Fall Races

My favorite time to run is in the fall - hands down and this past fall was no exception.  My fall races started with UROC 100k.  This was a nice race, which I am sure will grow in popularity and continue to draw a competitive field.  Lots of climbing with about 1/2 road miles / 1/2 trail miles.  One of the highlights was the location of the race headquarters and accommodations at the Wintergreen Ski Resort.

Next up was the West Virginia Trilogy Stage Race which consisted of a 50k (Friday), 50 mile (Saturday), and 1/2 marathon (Sunday) - all trail miles.  This was truly a wonderful event.  Adam Casseday and Dan Lehmann are the race directors and they do such an incredible job.  Headquarters are located right below the highest peak in West Virginia - Spruce Knob at The Mountain Institute.  From the time we arrived until we left, my family and I had a great time.  The trails were challenging and scenic, volunteers were great, and the meals were wonderful (prepared by the people of the Mountain Institute).  I ran with David Frazier (overall champion) for a good bunch of the weekend.  David is a very talented runner and one hell of a nice guy.  It was great to run with him and share running stories.  We also did a good job making sure both of us didn't slack off!  On Friday night the Mountain Institute prepared Thai Food!  Attention all TRAIL RUNNERS:  It does not get much better than this - camping on top of a mountain (with excellent weather), eating Thai food, on the deck outside a giant wooden yurt, and enjoying beverages from West Virginia's best, Mountain State Brewing Company  I highly recommend this race for someone who wants to try a multi-day effort or just to run one of the individual races.  This race weekend is also very family friendly as you can probably tell from the pictures below.

Zia and Eshan playing cards in the 2nd floor of the main yurt

Hanging with Zia, Eshan, David, Adam (RD)

Enjoying Thai food outside the main yurt

Me and Overall Champion, David Frazier

Next was MMTR 50 miler.  This was my 6th consecutive MMTR.  Before the race, I studied Scott Jaime's (last year's winner) race report.  He made the comment that running most of the course was key to getting a good time.  This seemed like a good goal to shoot for, especially because I typically can not bomb down the descents to make up time on hiking climbs.  Leading up to the race, I practiced consistent, even-paced efforts on my long runs.  The plan paid off and I ran a 13 minute PR to finish in 7:26:17.

The last race of my season was Hellgate 100k.  This race is a favorite of mine.  Weather conditions were good, but the course was very wet.  I applied the same strategy that I used in MMTR and tried to run conservatively as a long as possible and minimize the amount of hiking.  I also focused on rest and good eating habits in between MMTR and Hellgate.  Again, the plan paid off and I ran a 33 minute PR to take the overall win in 11:15:55 (2nd fastest time on course).

Western States 100 Race Report

On Saturday, June 25th I ran the 38th edition of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, which started in Squaw Valley, CA and ended in Auburn, CA. I ran the entire race in a pair of Roclite 295’s, which worked very well for me. You can find my detailed race report below.

The Sierras

Some views about 2 miles from the start of the Western States 100.

Motivational Quotes

"In challenging ones self or others, to me it always distills down to these three words: Physical, Mental and Luck" - Scott Williamson, current fastest known time on the Pacific Crest Trail in the unsupported fashion

"Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional" - Dr. David Horton, Ultrarunning Kingpin

"Whenever we go into the mountains, or indeed any of God's wild fields, we find more than we seek." - John Muir, Naturalist

Additions to My Training

Towards the end of last year, my wife (Raj) and I started doing yoga again.  Friends and family have been encouraging me to do more stretching and I have really enjoyed yoga in the past, so Raj and I started up at the Emmaus Yoga Studio here in Pennsylvania.  We love it and think it is really going to help us with flexibility, balance, and strength.  Our teacher focuses on the style of yoga called Ashtanga yoga.  I don't know lots of details about it, but we move rather quickly through poses and really focus on breathing.  It has been great fun and a good workout.

Also, this past week Raj got me a session with a strength trainer.  He had me do a bunch of exercises and and observed me for weeknesses, then set me up with a series of low tech exercises to strengthen my core and legs.  More details to come about this later.

