Mountain Peak Fitness

Guided Trail Run for the Bergen Catholic Wrestling Team

2011-12-04T21:07:00.001-05:00

It was a great day out on the trails today! The Mountain Peak Fitness/Campmor Trail Running Team guided the Bergen Catholic Wrestling Team on a trail running adventure in Harriman State Park. A good portion of the run was along the Appalachian Trail (AT) which is roughly 2180 miles in length. Though we only did a few miles on it, they are some of the more technical trails you will find in the park. Good luck to the BC Crusaders with their 2012 wrestling season! Click here for more photos.

Adventure Recap - Alaska Mountain Ultrarunning Camp by MPfit/Campmor Athlete Phil Germakian

2011-11-08T20:14:00.001-05:00

In March 2011, I came across the Alaska Mountain Ultrarunning Campwhile browsing the website: http://www.irunfar.com/. Before I even looked at the cost,I immediately decided to sign-up for two reasons. The first being, ALASKA! I had been to Alaska once before, but had not gotten thechance to run there, so I was excited at the opportunity to run in such a wildplace. Secondly, I decided toregister for this camp because Geoff Roes was leadingit. I thought that I woulddefinitely learn a great deal by running with one of the best ultrarunners inour country, and boy was I right.

Phil & Geoff Roes

Run#1

Trails: Spaulding Meadow, John Muir, and Montana Creek

Distance: 17 miles / Elevation Gain: 3,000 ft / Time: 5hours

Run #2

Trails: Mount Robert’s Ridge, Granite Creek, Perseverance

Distance: 15 miles / Elevation Gain: 6, 117 ft / Time: 5hours 43 minutes

Garmin Data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104021106

Run #3

Trails: Herbert Glacier

Distance: 10 miles / Elevation Gain: 385 ft / Time: 1 hour40 minutes

Garmin Data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104021119

Run #4

Trails: Treadwill Ditch on Douglas Island

Distance: 16 miles / Elevation Gain: 1,633 ft / Time: 4 hours

Garmin Data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104021131

Run #5

Trails: Mount Juneau, Granite Creek, Perseverance

Distance: 13.5 miles/ Elevation Gain: 5,169 ft / Time: 4hours

Garmin Data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104021149

Phil

Latest Video - The Mountain Madness 50k Trail Race

2011-10-26T07:46:00.001-04:00

video links - vimeo / youtube

This video is from the Mountain Madness 50k Trail Race on 10/15/11. It was organized by NJTrailSeries.com and took place in Ringwood State Park & Ramapo Reservation of New Jersey. The video captures the close race between the top 3 females. I was also able to get some footage of the top male runners of the day. We hope you enjoy!

Mountain Peak Fitness

Race Report - Mountain Madness 50K by MPfit/Campmor Teammate Randy Miller

2011-10-24T16:26:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning, 5AM. I wake up and can’t believe the day has finally arrived. Today will be the third running of the Mountain Madness 50K. Seems like only yesterday when I toed the line for the very first race. Like every year I spent a lot of time on the course training, trying to remember every turn, every hill, and anything else that would give me an advantage on race day. This 50K in my opinion is one of the toughest in the Northeast. You have to stay focused 100% of the time because of all the rocks, roots and other obstacles that are present on the trail. Also, because the minute you stop paying attention there will be a turn that you could miss. All of the above is why I love this race so much and because I can drive to the start in 20 minutes.

I have been fortunate enough to have won this race the past two years not because I am the fastest runner out there but because I know the course, inside and out. This year I was hoping that would work for me again. I have gotten slower this year even though I feel I have trained harder. My game plan was different than the previous two years. This year I had trained hard running up the hills and planned to do that during the race. The past two years I power hiked most of the hills and had the energy to put the pedal down the last 6 miles so I was a bit nervous but was willing to give it a try.

My wife Mara, was going to crew for me again which is a huge advantage. She has this down to a science. If you add up all the time in the manned aid stations I think I spent a total of ninety seconds this year. She is amazing. We arrived at Shepherd Lake at 8:00 a.m. My teammates from the MPfit/Campmor Trail running team were there so we chatted for a few minutes. The weather was perfect and we knew it was going to be a good day to be in the woods. I proceeded into the park lodge to pick up my packet. I overheard someone in front of me say to Rick, “Is Randy Miller running this year?” in which Rick replied , “Yep”. I felt like there was a Bull’s Eye on my back. I took my normal 3 bathroom breaks before the start. Rick gave his usual in-depth pre-race briefing and at 9:00 a.m the gun went off.

My training partner Julian Vicente took off like it was a 1500m race. My first thought was he was going out way to fast but that is what Julian always does. I thought for sure I would see him again later up the trail. I settled into a comfortable pace with two other guys. We talked a little but I think they were just happy to let me lead the way. As we came out of the first loop we had to run back to the start and then turn around and run right back up the trail. It was a perfect time to see how far of a lead Julian had. I was surprised to see he had over a 5 minute lead and was still flying.

We all came into AS #2 (8 miles) at the same time. Mara handed me my bottle and off I went. Total time…1.2 seconds. See, I told you she was good. The next 7 miles there are two long climbs. The first one I decided to take a walk break. My two friends decided to keep running so it was nice to be by myself for a while. That lasted for about 3 minutes. They both ran off course and as I came by they were stopped looking for the markers. I told them which way to go and we were back to me leading. I decided I would make a surge and see if I could lose them before the next major climb, I did this move last year and it worked. I really picked it up and told myself not to look back until the right turn up the green trail. This is a tricky turn because if you are not paying attention you could run right by it and lose valuable time. Sneaky, but like I said, I needed every advantage possible. This is my home turf and I know the same thing could happen to me on their home course.

I made it to the turn and to my dismay there they were about 50 yards back. I am not going to lie, this took me back. Here I thought I could relax and take a break up this big climb but I guess not. I decided to let them catch me and try to get some of my energy back. We all came into AS # 3 at Ramapo Reservation which was around mile 15. Julian and the second place guy were now only 3 minutes ahead. He said as I passed, “I may have gone out to fast.” I told him to keep it up but in the back of my mind I thought I may just catch him by Skyline drive, which was 6.5 miles away.

Mara gave me my new bottle and iPod. It was time to boogie and try to catch my training partner. I took a big swig of my drink and realized Mara gave me my recovery drink instead of my bottle of Clip 2. Oh well. I ran most of the way to AS#4 which was 2.7 miles away. As I approached I could see the 2nd place runner just leaving so I figured Julian was not to far ahead. I got my bottle refilled by the great volunteers and off I went. This next section has a really hard climb, I knew there was no way I could run it so I geared myself up for a quick hike. The whole way over to Skyline Dr. (AS #5) I could see the 2nd place runner but just could not catch him.

I came into AS #5 and Mara put my Nathan 2.0 on my back and told me Julian had 6 minutes on me. CRAP!!! He was running faster and I was starting to run slower. I could only hope he would slow down. I would have the opportunity to see while running down the road to AS #6. As I left aid station 5 the 2nd place guy was re-hydrating and taking in some calories. The guys that were following me were no where to be seen. I tried to run faster but my energy level was really low and I started to feel some cramping in both calf muscles. I took a few S-Caps hoping and a 5 hour Energy, sometimes they work for me and sometimes they don’t. I was keeping my fingers crossed that it would this time.

I got to the road leading down to AS#6. It is a ½ mile descent and then you have to turn around and run back up to the Cannonball Trail. This is a perfect time to see where you stand in the race. There were people everywhere, Boy Scouts and the 25K runners. I was only about 100 yards down the road and here came Julian bouncing up the road like it was nothing, I knew I was in trouble. He looked so strong and I knew I looked pretty tired. He probably had over 7 minutes on me. I wished him luck, and knew all I could do now was try to keep second place.

Took a few glasses of coke at AS#6 and off I went back up the hill. I tried running but the slightest incline my calves said no way and the engine room said there was no fuel left. I started to think I may just lose it here. I was about halfway up when I saw the 3rd and 4th place guys coming down the road, It was enough for me to dig deeper and start running.

The last 6 miles of this race is tough, not a lot of big climbs but it just wears on you. It is not a real definite trail at times and there are some tricky turns. I was now coming up on a lot of 25K runners. It was nice to see some people for a change. I think everyone was getting tired and wanted their race to be over, me included. My calf muscles were getting worse, I took two more S-Caps but they never eased up. Not sure why I had this problem but it definitely affected my race.

I was looking forward to the last climb because then I knew I had less than a mile to go with a nice long downhill to Shepherds Lake, I blazed down as fast as I could. As I hit the dirt road I realized I did not look back once since AS#6. Now I looked back because my calf muscles were cramping big time, running on a flat road were really doing a number on them. The only way I could run was to swing my legs out to the side. I kept looking back every 10 seconds hoping no one was coming. Finally when I hit the parking lot I knew I was going to get 2nd place. I crossed the line and saw Julian sitting on the ground, he beat me by nine minutes and set a new course record. I was glad my friend won.

Things I might have done differently.

1. I think I may have gone into the race with depleted electrolytes. The past 4 weeks I went totally vegan. I wanted to see what would happen to my body. This may have caused the cramping the last six miles. I think I needed to take in more salt the days leading up to the race.

2. I went against my usual game plan of taking walk breaks in the first half of the race. I ran the first 8 miles without a break and I ran it harder than I usually do. WHY? I think when I saw Julian take off like a rocket I needed to do what I could to stay close. This may have caused my slowdown in the second half of the race.

3. I should have drank more water. I had only one bottle for the two long sections.

Overall it was a great race and I look forward to coming back next year. Thanks to Rick and Jen McNulty (NJTrailSeries.com) for all the hard work in planning this race. Thanks to our sponsors, Mountain Peak Fitness, Campmor, Saucony, and Nathan for supporting our sport. Mostly thanks to Mara for crewing me and all my great friends who went out on those long training runs with me.

Randy

Race Report with VIDEO - The Mountain Madness 50k by Elizabeth

2011-10-24T11:33:00.001-04:00

Well I thought I hung up my racing shoes for the season 2 months ago, my plan was to focus on our business, clients, reboot and get excited for the 2012 season.

Our Mountain Peak Fitness/Campmor Trail Running Team which has been doing extremely well in its first year was getting ready for the local Mountain Madness race which included a 50k, 25k, and 7.77 mile option. I went out on a couple team training runs, where on one occasion I sprained my ankle severe enough to set me back from doing any training for a couple of weeks. This is when I confirmed to myself I wouldn’t even attempt the MOMA course given its extremely technical nature.

However, I was extremely excited for my team, they were training hard, as this was a priority race for most of them. Some were looking to win, others were looking to improve on last years time. Their excitement became infectious I had brief thoughts of giving it a try even though I still wasn’t completely sold, this was until my teammate Randy encouraged me to sign up. I said to myself what the hell, just enjoy the run. I do well moving at a moderate pace for a long time, not a fast pace for a short time so I gave myself the goal of 6 hours or finishing 1 hour after the first place male.

Race day:
Perfect cool crisp fall weather was on tap for the entire day, perfect running weather. I gathered with the team before the race for a bit of catching up. I was nervous, I can’t tell you the last time I entered a 50k, maybe 9 years ago. I had to pace myself entirely differently than if I were running a 50 miler or 100miler, given that I was not setting off for the entire day and or into the night, this race was a quick jaunt through the woods. Running fast can be very challenging it opens up a whole new world of pain, much different than the persistent, some times painful push forward to cover the 100 mile distance.

My fellow teammate Lenny and I decided to stay together until Ramapo Reservation which was mile 15. We talked about pace, how our teammates were doing etc.. We thankfully knew this portion of the course pretty well and found ourselves directing others who were getting off track. Even though the course was well marked it becomes a challenge to look up to be sure your on the correct trail when running over extremely technical terrain that is covered in leaves. This is where I started running with a very nice women by the name of Stephanie. We shared stories of our ultra adventures, shes pretty much traveled the world running ultras, awesome! I let her go in fear of the pace being to quick for me at this point in the race (mile 11).

We got to Ramapo Reservation (mile 15) and I was feeling pretty good but slightly worried that I was pushing too hard. I saw Jessie and Stephanie leave aid station 3 (mile 15) about 1 min. apart. I had a decision to make, do I want to continue to run my own race against the clock or get caught up in the chase? I would really be over reaching taken my current fitness level if I chased them and then to only get passed within the last couple of miles. We really were just minutes apart, I could see Stephanie but I didn’t feel strong enough to blaze by her to take a real lead so I just kept her in my sights. Aid station # 4/6 came pretty quick, I had bit of coke which gave me a jolt and 4 endurolytes, from here to Skyline I felt pretty strong.. I saw Joe running around with his cameras, he gave me a time split on the girls to see if I felt like picking up the pace. I got to skyline (mile 21), Stephanie was leaving while I quickly found my bag that Joe strategically placed with my liquid energy, etc. and I went to see if I could find her, its totally different feeling when chasing / racing...

I thought I knew this part of the course pretty well but as I was cruising down cannonball, I got off track nearing camp Yaw Paw. I knew the aid station couldn’t be far, I roamed into a camp looking like a crazy person for sure and started asking random campers where the trail/road is, everyone looked at me in silence just staring as if I were a Jackson white. I repeated myself several times, it was very weird, then finally some one spoke up and said go that way as he pointed. I said thanks and finally made my way back to 4/6 where I saw Jessie and Stephanie again leaving the aid station haha this is funny... Fellow teammate Zusuzanna was there trying to tell me what I already knew, I was trying not to be rude, I didn’t have time to chat, I just needed some gels and to get out of there.

I quickly left and managed to run up almost the entire hill in a rush because I was feeling pretty good. For a moment I couldn’t find cannonball, then I quickly found it, I headed down in a rush knowing I had 7 miles to find these girls. I thought I had to take my first left off of cannonball and that’s where I turned in haste. I ran up for 5 minutes or so, something didn’t seem right, where are the trail markers? I was in such a hurry I wasn’t concentrating, I looked closely at the trail marker, they were green, shit! I should be on blue! I started back tracking to find cannonball again then found blue with a bunch of flags, if I only went down a little bit further I would have been on blue. At this moment I said forget it because there is know way I will catch them now as they were not showing any signs of weakness so I decided to stick to my original plan of completing the race in 6 hours. It was awesome to have 2 strong ladies to chase, thank you & Great Job!

I have decided to make this a goal race for next year and I am looking forward to it. Other goals for 2012 are to embrace being competitive and training for some shorter races similar to this one. Congrats to all of the participants and to the MPfit/CampmorTrail running team, you guys rocked! I gained a whole different perspective to this racing nonsense. Thank you to all the Volunteers, NJ Trail Series, Campmor, Joe, Mara and all of our sponsors.

Elizabeth

Race Report - Mountain Madness 50k by MPfit/Campmor Teammate, Chris Focacci

2011-10-23T18:57:00.002-04:00

Race Report by MPfit/Campmor Teammate, Chris Focacci

Out of all the NJ Trail Series races, this is one of my favorite events. Mountain Madness is a rugged 50K with approximately 5,000 feet of elevation gain held on the rocky trails throughout the Ramapo Mountains of Northern New Jersey. Since the beginning of August, I have been on a crash-training plan to do as much training on the course as possible, and while I knew I didn’t quite have the legs yet to keep up with the other speedsters on the MPfit/Campmor team, I did have some specific race goals that I wanted to obtain. Namely, I wanted to run an evenly paced race, and I was really hoping to try and grab a sub-7 hour finishing time. I even made a cheat sheet of goal times for each aid station to ensure my desired finish time. Obviously nothing could go wrong.

The race start has a real laid back vibe and it was great see so many familiar faces before the race. After a quick race briefing from the race director, Rick McNulty, the race was off. The first 7 miles are run on a loop called the Mountain Bike Race Course, before going back to the starting area to head out on the rest of the course. I knew that this section is the least technical part of the course and I wanted to gain as much time here as possible, without using too much energy so early in the race. About five miles into the race I made the mistake of following a group of runners in front of me and not paying attention to course markings. After about 5 minutes, when someone realized that no one had seen any markings for a while, we were forced to back track until we found where we missed the turn. As I knew from past experiences, this is a course that will definitely make you pay if you lose focus for even a little bit. I wasn’t too happy about losing time so early in the race, but knew it could have been much, much worse. So I got back on track with the goal to stay positive, and the lesson learned to stay focused.

After leaving aid station 1, it is a short two miles until the second aid station. After aid station 2, the climbing on the course starts. My aim now was to pick up the pace a little and try to get back on track for my goal time. While there are some tough climbs between Aid Stations 2 and 3, there also long stretches of fast downhill sections and here is where the race was really starting to click for me. I was fully warmed up, and really enjoying the perfect weather and scenery that Ringwood has to offer. Coming out of Aid Station 3 there was even an adventurous water crossing, where the trail had flooded and was well above my knees. Coming into aid station 4 (17 miles), I had shaken off my earlier detour, and continued to click off the miles and just soak up the day. In my opinion, this is where the race really starts to toughen up.

Out of aid station 4, it is about 4 uphill and mostly rocky miles to aid station 5 on Skyline drive, plus you now have 18+ miles on your legs. The rocks and climbs in this section started to get to me, and the temperature started to rise from the midday sun. I lost a little more time then I would have liked coming into aid station 5, but I was happy to find my girlfriend waiting there to cheer me on. This was a nice mental boost after the last tough section, and I was re-charged for the last 10 miles to the finish. I left the aid station with a group of three other runners, and had a great time leap-frogging with them until we got back to aid station 6. At this point, I was a little behind a 7-hour finish, but I still hadn’t given up on my goal time. I figured out that I had 1:10 to run the 10k back to the end, if I wanted to make my time! So I made a quick turn around at aid station 6 and tried to make hay back to the finish.

