.

When I got home Jen had a frosty cold freshly poured Two Heart Ale by Bells! Delicious. It actually is an IPA and it is on par with Stone IPA or Dogfish Head 90 Minute. That says a lot about a beer in my opinion. After that first cold one we grilled some Shrimp, Asparagus and Potatoes. My day got significantly better once I got home; to say the least.

Here is a link reviewing the Two Heart Ale...I agree

ghttp://www.fermentedlychallenged.com/2009/08/bells-two-hearted-ale-review.html

Bicycle Riding, Beer and Working on Sunday

2011-05-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.averybrewing.com/
So yesterday which was Sunday we here at First Team Auto Mall were required to work from Noon until 6. Joy; I guess that the 6 or 7 cars we sold made up for almost 30 people working their normal day off!

Anyway to beat the stress and further my recovery I decided to skip running and go for a nice bicycle ride before work. As I was leaving the house I did say to Jen that I would rather be trail running. She reminded me how much I love riding and I would be smiling as soon as I clipped in and sped off down the mountain. She was right! (as usual) and I was on my way to the top of Catawba Mountain. I decided to ride the Catawba Valley loop that borders the section of the Appalachian Trail between 311 McAfee Knob and 220 Daleville because 1- I was short on time and 2- the section between McAfee and Tinker Cliffs is on of the most beautiful roads in the area. There are spectacular mountain vistas and full creeks paralleling the roadway for about 10 miles.

I got home from my bike ride sooner than I predicted, went to work and sold a car. Dr and Mrs Logan bought a 2011 Outback which is a car I like to show people and they were especially fun and energetic people. They like to ride bikes, camp and they do some canoeing. After that was said and done it was time to go home!

Jen and I grilled salmon and potatoes and we had some great beer to cool off with. We drank some Avery India Pale Ale and Gearys Pale Ale. Both brews were spot on delicious but I have to tip my hat to Avery likely because I am a huge hop head IPA nut.

Reverse Tapering...

2011-05-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

Reverse Tapering is something I read about a couple of days ago. The idea is that after a big event you spend some time (I suppose about as long as you took to taper for your race) to ease back into your training routine. I read that after a big event your body is susceptible to more damage because you are in the healing phase of your recovery.

1 week after MMT Jen and I spent Sunday hiking The Priest, a spectacularly gnarly section of the Appalachian Trail. We had a wonderful time experiencing a trail we had never been on previously. The following Wednesday I decided to go for my first proper trail run since the race. So that afternoon I drove to the McAfees Knob parking lot and headed North on the A.T. to the end of Tinker Cliffs for a challenging out and back. Everything seemed to be in order and my legs felt great on the way to Tinker. Then on the way back I started to feel some tension over my left kneecap. Being on such a remote section of trail the only option is to stretch it out and keep going. I slowed my roll a bit and cruised on in to my car for a sit down and a cold Gatorade. That evening I iced what appeared to be my first bout of patella tendinitis this year. I think it is a result of tight quads, hamstrings and calves. The next day I went for an easy 5 miler on some local trail. My knee didn't particularly hurt or feel great. Some mild discomfort was present but I did the 5 any way because my ridiculous work schedule won't permit another short run until Sunday morning and then no long run until the following Thursday. I figure the forced recovery will be good for me. I will have to see how that goes.

So as far as reverse tapering is concerned I feel like I have learned a bit. Too much too soon after a big race is not the most healthy option for me; yet.

2 Weeks After Massanutten Mountain Trails 100

2011-05-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Well that race was a lot harder than I thought that it was going to be. It was my 1st 100 miler so that was probably to be expected but there were a few issues that came up; of course there were. Well I got overheated in the 1st 30 miles and that took a bit to recover from. At about 70 miles I started to get blisters on both feet which is not normal for me at all. Then at about 85 miles I developed some bursitis medially on my left knee that didn't go away for at least a few days. Overall I dealt with the sleep deprivation quite well and I had good success with my nutrition. Jen was a huge part of the nutritional success because she crewed for me on my 30 hour adventure. I think it was mile 77 when Andy joined me to finish the 101 mile trek on Massanutten Mountain. That was not a fast 24 miles guaranteed. But he stuck with me and we power hiked, walked, and jogged it in to the finish.