Hellgate 100k Race Report - Chris Reed

Click "Read More" below for Race Report.

Grindstone 100 2010

OK, in 3 days I will be heading down to Virginia to race the Grindstone 100 Mile Endurance Run.  This is my favorite of the 3 different 100's that I have done.  I am trying to get myself in the right frame of mind.  One of my goals of this race is to enjoy the experience as much as possible - the course is so beautiful!

Treadmill Running!

I have had access to a treadmill this week.

On May 15th & 16th, I ran the 16th Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile Run in Virginia. The weather was great and I had a good day running in the mountains. For the race, I wore a pair of Roclite 315’s, which worked well for me on this course. Read on for a more detailed race report.

Shoe & Sock Review

Shoe & Sock Review: f-lite 305 PK GTX & Debrisoc 40

A good chunk of my training occurs on roads and in the parks of Allentown, PA. For the last four years, I’ve used Inov-8 shoes for training and racing on trails and road shoes (mostly Mizuno) for training on roads. I thought that Inov-8 could also provide me with a training solution for roads. So, in the beginning of the year I got a pair of f-lite 305’s (US size 13, I wear a 12.5 in most other running shoes). I have now put over 400 road/park miles on these shoes and I have found them to be snug, durable, and warm.

Right out of the box I found them to be very comfortable. The shoe hugs my foot nicely with standard lacing and my foot does not creep forward into the toe box on descents. The upper is a little stiff and took some getting used to. But, it ends up being a net gain for me because the shoe has an added layer of support due to the Gortex liner. A more supportive shoe is something that has proven to be necessary for me when running roads.

I was under the impression that cold and wet feet were just part of the deal when running in the winter. Until I met the 305’s, which do an awesome job at keeping my feet toasty and dry. We started getting hammered with lots of snow in the beginning of February. So, my running routes ran the gammit of wet pavement, slush, ice, and deep snow. I have worn the Merino wool Debrisoc 40 (size Large) along with the 305’s on several runs. This soc/gaiter combo works very efficiently at keeping all of the snow from getting in through the top of the shoe. And overall my feet have stayed warm and dry. And, once the debrisoc is on and I am running, it feels like a regular sock – nothing uncomfortable or awkward about it.

The f-lite 305 and the debrisoc 40 are durable. 400 plus miles later shoe looks just like I took it out of the box. The feel is basically the same except for the slight “break-in” of the upper which gives it a bit more of a flexible feel than when it was new. The Merino wool on the debrisoc is holding up well and amazingly the rubber fastening loops that wrap below the sole of the shoe to keep the gaiter down have not shredded.

In summary, if you are looking to try a shoe that is great for winter road running, I would recommend the f-lite 305’s. The 305’s have proven themselves to me for runs consisting of terrain covering concrete/blacktop to crushed gravel/dirt paths ranging in distances from 5 miles up to 20+ mile runs. I found the 305 and debrisoc combination to be a perfect solution for winter training on roads.

Building

First full week of traing for 2010 went well. For the next several weeks I am going to concentrate on building my base and expanding on my conditioning from last year.

New Running Toy

I purchased a new running toy - a HighGear Axio Max Altimeter watch. More to come about my adventures with it.

HAT Run 50k Short Race Report

I was happy how the HAT Run went for me this year. My family joined me and help crew at the picnic pavilion - we had fun. I ran conservatively and felt strong until about 27 miles, the last 4 were tough and I faded a bit, enough to get caught by another runner.

Week of Training for 3/22/09

Monday (3/23/09) - Strength training at gym, 30 minutes on stationary bike

Tuesday (3/24/09) - 10.27 miles

Wednesday (3/25/09) - 10.27 miles

Thursday (3/26/09) - 7. 5 miles

Training for week of 3/8/09

Sunday (3/8/09) -

The Dream

I dreamt last night that I did this extreme off road marathon called Buzzard's Marathon in Central PA. I went there all confident in my head that the hills would be nothing compaired to Virginia's Mountains. In the dream, I was very wrong. The climbs (5 total) were punishing and made my body cry out like a sissy! It occured to me in my dream state that I misread the marathon name and maybe it was really called the Bastard's Marathon! I did however have a wonderful time at this event and met some great people. It took me 4 hours, 5 minutes, and 51 seconds to cover the course. My GPS measured 25.13 miles. My average heart rate was 160 bpm. I woke up from the dream with my legs sore, but ready for more.