Unfortunately, the last part of the course, which I like to refer to as “the Soul Crushing” portion of this race, consists of a seemingly never-ending and deceptively challenging three-mile uphill section. It is never very steep (except for the rock scramble at mile 29), but you will continually swear that the finish must be just over the next hill, as surely, it shouldn’t take this long to run only three miles! I eventually made it out of this section (which I actually do really enjoy), and back around Shepherd’s Pond to cross the finish line in 7:15.

While I didn’t hit the time I wanted, I did meet my goal of running a fairly consistent race, and I also PR’ed this course by 11 minutes on my time from last year. To add to that, the weather was perfect, and I had a great time hanging out with all my trail running friends, so I can’t really ask for much more. Up next for me is the DWG 50K, and I hope to keep up the momentum from MoMa to lay down some solid times in my future events. Thanks to NJ Trail Series, and all the volunteers for putting on such a great event. Also, special thanks to all the MPfit/Campmor crew for making the all the training time on the course over these last few months so much fun, you guys are great!

Chris

Race Report - 2011 Mountain Madness 25K by MPfit/Campmor Teammate, Phil Germakian....A New Beginning

2011-10-23T06:54:00.003-04:00

A New Beginning

“Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus. Enjoy it.” I told myself. There I was again, standing on the starting line with butterflies in my stomach, like I had done so many times before, but this time was different. This day had some history behind it…

Exactly one year ago, I felt a stinging pain in my lower right leg while trail running. At first, I brushed it off, and dismissed it to be a twisted ankle. However, over the next few weeks the pain grew and would not go away. An orthopedist diagnosed it as posterior tibial tendonitis. Throughout the next 11 months, I tried resting it, icing it, physical therapy, and countless other recovery techniques. Nothing seemed to work. Over time, my workouts became shorter, and my race plans were cancelled. Unwillingly, I slowly adjusted to life without running. In spite of this, my love for the sport never faded, and a few weeks ago I eventually found my cure: acupuncture!

Within a few strides, I found myself in front running around Shepherd’s Lake. Not where I planned to be at this time in the race, but where I liked to be. As I entered the trail, another runner took over the lead, and I gladly followed. A lead pack of about five runners quickly formed, and continued along until Aid Station #2. It was here, at the start of the green trail, that we hit the first major climb of the course, which strung out the group. At the top, I regained the lead and controlled the pace into Aid Station #3 (the half-way point). Immediately, I downed 1.5 gels and grabbed a fresh bottle and gels from my girlfriend, Christine. I had run the first half of the race at about a 9:40 mile pace, which was 20 seconds faster than my pre-race plan and pretty much blazing on this technical course. Knowing that my fitness is not 100% right now, I knew I would soon be paying for it later.

I left Aid Station #3 in second place, only seconds behind the leader. Just after leaving, I hit my first low of the race, so I took my time catching up to him. My legs felt sluggish, but after about 15 minutes the gels I had taken at the aid station kicked in, and put some spring back in my step. The other runner and I exchanged pacing duties and when possible, ran side-by-side and chatted for the next couple miles. So much so, that we missed a turn around mile 10. Fortunately, it was not long before we noticed it, and quickly back tracked to the proper trail. However, on our way back, I noticed a runner passing us. Not knowing which race he was in, I sped up to find out. I soon discovered he was in the 25K, which mixed things up a little.

Now I had two guys to beat. At mile 12, I had hit my second low, and knew if that one of them tried to pull away now, I might not be able to reel them in. It did not take long for the two of us to move ahead of our new competition, but also not long before taking a second wrong turn, allowing this same competitor to grab the lead once again with less than 2 miles to go. Luckily, we soon realized the mistake, but unfortunately our competition was out of sight before we did. I figured I would not be able to catch him now. My hamstrings had begun to cramp, which caused my pace to slow dramatically.

I decided to focus on my nearest competition, and do my best to preserve second place. On one of the final climbs, before descending back to the finish, I was able to pull ahead and secure a second place finish. As it turned out, I finished 1 minute and 58 seconds behind the winner. Happy with second place, I congratulated the winner. That guy deserved to win. He ran a steady pace, and did not make any wrong turns.

Staring out into the forest, waiting for the race to start that day was my greatest moment. This past year had been rough, and I was excited to start a new one. I will consider this race my return to running. My return to the trails. My return home.

A special thanks to Rick McNulty and the NJ Trail Series crew for putting on another great event. A big thank you to the MPfit/Campmor Trail Running Team for all their support this year. Looking forward to a strong and injury-free 2012 season.

Phil

Race Report - 2011 Mountain Madness 50K by MPfit/Campmor Teammate Lenny...getting lost

2011-10-21T21:04:00.001-04:00

Race Report by MPfit/Campmor Teammate, Leonard Huffman.

Good Legs are only part of the equation…

Mountain Madness 50k (referred to often as MOMA) is a trail race put on by NJ Trail Series. It is held in parts of Ringwood & Ramapo state parks in northern NJ. Now in its 3rd year, MOMA had races of 50k, 25k & 7.7 miles. This years event took place on October 15th. The few previous days had been slightly warm & humid for October but on race day the weather was perfect. It was a crisp autumn morning.

At 9am the 50k started with a simple countdown & go. The beginning section is 7.7 miles loop referred to as the mountain bike loop. Runners were off the front going hard. I stayed back. My plan was to take the 1st half of the race easy & save myself for the difficult end. Holding back & going slow is a lot harder then running fast. The urge to follow the runners ahead was great. Thankfully, my Mountain Peak Fitness/Campmor team leader Elizabeth had the same plan. I ran with her & she kept me in check, providing great pacing. We concluded the loop in a little over an hour. It was faster then planned but we felt good & were on schedule. A quick trip back to the start finish area & we were back on the trail heading to our next destination. Aid station 3 is in Ramapo reservation right off of Rt. 202., it was about 7 miles away. This was a hard section. It featured 2 big climbs. I again raced a conservative pace. I was feeling real good. My watch was set to beep every 20 minutes to remind me to take in calories. I have had nutrition issues in races in the past & was following a new strategy. On training runs I had picked the brain of MPfit/Campmor teammate (2nd place finisher, 50k, race report to follow) Randy Miller who had given me sound advice.

I made it to aid station #3 feeling good. This was a special stop for me. My girlfriend Debbie & good friend AJ were working this station. I grabbed a quick drink, snack & kiss and then was off down the orange trail which started with a small water crossing. To some it was knee deep. My 5’2” frame made it thigh deep. There is nothing like sopping wet shoes with 15 miles to go. I cruised the next section, increasing my pace & running alone. Aid station 4 was the stop before the skyline drive section of the course. It is rocky with a big climb, about 3 miles total. I hated this section in training and it scared me all week leading to the race. I put on my iPod and started off, not knowing what to expect. Well, I absolutely crushed it. I made it to the top in a little more then 45 minutes. I was feeling great with 10 miles to go.

This is where my race took a turn (literally & figuratively) for the worse. I left aid station 5 feeling confident in finishing below 6 hours. A runner was following me, relying on me to lead him on the trail. About a mile into this section I missed a turn onto the cannonball trail. I new there was a turn around and was looking for it but just missed it. I continued running on the wrong trail with a feeling in my gut that I was heading the wrong way. I still had the other runner following me. I ran for about 20 minutes, not seeing the markers I was looking for. Should I turn around I thought? What about this person following me? If I had been alone I probably would have turned around sooner but what if we weren’t wrong & had to come back to this point again? Finally I decided to turn around to find the correct path. I found my missed turn and headed off to make up time. Mentally I was destroyed. I had lost almost 40 minutes going off course. I wanted to stop, sit down and quit. I cursed, even cried a little. I was feeling so physically great but made a mental mistake and it ruined my race. Everything up to that point had been going perfect for me. I felt defeated. I knew I had to fight through the feelings, to get myself going again and finish. I had a gel, cranked some music and powered on. I pushed my pace. I passed other runners. I was focused on getting to the finish line. I knew the last 3 miles real well. They were hard & hurt. My calves were beginning to cramp but I did not stop. I made it out of the woods to the dirt road to the finish. I gave all I had and crossed the line in 6 hours and 33 minutes. I saw my teammates and collapsed next to them. I was equally disappointed and satisfied.

Trail races are tough both physically and mentally. The terrain is always changing, constantly up & down with rocks thrown in for good measure. Good Legs are only part of the equation. One must always be mentally sharp as well. Following the course and markers is as the speed and strength in your legs. Today I had one but not the other. Each race is a learning experience. I definitely learned a lot about myself today and will put it to good use in the future.

Lenny

2011 Mountain Madness 50K Photos

2011-10-21T20:49:00.000-04:00

MPfit.smugmug.com

Article - Rest & Recovery

2011-09-18T13:03:00.001-04:00

Rest & Recovery:

By Joe Azze

With the fall season fast approaching, the most important thing an athlete can do at this time of year regarding their training is to re-evaluate their rest & recovery (R&R). An athlete can improve their fitness & maximize their performance this late in the season by simply focusing more on R&R. Sounds basic but its the basics many forget about and without the basics continually being improved upon, your fitness & performance will regress or stagnate. By improving your quality of sleep, paying close attention to your training nutrition, pre, during & post workout and doing the little things that many tend to neglect (foam rolling, stretching, napping, mediation, recovery workouts, consistency, optimal nutrition & hydration, etc.) can make all the difference. It sounds simple and we have all heard about these before but many of us are not taking full advantage of the benefits that the proper rest & recovery can have on our performance.

What it ultimately comes down to is consistently balancing your daily stress load with the ideal amount of R & R. Its safe to say that with the high amounts of stress many of us are exposed to each day, not only on the fitness side but with the responsibilities that go along with work, family, etc., there is plenty of room for improvement. From taking a 10 minute nap, getting to bed 30 minutes earlier, to quieting the mind with deep purposeful breaths while sitting still in one of your favorite spots out on the trails (meditation), can re-balance you physically, emotionally & re-charge you mentally.

The #1 performance limiter for many athletes is inadequate recovery from hard days of training and their busy work schedules, along with all of the other responsibilities one may have. A limiter is generally referred to as a race specific weakness. An example of such a limiter is having an A priority race, 50K in length that has several 1-3k climbs greater then 10% grade and your weakness is your climbing ability whether running or cycling. This weakness is therefore your limiter for success in such a race and you would want to adjust your training accordingly to address this. With that laid out, to be a successful athlete, you need to be able to adapt, recover, endure and repair the body both physically and mentally in order to reach your athletic potential. If your not getting quality rest or your sleeping habits are not up to par with your goals & intensity levels of your workouts, then rest & recovery are your major limiters to your performance goals, not just the climbing. You can do all of the training that you want but you won’t reach your peak until you consistently address your R&R.

Its during sleep that the body adapts to the stresses of training & racing and becomes stronger for it. Without it, there will be no improvements, its that simple. Whether your increasing your miles, adding high intensity intervals to your weekly workouts or just beginning the 1st phase of your periodization program, the need for rest will increase. Getting by on 5-6 hours of sleep and thinking that is enough, is just you trying to make a difficult situation easier on you mentally. Some athletes do very well with high volume & high intensity training on very little sleep but its not without its consequences. Many resort to excessive caffeine intake to get them through their day and workouts, others just keep going until they fall to a sickness or injury, while some continue this year after year until they become so worn down that they stop all together. The truth is, if any of these athletes focused on their rest & recovery as much as they did to their training & racing, they would be stronger & healthier for it, with an increased longevity in the sports they truly enjoy.

Short and Long-Term Recovery

All athletes have 2 key areas of recovery to address throughout the training year, short & long term recovery. There is an immediate (short-term) need to recover from a particularly intense training session or event, and then there is the long-term recovery that is built into your year-round training schedule. Both are as important as the other for optimal performance.

Short-Term Recovery - This is immediately following a workout or as you approach the tale end of a training session by finishing with the proper cool-down. This is an area where many athletes tend to skip because they may feel that with the minimum time they have to train they would rather it spent pushing the pace all the way to their door. In a scenario such as this, lets say you just finished 6 x 4 min. Vo2 max efforts on the bike with the last one taking you to your front steps so you can pick your kids up on time from school. Start by cooling down with an easy spin for just a few minutes to allow your heart rate (HR) to drop to zone 2; for the fitter athlete this can take just a minute or 2. Then get off the bike, take your helmet & shoes immediately off, grab a cold recovery drink that you prepared earlier and walk around a bit as you begin to get things ready for the transition to get the kids. Stay relaxed and be conscious of relaxed breathing. The focus here is to get your body’s core temperature down, replace your energy stores & to hydrate properly (water & electrolytes). Park the car a little further from the pick-up point and walk to meet the kids to keep things moving and flush the muscles of built up waste products from the workout. Do a few deep recovery squats and hang out at the bottom of the position for a little bit, then throw in a few stretches. Later in the day jump on the bike for an easy 15 minute spin or grab the foam roller and roll around for a bit, then follow it up with some stretching. This will speed up the recovery process, keep things loose, reduce the total stress on the body and get you back in the saddle ready for another quality workout sooner rather then later. The goal here is to blend in your training & racing goals with your lifestyle.

Long Term Recovery - This is built into a properly designed annual training program and established before the season starts by your coach. This includes recovery days & weeks that are built into your training blocks & weekly schedules that will use active recovery, strength maintenance workouts and or complete rest. As the season progresses, additional recovery periods or days may be added depending on your training response and overall accumulated stress so its important to stay in constant communication with your coach and relay information about how your feeling physically as well as mentally on a daily basis. Also, by establishing the right nutritional requirements for you and your goals early on, will enhance your overall adaptability. The focus of any training program is to break the body down with precision training and then build it back up accordingly, allowing you to become a stronger and a more enduring athlete. The all important off-season will also be included in your long term recovery plans, giving you time away from the bike, run, swim, etc., which will allow you to re-charge, maintain and even increase your fitness level. Cross-training will be a big part of your off-season with things such as xc-skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, etc. taking priority with the freedom of unstructured workouts. The goal is to just have fun and get out and enjoy!

R & R quick tips & reminders:

NAP! I know, who has time for a nap but a nap doesn’t always mean to jump into your bed & fall into a deep sleep for an hour. It can be a quick 5, 10 or 20 minute nap done anywhere. By just sitting quietly for 5 minutes with your eyes closed while doing relaxed breathing techniques, will clear the mind, re-balance your energy & give you a feeling of renewal.
If your job has you sitting for long periods of time, you must be diligent in getting up to walk around, alternate between sitting on a stability ball, getting into a deep resting squat position with your butt as close to the floor as possible (takes practice), going for a walk on your lunch break, etc. The longer you sit, the stiffer you become & more imbalances are created.
Resting includes sleeping, napping, meditation and simply relaxing without the guilt.
Take the necessary steps to reduce stress in your life...
With the proper amount of recovery time, whether complete days off or active recovery workouts, you allow the body to repair from the stresses of training and is where the real training effect takes place.
Don’t skip the all important recovery or zone 1 workouts. Its an easy thought to neglect these, thinking they have no merit or impact on your training. With them, your workouts during the following days will be of better quality.
Make your hard days hard and your easy days easy. Don’t make your easy days to hard because then your hard days won’t be hard enough for the training response we would like to see. We are looking for quality workouts, minimizing the junk miles, especially for the time crunched athlete.
To make a hard workout quality, you need to be strong & rested for it, this is not to say that you should never do back to back+ hard days, which if your properly rested for, can be the breakthrough in your fitness level that you were looking for.
Learn the warning signs of overtraining. Overtraining can show similar signs to chronic fatigue, anemia and even lyme disease. Symptoms of overtraining are extreme fatigue, loss of motivation, irritability, chronic inflammation of tissues or joints, increased rate of injuries, slow healing of wounds, colds that hang around, mental fog, etc.
Improve your sleep by sticking to a schedule and routine.
Avoid alcohol & caffeine.
Get rid of the clutter, clean house, get things organized, increase the efficiency of your work-flow, etc...
Foam roll, stretch, foam roll, stretch, foam roll, stretch, foam roll, stretch...
Make sure the room your sleeping in is well ventilated & quite.
Turn off the cell phone and get yourself a traditional alarm. Many of us have the habit of checking our phones for messages from a dead sleep, wait until the morning. Yes I know, you have very important messages that come in late at night sometimes and you need to stay on top of things but if its interrupting your sleep cycle, which it is, you will feel it come the morning or during the hill repeats you have scheduled for after work. The longer you are in a deep restful sleep, the stronger you will be.
Workouts are not written in stone. If your workout schedule calls for a day of max intervals and you just don’t have it in you, close the eyes for a few minutes, take several deep purposeful breathes and listen to some calming motivating music (nothing to intense) and take the workout from there. Learn to adjust and go on how you feel.

Increase your Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s), add glutamine to the day, increase your Omega 3’s and follow an Alkaline diet such as the Paleo Diet.
The faster you recover, the sooner you can do another quality workout, therefore the fitter you become. At the same time, recovering to much and your fitness potential will never be realized. Its all about balance and the cumulative effect, see the big picture.
Along with overloading the body with the stresses of training & racing, dialing in your recovery is the most powerful thing you can do to perform at a high level and it's easy to get wrong.
Build a recovery week into your training every 3rd or 4th week by reducing the volume, decreasing the intensity level, take an additional day off, focus on the basics, etc.
How well you train & race is based on how well rested you are.

The right balance of R&R will develop a motivated athlete that is enthusiastic about their training, leading to an increased fitness level, workout enjoyment, a balanced state of mind, a better overall quality of life and on the right path to athletic success.

Joe Azze ~ Mountain Peak Fitness

Race report - Mahlon Mayhem 25K / Repeating is hard...

2011-08-25T19:59:00.001-04:00

Race report by Len Huffman of the MPF/Campmor Trail Running Team.