I know you are supposed to feel an overwhelming sense of pride in completing your first 100 mile trail race. I think I will have to ponder that a bit more. What I really feel is that I could have shaved at least 3 or 4 hours off my time by doing a few things differently. Don't get me wrong I am proud of my accomplishment and I know I can run a better race. I signed up for Grindstone earlier today.

Three 50K's

2011-05-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hmm I actually forgot that I was going to attempt to keep a blog. My last entry was recapping Holiday Lake 50 K back in February. A lot of time has passed and a lot of trail has been explored since February. I was getting ready for Terrapin Mountain and mentally preparing for the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 in May. My first 100!

Holiday Lake for multiple reasons was not a very good time for me and I had some lingering leg pain after that race. I was forced to take a couple of weeks off until I was able to actually put weight on my left leg. That time off proved to be critical in me having a good day at the next race I entered; the Terrapin Mountain 50K. I ran that in 5:10 flat and felt super at the finish. I actually ran the last couple of miles fast! Very good for my moral that day. Terrapin is by no means an easy course but for some reason I seem to do better there than on a much easier flatter course like say Holiday Lake. My plans to do some real long training runs were enhanced at the finish when David Horton convinced me to run Promise Land 50 K the following month as a final long run before Massanutten.

Promise Land started early and in the rain. It was 48 degrees and dark. Perfect. We took off on the road which quickly turned into a gravel climb up the mountain. Horton told me the race was harder than Terrapin Mountain...he was right. I think after about 12 miles the climbing ended for a bit as the trail crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway before it ran down to the bottom of Apple Orchard Mountain. I toasted my legs a bit going down which wasn't the greatest way tostart of the hardest climb in the race. I had to rethink my strategy from that point. Being comfortable running uphill and only intending on running for about 5 and a half hours my plan was to run the entire Apple Orchard Falls climb. Um nope. I got about one third of the way up and realized that running the whole climb wouldn't be an option so I began a fast hike up a big hill. Once I finally made it back to the top of Apple Orchard Mountain it was basiclly all downhill from there. I cruised on in easily and took the sub 6 hour finish in what proved to be a very difficult 50K. All in all I felt really good by the end of the run. Any lingering leg pain that was there before the race started had basicll taken care of itself and I was happy to have 3 ultras in the books by April. My training for Massanutten was going just as I had hoped.

Holiday Lake 2011 Recap

2011-02-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

   Jen and I woke just after 3 AM in order to drive 2 hours to Appomattox and make the 6:30 start on time. Everything was set from our planning the night before and 30 minutes after the alarm went off we were out the door. Both Henri and Pearl were set to go for the first part of the day and I am certain they just went right back to sleep in the wake of our departure. Dark. Yeah it's dark at 3 in the morning and considering it was February 12th it was as cold as one would expect it to be in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
   We arrived in Appomattox around 5:30 which left enough time for me to check in and get set for the race.
Holiday Lake 50K++ consists of 2 loops around the Lake once clockwise the other counter clockwise. So the plan was for me to meet Jen at the Start Finish / Halfway point with a drop bag that would consist of 3 GUs and a fresh water bottle full of banana Nuun and if my stomach would permit I did have a couple of Honey Stinger Waffles in the bag. This of course was the plan...
   27 degrees at the start lulled me to over dress and by mile 4 I was ditching cloths in a random basket. That mistake was luckily spotted by my friend Gina and she rescued my gear. At mile I threw up plain and simple. Fortunately that was it for the stomach upset and I made my way along the trail to the start finish. This is where my race took another turn for the not so good. No Jen, no drop bag, nothing. I waited for several minutes and decided maybe she went back to the car for a nap and overslept missing me at the halfway point. I immediately hit a low that I don't think I ever fully recovered from. In fact I never wanted to quit something that bad in my whole life. What started out as a real good opportunity to get a PR in the 50K ended 5 hours and 13 minutes after the race started.
   The bottom line is I finished when I really just wanted to quit. Holiday Lake 2011 was harder for me than Mountain Masochist 2010! I just fell apart and I crossed the finish line. I couldn't have asked for better training on learning to run when all that I really wanted to do was hide.