Training for Week of 3/1/09

Sunday (3/1/09) - 14.32 miles on South Mountain Trails (GPS), 10.42 mpm Avg (GPS), 140 bpm Avg - good run, felt strong and confident on rocky trails

Monday (3/2/09) - Strength training at gym & 40 minutes on stationary bike

Tuesday (3/3/09) - off

Wednesday (3/4/09) - 10.25 miles, easy (GPS), 8:40 mpm Avg (GPS), 138 bpm Avg

Thursday (3/5/09) - 10.30 miles, easy (GPS), 8:17 mpm Avg (GPS), 140 bpm Avg

Friday (3/6/09) - 10.19 miles, easy (GPS), 8:17 mpm Avg (GPS), 134 bpm Avg

Saturday (3/7/09) - off

Total Running Miles for Week ==> 45.06 miles

Training for Week of 2/22/09

Sunday (2/22/09) - 21.07 miles moderate (GPS) - roads, grass, last 7 miles on trails, 8:22 mpm Avg (GPS), 139 bpm HR Avg - felt strong, started conservatively, finished strong

Monday (2/23/09) - strength training at gym, 40 minutes random setting on stationary bike

Tuesday (2/24/09) - 10.23 miles easy (GPS), 8:50 bpm Avg (GPS), 140 bpm HR Avg

Wednesday (2/25/09) - off

Thursday (2/26/09) - 11.65 miles tempo w/ 5.10 miles in middle at tempo pace (6:37 mpm 1st lap, 6:21 mpm 2nd lap, 6:18 mpm 3rd lap, 6:15 mpm 4th lap) (GPS), 7:41 mpm Avg (GPS), 142 bpm HR Avg

Friday (2/27/09) - off

Saturday (2/28/09) - 25.50 miles road, towpath, & South Mountain (GPS), 8:42 mpm Avg (GPS), 143 bpm Avg

Total Running Miles for Week ==> 68.45 miles

Week of Training for 2/15/09

Sunday (2/15/09) - 12.45 miles easy (GPS), 8:22 mpm Avg (GPS), 135 bpm Avg

Monday (2/16/09) - Strength training at gym, 30 minutes on stationary bike

Tuesday (2/17/09) - 10.23 miles moderate (GPS), 8:08 mpm Avg (GPS), 141 bpm Avg

Wednesday (2/18/09) - core strength exercises at home

Thursday (2/19/09) - 8:08 miles hill workout (GPS), 8:08 mpm Avg (GPS), 145 bpm Avg - ran hills around Allen High School's campus

Friday (2/20/09) - 10.22 miles easy (GPS), 7:56 mpm Avg (GPS), 141 bpm Avg

Saturday (2/21/09) - 12.05 miles easy run/hike w/ Raj (GPS), 18:25 mpm Avg

Total Running Miles for Week ==> 53.03

Training for week of 2/8/09

Sunday (2/8/09) - 16.14 miles (GPS), moderate push, 8:53 mpm Avg (GPS), 141 bpm Avg

Monday (2/9/09) - Strength exercises at Gym

Tuesday (2/10/09) - 10.21 miles (GPS), easy, 8:03 mpm Avg (GPS), 139 bpm Avg

Wednesday (2/11/09) - core strength exercises

Thursday (2/12/09) - 10.37 miles (GPS) w/ 3.87 miles at 6:56 mpm Avg (GPS), 155 bpm Avg during middle 3.87 miles

Friday (2/13/09) - 7.51 miles moderate push (GPS), 7:39 mpm Avg (GPS), 140 bpm Avg - felt great, run felt effortless

Saturday (2/14/09) - 20.28 miles moderate push (GPS), 7:42 mpm Avg (GPS), 142 bpm Avg - felt very good - 1st 20 miler of season!

Total running miles for week ==> 64.51 miles