Repeating is hard: Mahlon Mayhem is a trail race put on by NJ Trail Series in Mahlon reservation in Jefferson, NJ. The race, in it’s second year, has distances of 100k, 75k, 50, 25k & 12.5k. The course is a 7.5 miles loop with an out & back section. I raced the 25k last year & scored my first overall win. It was with great anticipation that I signed up again & wanted to “defend my title”.

I arrived on race morning about an hour before my start. The start area was already abuzz with activity from the longer distance races that started earlier. I surveyed the area trying to decipher who would be my competition for the day. The race started at 9am & we lined up just minutes before. The count downs started - 1 minute, 30 seconds, and I readied myself for the start. Would it be a casual pace at the gun or an all out effort from the go? With a simple Go, we were off.

The first half of the trail was double wide & I settled next to another runner at the front leading the pack. I took notice of his effort as he seemed at ease running. My heart rate was a little high but comfortable. The 2 of us slowly started to create a gap on the other runners. The trail began with an uphill (didn’t remember that one from last year) & began to grow rockier (again- thought they added extra rocks). At about 2 miles in, the other runner started to get a slight lead on me. The gap continued to slowly increase. I felt good & was running at an effort I knew I could sustain for the entire race. Now was an important decision. Do I kick it up a notch & try to chase him down and risk blowing up or stay within my limits & race my race? Experience has taught me to be patient and race my race. I picked it up but stayed at within my heart rate zone I had planned. Soon he had a sizable lead but was within sight distance. The trail turned to some single track, a section I like to refer to as “the connector” because it links you to a fire road that you do an out & back on. You then run the “connector back to the double wide. At that point you climb a hill to the highest point in Morris County (which isn’t that high). A fast down hill followed by some more flat brings you back to the start & time for the second loop.

I came though, dropped my shirt & HR monitor (it was humid) and head off for lap 2. This is where is became really difficult. I was in 2nd place. 1st was out of sight, 3rd someplace behind. I was running alone. I have a hard time keeping my pace if I do not have someone to chase. It becomes a mental game. I dug in & just kept chugging. The lap felt fast. On the out & back I saw the 1st place runner heading back as I was still going out & told him good race. As I turned around I searched for the 3rd place runner. I saw him & he seemed close to me. I kicked it up a notch. As I neared the finish I tried to pass a runner from another race & took a tumble! Ouch but I was up & running without even a thought. I crossed the line in second place, 7 minutes behind 1st and 3 minutes ahead of 3rd.

My dreams of a repeat win did not come true. I was happy with how I ran & some days there are just people faster then you. I enjoyed the post race activities & cheered the other racers in. I left satisfied & waiting for next year.

Len

Gear Review - Nathan Elite 2V Plus

2011-08-19T11:26:00.001-04:00

Gear Review - Nathan Elite 2V Plus by MPF/Campmor Athlete, Iliana Dimitrova.

There are three types of trail runners, or so I thought, (1) hydration vests, (2) water bottles, (3) hydration belts, that was until I tried the Nathan Elite 2V Plus. I always considered myself a hydration vest trail runner; so you can imagine my skepticism when I was offered the opportunity to "test" drive the new Nathan Elite 2V Plus as part of our mountainpeakfitness.com trail running team. At a sunny weekend morning during a trail run at Harriman State Park and then a 7mile hike at Bear Mountain State Park, I used the Nathan Elite 2V Plus for over 6 hours. My initial reaction was that I'll be all chaffed from it, as chafing is unavoidable for me regardless the hydration system (vest or in this case belt). I was pleasantly surprised about the Nathan Elite 2V Plus performance and the airmesh moisture-wicking backing which prevented any chafing.

First let's start with the tech specs. The Nathan Elite 2V Plus has a fully adjustable waist belt. In the past, I used a race belt during a road marathon and have attempted to train with hydration belts before but was never successful due to the belt riding up my waist line and also having a felling of tightness around my tummy. This was not the case with Nathan, I was pleased that I never experienced neither of the two (a riding up belt or suffocating feeling) during the 6h + hours I used it.

During the past two summers, I've noticed that my water / hydration consummation had decreased significantly on the trail. While, in the past I was able to run for 2h+ hours carrying without water, now on the trail I needed 1L of water per hour. That meant, running only with two 22oz bottles for over 3h+ will be challenging. The Nathan Elite 2V Plus has two 22 oz. (650 mL) Hydration Bottles with QuickClip. By having a limited supply of water, I was able to re-evaluate my actual hydration need, and was pleased to find out that I will not die from having only 1.3L of water for 3h+. The fact that the bottles had a quick clip is a a great design as it will allow me to use the bottles as stand alone and be able to attach them to a vest. The Nathan Elite 2V Plus is designed with dual angled, insulated holsters with XTS cradles, this allowed for a very easy access in and out of the cradles, which was another concern that I had - ease of use to take the bottles out and put them back in while on the run without stopping. Nathan has done an amazing design job with the proper positioning of the cradles.

One knows to always carry a light wind / rain jacket in the mountains, as weather is unpredictable. The Nathan Elite 2V Plus has a large, dimensional pocket with zipper closure where my jacket fits perfectly. This pocket is great for any other essential trail running needs - a long sleeve shirt or a headlamp / flash light or pair of gloves / hat. The pocket is perfectly situated at the middle of the belt and having zipper closure comes very handy during training or racing

Imagine having two more additional pockets. Yes, the folks at Nathan added to the Nathan Elite 2V Plus twin removable Power Stretch Mesh front pockets with zipper closures. I decided to experiment so during the first portion of the run at Harriman, I used the pockets to carry my nutrition; and at the second portion at Bear Mountain, I decided to remove them and to use the large back pocket for that.

The Nathan Elite 2V Plus has numerous cleverly designed features, that I actually didn't notice. One was the Shock Cord with one-pull tension lock for jacket or gloves and a waterproof I.D. / medical emergency card holder. I noticed this when I got home and examined the belt closely. However, I'm optimistic that I will be utilizing this feature on my next trail adventures with mountainpeakfitness.com

The Nathan Elite 2V Plus has reflective detail which is perfect for night running or racing. It weights only 16.8 oz, that explains why it's Karl Meltzer's preferred race hydration system. Now, it has become my favorite one, too.

Iliana

Race Report - The Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run by Randy Miller

2011-08-08T08:51:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Vermont 100 Race Report by MPF/Campmor Athlete Randy Miller!

Well it has been a couple of weeks since Vermont 100 and I figure I better get my thoughts down before they fade away. Vermont 100 has a special place in my ultra running history as it was my first 100 miler. I ran it in 2007 and came in 10th place with a time of 18:55. I was very driven back then and followed a strict training program. I was confident I was going to have a good race. That was not the case this year. I had been having issues with injuries all year and my mind was just not into my training or race schedule. I guess you could say there was just no focus, drive, or enthusiasm in my running. As Vermont got closer and closer I was unsure if I was even going to be able to finish. I knew I would not be able to beat my previous time so I set a goal of finishing under 24 hours. My game plan was to start out very easy, power walk all the hills, and really just enjoy the race. Usually when I race, I focus on my race plan and do not talk to the other runners, but this time I decided to talk to other runners, riders and even horses. Oh, I forgot to tell you, there is a horse race going on at the same time. They race the same course as the runners.

Vermont 100 does not allow runners to wear iPods during their race for safety reason. They want the runners to be able to hear cars and horses. Personally I like listening to music at times when running 100 miles. It breaks up the race and helps in those low points of the race. So I was a little worried about how I was going to get through this race without my tunes. I decided I would ask riders the names of their horses and commit them to memory the help pass the time. The horses have mandatory rest stops so you play the yo-yo game throughout the race. They pass you and then a few hours later they pass you again. There were five horses that I met, Ottis, the father, and Pikka the son, Piper, Ace, and Sarge. When I would hear horses coming up behind me I would turn and look to see who they were. I would call out the horses name and would usually get a response from the horse. Their ears would perk up or the eyes would seem to stare down at me. It was very cool. The riders were also very friendly and I think appreciated me talking to their horses.

The race started right at 4:00 AM. My crew who consisted of my wife, Mara, and two longtime friends, Dave Steiker and Jody Lapar, wished me well and off I went into the darkness of the mountains of Vermont. I would not see them again until 21 miles into the race. I was not more than 5 minutes into the race and my friend Julian Vicente appears next to me.   How does that happen with over 300 runners going down the road in darkness? This was Julian’s first 100 and I had offered him some veteran tips before the race. Mainly, run slow and walk a lot of the hills. We talked a couple of minutes and then our first hill appeared. I started to walk but Mr. Vicente decided to keep on running.   I wondered when and if I was going to catch him down the road.

For the next few hours I just cruised along. The first horse passed me about 2 hours into the race. They started at 5:00AM. I also started to feel the plantar fasciitis acting up in my right foot on the down hills about this time. I decided to wear my Asics 2160’s road shoes since most of the race was on country roads and the trail sections were not going to be very technical. I guess my right foot was not happy with my choice.   I adjusted my foot plant by landing on the ball of my foot on the downhill and that eased the pain for the time being. I put this in the back of my mind and realized I was just a few minutes away from seeing my crew at Pretty House aid station (mile 21).

My crew operated like a NASCAR pit crew. I came and gave them my Nathan HPL hydration pack in exchanged for two handhelds.   I was in an out in less than a minute. My watch said 3:55. That was about 20 minutes slower than 2007 so I was happy that I was staying in control of my pace. My next crew meeting would be at Stage 12, mile 30. I looked forward to this section of the race because you go up a huge climb and come out on the top of a mountain that is all grass. The view is unbelievable and very uplifting. I think it is called the Sound of Music hill. Fortunately it is early enough in the race where I was not hallucinating yet so I did not see Julie Andrews up there singing…… “The hills are alive with the sound of music.”

Earlier in the race I had met a horse whose name was Ace. His race number was 100. His rider’s name was Rachel. Our friendship grew over the entire race. Ace and Rachel helped me through a tough time later in my race.   Ace, Rachel and I were up on the Sound of Music hill at the same time. He was taking a break eating some grass and enjoying the view. I wish I could have stayed up there with them but I had only two legs and Ace had four so I knew I had to keep on going if I was going to finish this race under 24 hours.

I came into Stage 12 aid station at 5:40 race time. Still feeling good and looking forward to moving on to the pivotal aid station Camp 10 Bear (mile 47). Again the crew did a great job. Changed my bottles, gave me a new bandana (I run with a bandana tucked into my waist so I can wipe the sweat off my forehead), and told me I looked great. I asked how far Julian was ahead of me and they said about an hour.   I became very concerned because I thought he was running to fast... Hopefully he would stay strong.

On to Camp 10 Bear #1 (mile 47).   In the next 17 miles the sun started to heat up the day and unfortunately there were no clouds to block the sunshine. My quads started to fatigue and this really concerned me as it was way too early in the race to be feeling the burn. It kind of felt like a sledgehammer was hitting my thigh with each foot plant. I looked forward to changing into my Hoka Mafates with hope my quads would come back to life and not hurt as much as they were now. During this section I also had the pleasure of meeting the famous Dan Brennen. This man is 60 years old and has legs like an Olympic distance runner. He has finished the Grand Slam countless number of times.   What an inspiration. I made it into Camp 10 Bear at 8:10 on the race clock.   This is a mandatory weigh-in station. I jumped on the scale and found out that I was 7 pounds down from my starting weight of 162. I was really scared the doctor was going to make me sit for a while and gain some weight. He asked me how I was feeling and of course I said “Great” and he told me to have a good day.   I headed to the food table and grabbed some PBJ, chips, and candy. Then headed over to my crew and let them do there job.   I sat down for the first time so they could change my shoes. I was eating and hydrating while my wheels were being change.   When you leave Camp 10 Bear, you have a 23 mile loop and then you get back at mile 70. To me, this is a brutal loop. Lots of climbs and exposed to the sun most of the time.   Mara walked out with me to make sure everything was okay. She stayed with me for 5 minutes then headed back to the aid station. I had asked how Julian was doing and she said he looked good and was an hour ahead of me. Still keeping my fingers crossed that he could keep it going.

I was really struggling and for the first time a little thought creep into my mind whether I was going to finish this race. Stopping at Camp 10 Bear #2 started to sound inviting. I just then came up to a runner that had a tattoo on his leg that I had seen before. It was a pine tree. I told him I thought I knew him and we figured out I had met him at the 2007 WS100 training camp. His name was Robert and from the great state of Washington. He was a godsend. We both helped each other for the next 20 miles. Sometimes we ran together other times were apart. My stomach started to talk to me around mile 60 and Robert suggested some ginger ale at Margaritaville aid station (62 miles). That seemed to quiet it down. We separated for a few miles and met up the last couple of miles coming into Camp 10 Bear #2. I did not even get a chance to say thanks for his help through that tough section. I step on the scale again and was only 3 pounds down from my starting weight. Doc said good to go so off I went to see my crew. Race time…13:39

Now I need to back up a bit and explain what was going through my mind the last few miles before coming in to 10 Bear. Let me go back even further, all the way to Friday morning in New Jersey. We were packing the car waiting for Dave and Jody to arrive. Dave came first and was helping Mara load up the car. Jody pulled up and as she got out of the car I noticed she was standing crocked with a look of pain in her face. She told me she threw her back out about 20 minutes ago. Jody was supposed to pace me from Camp 10 Bear (mile 70) to Bill’s (mile 88). In my mind I knew there was no way she was going to be up for the task and I could not ask Mara to add another 18 miles onto the 12 miles she was going to pace me to the finish. I came to the conclusion I was going have to go solo up to Bill’s. At the time I thought no big deal but that was not how I was feeling now at mile 67. I was thinking this is going to be a long slow hike to the end. I was not sure I could push myself.

As I was walking over to my crew Mara said she found me another pacer. At first I was thinking pretty negatively. I was not sure I wanted to meet a stranger and have to converse with him in a friendly manner for the next 18 miles. You see, at this time I was kind of grumpy and not having a good time. I just wanted this race to be over. To be forced to be on good behavior meant I had to use some energy to be nice and I was not sure I could do that. If Mara went to all this effort to find someone for me I should be happy so I asked her his/her name. She said “I got you Glenn Redpath.” My first thought was, Oh God! I am going to die. Glenn is an elite ultra-runner and a friend of mine. He has come in top 10 at WS100 and I thought there is no way I was going to be able to do what he was going to ask of me but I thought what do I have to lose. Let’s do it. Glenn immediately took over. He told me what we were going to do, when I was going to run, what I was going to eat, etc. I just listened and tried to do the best I could. It was just what I needed. I felt my strength coming back. Sure, I still had my moments of complete exhaustion but with Glenn shoving food at me all the time I would gain my energy back and I was up and running. I was surprised at how fast I could run. On the down hills, I would just grin and bear the quad pain and let it rip.

Glenn told me as we left Camp 10 Bear that we had about 2 ½ hour of daylight left. We had to try to run as much as possible because once the sun goes down the energy level goes down. I kept thinking that every time I wanted to stop and walk. So on we went toward Bill’s. Food was starting to repulse me. Trying to get calories down was a chore in itself but my pacer was persistent about eating. Calories were mandatory so I kept shoving Gu’s and Powerbar Gel Blast down. I noticed that I was continually belching. Dr. Repath said that is good because it meant the food was digesting. I was imperative that I did not throw up because that meant I would have to replace all the food which could take some time. I can think of only once where my food almost came up. I had to really focus to keep in down. Lucky for me I did not toss my cookies.

At about mile 85 I finally saw someone who I had not seen since mile 1, Julian Vicente. His pacer, Dan, was leading him to the finish line. At the time, I was in one of the Speedy Gonzales phases and I did not want to lose my momentum going down the hill, so I went right by them and gave a quick “Good job” and kept on going. I heard Julian say that his legs were shot so I thought that would be the last I saw of him. I can say in all honestly it did perk me up a bit that I caught the young-in and I was enjoying it for about all of 15 seconds because the next thing I knew Julian was next to me. He was talking up a storm and I said, “I thought you said your legs were shot?” He just shrugged and so we kept on running. We were running so fast we both dropped our pacers in the dust. Next thing I know we catch a horse and we are all having a conversation while running 7:00 minute miles. This went on for probably 5 minutes and then my warning light came on again and I began to slow down. Meanwhile, Julian just kept on going. Dan eventually caught up to Julian and off they go up the hill into the darkness, so much for beating the YOUNG-IN.

Finally I could see the lights of Bill’s. The sun had gone down gone down 15 minutes ago and my gas tank indicator was flashing WARNING! WARNING! FUEL NEEDED! I walked into Bill’s aid station. Race time:….17:22….

I told my crew I just needed a few minutes to sit down and rest. Of course I knew I should not have and they all were telling me not to but I really did not care anymore about my time.   Oh, the dreaded, “I DON’T CARE ANYMORE” syndrome had struck.   I knew I was going to finish under 24 hours, so why push it? I would get the buckle so who cares? Does it really matter?   At that time, it doesn’t, but after the race it sure does. Mara told me it was time to go so Jody and Dave grabbed my arms and helped me up out of the chair. They all wished me luck as Mara and I went off into the night with a full moon beaming down from the sky.

We caught Julian and Dan about 10 minutes out from Bill’s. We were all going down this open grass field. It was beautiful. The moon was brilliant. The only thing that could have made it better was if it was cooler. I kept thinking all day that once the sun went down the temperature would come down and I would be revitalized.   That never seemed to happen.   I guess the ground was holding all the heat it absorbed during the day. BUMMER!!