January Recap

2011-02-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

   Initially my goal for January was to run easy all month, log 200 miles, pay better attention to my diet and drink less alcohol. I figured if I was able to meet that bit of criteria I would feel really fresh going into February and the nagging pain in my legs would be gone. Looking back I did log 190 miles, still drank more beer than I would have liked but less than I did over the holidays and I didn't eat too much crap food. With that being said I wish my legs felt better than they feel today. Just don't have that fresh springy feel yet.
   My legs feel kinda dead and I am still getting a bit of tension over the outside of my left knee and in the quad just above my knee. I can certainly do some things to remedy this situation. I started by scheduling an appointment with Jennifer Walker a chiropractor recommended by my friends at Fleet Feet. I will see her at 4:15 today for some ART therapy. Yesterday I went into Fleet Feet and snagged a pair of Brooks Cascadias. The Cascadia 6; which I will expand on later. I am also going to spend a bit more time on the foam roller that I bought a week or so ago and actually use my massage stick. Drinking more water during the day won't hurt either.
   All things considered January went okay as far as my running goes, I don't feel horrible and the fitness goals I have on tap for 2011 that will not be made or broken by the first month of the year. I probably could have pushed myself harder only to a point of diminishing returns which I did not do. I am glad I got the 190 miles in and I feel okay. I just hope to feel even better next month and PR at Holiday Lake.

Fresh Tracks

2011-01-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been battling a sore left leg. My leg is sore but that hasn't kept me from running altogether though the tenderness has prompted a reduction in my weekly mileage and intensity. I suppose that is alright since it is January and I can afford to give my body a rest to some degree. I do however want to have a good race on February 12 at the Holiday Lake 50K in Appomattox. The course isn't all that hilly and providing there isn't a foot of snow like last year I have a chance at a 50K PR. With that being said I took the opportunity yesterday to make some fresh tracks in the snow on Mill Mountain and the Chestnut Ridge Loop. I really should visit that side of town more often because the inconvenience is always rewarded with buff single track. I ran 12 miles at a very easy pace. My legs seemed to loosen up after about 45 minutes and everything was good except I could have dressed better. I wore a Patagonia rain shell as it was rain/snow at the onset of the run. I should have left that at home and wore a vest instead. Oh well, lesson learned.

To Break Or Not To Break

2011-01-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

   For me that is the question. Should I take a break or not? I haven't been running ultras very long at all; in fact the upcoming Holiday Lake race will mark my 1 year anniversary of officially joining the ultra marathon community. Coming from a bicycling background the transition from riding my bike for hours on end to running in the woods for hours on end wasn't that big of a stretch and my body seems to have adapted quite well to the rigors of ultra running. Though lately I have been feeling slightly fatigued, more suceptible to injury and my pace has seemed to heave slowed without a decrease in effort. I also don't seem to be recovering as quickly as I did earlier in the year.
   2010 was a great breakout year for me as I was able to complete 1 marathon, 3- 50K trail races and 2- 50 mile races all without injury or major complication. I am hoping for 2011 to be even better as I have signed up for the MMT100 in May! I want to be healthy for that race as well as the races before and after Massanutten. I feel like it woud be prudent to allow myself some time to recover from some nagging issuses troubling my left leg...Then I have the Holiday Lake race coming February 12 in Appomattox. I guess I will take it easy between now and then though I haven't been running that hard or long yet this year. I think my long run has been a bit over 20 and my average week has been upper 30's to upper 40's.
   I know. I need a vacation. Bingo

I Don't Run Barefoot

2011-01-20T15:51:00.000-08:00

Brooks Glycerin 8's. The shoe is outfitted with all kinds of cool technical features that I am not even going to begin talking about because really what matters is this; the shoe fits my foot like a glove, it cushions without being too marshmellowy and feels much lighter than it actually is and I put close to 800 miles on my last pair before I finally decided it is a good idea to get some replacements. The fact that I trail run exclusively in the Brooks Cascadias has nothing to do with my affection for the Glycerin but I am sure there are some common threads linking the 2 shoes.
Okay today was not the maiden voyage in the new shoes but it was my 1st long run and I am pleased to report my feet are happy. The trails I frequent are really muddy right now thanks to the annual winter freeze thaw rain snow refreeze sleet thaw snow rain freeze thaw cycle so I decided to go for a road run. It's easy to forget how liberating a low key 20 mile road run can be when you live in southwest Virginia and have so many trails to choose from right out the front door. This had nothing to do with barefoot running.