As we got back into the woods I decided I wanted to take some Advil’s to help with the quad pain. I reached into my hand held for my pills and they were not there. PANIC set in. I told Mara I really needed them so she turned around and headed back to Bill’s. I told her I would just continue walking. Talk about a pacer going above and beyond her duties. She made it back in 15 minutes. I took 3 advil’s and we began our slow jog to the finish line. Here is where the miles seem to go on forever. Finally we see the milk jugs with glow sticks in them. That meant we were within a few hundred yards to the finish line. I could here people’s voices. I can see lights. Yes, I was going to finish and get a buckle. I crossed the line in 20:16:18. Only 1 hour and 21 minutes behind my 2007 finish. I placed 21st overall and 3rd in my age group.

A big congrats goes out to Julian for finishing his first 100 in 21:11:35 and placed 32nd overall and 14th in his age group.

I want to say thanks to all the volunteers and Julie Hutchinson (race director) and staff for making 2011 VT100 a huge success. Thanks to Glenn Redpath for picking me up when my energy and spirits were down. A huge thank you goes to my crew for giving their time, patience, and understanding throughout the weekend. Without their support this race would have been a lot harder. As always, I want to thank my wife Mara for always being there for me. She supports me in whatever crazy adventure I attempt. She gives herself 100%. And lastly thanks to my sponsors Mountain Peak Fitness, Campmor, Saucony and Nathan Sports and my teammates of the MPF/Campmor Trail Racing Team for sending all those positive thoughts during the race.

On to the next adventure, maybe a 101 mile mountain bike race?

~ Side note - Randy did complete the Wilderness 101 Mountain Bike Race just a couple of weeks later with his wife Mara and both finished with impressive times!

Gear Review - Nathan Endurance Pack

2011-08-06T19:53:00.003-04:00

Gear review by MPF/Campmor Athlete, Lenny Huffman.

The pack - The Nathan Endurance hydration pack is the latest addition to the Nathan Hydration pack family, It is a vest style hydration pack that features a 70oz bladder. It has 1 medium sized storage pocket that has a divider and is large enough for a light weight ,compact piece of clothing such as a winter hat or additional nutrition along with a cell phone, etc. Additional storage can be found in the bladder pocket. A bungee strap serves to secure an item to the outside. The front storage consists of a waterproof pill pocket, which for ultra runners, is essential. Electrolytes pills or extra nuun tabs fit securely inside and allows quick access. The pack also features a zippered pouch on the front that’s big enough for a phone & or camera and has an elastic pocket on the outside that’s perfect for a gel pack. On the opposite front strap there is another pocket that can hold up to a 22oz water bottle, which is great for a long day out on the trails.

My thoughts - Let me start by saying I’m a pack packrat. I have a chest full of packs, mostly because I am trying to find one with the perfect fit. My size (5’4, 130lb) has made it difficult to find the “one”... Well, now I may be finally done filling the chest. The Nathan endurance pack fits like a glove. The vest style straps (wide mesh instead of thin nylon) were very comfortable on my shoulders. I did not feel the weight of the vest even when fully loaded. It has 2 adjuster straps on each side & a chest strap to allow me to dial in the fit. It did take some trail to get it right but once done, it is set. The adjuster straps stay in place & do not need to be constantly readjusted. Unfortunately they do require the vest to be off to adjust so no on the fly adjustment.

The pack felt very comfortable on the trails during my training runs with my Mountain Peak Fitness/Campmor teammates. There was very little bounce. The weight of the back distributed nicely across my back & shoulders. The 70oz easy to fill bladder provided more than enough water. I like how easily the tube snapped to the chest strap. The front pockets were accessible & zippered with no problems. I especially like the option to hold a bottle up front. This is great for carrying water in back & an energy drink up front. Overall I found this to be a really good pack.

Likes:
Can get a snug fit
Comfortable on the shoulders
Easy to fill/clean bladder
Lots of pockets/storage
Front pocket that fits a bottle
Water proof pill pocket

Running with the Devil

2011-07-30T07:52:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth’s race report:

In the midst of a record breaking heat wave, 100 plus participants decided to embark on a journey that made them wonder if indeed the devil had taken over their minds and bodies. I mean really their aren’t many people who participate in a race where the day time high was projected to be in the high 90’s to 100º with the northeast humidity added in of course.

The Running with Devil race was held on the Mountain Creek Ski hill in Vernon NJ, next to one of my favorite childhood water parks, Mountain Creak water park or Action park back in the day. Each participant was given an option of 3, 6 or 12 hours to see how many times they could finish a 5k loop up a steep 1,200 ft ski hill then back down to racer check in, which was in the ski lodge. Every time you were finished with a loop you would have to run into this very, very inviting atmosphere where chairs called your name, friends stopped you to say hello and the slightly hidden icy cold beer beakoned a swallow.

I decided pretty much that morning to participate in the race until then my thought was to go out and support my teammates Chris and Zsuzsanna who were pushing themselves to complete the 3 hour race. But instead I signed up for the 6 hour race with hopes of getting some supported training in. After the first 2 loops I realized my mind & body were not up to the task of competing or completing it anyway. I was so relaxed I actually stopped after 2 laps and started hanging out in the lodge. On a normal day I would have zipped in & out to be sure not to waste time but not this day, my head was not into it at all. Instead I decided It would be more fun to catch up with old friends, meet new people and cheer the others on, while including a lap here and there.

Amazing achievements were on full display, Jason friedman won the 12 hour race by completing 50 remarkable miles in 12 hours, he is getting ready for the leadville 100 mile race and Jennifer Brunnet won the womens race completed 41.8 miles in the 12 hour division. Alll in all 21 people completed an ultra distance which is any mileage over 26.2 miles. Wow watch out, the NJ ultra running scene is really taking off. Big Congrats to MPF/Campmor athlete Zsusanna Carlson, she placed 1st in the 3 hour race and Chris Focacci placed 13th.

Chris Focacci’s race report:
Within the first two months of 2011, I had already raced two 50K’s and a marathon. I had a heavy upcoming race schedule for the year and was feeling as fit as ever. Unfortunately, at the NJ Ultra Festival 100 mile race in March, I suffered a tendon injury in my foot and had to drop out of the race. As all too common after coming back from an injury, I rushed back to training too fast, and in the process of over compensating for my foot, the ITB on my left leg started to flair up, which caused a sharp pain on the outside of my left knee on any run over a few miles. So outside a trail 10K in June, my racing and training season has been pretty limited over the last few months, and I have been focused on just getting healthy again. This has meant that foam rolling, stretching, and strengthening has been the order of business. But not having any knee pain over the last few weeks, and doing some progressively longer runs, I knew it was time to get back out there and try a slightly longer race. The chosen venue was Running with the Devil, organized by NJ Trail Series, in Vernon, NJ.

This was the second year that I had done Running with the Devil, so I had some inside info on just how tough this race could be (especially with temperatures reaching the upper 90’s). Different from last year is that instead of a two-mile loop up and down the mountain the loop has now been extended to 5k, which was suppose to me more "runnable". This has also been the largest field to date for this race, with about 70 people running the 3hr. race.

With a few minutes to 9am, the three and six hour runners lined up inside the lodge at the base of the mountain, which also served as the main aid station for the race. The race started promptly at 9am, and all runners were off for their first loop. I knew that the UP, while challenging wasn’t going to be the real test for the day, and it was the steep down hills that were going to make or break my race. The first climb went very smoothly, luckily unlike the day before (which reached 100 degrees), we had some nice cloud cover that lowered the temperatures on the exposed ski slopes. I past the water stop at the top of the mountain just under 30 minutes and headed back down the slope at a gentle lop. Within a few minutes, a good friend who I have had a friendly rivalry with since we both started running came barreling down the mountain behind me. With that, I decided to throw caution to the wind and matched his pace down the trail. We both rounded out the first loop in just over 39 minutes, with no inkling of knee pain!

I swapped out my Amphipod waistbelt for a pre-filled Nathans hand-held and was out on my second loop with a new sense of motivation. My second loop went much like the first, with the same strategy. It was a slow grind up the mountain, but I was able to make up a lot of time on the downhill back to the start. I was happily surprised at this point to realize that the part of the race I was worried about the most was actually turning out to be my strength. I think I owe this a lot to being pushed on the downhill’s on the group runs with the MPF/Campmor Team at Harriman State Park and Ringwood over the last few months. I came into the start from the second loop in 46 minutes.

I took a little more time on this transition to fill up my water bottle and get some nutrition. If the runners received any reprieve from the sun on the first two loops, it was out in full force now, and it made the going a little slower. But the same strategy prevailed; slow up and push it on the down. About halfway up my third loop I realized that I was just going to be a little shy of enough time to go for a fourth loop, getting back to the start at 2:20. Luckily, the race director had planned out a shorter .5 mile loop that could be ran once another full loop was out of reach. I managed to get 3 short loops (some thanks to the additional prodding of teammate Randy Miller) in before the cutoff for a total of 10.8 miles and just outside a top ten placing.

This race has certainly served to restore some of the confidence that I lost after the DNF at the NJ Ultra Festival, and my proceeding injuries. Now I am looking forward to putting my nose to the grindstone and getting ready for the Mountain Madness 50K in October (watch out Randy!).

A special congratulations goes out to Zsuzsanna Carlson for running a fantastic race and coming in first female. And thank you to Elizabeth, Joe, and the rest of the MPF/Campor Team for the support and the foam rolling tips! ;-)

Zsuzsanna Carlson’s race report:
Honestly, I signed up for this race with intentions of just showing face and having fun with with the trail running team and friends.
It is 8 days before the BIG ONE, The Escarpment Trail Run....a definite goal race for me.

3 hours I can do. I can use this as training for the Wasatch 100 in September. I never ran a race for a given time, but always for a distance....Running with the Devil goes up and down the ski slopes of Vernon Valley....3.1 mile loop ran as many times as you can then fill in remaining time with a .5 mile loop that's just as steep as the big one. The 5k loop has 1100" elevation gain and 1100" loss as well.

I figured we'd all take it easy as the temps have been over 100º the last few days leading up to the race and forecast said the same for day of. Well, it was cloudy yet very humid. Definitely not as horrid as I imagined.

I had a couple other team mates, Elizabeth and Chris toeing the line, so I knew I might get carried away...funny...the girls you know, you want to beat. If you don't know them, well, then you have to beat them....

First loop :38 and change...good and steady, breathing hard, but I'm always breathing hard. The downhill, which is what I am good at, seemed choppy and I was not happy with my form.
Loop 2 - :41 and change...strong going up, thinking wow, I love this....short wrong turn off the course (signature), mental recovery as I got passed back by a girl while at it, ran hard back down...
Loop 3 - :44 minutes as I decided to change out of my Inov-8s and into more cushioned Brooks Cascadias....the small rocks and gravel hurt my feet!
Otherwise feeling great, in 1st F but can see a girl behind me, we leapfrog a couple of times...downhill I run hard and its just me.
Loop 4 - :41 or 42 minutes? sun is out and it's HOT!!!! Got lapped by awesome Mike Dixon (winner, of course)....run hard down, chatting with a friend. Get in and have time for a small loop so off I go....7:13, I get back and got under 6 minutes left, I try again, harder...I ran that last small loop in 5:57!!!! Except that I am 16 seconds beyond the 3 hr limit and it doesn't count!!! But at least I tried, tried HARD!! I can't believe I had in me such a sprint 3 hours into this tough race!

Officially 12.9 miles covered, 1st Female, 3rd overall out of 70 runners! I am very happy, glad I pushed.

I got to recover for Escarpment. My quads and front of my ankles are very sore...foam roller and stretching, twirling, whatever it takes. I hope I didn't mess it up too much for the race I love the most: ETR!!

Saucony ProGrid Xodus 2.0 Review

2011-07-17T14:56:00.000-04:00

Review by MPF/Campmor Athlete Chris Foccaci
The first generation Saucony Xodus and I have had a long past. It was my first “true” trail running sneaker, and the shoe in which I ran my first ultra. I probably ended up putting close to 500 miles on those sneakers before they were retired to sneaker heaven. This was part of the reason that I was extremely excited to test out the next generation model, the Saucony ProGrid Xodus 2.

Test Ride:
Over the last few months, I have done almost all of my trail runs in these shoes and I have not been disappointed. The Xodus is a rough and tumble, go anywhere and do anything trail runner. From the bottom up, the shoe makes contact with the trail through an extremely durable and exclusively designed Vibram outsole. The outsole is slightly on the stiff side, but is extremely grippy. The only times were I have not had the fullest confidence in it is when running after (or during) a rain storm on wet and slippery rocks, but I have not come across a shoe yet that handles this situation well. Moving up the shoe, the Saucony inter-lock system does a good job of wrapping around the mid-foot to secure it against lateral movement on technical trail sections. The uppers also breathe well, and have no problem draining, after frequent water crossings. If sand and debris are a concern, the gusseted tongue does a very good job of keeping debris out of the shoe, but if you are running on terrain where this might be a problem, the shoes also have metal loops specifically made to attach gaiters.

So what are the downsides? Well, I wouldn’t necessarily call them negatives, but there are some factors that should be noted before you decide these shoes are right for you. Firstly, coming in at 11.9 oz, these are definitely not in the minimalist camp. So if you are looking for a sneaker alternative to your Vibram Five Fingers, you should probably look at another model. While these can’t be considered minimalist, they are still moderately lightweight, and fall right in the middle weight range of other similar shoes in its category. The extremely popular Brooks Cascadia comes in heavier at 12.4 oz, while the Montrail Mountain Masochist is a lighter 10.8 oz. The other thing to note is that I have found that the toe box of these shoes to be geared toward a narrower foot, which may cause chaffing for someone with a wider foot.

Conclusion:
The beauty of this shoe is that it is really designed to do handle anything well. It is very durably, while still keeping its weight down, and is just as happy running a trail 10k to tackling a technical ultra. The only thing to determine is if the fit is right for you, which varies so greatly from runner to runner, the only way to know is to give them a test fit. Visit Campmor.com to give them a try.
Chris

Western States 100, race report by Elizabeth

2011-07-05T23:00:00.003-04:00

The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, whats the big deal? Why does everyone want to run this race? People keep asking me this question and I often asked myself about the hype that surrounds this race. Its just another 100 mile race, isn’t it? after doing 10 other 100 mile races since I did this one in 2007, I have to say, its not.

The Western States (WS100) is not just another race! It’s the oldest organized trail 100 mile race in our country and boasts over 18,000 ft of climbing and 22,970 ft of descending. The spirit of its history and nostalgia along with the positive energy and organization put forth by the race directors and volunteers is unrivaled. During the entire race, the aid station volunteers and spectators make you feel like a rock star, an elite athlete even if your name is not Geoff Roes, or Tracy Garneau.

My Story:
During the months of December, January & February I was unable to run or do any cardio work without severe pain in my foot from a mountain biking injury I received earlier in the year (another story). I geared my training towards strength training that included foam rolling, mobility work, core & stability movements, kettlebells and training ropes. I had to pretty much put WS100 on the back burner and let time go by with the focus being on healing. Initially when I gained entrance in to the WS, I was over joyed with excitement, I have been experiencing a pretty mean streak of luck within the last couple of years when It came to ultra running lotteries and this race holds special meaning to most ultra runners. But my foot was taking its time to heal and I knew there was probably no way for me to be in good enough shape to accomplish my original goal let alone the mighty goal of sub 24 hours.

By March I started completing solid weeks of training by cycling and some running, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to run the WS100. Our final decision was made at the end of May that we would go to WS and I would embrace it as a long training adventure on tired legs. Joe and I planned my schedule for April, May and June to be big blocks of training which would leave me without a solid taper. A month leading into the race I had my last 3 week training block which included 2 x 40+ mile runs and a 50 mile training run that was ran exactly 2 weeks before the WS100. During this time I felt great and I was gaining the much needed confidence of knowing I could finish Western States. The desire, passion and fitness was there, now all I needed was to get to the finish line.

5 days before the 2011 Western States 100 we were told the race was being run on a modified course due to the insane amount of snow fall the area received over the winter. This meant the runners would have to navigate over 13 miles of snow without aid stations and we would not be able to see our crews until mile 55 at Michigan Bluff or the Foresthill Aid Station at mile 62. I was concerned as it seemed everyone was with traversing many miles on snow being unable to use traction devices such as yaktraxs or micro-spikes. Drop bags were essential and I was okay with this even though I generally don’t use drop bags. My plan was to have a drop bag at mile 20, the Poppy aid station and mile 32, Mosquito ridge, with both containing extra socks, shoes, clothing essentials, coconut water, Perpetuem, other nutrition necessities and then I would meet Joe at the Foresthill AS, mile 62 for a major tune-up, if necessary.

Race day:

Nervous energy and excitement filled the chilly early morning air. We stood talking and for me shivering but I knew my shivering would soon come to an end as we started our charge up the 2500 ft climb that stood before us to escarpment aid station. I decided to walk the first 3 miles briskly to activate my muscles so they would be ready to run when I got to the top. We followed a pretty steep dirt road that switched back to the top of the escarpment, if I was going to the top and coming back down I could probably run it but this was the start of a 100 mile race & I needed to be conservative. As I looked to the right the sunrise took my breathe away, then as I looked behind me I saw a swarm of runners making their way up and as I looked ahead, I saw the leaders running, deep introspection was already beginning. What a day we are about to have!

We made it to the top where the snow began, the photographers and spectators seemed to line the whole section up until this point, its as if they were sending us off into the unknown. My first foot placement on the snow was a very familiar feeling, my feet knew exactly how to run and where to run. I usually train through the winter months but this year I didn’t get to take one step on the snow other than during my snowshoe wedding in the ADK. However, all of my snow running skills quickly came back. I know it sounds silly but really its helpful if you know where to step and not to step. For instance, the temps were freezing at the top so I knew not to step in an old foot step because it would definitely be icy, it’s better to create a new step or to step over it. This was not like running on a flat path covered in snow this was running on an uncambered surface of a mountain side with the potential of a steep fall on both sides. Runners were falling all over the place, some were even wearing minimalist road shoes and having a tough time, crazy stuff! You had to be very careful but not too careful, running with too much fear would definitely cause you to end up on your rear sliding down the mountain or causing danger to the runners trying to get around you. It was very much like technical trail running, short strides with fast feet made all the difference. I loved it even though at times I thought of how tired my legs were going to be when they finally hit the dirt.

15 miles went pretty quickly we were already heading into Talbot aid station mile 18.5 right before this we had to forge a roaring river that for me was pretty deep but short in length. I told the guys around me aggressively, “hey your going to have to give me some space, its up to my waist, be careful not to push me in”! Holy crap! The water was cold it took me a couple of minutes for me to gain my composure and start running again. I chanted to myself, "no blisters, no blisters". I continued on to Talbot, topped off my hydration pack, grabbed some gu’s and headed out feeling good, my hydration and nutrition were right on track. The next section was unbelievable, we skirted around a turquoise lake on single track covered in soft pine needles. I met up with a fellow runner from LA we were going the same pace so decided to chat and stick together for a while. He had music, my head phones were waiting for me at the Mosquito Ridge AS mile 31. I told myself I wasn’t going to put mine on until mile 50 but listening to him talk about his play list was breaking me down. We ran along admiring the beauty and talking about other races we have done, the miles were ticking by and soon we were at the next aid. I quickly left this aid station and it was at this time I started to think maybe I can do this in 24 hours, man wouldn’t it be nice to get that silver buckle! From this point on the buckle took over my brain. The Western States 100 offers a silver belt buckle to those who finish in 24 hours or under or a Bronze belt buckle for those who finish in 30 hours. Just completing the race is an awesome accomplishment but to do it in 24 hours would be fantastic especially on a course with over 18,000 feet of climbing.

Mosquito ridge aid station mile 31

Every aid station had a small sign that stated the time you had to be at this aid station if you were on track for a 24 or 30 hour finish. I approached the aid station, yelled out my number, “133!” the volunteers were so awesome, they would find your drop bag and aid you through the station to make sure you had everything. This is where I dropped my hydration pack and went with 2 water bottles. I placed one in my Nathan 028 race vest and the other I carried. I Had some Perpetuem, coconut water, grabbed my headphones, looked at the time of day which looked like I was 13 minutes behind than 24 hour pace. I Headed out, turned my tunes on and everything was great! But I know from experience 100 miles is a long way and things can change rapidly, doom could be lurking around any corner.

From this point on we would be on the original course so I knew the canyons were coming along with the heat. The next section had 2 miles or so of road that I knew I could run even though some of it was uphill but again in fear of blowing up I slowed my pace and focused on my goal of 24. I ran through Millers Defeat and Dusty Corners AS, now on my way to Last Chance AS mile 43.8. My mind kept thinking about getting to Foresthill without trashing your quads. I left Last Chance heading to Devils thumb, this climb is tough, especially after blazing down 2 miles of endless, I mean what seems to be endless down hill which you think is easy but its not! You finally get to the bottom, cross a bridge, cool your self off in the stream if you choose and start heading back up. Oh boy, this is tough, one foot at a time, one switch back at a time... I would get to the corners, take 10 seconds, then push on. I was behind on calories and my legs behaved in that manner, like dead weights, I struggled to get one foot in front of the other with 1 mile to go till the AS. My spirits were still positive but my legs were headed in the opposite direction quick. Some other runners were really hurting, puking, legs buckling etc.. I was moving slow, it felt like 1 mph. During my 10 second breaks I would take a moment to look around at the view and remind myself of how lucky we all were that we were healthy enough to traverse this beautiful mountain range by foot. I would really get worked up, teary eyed by the magnitude of what we were all doing, whether you were doing it in 15 hours or 30, its a pretty unique feat.

I made it to the top feeling pretty good even though the way up I was entertaining myself by shouting expletives. Devils thumb aid station is always an evil one, the wonderful volunteers like to offer you ice pops and a chair, it takes a lot of strength to say no thank you and carry on.

Michigan bluff- huff huff
Sometimes this climb seems harder than the devils but not this time, its not as steep but its long and very hot! The driving force behind this climb for me is that I will be more than half way done with the race and almost to Foresthill mile 62 where I get to see Joe for the first time. I was weighed and headed out eating watermelon which was very interesting because on a normal day I hate it. However, I love certain fruits that are cold during a race, especially when its heating up. Leaving Michigan Bluff AS I recognized a fellow New Jersey resident Tim who was there to support one of his teammates Dan from the Animal Camp. He asked me if I had a pacer and I said nope and he said he would see if he could find one at Foresthill, I said okay. I headed down the road running feeling strong but again aware of my 24 hour goal. I was still 10 minutes or so behind the 24 hour goal pace. This portion is a mix of dirt road which is up hill then crests into a nice single track down hill section that leads you to a shorter climb up to bath road. Still in good spirits I manage to pass a couple people during this section, made it to bath road and guess who was there, Joe! yay! I didn’t stop at the aid station just kept walking strong and talking to Joe about my day. He walk/ran with me uphill for 1.5 miles until we reached Forresthill road.

I was on such a high when I reached the Forest hill aid station my legs were feeling better. Spectators lined the road cheering on runners, the energy of everyone was awesome! I came into the aid station area asking for a pacer, I really thought I should have one especially since the silver buckle was still an option if I pushed hard. I kept moving through the aid station looking for where Joe was set up. At first I couldn’t find Joe or the car so I kept moving then Joe yelled out that he was finding a pacer, then a man came behind me and said I’ll pace ya my name is Myles and I said sweet. Joe joined us and pointed us in the direction of the car. We proceeded to introduce ourselves and quickly talked about my goal of 24. Myles was an old time local Western States runner he knew every inch of the course and has completed it 4 times. Its pretty interesting meeting a stranger at mile 62 of a 100 mile race but I felt we would work well together, my spirits were high. I left Foresthill heading into the night with a complete stranger, yet he wasn’t. He was very aware of what I have been through and what it took to get to the finish line & some times its not pretty. A short while after we started running he told me he just finish the Bighorn 100 over the previous weekend in the back of my mind I thought wow I hope he will be able to keep up.

My pace was pretty strong going into the AS at mile 65.7, there was little talking done other than me shouting over the music pumping in my ears about how beautiful our surroundings were. I tried to think about other things besides the time ticking by on my watch. Headed to mile 70, at this point my mind becomes fixated on getting to the Rucky Chucky river crossing. I know I need to get here before 11:00pm, this way I could have 6 hours to climb up to Green Gate mile 80 and make it to the finish.

Mile 70.7 Peachstone AS. Oh gosh! For those of you who think it’s flat or mostly downhill to Rucky you are mistaken. There are a couple of steep switch back climbs on from Foresthill to Rucky Chucky and every time I hit one my pace would slow and I knew the feat of continuing to press for sub 24 hours was not going to be easy. The automated guy on my shuffle informed me of some terrible news, that my battery was low. I knew I had to conserve my rockin playlist until mile 85 to get me through the rest of the race. I asked Myles to tell me a story but all of his stories seemed to be about the race and I wanted a complete distraction. I listened with an open mind, laughed and then carried on by this point we turned on our lights and I noticed Myles falling behind me, some times I would stop to be sure he was okay but then told myself I can’t worry about it to much and carried on.

Many other runners were shooting for the same goal, I would hear loud shouting words of encouragement, come on, looking good, keep it going, keep your eye on the shiny silver buckle. Kinda pissed me off because the pressure was getting to me. Myles caught back up and ran with me all the way to Rucky Chucky 78, I looked down at my watch 10:52. I tried to get to the other side as quickly as I could. I walked down the stone steps, placed a life vest on, yes a life vest, shared a ride with fellow runners who were going the same pace and we enjoyed a little boat ride across the American River, very cool! Joe should be waiting for me on the other side to walk with me up to green gate. Far side Rucky Chucky the clock read 11:00pm, 6 hours to run 22 miles after already running 78. Can I do it?

Rucky Chucky far side the plan was for me to change my shoes and socks but there was no time for this. The raft stopped, I got out and kept right on moving through the aid station. I knew Joe or Myles would catch up. I charged up looking back for them, soon they would join me. I ate and drank my way up the hill talking and laughing, yes I still haven’t hit any emotional or any terrible physical lows. I got to Green Gate mile 80, had some chicken soup which is a complete addiction of mine during a 100 miler, said ciao to Joe and headed out feeling pretty good.

20 miles to go!
During this section I focused on getting to Highway 49 AS at mile 93.5 with enough time to complete the 8 miles to the finish. I quickly moved through Auburn AS mile 85.2 & Browns Bar AS mile 89.5.. Man these were the longest miles and my Calorie intake was on the low side, but food is not looking good. In and out of each aid station. My mind solely focused on getting to Highway 49. During this time I’m losing hope & motivation, “who cares”, I would tell myself, “so I’ll make it in 24:10 or maybe I’ll just walk it in from here and enjoy just being in the woods to the finish”. Getting to Highway 49 challenged every part of me. Myles disappeared, I don’t know where? From Green gate (mile 80) on was kind of a blank. I’m starting to think I will not be able to make it. On ward to Highway 49 mile 93.5, Uhhh! This section pissed me off, at first it turned into a nice rolling slightly rocky dirt road that turned into another climb that seemed to take years off my life. No music, just me headed towards mile 93.5 and maybe Joe will be there to uplift my spirits, if I ever get there. I would shine my light ahead to see if there was any reprieve, nope, I said screw it, I looked down at my watch by the time I get to Highway 49 I will have 1 hour & :20 minutes to go with what I thought was 8 miles left. There is no way, I can barely do that on this terrain during the day when feeling fresh.

Finally pulled in to Highway 49 mile 93.5. Yes, Joe was there, he quickly gave me some nutrition and I looked at him with sadden eyes, with a whiny voice and I said, “I’m not going to make it”. I’m so disappointed, like a child who lost her best friend. He walked me out of the aid station for a mile trying to lift my spirits and of course it was uphill. We talked, he got me to the top and said come lets run, I said okay but it would really suck If I made it to the line in 24:02. He said you can do it, its only 7 miles from Highway 49 and I said what?? I thought it was 8+... shoot maybe I can... He left and I kept going. I remembered this section from 2007 and I knew it was pretty easy running to No Hands AS at mile 96.8. I ran along, stumbling in sections. I remembered I was conserving my battery life on my iPod, I checked to see if it was working, YES, perfect! I ran along, I saw the lights shining from the No Hands AS. I pulled in, shouted out my number, grabbed a gu and one of the Volunteers said hey 133 some ones here for you and I looked back, it was Myles he got a ride some how to No Hands and met me to try to lead me in. How awesome, just what I needed. I quickly thanked him as we walked/ran. I was too tired to ask how he got there, I was just happy he was. I drank some coke and got moving the best I could, he ran with me for about a mile until I felt myself pull away. I turned my head to check to see how far back he was I, noticed runners barreling towards me at a pace that was as if they just started. It was Sandi Nypaver and her pacer running strong, I latched on to the back and manage to keep their pace for about 1/2 mile but my legs were done. I slowed back down to a jog, made it to the base of the switch backs leading up to our final check point at Robie point, mile 98.9. I tried to walk as fast as I could, I told myself If I don’t make it I have to know I gave it all I could! I walked through Robie Point, announced my number and kept moving.

From this point on we were on pavement. My eyes searched for the painted orange feet on the road that would lead me to the finish. I heard screams from the aid station, go Elizabeth! You can do it! They must of just realized what I was trying to accomplish. Of course there was a short uphill, I did everything I could to run but I just couldn’t. I looked down at my watch in fear of what it would tell me, it read 4:52 am, 8 minutes to go 1.3 miles, shit and a host of other words came out of my mouth. Two spectators were walking up saying come on push but I am suffering, I said "I wish I could" and then I screamed a bit to muster up any ounce of energy I had left and then thoughts came to me about a run 2 weeks ago when I led a charge downhill at a 5:50 pace at the end of a 50 mile training run with my teammates, I some how found another gear! I want this I shouted! Come on! Pain flooded my body as I sprinted with all my might. I turned the last corner that would lead me to the famous track, I shouted to people “where is the entrance”? My feet hit the track and my mind fled to my old high school track days, the crowd was screaming, Joe was yelling! I took off, coming into the final straight away, Andy Jones Wilkins and others yelled throw down your bottle, etc. GO Elizabeth, GO!!! I made it, 23:59:44. I was in complete shock! I made it and guess what, I never had to change my shoes, socks, skirt, shirt or hand-helds, thank god because I would not have made it, there was not a second to spare.

I’m inspired more than ever to continue to train hard & maybe one day soon I will be in the top 10 of a race of this magnitude, after all this where all the top runners in the world toe the line. I am very happy to have the silver buckle and to have been the 20th women to cross the line, especially after being sidelined due to an early season injury. I leave this race knowing I had a wonderful time out there and gave 100%. I am truly in awe of the front runners and their ability. Thank you to Joe, Myles, Mountain Peak Fitness/Campmor Trail running team, race directors and all the volunteers who truly make this race a historic adventure. A big thanks goes out to our sponsors Campmor.com, NathanSports, Saucony and Darn Tough Socks, thanks for the support!

Elizabeth

Gear Review - Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Shoe

2011-06-30T21:57:00.001-04:00

Shoe review by Phil Germakian (Mountain Peak Fitness/Campmor Trail Running Team Member)

The Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Shoe is a terrific trail shoe. It’s lightweight and flexible design, makes it a good choice for runners who are interested in transitioning into a more minimalist trail shoe. This shoe gives you a good feel for the ground, which allows your foot to quickly respond to any changes in the terrain. I have been running in my Saucony Peregrines for three months now, and I have not experienced any major issues. So far, I have used them on a variety of trails on runs of up to 15 miles. This shoe responds well on road, and both technical and non-technical trails. It performs best in dry conditions. I do not recommend wearing this shoe on very wet and muddy trails, because its tread tends to pick-up and hold onto mud, and slip on wet rocks. The upper on this shoe provides a lot of protection from trail debris, which sacrifices some breathability. Since this lack of airflow between the inside and outside of the shoe may cause overheating for some runners, this shoe is best suited for cooler temperatures. All in all, the Peregrine represents a great step forward in the evolution of trail running shoes that give you that natural feel, without sacrificing too much support and protection.

Visit Campmor.com or their retail store to get a closer look, click here.

Western States, Pre-race thoughts

2011-06-29T12:11:00.004-04:00

Part 1- Pre race thoughts:

Western States 100 endurance run whats the big deal? Why does everyone want to run this race? People keep asking me this question and I often asked myself about the hype that surrounds this race. Its just another 100 mile race isn’t it? after doing 10 other 100 mile races since I did this one in 2007 I have to say it is not.

Western States is not just another race! WS is the oldest organized trail 100 mile race in our country. The spirit of history and nostalgia along with the positive energy and organization put forth by the race directors and volunteers is unrivaled. During the entire race the aid station volunteers and spectators make you feel like a rock star, elite athlete even if your name is not Geoff Roes, or Tracy Garneau.

All of my memories from 2007 are positive I don’t think I ever smiled so much during a race! The kindness and warmth of the people propelled me towards the finish line. It was if I was being cradled to the finish line by a very loving family.

Another reason for all the HYPE, this is where we get to witness incredible athletic endeavors such as Geoff, Tony and Killian who brought out the best in each other by challenging each other all the way to the line to set a course record. I remember watching the whole thing unfold during last years race from my computer at home. I watch so intently checking aid stations splits, watching the webcast as if I was a mad spectator of the super bowl.

This years race is really no different other than Tony Kuprica being out of loop which sucks for us and of course most of all him. This years field is stacked 20 deep on both men's and women’s field respectively. For those of us who follow the elites of the sport this is a very exciting time and especially rewarding for those who get the opportunity to have their own race and personal adventure, we get to run behind the elites on the same dirt, climbing and descending the same mountains and hopefully crossing the same finish line.

My race:

When the lottery was drawn in December 2010 I was over joyed to find out of was selected to have another opportunity to run this special race. Soon after I hurt myself during a winter mtb ride and the injury set me back 3 months. I pretty much couldn't do anything but focus on core and total body strength. I really didn’t think I would gain my fitness back to even attempt this race but here I am willing to give it my all along side 400 other runners. Off to the start!

Post Race report Coming soon!

This Weekend at the starting line

2011-06-17T09:33:00.007-04:00

This weekend MPF client Alex Appel will be toeing the line of his 3rd 50 mile race in 8 months the Mohican 50 mile endurance run.

Alex embarked on the journey of completing 4 ultras (50+ miles) last summer after his Grandmother lost her battle to Alzheimer's. He couldn't think of a better way to give back and he knew he loved to run so he thought to himself why not? He had planned to leave his full time job in finance to pursue a Masters at Harvard Business School in the fall of 2011, this gave him a bit of time to focus on training to accomplish this awesome goal. Even though he has never run an ultra or even an organized marathon he has always found himself running for joy.

To date he has raised over $27,000 which 100% will donated to the Alzheimer's association and has completed:

October 9th - The Can lake 50 (results 7:47:49) first ultra ever, 8th place overall

Feburary 19th- Ironhorse 100k - (results 10:05:35), first place overall

June 18th- Mohican 50 mile endurance run- TBD

July 17th - Leadville 50- TBD The last race!

To learn more about his mission or to donate please visit his website ultrastoendalzheimers.org

Good luck Alex!