The 1st 2 Weeks...

2011-01-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

Well we're almost halfway through January and I don't have anything monumental to talk about. Really I am just trying to shake the cobwebs out of my head and my legs. The clock is ticking and I have to get myself on track for what I hope to be my most productive year running and a solid year financially based on an above average performance at work without sacrifing my 2011 race schedule. I have to do both of these things without taking away from my family life because really at the end of the day there is nothing better than sharing my highs and my lows with Jen and our family of animals.

My alarm didn't go off this morning so my early run never materialized and I was in a rush just to make it into work before 9AM. So I have 98 miles in for the year without adding my run this evening which will likely be a short 5 miler aroung the hood. I feel pretty good actually and look forward to boosting my miles in the upcommming weeks and months. In preparation for my 1st 100 miler in May I have been adding a bit of core training to my running. Nothing major just some sets of push ups and sit ups. Currently I am doing 2 sets of 25 or 3 sets of 20 both push ups and sit ups and I am at day 13 of the burpee challenge. When the weather warms a bit I also really look forward to doing some cycling, either on the road or in the woods. I'm also toying with the idea of taking a yoga class sooner than later but the yoga class seems to find its way off of my list of priorities. I'm sure I'll take a yoga class eventually. Time.

Dragons Back trail run to start the New Year

2011-01-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

   My trail running for 2011 got started on North Mountain venturing up to the challenging Dragons Back Ridge Trail. I was joined by my friends Andy and Carrie who were in town from Philedelphia. They came down locked and loaded with their sights set on doing a solid mountain trail run to kick off the New Year. Roanoke and the surrounding area is rich with some really buff single track; miles and miles of Blue Ridge Mountain goodness. I chose Dragons Back because of the remoteness and rocky, techical singletrack it was sure to provide
   We got a later than optimal start around 9:30 feeling not so chipper after a late night of drinking beer and catching up. Andy is no stranger to the hills, he spent several years in Colorado's Rocky Mountains but his recent relocation to Philadelphia left me wondering if the unforgiving peaks of Dragons Back would have him asking for mercy. As far as his companion Carrie was concerned I really didn't know what to expect other than she would make it based on her past race credentials.
   Dragons Back as the name implies is a mountain ridge that truly resembles a dragons back; a spinney up and down  for miles. The trail is 13 miles proper of very technical ridge top with 3 separate trails dropping off the North side if the mountain that can be used either as bailouts or to create loops. My intention was an out and back for 26 miles but as fate would have it we did a loop. 2 weeks ago we had snow and I was pretty sure there would be some residual on the ridge to make an already technical trail that much more difficult. Things looked good on the 1st climb up to the ridge top. The trail was perfect, no snow, no mud, nothing but sweet Appalachian single track. On the ridge the drifts were hit or miss; they were either melted and gone or thigh deep pillows. I led for most of the run and it seemed like Andy and Carrie appreciated that. They were clearly having fun following my lead exploring some new trail.
   After a slow 2 1/2 miles we passed Deer Trail our 1st option down to the dirt forest service road that skirts the bottom of the ridge. Eventually we passed Grouse Trail our 2nd option off the mountain and pushed on toward the last trail down to the forest service road, the Turkey Trail. It's worth mentioning that just before we arrived at the trail head to the Turkey Trail we spotted some turkey tracks in a snow drift. I wish I had my camera to prove that one. Very cool. At that point the threat of rain and falling temperatures forced a route change down to the more manageable forest service road opposed to the out and back on the ridge. Going down Turkey however was slow, icy and covered in snow. Sketchy. Not as sketchy as the forest service road turned out to be. Instead of running at comfortable 8-9 minute pace on dirt we ran/walked 5 miles on ice. Slow. It worked all 3 of us equally and we were all really happy to see the 1400 foot climb back up to the ridge, it had to be better than running on the ice. After a short rest I gave Carrie and Andy some GU Chomps and told them I would wait at the top. As I headed up the mountain it started to rain lightly and got fairly windy. Eventually they joined me at the top of the mountain and we turned towards the parking lot and picked our way off of the ridge.
   When we made it to the car almost 5 hours after we started our journey we all agreed that Dragons back is no novice trail. Throw is some big snow drifts and 5 miles of iced over forest service road along with some of the most technical single track southwest Virginia has to offer and you have the makings for a perfect day trail running. I hope Andy and Carrie enjoyed that as much as I did. After a day running on Dragons Back nothing beats pizza and beer so we made that happen and put our New Years Day trail run in the books.