MORE STARTING LINE EXCITEMENT:

MPF/Campmor athlete Zsuzsanna Carlson will be toeing the line at the Mt. Washinton Road run-up. The Mt. Washington 7.6 mile auto road is the oldest man made (1861) tourist attraction that takes you to the 6,288ft peak. This should really challenge your anerobic threshold ZS Good luck, enjoy the awesome views and powerful wind!

Watchung 10 mile Race report

2011-06-12T18:39:00.000-04:00

Last Weekend MPF/Campmor Trail running athletes, Chris, Tom and Phil participated in the Watchung 10 mile and 10k race. Congratulations to Tom Haines who placed 7th (10 mile), Chris Focacci placed 6th (10k) and Phil Germakian who won the 10 mile race!

Phil Germakians mile race report from the NJ Trail Series Watchung 10 Miler on Sunday June 5th.

I arrived at the Watchung Reservation with the intention of casually running the 10-mile trail race. I was not there to compete, because to be honest, I did not think I could. It takes a certain type of training, mainly speed work, to perform well in short distance races, and I had done ZERO over the past six months. The lack of speed work in my training was due to an injury that has left me with little confidence in my current running ability. However, using smart race tactics and a lot of HEART, I was able to still have a very successful race.

As soon as the race began, my competitive side was ignited. After a couple minutes, I glanced down at my Garmin to discover I was running a 6:41 mile pace! The excitement of the race had gotten to me, but I knew I could never maintain that pace for 10 miles, so I backed off and allowed another runner to take the lead. I settled in behind two other runners, forming a lead pack of three. Fortunately, one of those runners was a friend of mine who agreed to work together. We decided we would allow the lead runner to control the pace, hoping to conserve our energy. At this point, we were about 2 miles into the race, and we were now moving at a 7:05 average pace. I was not planning to run this fast, and was hoping that the lead runner would eventually slow down. Luckily, he eventually began to show signs of fatigue, slowing on the short technical sections, giving me a bit of a break. My friend, Lenny and I slowed with him, allowing him to continue to control the pace. We were both not interested in running faster than we had too. This strategy works well, just as long as the pace does not slow down too much to allow other runners to catch up from behind.

At about mile 9, that’s exactly what happened. Another 10-mile runner flew past our group. I immediately increased my pace to match his, gluing myself to his heels. I was not about to give away this race in the last mile and a half. Whoever was going to win this race, would have to earn it. With about a half-mile to go, Lenny started his kick, and I followed. It hurt to stay with him, but I told myself to hang on. I needed to stay close to keep my chances of winning alive. Lenny had the lead by a few strides as we emerged from the woods. With only about 25 meters to go, I dug deep, found a new gear, and with a final burst of speed crossed the finish line, winning by fractions of a second in a time of 1:20:34! It was by far my most intense race finish ever, and also my second win of my young running career.

A special thanks to my MPF/Campmor teammates, Tom and Chris for their support, and to Rick and Jennifer McNulty for putting on another stellar NJ Trail Series event!
Phil

Tom Haines race report from the same 10 miler.

Sadly, the bullshit you are about to read will be my last race report for the MPF Trail Running Team. I recently announced to the team that I will be leaving the US for a new life in China.

At about 6pm I was glad to receive a call from RD who asked my help marking the course for the following days race.

So Saturday evening I spent a couple of hours in twilight throwing white flour on the ground. The evening was rather uneventful until I got to the south side of Watchung. I descended the hill towards the river bed and heard a loud rustle to my left. Looking up, expecting to see a deer I got the shock of my life. A bloody great big Grizzly bear on hind paws staring at me with evil intent. Actually it was black
bear cub about 2 ft tall on all fours. It turned and ran. I turned and ran.

I know bear sightings in other parts are common but this is first time I’ve ever seen one. And in Watchung for goodness sake! Watchung is like trail for the gentry. We don’t have bears. We have manicured trails and a Starbucks at every intersection. Bears are just…..wild. They belong in wild places.

I finally arrived home and had a few more drinks to calm the nerves.

Onto the race. This is always a very minor portion of my reports.

I arrived just about 8:30am with a gruesome headache. I had coffee, a 5hr energy and 2 Tylenol in an attempt to remedy the effects of the previous day’s alcoholic over indulgence. Several friends were running the 10mile race. Amongst them were Len and Phil. I knew these two were very close in (high) ability and I used my caffeine high to goad them into a fight. Neither was reacting to my taunts and both played down their chance of winning. A bit different then what Phil written above...

At 9 30 we set off. I tried to keep up with these two guys and managed to do so for a great number of seconds. A pack of three went off ahead, and were never seen again.

Another group of 3 moved past me. I struggled to keep moving for the first 40mins and I lost sight of them. However almost instantaneously on 40mins my “hangover” disappeared I got my second wind. For some reason it always takes me this long to really warm up. After this time I really felt good. I made up time on the 6th place guy but never quite caught him. Due to some marking vandalism (maybe by bears) I missed a turn near the end. It didn’t cost me more than a minute or so and certainly no placing. But my final time was 1hr 30 mins 23 secs.

Damn that missed turn! Damn that last beer.

Thankyou Campmor Trail Running Team. Its been great knowing y’all.

Tom

Training with MPFit Client Travis G. at Lake Welch

2011-06-10T11:37:00.000-04:00

On one of the 1st real warm days of the year, MPFit Client Travis and I made our way up to Lake Welch in Harriman State Park for a workout that included, running, swimming, kettlebells, training ropes, medicine balls, bodyweight & agility drills, etc. and finished with a bike circuit up Tiorati Brook Road & around to 106.

Massanutten Mountain Trail 100!

2011-06-06T22:48:00.000-04:00

The Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 Mile Endurance run, race report by MPF/Campmor Athlete, Zsuzsanna Carlson.

Better late than never, it took me some time to come to grips with the obstacles this race presented me.

This is the story of my third Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 mile finish and already my eighth ultra of 2011.

I made the MMT 100 my goal race for this year as I thought I was having a great race last year until mile 77 came and I got to the Visitor Center where I took a nap, for an hour! Of course getting really sore quads by mile 20 is also part of that story. But onto this year, I thought I had a good shot at 28 hours (30:57 last year)...

Race weekend: drove down Friday morning with my pacer Frances Davis who wanted to check out the course because she is thinking about running it next year.
Got into town and it was breath takenly beautiful as always. I Checked in, ate and set up my tent in the rain.

The 4:00 am race start came fast, before we knew it we were off running in the warm, very humid misty air. I ran up the road with people I know were about my ability and I felt comfortable. I had a plan of taking it easy for the 1st 3rd of the race, then working harder the 2nd and putting my head down for the 3rd!
About mile 13 I went into the bushes for a bathroom break as I squatted down I felt a tickle, poke, looked, hmm hope it's not poison ivy...

The 1 hour earlier start this year compared to last did away with running the notorious Short Mountain in daylight. We were on it in the dark just like 2 years ago, with very slick rocks everywhere, rain falling and fog so thick sometimes our lights barely hit the rocks. The early start gave us 2 hours in the dark on a hard section as opposed to one, this explained why I was about 20 minutes behind coming into each AS until mile 63. I was okay with that as long as I kept feeling good. I thought to myself maybe this year the race is taking less toll on me and therefore I will not fall apart at the end.
After the Elizabeth Furnace AS about mile 33 I finally put on my iPod. I have to admit I did pay attention to what the rest of the runners were doing and was alarmed by some people who I didn't think should be in front of me being in front of me and was equally alarmed by faster runners being behind me as well. Yet I was confident that the level of exertion was just right for me.

I picked up a lot of people between miles 33-63, including 2 girls, Kari and Company. There were long climbs which I didn't mind at all (yes!!! still thrilled about that) and long downhills, which I knew eventually would end up causing sore quads. Soreness in my right ITB already started to rear its ugly head. Habron Gap climb done! I’m on the ridge line as the storm comes in with its rain and wind. I put on my Saucony arm warmers, which I love and kept moving along.

Next up, Roosevelt AS. I picked up my pacer Rick Moyer, who was to pace me for 2 legs. On the long slow climb up on the blue trail I let a couple of guys pass me back (I had a very fast AS visit, so I always passed people there). Still sweating a ton, but no longer salty sweat, so I stop taking the pills (mistake?)...Ahh, with darkness all the bugs are gone! I have never have never experienced so many bugs on a run here before. Crest, see some awesome campers, hit a very muddy and rocky downhill going to Gapcreek AS. I realize I am dreading the climb up on Kerns and Kerns itself, I ALWAYS have a low (emotional and physical) there. They say Karl Meltzer already went through the second time (mile 96!!)...as I leave, Neal Gorman stormed though, I saw his lights all the way up on the switchbacks running! I am so impressed! I make it to the top once again, I climbed it better than any other years prior. The rain and fog starts again, I'm chaffing or whatever it is, it's so bad I am reapplying vaseline (carrying the whole tub) every 20 minutes. I am slow picking my way through Kerns. I slid into the edge of one rock knee first, instant blood and then a golf ball size swelling on my knee cap. kind of pulling on the already achy ITB but I knew that this was nothing. My butt hurts and nothing else matters. Its Raining hard now and seeing in the fog (or clouds) is tough. We finally hit the road again and I can't run it. WHY? Sore quads, blisters coming in on the heels and my chaffed butt. With all of this I am happy and peeing every 10 minutes...

AS Visitor Center I met my next pacer Frances and go. It's hot so we do not need rain jacket etc. Climb up Bird Knob harder than ever. My heart is racing I feel sick and EVERYTHING is wrong. I sit down on a rock to watch 3 girls pass along with guys I know are slower than me. I get to the top I throw up, I never threw up in a race before. I think it's just me dealing with my chafing or what not, it's taking it's toll on me. Bird Knob AS and viola. Get there, it starts to pour again. Winds and thunder...I take my shoes off for the first time, my blisters are way too deep to pop. I almost never get them, never did here anyway, at MMT, but if I do, I get the kind that's like 8 layers below the surface... never mind. We stay for a while because everybody is staying. I wanted to drop so badly but Frances says NO! Let's get to Picnic Area at mile 87, my friend Quattro will be there and that will be a boost. We go slowly barely any running we run stop reapply, go stop reapply (vaseline) on and on. The Sun is finally up!
AS: Quatro gives me Benadryl cream, mayonaise for my sandwich he says LOL. It knocks the air out of me, kind of like when you jump in icy water then it helps (until I pee again!). The next climb up is not so bad yet I am just so spent. All I want to do is lay down, stomach first and not move! Lori passes me she is doing her first 100 she looks GREAT! I am happy for her. Last AS with one big climb left. I actually pass a few people back on it, after I have to sit and fix my shoes and let them go!!! Messy decent on wet rocks again.

3 mile road section and I am power hiking can't run. That is just sad. I finish in 32:13. No good. I can barely move after. I see people all showered and happy and walking. I have never been so beat up after a race before....Sheryl says she had a tough day, so did Kathleen. Sheryl goes off into the woods (walking just fine!) to gather me some plants for my butt. Thank you!

To be honest I still don't know what happened down below. I know it was emotionally draining and I was concerned it was going to cause permanent damage. I am still walking funny but healing and looking forward to next year!
Zsuzsanna

3 Days at The Fair Race Report

2011-05-20T13:58:00.000-04:00

3 Days at the Fair Race Report by MPF/Campmor Athlete Tom Haines. 48hr event, 9am Friday 05/13/2011 to 9am Sunday 05/15/2011

Some Background Bumf:

Long distance running is a selfish sport.
It requires long hours of training and the races can sometimes last for days, even weeks.
Involving the family in any meaningful way is usually next to impossible. That is the beauty of fixed time, short loop courses.

The 3 Days at the Fair is put on by NJTrailSeries.com and is ran on a short loop of 0.8miles. Times available are 72hrs, 48hrs, 24hrs, 12hrs and 6hours.

In 2010 we all camped out and made it a family holiday. My wife enjoyed relaxing in the sun and meeting other running widows. The kids had a great time running riot with the other little buggers and occasionally helping out by mixing me drinks. They also ran a few laps with me and I have to admit that made me a very proud dad. I hoped to replicate the 2010 experience in 2011. Unfortunately just a few weeks before the race some old friends from India decided to visit and so my family stayed at home to host them. So the 3DatF 2011 was to be a solo affair.

The Race Report:
I arrived at the Sussex County Fair Ground straight from the office on the Thursday night. Pitched my tent in the prime position, right on the course next to the restroom and went to volunteer for the 72ers at the aid-station (in exchange for helping myself to a last supper of burgers ‘n beer). At 9pm I bid my farewell and went for an early night.

My totally ambitious “stretch goal” target for this race was 200miles. I had a rough plan that if I could get to 100miles in 20hrs with a level of comfort, I would then have 28hrs to “push” through the next 100. Sounds simple right?

0-50 Miles – 9hrs
Straight forward, nothing to report. Weather was good and so was the banter with the gang assembled at the aid station.

50-100 Miles – 11hrs 30mins
This section got tough, especially towards the end. I had got to 75miles without walking. This is just an egotistical weakness of mine. I know that run-walk strategies are the best way and are employed by the best performers but I just can’t get my head around it. However from mile 75, through necessity, I started to include a little walking and finally hit the 100mile mark at @5:30am, after a total 20hrs 30mins. This wasn’t quite in accordance with my plan. I was disappointed not so much at the time but at how tired I felt.
I was not in good shape and knew that I couldn’t carry on for much longer. I’ve felt more physically tired and muscularly sore but the fatigue just got to me. Normally when I finish a 100miler I get a “rush”, a feeling of exhilaration. I still had 27 + half hours to go and so the endocrine reward hormones just didn’t kick in. Decided to take a break.

The Next 2 Hours
I showered, slept (painfully) and reassessed. I saw that my feet were a mess, blisters all over my toes which I don’t normally get. Stupidly and lazily I decided to smear my toes in whale blubber and essentially ignore the problem.

100-110 Miles – About 3 Hours
Very slow going. Walked very gingerly for a few laps and took on as much food as possible to try and build up a calorie surplus. After a couple of hours I started to slow jog and immediately regretted it. Sharp pain from my toes caused me to stop and check the damage.

The Next 1 Hour
My toes were a real mess. One of the toe blisters had burst and the nail had come dislodged from my toe, It was digging into the adjacent also blistered toe, hence rather a lot of pain. I cleaned off the previously applied whale blubber, pierced all the blisters with a needle (not the blood blisters) and taped each toe individually. This process took an entire hour, brought tears to the eyes and left much yellow liquid blister puss on the floor of the bathroom.
I reassessed my goal down to 150miles.

110-125Miles – About 5 hours
This at least started in relative comfort. EC and Randy came out to mock. Give me mocking any day. I hate encouragement. A bit of trash talk does wonders for moral and their banter made for a few easier laps. Of course, most of all, I also didn’t want to appear weak in their presence.
By 125 miles I was again very tired, but had ~16hrs to get through the 25miles and reach the 150 mile goal. Easy! Decided to have another sleep and then gently trot out the last marathon.

The Next 3 Hours I slept like a baby. Woke up after a few hours and thought to myself – I have a choice.
Option 1 – Go home, spend time with my friends, drink Gin ‘n Tonic and have a good nights sleep.
Option 2 – Continue with the plan and stroll through to the end.

I decided on the former option.

Final Result – 125miles in ~31 hours. No where near my goal.

Am I disappointed – Nope, not in the least.

I had run a not too shabby 125miles with some great people and totally enjoyed the experience. I had also managed to spend some time with my old friends. Sometimes running and results are not the most important thing in life. To run 200 miles in 48miles you have to really, really, really want it, I didn’t want it quite that much.

Till next time!
Tom

The North Face 50 VIDEO!

2011-05-15T13:06:00.001-04:00

Just finished editing the video for The North Face 50 Mile Ultramarathon! Hope you enjoy!

Video links - Vimeo / YouTube

The North Face 50 Miler Race report

2011-05-13T14:09:00.000-04:00

The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 mile race report by MPF/Campmor Athlete Randy Miller.

Goals for race:
1. Finish
2. Try to meet or beat 2009 PR of 10:00
3. Have a good time
4. Don't FALL

For the first time ever TNF 50 Miler started without rain. Yes, it was a little chilly at 4:00 am but they had heaters that you could stand by to keep warm before the 5:00am race start. They sent us off right at 5:00 am It was pretty tricky for the first 30 minutes with everyone crowding on a rocky trail in the dark but as soon as the sky started to lighten up our headlamps were no longer needed.

My game plan was like always...walk all the hills, try to take it easy and don't get caught up in the early excitement. I came into Silvermine (mile 8.6) AS at 6:35 am, right on schedule. Mara, Dave & Elizabeth were there ready and waiting while Joe was in the woods taking photos and video.

I switched to my Nathan 70oz race hydration vest and headed out to Arden Valley Aid Station (mile 13.9), Soon after Arden my stomach started to go south, not good. I don't think my stomach liked my drink Clip 2 and Gu combination. I had been sick the week prior and had been on antibiotics which might had something to do with it as well. I tried to focus on racing and not my stomach. I got a nice surprise as I headed back into the woods off Arden Valley road. Dave, Elizabeth and Mara were hiding in the woods cheering us all on, this offered a nice pick me up.

On to Lake Skannatati AS (Mile 20.7).
Came into Skannatati at 9:05, I was a little ahead of schedule and told myself to calm down. Mara and Dave were like a Nascar Pit Crew, I was in and out in 2 minutes. I got my iPod and was now ready to rock (not that I haven't been on rocks for the last 4:00 hours). I soon found myself behind Amy Lane and Debbie Livingston, two very strong women. They were talking up a storm so I just stayed there and relaxed. After about 30 minutes I passed them and headed to Camp Lanowa ( mile 28).

I was about 4 miles away from Camp Lanowa aid station and realized I only had about 4 ounces of water left, I was a little concerned and even thought about getting some water from a stream but chose not to take the chance of getting sick. Arrived into Camp Lanowa (mile 28) at 10:30, in and out, I took a 5 hour energy and was ready for it to kick in. I was by myself now for the next hour. It was starting to heat up and the bugs were really getting bad. The course had some tough climbs in this section so it was a slow walk up. The bugs were driving me crazy, I could not wait to get to the top to start running again.

Made it to Tirioti AS (34.5) at around 11:45. The next section was my worst section. I had to walk for a while, my stomach issues from earlier was back and I lacked the energy. I was confident it would pass so I kept running when possible. It was really becoming a tough mental game now. I made it back to Anthony Wayne (40 Mile) AS at 1:00. Mara and Dave walked with me all the way across the parking lot. Probably took 15 minutes but I needed this to reboot myself for the next 10 miles to the finish. It was a nice just to walk and talk for a bit. I drank an entire can of gingerale to see if this would help ease my stomach. I also had to start to really focus on whether or not I wanted to finish before 3:00 p.m to attain my goal of a PR.

I could feel my systems coming back into check. Running started to feel effortless. When I hit the AS I knew I had a little over 5 miles to go. I had one HUGE climb left ....TIMP PASS! I worked my way up there as fast as I could. I hit the base of Timp with one hour to go. I knew once I hit the top of Timp it was about 3 miles to go and mostly all down hill. I powered up the climb and then got to business. I was lucky my quads were not trashed so I could hammer down the hills. I took it all the way in and crossed the finish line in a time of 9:47 which was a PR! I could not have done it without all the support of friends and my great crew, Mara and Dave!

The course was marked perfectly and the volunteers were fantastic, The North Face does a great job. I hit every goal except my last one, I fell once but nothing to serious...

Randy

The North Face Marathon Team Relay!

2011-05-09T11:39:00.001-04:00

The 2011 North Face Endurance Challenge Team Relay - Race report by Phil Germakian, Relay Team Captain.

The following is my race report for the 2011 North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon Relay... The course was a tough 6.55 mile trail loop that offered a total elevation gain of 1,212 ft along with many rocks and mud to negotiate.

Team Mountain Peak Fitness / Campmor met up in the Anthony Wayne Parking lot at 9:30am, and arrived at Bear Mountain around 10:00am for an 11:00am race start. As the honorary team captain, I quickly got us settled to go over our race plan. The first thing we agreed upon was the following race order: Tahir, Tom, Ben, and myself as the anchor. Next we went over our transition strategy, which involved handing off a timing chip to each other. We decided to use a very technical and complicated device: an elastic hair tie. This approach made our transitions seamless, leading us to the second fastest finishing time in this event's short two year history. Our goals were to have fun, and to WIN of course...No pressure. Fortunately, we were able to achieve both of these goals with strong performances by all four team members.

Tahir started the race in the front of the pack, looking strong and confident going off into the woods. He returned from the 6.5 mile trail loop in 57:38 and in 10th place, just 4 minutes behind the leader. Tom had some work to do, but he seemed up for the challenge, because before I could even congratulate Tahir, he was off and running the next loop. Tom had told us earlier, that he specializes in the ultra distances and is accustomed to long and slow distance running. We were all not sure how his legs would respond to the fast running required for such a short event. However, he surprised all of us, himself included, by returning from his 6.5 mile loop in a time of 54 MINUTES FLAT! Not only was he fast, but he had caught most of our competition, moving our team into 2nd place and earning MVP honors. Ben left transition knowing that we were less than 2 minutes behind the leader, which is all he needed to know. This guy loves to compete! I was certain he would give his last breath to track down the leader. Ben caught the leader early, passing him on the long climb of the course. From there, he continued to pick up the pace, returning in a time of 50:55! When I left transition to complete our fourth and final loop, I knew we had the lead. But it was my job to keep it! Not knowing how big our lead was, or how fast the anchor runner of the second place team was either, I decided to run as hard as I could hoping to ensure the win. However, in the back of mind I was a little worried about how my legs would respond to the fast running. This event was my return to trail racing, after taking a 6 month hiatus to recover from a debilitating tendinitis injury in my lower right leg. Since that time, I had done zero fast running, but my strength had been improving with each week of rehab, giving me the confidence I needed.

I went out fast, and hit the climb hard. As I reached the aid station about 2.5 miles in the loop, the volunteers asked me if I was the fourth and last runner on my team. All I could do was signal the number four with my fingers while gulping down a cup of water before continuing up the rest of the climb. As I left the aid station, I remember another volunteer telling me that our team had a huge lead, but I didn't let up. I bombed down the downhills, lapping a lot of our competition. The course had a lot of quick turns and some fun technical sections on the descent. Eventually, I popped out of the woods, totally exhausted, but with enough juice to finish strong. I crossed the finish line with a lap time of 50:29 (the 2nd fastest split time recorded in the race) to secure the victory. I was happy with my performance, but more importantly I was thrilled with how my injured leg responded to the fast running. For the first time in 6 months, I was running again pain-free. The MPF / Campmor Team beat out a total of 67 other teams to win the 2011 North Face Marathon Relay with a respectful time of 3:33:01!!!

A HUGE thank you to my Mountain Peak Fitness / Campmor teammates, who all performed above and beyond!
Thank you to our sponsors Mountain Peak Fitness, Campmor & Saucony and to the North Face Endurance Challenge and its volunteers for putting on yet another successful race event!

Always Adventure...
Mountain Peak Fitness

This Weekend at the starting line

2011-05-06T16:40:00.003-04:00

Another big weekend on tap! Good luck to MPF/Campmor athletes & MPF Clients: Randy (50 miler), Ali (50 miler), Paul (marathon), Phil, Tahir, Ben, & Tom (marathon relay), Mark (1/2 marathon), Allison (1/2 marathon), Mike (10k), Stephanie (10k), Michelle (10k) & to everyone else toeing the line! Get pumped by watching our North Face Video from 2009 .....

It is going to be an epic weekend for many of the athletes listed above, for some it is their very first ultra or trail experience. We are so excited for them all and hopefully they will come away with a whole new apprecition for themselves and nature! Enjoy!

MPF/ Campmor Team member Randy Miller's Muddy Marathon race report

2011-05-04T10:52:00.001-04:00

Muddy Marathon, April 30, 2011

This race intrigued me the minute I heard about. It sounded like New Jersey's idea of a mini Barkley 100 mile Marathon Heck, only 3 people finished last year. You had to complete four 6 mile loops. Each loop had a two hour time limit. Over 90% of the course would be off trail going through brush, mud, small ponds, streams, rock beds, concrete swimming pool fills with putrid water, and three steep climbs. Now doesn't that sounds fun? Exactly something I was looking for to open my race season.

Rick McNulty race director of the NJ trail series sent us off at 7:00AM. 35 runners attempted this years marathon distance race. My friend Julian and I had decided we would take the first lap conservatively in hope we would finish the lap with some time to rest before venturing out on Lap #2. After all, we had 2 hours to finish the lap and our immediate goal was to just finish this race. Rick promised a lot of mud and that is what we had the first mile of the course. The mud was firm but it was looking to suck us down and even tried to steal some of the runner's shoes. One foot would go down 2 ft but the next would drop down 4 feet. This would throw you off balance. After 1.5 miles we started our first climb. Lots of rock to scramble over and then straight up. Like I said there were 3 climbs and each one was more difficult than the previous one.

Finally after 2.5 miles we started our descent down to the only aid station on the course and really the only trail-like running. I grabbed some PowerBlast and some water at the AS and then headed right into a 30 foot pond. After 1.5 miles of a not to steep of a climb we came up on a beautiful bluff looking down into the valley, you could see the buildings from where the race began. There were about 5 minutes of running on a thin trail along the edge of a bluff and then down we went back into the valley of mud. Before I knew it I came to hill of mulch, grass clipping and sticks. After climbing over this there was a short run to the start/finish line. First lap took 1:35.

Julian got there 5 minutes before me and was already cleaning himself up and restocking for the next lap. We stayed there for 15 minutes then headed out for Lap 2 which took about 1:40. We rested for 10 minutes then headed out for Lap 3.

This lap I decided to pick it up. I became separated from Julian after the 3rd climb. I had to make a decision whether I would rest after this lap or just continue on. My biggest concern was my shoes were packed with mud and gravel and this made them feel three sizes to small. I had tried the first lap to get them off and failed. These shoelaces were in LOCKDOWN MODE! One option would have been to get scissors and cut the shoelaces and put on a new pair of socks and shoes or I could just say the hell with it and go for it. Well, the competitor in me took over and I went for it.

I caught 3 runners in the first mile. I decided to make my move on the first climb and try to put more distance with each climb. The planned worked. My last lap was my fastest and I finishing in 7:05 for 2nd place overall. This was one of the tougher things I have done, a close 2nd to Western States 100 mile endurance run back in 09. I have lots of cuts and scrapes on my legs but no poison ivy. Resting all week for The North Face 50 Miler that takes place this upcoming weekend May 7th.

Thanks to Rick and Jennifer and all the other volunteers that made this race possible. Thanks Elizabeth for coming out so early to cheer us on and getting some video to document such a crazy race. Thank you for reading my race report.

Randy Miller

2011 MUDDY MARATHON!

2011-05-01T09:54:00.000-04:00

I was short on time yesterday but I was still able to capture a small amount of footage of this epic course. Check it out, The NJ Trail series Muddy Marathon. Congrats to all who were brave enough to start this race and to MPF/Campmor team members Randy Miller for placing 2nd in the Marathon (26.2) & Zsuzsanna for placing 4th in the half!

Video links - Vimeo / YouTube

THIS WEEKEND AT THE STARTING LINE

2011-04-28T19:59:00.006-04:00

The New Jersey Trail Series will be organizing a race called The Muddy Marathon this weekend in Newfoundland, NJ. The Muddy Marathon is not your typical trail marathon, the 6.55 mile loop offers its participants a variety of epic challenges such as running through mud bogs, swamps, maneuvering up and over down trees and down slippery ski slopes. This race is definitely an adventure ready and waiting to entertain its guest. There is a 2 hour cut off for each loop and the race director is expecting a 90% DNF rate.

Good luck to Mountain Peak Fitness / Campmor team members Randy Miller who is trying to complete Marathon (4 loops) and Zsuzsanna Carlson who is going for the half marathon. Have a blast!

The Lost Brook Trail Race

2011-04-07T07:10:00.001-04:00

This past weekend on April 2nd The lost brook trail 5 & 10 mile race came to life. One of our Mountain Peak Fitness / Campmor team members Philip Germakian organized and directed his very first trail race to benefit the Tenafly nature center. The Tenafly Nature Center is a non-profit independent-member supported nature preserve celebrating their 50th year in operation. Their mission is to protect almost 400 acres and its inhabitants for generations to come and to act as an educational resource.

Quote from the Race Director when asked why did you decide to organize a trail race at the Tenafly Nature Center?

“It was no coincidence that in the Fall of 2007 I began running trails, and also working as an environmental educator at the Tenafly Nature Center. It was fate. Years later, I have returned to give back to the place that helped me develop my two passions in life, teaching and running. I decided to “pay it forward” by introducing others to the magic of the Tenafly Nature Center and its trails by organizing its 1st trail race.” Phil Germakian

The race sold out and was comprised of beginners as well as local elites who were ready to set speedy course records. The course offered a little bit of everything from technical sections to romping through some spring time mud. Congratulations Phil & MPF/Campmor Athlete Randy Miller for placing 2nd in the 5 mile race with the time of 37:03.

The 2011 NJ Ultra Running Festival

2011-03-23T16:39:00.000-04:00

Over the past weekend 3 team members participated in the NJ Ultra Running Festival 100 mile race, located in Long Valley NJ. Below are their individual stories of triumph and disappointment. Ultra running always gives us an opportunity to learn a little more about ourselves. Thank you to Campmor and Saucony.

Tom’s race report:
About 30hrs since finishing the NJ 100 I seem to be recovering by the hour. I am now starting to feel human again and can bend both knees...

About Me - My individual physiology and psychology gives me both advantages and disadvantages in the game of long distance running.
Physiology - Despite being of an age whereupon gaining weight is just too easy, my natural body shape is tall(ish) and skinny. Many of my good friends would say – “A lanky streak of piss”. This is actually one of the kinder things they call me.

Height: 5’10” and a very important half.
Weight (or more scientifically correct – Mass): Approx 160lb
Body Shape: Long skinny legs, just a bit of belly.

This is an advantage due to less energy expenditure per mile and less strain on the joints. The disadvantage is a relatively high centre of gravity which makes for a crap sense of balance and a very ungainly technique over more technical terrain. Luckily for me the NJ 100 is not technical. It is as flat as a pancake and so physically, I’m well suited for this sort of race.

Psychology - I love people and a bit of banter. Every time I give and receive acknowledgement from a fellow runner I get just a little lift. It doesn’t last long but with 300 or so runners at the NJ Ultra Fest and the multi-time “out and back” route, that’s a lot of little lifts which add up to a few easier miles. Conversely, I am also quite happy in my own head. I can spend hours contemplating or even brooding over all manner of positive and negative thoughts. I can spend 3 hours thinking up a witty retort to an insult received 7 months ago. That retort may be of no value now, but its gestation period allowed for 10miles devoid of pain. Another thing I think about during the long lonely hours is the report. I’m sure I had a great report planned. Unfortunately the running induced delirium ensured that whatever masterpiece I had penned in my head is completely forgotten.

About the NJ Ultra Festival - This race takes place along the Columbia Trial in NJ. Distances offered were marathon, 50Km, 50mile, 100km and 100mile. Loads of people took part including team mates from the Mountain Peak Fitness / Campmor Trail Running Team (Chris and Zsuzsanna).

My target time - At work my boss always sets my annual objectives as being “tough but attainable” I set myself a target of 18hrs for this race. Like my boss, I had no basis for this absurd target.
My previous best 100 was 20hrs.
I had just come back from a 4 day (intense) wedding celebration.
I was still getting over a bout of man-flu which as everybody knows prevents any form of exercise and housework.
My training regime had been lousy at best. Averaging 20 mile weeks and maybe two 40 mile plus weeks in the last several months. Frankly nowhere near enough.
However, I thought that if I don’t make 18hrs, I’d be happy with 20hrs.
My Race Experience:
My race was fairly uneventful – believe me this is a good thing. Events in long races are nearly always bad. Obviously my muscles got tired, my knee started to hurt and at one time I was sick after cramming cold pizza into my mouth. Just a little race day pain which is what we pay our money for and nothing serious. I saw loads of friends and enjoyed their company, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes just for a few seconds. Often passing from opposing directions we’d stop for a brief chat, other times we may just give a hint of acknowledgement – a head nod or even just a raised finger. But always something. Some of my friends finished their goal races strongly. Others unfortunately had to drop for injury. I feel for them. It’s very disappointing to DNF but I have to bring up a very old, very relevant and very true cliché – “Its better to try and fail than not to try at all.” This is true for everything in life, not just running.

For the majority of the race I ran “with” my team mate Zsuzsanna. I use the term “with” loosely as we have different styles. In a race of this magnitude it’s important to run your own race. My style is more of a slow, consistent plod. Zsuzsanna on the other hand was a little more staccato: fast, slow, fast, slow. We played leapfrog for mile after mile. Our styles were very different but our results very similar. She really kept me going and I like to think I pushed her a little too.

Another memory from the trail was when two Lycra clad cyclists passed. Yes it was our very own Elizabeth and Randy with their own special method of encouragement. This included mocking me with the Rocky classic “Eye of Tiger”, some old Queen tunes and I think at one stage even doing a little dance. Oh, and they also took the piss out of my accent!

Learnings:
You can bluff your way through a 50Km. Not so through a 100mile.
To really perform to your best at this game you have to put in the grueling training miles and push hard on race day. The perfect example and testament to this philosophy was overall race winner Jesse Kennedy.
You have to enjoy this game. It’s tough enough if you have fun. I couldn’t stand 100 miles if I didn’t have a bit of fun. Nor would I want to.

Zsuzsanna’s race report:
Last year I dropped from this race at mile 75 (+1) with shin pain and personal matters. So I had to come back and finish, especially since I thought I had a good chance of breaking 20 hours, if all went well. That hardly ever happens.

First 16 mile loop: Realized I was getting hot spots on right foot from debris left in socks, even after washing it (of course now)...changed right sock at S/F.
2nd 16: Around mile 26 I developed ITBS on right knee, outside. Swollen and walking or any incline made it worse. Took advil. In 3rd place, female.
3rd 16: At the AS 6 miles into this leg, they ran out of Melon Heed...I have to admit, the Leon/Lime is awful. I grew hair IN my stomach from it.
4th 16: Have been leap frogging with the girl in 2nd place, also with teammate Tom Haines!! He gave me some OC non NSAID painkillers which helped! But now my all too familiar shin pain started up!

Onto the second half of the race - 12:14 into it with 65 miles covered (as the western out/back was 16.225 long)..

1st 9 mile loop: Still daylight. Its pretty cool, as it is 1.5 miles down to Columbia trail, 1.5 to AS and then 1.5 to turn around. Very manageable increments. Did not feel good, still iffy stomach, maybe from not eating enough...it is much harder to eat in these flat races. I would typically eat on the up-hills when I am walking. With all this running, the food just didn't sound good. All day I only managed to get down 2 gels, the rest was solid food and some Shot Blocks. Back at the S/F area, as the day was winding down, the winds really picked up, bringing in some really freezing air. I could not wait to get back down to the protected Columbia Trail.
2nd 9: saw Elizabeth and Randy. She asked if I think it’s smart to continue, could I be doing further damage? I told her it does not feel "fatal"... I have dropped from 2 races with this pain, thinking it has to be a broken bone, only to completely recovered within 2 days. So I hung in there.
3rd 9: hmm, nausea is back with a vengeance. Being tired might be part of it. I turned off my headlamp, which was fine, the trail was all lit up by the super-moon we had!!! It seemed to help my stomach, no bouncing light to focus on.
4th 9 mile loop: By now fellow teammate Tom was about 30 minutes ahead of me, feeling like he should, like we all did; tired but excited about getting it done!!! I think I ran as much of this leg as I ran the last of the western leg. I .had a strong and happy finish. Hydration, I nailed it, I swear...