Garmin Connect link to see the run.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/61450700

10 Resolutions for 2011

2011-01-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

Okay so like I have said I am not big on resolutions and I have not made any in quite some time but for the sake of moving forward, here goes...(to eliminate the risk of sounding too philosophical or melodramatic I am only going to mention my fitness based resolutions)

Eat a more balanced diet including more fresh vegetables, more beans, more real tofu, less white starch and drink less alcohol.
Improve my core strength by doing more sit ups and push ups as well as complete the 100 burpee challenge starting January 1st while working towards being able to complete 100 push ups and 100 sit ups.
Become more flexible and take a yoga class.
Compete in at least 6 ultra marathons in 2011
Finish Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 then make evaluations regarding Grindstone 100.
Get a 50 mile trail marathon PR as well as a 50K PR...beat my Mountain Masochist 50 mile time of 9:27 and my Rattlesnake Trail 50K time of 4:56
Ride my road bike more in cross training.
Ride my mountain bike more in cross training.
Do at least 1 100 mile mountain bike race. Focus on Wilderness 101 because of the optimal time in relation to Grindstone.
Learn how to relax more efficiently.

New Years Resolution 1998: Quit Smoking

2011-01-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

   I was never big on New Years Resolutions. That is until New Years Eve 1998 when I decided to quit smoking. Even then I didn't plan on making a New Years Resolution it just worked out that way. I remember that moment like it was yesterday, which is in and of itself amazing after the copious amount of alcohol I had consumed but I guess that's what makes an epiphany.

   It was about 11:30 when Jen asked me if I wanted another drink. Silly question. "Ah, yes please." She got up off the couch and walked across the living room and into the kitchen. I had been smoking and drinking all night. Newports or Camel Lights either or though that night it was Camel Lights for sure. Anyway as she got up to leave room I watched the smoke move in waves and finally settle into the upper half of our living room. That is when it finally hit me. I mean really hit me and took hold. I realized not only was that smoke polluting my living room it was polluting my chest cavity as well as the rest of my body. I had always known this but it was sinking in deep at that moment. I was killing myself.

   The time to take action was upon me; I was finally ready to quit smoking. However it wasn't like I hadn't tried to quit plenty of time before. Infact once I actually Super Glued my fingers together hoping it would make it so difficult to get a puff I would give up on the cancer sticks. My resolved to get my nicotine fix was stronger than my disdain for smoking with what amounted to lobster claw hands. The Super Glue didn't work. Imagine that. Cigarettes were getting old and my health was getting worse. While Jen was in the kitchen making the potent potables I decided that I was going to finish my open pack and give them up once and for all. That is no good, I decided to finish the cigarette that was burning in my hand instead to get a head start on a better life. By this time I was rationalizing how incredibly stupid that idea was because it wasn't like those final puffs were going to be a fantastic farewell to a friend. So at about 11:30 on New Years Eve 1998 I snuffed out the cigarette I was burning and gave myself a new lease on life.

   Jen waltzed back into the room with 2 drinks in hand and a big Margarita smile. I proclaimed "I just quit smoking!" She being the empowering companion she has always been said "...that's great Joe, I will quit with you!" Even though Jen only smoked 2 or 3 per day she was on my side and walking the walk with me. And that was it really, 11 years later and I haven't touched a cigarette; neither has Jen! 6 months later as a present to myself for giving up smokes I on Jens encouragement bought a mountain bike and the rest is history.