Chris’s race report:
The big day was finally here, the New Jersey Ultra Festival! I had committed to this race since I had come back from the TransRockies Run in August. My longest race to date was a 50k so this was a big jump in distance for me. The course followed four 16 mile out and back loops on the west portion off the Columbia Trail, followed by four 9 mile out and back loops on the east section of the trail. The Columbia Trail is a converted rail trail, so the terrain and elevation weren’t going to be factors in completing this race; rather it was the daunting 100-mile distance that stood in my way.

After a short race briefing from race director Rick McNulty, we were on our way. With a 4am race start, the first three hours were all run in the dark. The first 16-mile loop mile went by pretty quickly, as I was fueled by the excitement of starting this challenge. I came into the starting area just over three hours. Everything was working well, so I didn’t need to make any changes to my gear. I just refilled my water bottle, grabbed an energy gel and made a quick transition.

Heading out on my next loop, I decided that I wanted to add some walking breaks to mix things up on the trail. This loop turned out to me much more difficult. At around mile 20, I started to get a feeling of nausea, but being so early in the race, I knew I just had to keep moving forward and it would soon pass. Also, at this point, the temperature started to heat up, which wasn’t helping. I stopped a little after the 24-mile turn around to take off my outer layer, and kept pushing along on the trail. The great thing about an out and back race is that you get to see many familiar faces coming from the opposite way, and there was no shortage of encouragement from other runners along the trail. Still plugging along, I pulled into the starting area again at 32 miles and around 6:50.

This transition was much different from the last one; making use of the indoor bathroom at race HQ, grabbing extra nutrition for the loop, and dropping the backpack, which I had been carrying up to this point. I still wasn’t feeling great on my way out, but was urged by another runner to take in some more calories, which I know was the right thing to do, even though I really wasn’t feeling up to it. This is when things really started to click. Within the next ten minutes of leaving the starting area, all the ill feelings that I had on the last lap completely passed and I started to click off the miles effortlessly. I was completely focused and felt phenomenal. I made the eight miles to the turn around very quickly and continued the momentum on my loop back in, making sure to pass along the encouragement to the other runners, as was done to me when I was having a low point.

Around mile 44, I was mentally preparing my game plan to make a quick turn around in the starting area, when I started to get a sharp pain in the outside of my foot, right in front of my heel. At 44 miles in, pain is not unexpected, so I just kept running slowly and hoped it would loosen up. It never did. In fact, it kept getting worse to the point where I had to alter my run to a hobble to keep any pace, and walking hurt just the same. I stopped to stretch, but the pain continued. I made it the rest of the way to the start at mile 48 and around 10:25, determined to keep going, and hoping that the pain was just caused by my sneakers. I grabbed some food, stretched some more, and put on my back-up pair of shoes, which were a half a size bigger. I trotted back out, but it was to no avail, the pain was still there, and there was no way that I was going to make it 50 more miles in that condition. I went back to the race start to take a dreaded DNF.

This was an especially tough DNF for me, as I was feeling so good, until I had to drop, and my race plan was right on target. I am well aware that this was the smart thing to do, but it doesn’t make the decision any easier. I learned a lot during this race, and I am sure that this experience will make me a better ultrarunner. Now I really am looking forward to healing up and tackling the next challenge. Congratulations to Tom and Zsuzsanna, who really looked amazing out there!

2011-03-18T11:26:00.001-04:00

NJ Ultra Festival

The New York and New Jersey area in the last couple of years has embraced the spirit of trail running in a huge way. When I first moved back into the area 6 years ago there were only a couple of trail races in long island, Catskills, and in upstate New York. I don’t even think there were trail races in New Jersey other than adventure races correct me if I’m wrong. I would travel to upstate New York and even to the west coast often in order to quench my thirst for trail running. Now thanks to the New Jersey trail series and others we can now race locally even Staten Island, NY and Bronx, New York trail lovers have organized events.

The New Jersey Trail Series is brought to you by Rick Mcnulty and his wife Jennifer, they organize several trail races that take place through out the year all varying in distance from a 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon, marathon, 50k, and even a 100 mile endurance trail run right here in New Jersey, WOW!
This upcoming weekend the New Jersey Ultra festival will be taken place in Long Valley, New Jersey. The Ultra festival offers a 50k, 50 mile, 100k and for the hearty a 100 mile option. Three athletes from the Mountain Peak Fitness/ Campmor trail running team will be lining up to run 100 miles.

Good luck to:
Tom Haines
Chris Focacci his first 100 mile race
Zsuzsanna her 4th 100 mile race

& to everyone else toeing the line!

MPF/Campmor Team trail run #1

2011-03-07T09:45:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday the MPF/Campmor trail running team had its first meeting and training run in Harriman State Park. We stood in the pouring rain greeting each other, some meeting for the first time. We enjoy training in any weather conditions and today the weather called for 100% chance of rain with a high temp in the low 50’s and the conditions of the trails being 90% covered in ice & snow.

We took off in 2 separate groups, a running group and a hiking group. The hiking group was composed of runners who raced the previous day or were just looking to hike. Hiking becomes a major part of your training if you do decide to compete in ultra’s. The trails were covered in ice and soft snow from the start, the Kahootla Microspikes and Saucony Razors (men's / women's) really worked great. The microspikes worked so well that once you gained trust and confidence in your footing, you can run at full speed on the ice.

It was such a great day, with a great group of people. I am looking forward to the 2011 season and the many more adventurous training runs ahead! Thank you to our sponsors Campmor and Saucony.
~
E

Introducing the 2011 MountainPeakFitness/Campmor Trail Running Team!

2011-02-21T14:48:00.000-05:00

We would like to introduce the 2011 MountainPeakFitness/Campmor Trail Running Team!

Our team is comprised of passionate trail runners who want to promote trail running and help preserve our trails for the future. We have partnered with our favorite outdoor retailer, Campmor and Saucony to showcase there support of trail running in our community.

Campmor has been the go to store for outdoor gear and apparel for over 30 years and is an active supporter of outdoor enthusiast on every level. Saucony founded in 1898 in Kutztown, PA, now in Lexington, MA, has been a mainstay in the running community. The Saucony brand represents the Saucony creek in PA, and its boulders that line its creek bed, how perfect... Saucony has developed an awesome line of trail shoes over the last couple of years and we are excited to have them aboard.

Click here to meet the TEAM!

Allison Newell

Elizabeth Carrion Azze

Randy Miller

Chris Focacci

Phil Germakian

Joe Azze

Tahir Thomas

Zsuzsanna Carlson

Tom Haines

Our race reports will be found here and you can follow all the action on our facebook site, just click here! Or visit us at www.MountainPeakFitness.com for more information.

Exercise Highlight - Rope Training

2011-02-06T10:15:00.000-05:00

Training with ropes offers a great opportunity to condition your cardiovascular & energy systems as well as strengthen your core, functional strength and grip strength. At a time when the weather may have athletes searching for motivating & challenging ways to attack their fitness, rope training is a great option to include in your program.
Just 15 minutes working with the training ropes will leave you loving them & hating them at the same time because of the intense challenge they offer. There are many patterns and exercises to do with a training rope each offering intense effort from your aerobic & anaerobic systems. You can perform the movements from a standing position or a seated position, with 1 arm or two arms, and include other equipment such as a sled into the mix.
To get you started we included a video of the basic movements of rope training.

Try this workout:

Perform this in a circuit training fashion by moving from one movement immediately to the next with no rest in between. The goal is to be able to complete every repetition. Start at the smaller repetition range and work up from there. You can time yourself to see how long it takes to complete the circuit. Work on the movement patterns first to ensure that the your executing them correctly then try the workout.

50-100 medium waves
20-40 alternating waves
20-40 side to side waves
20-40 grappler throws
25-50 big waves (get the waves as high as you can in the air, you may even find your feet leaving the ground)

There are many types of ropes you can use. The common ones are 1.5 & 2 inch thick ropes that are 30 to 50 feet in length. They also go up to 100+ feet. You can purchase them in manila, nylon, danline & a few others. Let us know if you have any questions. Click here to purchase Training ropes from performbetter.com. Visit artofstrength.com for even more ropes.

Enjoy!

Adirondack Wedding & Adventure!

2011-01-27T11:12:00.000-05:00

On Jan. 22nd 2011 two souls who since the first day they met felt like one, became husband and wife. Yep, Joe and I tied the knot this past weekend at our favorite place here on the north east, the Adirondack High Peaks Region.

We surrounded ourselves with our immediate family who bravely embraced the below zero temperatures and allowed the the power and serenity of the outdoors enter into their hearts.

Winter is our favorite season and the Adirondack mountains offer so many gifts from the towering snow covered evergreens to the pristine white snow covered trails and a silence you can only experience during the winter months. We wanted our family to understand a little bit more of what defines us as people and what pulls us into the woods everyday and we couldn’t think of a better way to share this but to invite them up to Lake Placid for a winter wedding and snowshoeing adventure, with a little bit of dog sledding thrown in.

Elizabeth making her way down the aisle

Our family

I can’t find the words to express how powerful this weekend was, it was also my mothers birthday weekend she would have been 61 years old, she passed 8 months ago from terminal lung cancer. I know she was with us every step of the way making sure everything worked out perfectly. We share these photos with you in hopes of inspiring you to adventure more with your family. We thank you!
Elizabeth & Joe
Mountain Peak Fitness

Click here to view more photos from the wedding!

Click here to view more photos from the Dog Sledding adventure.

Gear Review - MSR Lightning Axis Snowshoes

2011-01-02T16:19:00.001-05:00

This year we are testing out the MSR Lightning Axis Snowshoes and are very pleased with their performance so far. From breaking trail in 3+ feet of snow, to cruising around on hard packed trails and climbing up and over mountain tops, the MSR’s design is a step above the rest. They offer unbeatable traction & floatation in a very light weight tightly designed platform. They feel like their suppose to feel, like an extension of your foot.

In our experience with a variety of snowshoes in a number of conditions we would find many things that we thought could be improved on. One was that most snowshoes tend to use a tubular construction making traveling somewhat sloppy & limiting traction to the center of the snowshoe but with the frame design of the MSR Axis being cut from a single piece of aluminum with edge to edge grip, each step is very efficient & offers 360º’s of traction. This noticeable difference was experienced when traversing hard packed trails. An unexpected benefit was when you would flex your hip (drawing the knee upward) to take another step, much of the snow was left below making travel more efficient as compared to other snowshoe models that tend to pile on snow to the shoe like a shovel which over time causes increased rate of fatigue and inefficient travel.

One of the great features of the Lightning Axis is there Gait Efficiency System which allows you to adjust the binding for a completely natural stride. This helps prevent awkward torque on your knees, hips & ankles as well as keeping them running parallel to each other so they don’t clank together as you walk. Before you adjust the bindings be sure that you are set up in the snow shoe correctly. This can take some playing around with but comes easily. Once you are set-up in the shoe properly walk several steps as natural as possible, then turn around to take a look at your snowshoe prints. If you see your steps are parallel to each other then no adjustments are necessary, however if one is turned out or inward, make the proper adjustments.

The Speed lock bindings allow you to set it and forget, meaning once you adjust your strap to your boot size, your foot will be nice and secure for the season unless you change your footwear which requires a quick & simple adjustment. Then just secure the heel strap and your all set to tackle the trails. These models do come with an optional mid foot strap for added security. We highly recommend the extra mid foot strap if the snow conditions are heavy, wet, your traveling on step terrain, traversing, moving about quickly or just for the added comfort of not worrying about the snowshoe coming off.

Probably the best feature of these snowshoes is that they are very easy to get on and off, which is invaluable especially in extremely cold environments. The axis bindings are key in allowing you to adjust them to your individual biomechanics, the strapping system is awesome being quick & efficient with the set it and forget it SpeedLock bindings, with glove-friendly adjustment and comfort, plus an optional included strap for maximum security and along with the Ergo Televator heel lift bar that helps lessen lower leg fatigue, these snowshoes are tough to beat.

The MSR lightning axis opened us up to a whole new world of comfort and trust allowing us to adventure with a new appreciation and safety. We really enjoy these snowshoes and look forward to the season ahead.

The MSR Lightning Axis Snowshoes retail for $270, Campmor.com has them for $230.
For a comparable model at a lesser cost you can check out the MSR EVO Tour priced at $179.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Mountain Peak Fitness!

2010-12-31T17:05:00.001-05:00

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy New Year! Here are a few pictures of our clients in action from 2010. Thanks to everyone and we look forward to a great 2011.

Travis running to the top of a fire tower after 14 miles of work

The G-Men training hard into the night

Joe W. riding on the edge, as always

Mike preparing for the NYC marathon on the trails of Harriman

Joanne loving the snow!

Jennifer doing what she does best

Dan is always up for a challenge

Carrie working out on the roof top in NYC

Allison heads off to explore the trails

Mark is always up for an adventure & will always adventure!

Click here to view more client in action photos.

Always adventure!

Mountain Peak Fitness

Joe & Elizabeth

Latest Photos 12/25-12/28/10

2010-12-31T15:57:00.001-05:00

It was great to spend the holiday with family and friends. We were able to get out for a bit of snowshoeing after the storm hit and were greeted to untouched trails. The weather is warming up a bit but we will enjoy the snow while it lasts. Hopefully we can get another several inches thrown on top in the week to come...
Click here to view more photos

Elizabeth worked hard chopping wood

Cooper enjoyed the snow as much as we did

Cooper looking pretty intense

I built this shelter during the storm

Finally had a chance to test out the MSR Lightning AXIS

We will look to post a gear review soon on the MSR Lightning AXIS snowshoes. If you have any thoughts or experiences with these snowshoes or others we would love to hear from you. Thanks!

MPF Update, rest is over!

2010-11-18T13:52:00.000-05:00

Hello I thought it was time to check in, I hope everyone is well and getting ready for the holiday season. I had a feeling a blog posting was long over due. One of my new years resolutions is to post blogs a little more frequently. During the last couple of months since our Wasatch adventure Joe and I have been focusing on our current clients adventures which included the Chicago marathon, NYC marathon, Mountain Masochist 50 and the up coming JFK 50. We have also been focusing on editing our current exercise videos and creating new exercises for our expanding exercise library. It has been a great way for me to direct my energy from training to something else that offers just as many rewards.

My rest period has come to an end and I have so much fire in my belly to adventure and explore the trails like never before. I am so looking forward to what next year has too offer; will I get into Western states again ha, ha probably not, since there is roughly a 15% chance. Wasatch 100 is definitely on the wish list along with the Badwater 135 and the Cascades Crest 100. The North Face 50 that takes place on our local trails in Harriman looks like will be my 1st major race for 2011. My training focus for the months ahead will be on increasing my overall functional strength & power but first up I will be addressing any imbalances and weakness’s I may have developed during this past season. Trail running, road running, mountain biking, etc. is about much more than just getting out there and logging in the miles in hopes of maintaining an injury free successful training regime. You must pay close attention to many things such as the timing of your nutrition, adequate hydration, addressing muscular & joint imbalances, increase your core stability & strength and not skimping on your flexibility training or rest. These principles are just the beginning and when you have them properly integrated into your training routine, you can then begin to focus on the strengthening and power training phases of your program.

You may not even be aware of the imbalances you have or are creating, for example: If your out for a run and you feel a pain in your iliotibial band or foot, etc and you decide to carry on without addressing it, your body in turn starts compensating by favoring one side. That’s just the beginning and as the miles tick away, the further compensations accumulate and a greater potential for an injury arises. This is just a small piece of a complex puzzle put simply. We want to help you realize that you can have a successful season without injuries caused from improper training. If you are willing to put in the time doing the little things that you may not necessarily want to do, you will make great gains in your performance.
Many more articles and videos will be posted in the months to come that will go into details about injury prevention and sports performance. Visit us for more training information at www.mountainpeakfitness.com. You may find us on the frosty trails of Minnesota in Feb who knows? EC

Exercise Highlight - Push-Ups (Advanced)

2010-10-14T11:54:00.000-04:00

Video links: Vimeo

Push-Ups are a great way to strengthen you core while enhancing upper body strength. The core not only involves the abdominals but includes the muscles of the lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine, along with the pelvic girdle and hip joint. The push-ups in the video demonstrate the involvement of the core for stabilization and performance. These are just a few examples. Be sure to progress accordingly. Watch for compensations such as, low back arching, shoulders elevating or range of motion limitations. If any compensations occur, be sure to regress and contact us for proper program integration.

Compensation example: Low back arches or stomach sags

This indicates weak core stabilizers and inefficient engagement.

What to do: Learn to draw in the navel to properly activate the core. This is called the drawing-in maneuver. To learn this, begin by lying on your back (supine), with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Draw-in the navel towards the spine and hold it. Then draw one knee in towards the chest & lower back down under control while keeping the navel draw-in. Alternate from side to side for 10 repetitions each leg. You should feel full activation of your abdominal wall when done properly. When your able to keep the navel drawn-in throughout the entire set, integrate the drawing-in maneuver into planks or a core bracing exercise and then into a traditional push-up before progressing into the advanced movements. Have a qualified trainer or coach assist you with form to help you become more aware of your positioning. This will allow you to reach your goals safely and more efficiently.