Pass Mountain 50K and Beyond

After spending an entire summer preparing for the 100 mile attempt that didn't pan out, i've been dealing with gallons of disappointment. After talking it over with my GF Lyssa, it was decided the best thing might be to get back in the saddle one last time before the winter fully settled in. After a few weeks of no running and another few weeks of very low mileage, i flew out to Phoenix to take part in the Pass Mountain 50K.

Pass Mountain is part of Aravaipa Racing's Winter Desert Series, put on by the Coury brothers, Nick and Jamil. Both seasoned runners, their race direction is a well-oiled machine and this race course was top notch. 

i don't like overly lengthy race reports, so i'll just say it probably isn't very smart to race 5 weeks after your body experiences an epic blow-up that took place because you were playing mad scientist with your body's chemistry. i will take the time to say this -- i liked the course. we were treated to an epic sunrise as we meandered through the desert floor and the single-track through the Tonto National Forest was really NEAT. The course's variety surprised me with a good portion of technical footing through Tonto as well as an enjoyable mid-lap climb.

As for the race itself, i took off too fast and led the first bit before i was sucked back up into a group of 3 other fellas. the four of us were together for the first of two laps, and then my body hit its current limit. i think i heard Schwartzenegger's voice from terminator 2 say "the vehicle has reached it's maximum speed" in my head. i slowed 'er down and jogged it on in for 4th.

i recommend putting this race on your radar. It was a hoot. i also recommend drinking 4 or 5 Kilt Raiser Scottish Ales at Four Peaks in the Phoenix Airport before your flight.

Now, it's on to winter.

This winter will be spent hiking, swiss-bobbing, skiing, snow-shoeing, and swimming. The running i will do will be in preparation for the Monumental Link-up, a running project i will tackle next year that will link all of the trails in the Colorado National Monument in a single running.

Enjoy some pics below of last weekend's race, all courtesy of Aravaipa Running's website.

start of the course

about two miles into the course, racing like a moron

entering the Tonto National Forest

finishing up lap 1 of 2...feeling like a pile of GIANT DOO DOO

Got Sodium...The Arkansas Traveller 100 attempt



strike 2! last weekend i went on down to Arkansas for my second 100 mile attempt. last year at the Javalina Jundred, I foolishly tried running 100 miles 4 weeks after a hard run at a 50 miler. the result was my MCL blowing up at mile 60. this year i did it right, training hard for a full 6-to-8 weeks leading up to the Arkansas Traveller 100. i was feeling fit and ready, as well as good and nervous the week of. i won't bore with tons of detail, but i was on pace to go around 18 to 19 hours and sitting comfortably in 3rd place when my body started reacting in a very peculiar way. we discovered later that i had taken in too much sodium and not enough water, transforming my body into a convulsing, smashed wreck that i had no control over. i had to drop at mile 84.

despite the obvious disappointment, there were some important details that i took away from the experience. here are 11 of them.

1-i got to experience life as a noodle for about 3 hours.

2-i can now say that it has taken me 2 hours to walk a mile.

3-go to SIMS Barbeque in Little Rock! the place has been around since 1937 and you might cry when

   you bite into the beef sandwich. it's that good!

4-the 8 miles of singletrack on the Ouachita Trail at the AT100 are awesome. as was the race

    direction and organization. i highly recommend the race to those wanting a late season 100 miler.

5-the folks at Fleet Feet Easy Runner are super nice peeps.

6-my family is awesome.

7-my friends Morgan and Ryan are awesome, too.

8-my girlfriend Lyssa is something special.

9-my beard is hot in 90 percent humidity.

10-forget 100's. next year i'm going back to focusing on 50ks and mountain runs.

11-13,000+ mg of sodium in 70 miles does not do a body good.

My two favorite pics from the experience.

with Lyssa at mile 68-ish

surrounded by the fam and friends

does this trail have a name? no name...no trail!

This last weekend I caped off a summer of running with a route I've been keen on doing since I first moved to the Roaring Fork Valley almost 5 years ago. The route I'm referring to is the No Name Trail (sometimes referred to as Jessie Weaver Trail) up to the canyon top above Glenwood Springs and then down the Mitchell Creek Trail to the Glenwood Fish Hatchery.

The No Name Trail climbs approximately 5,000 ft in 8 miles onto the canyon top (The Flat Tops Wilderness Area) and dead ends at the Transfer Trail. From Glenwood there are two other access points onto the Flat Tops, one of which is Transfer Trail and the other is the more rugged Mitchell Creek Trail that starts at the town's Fish Hatchery.

On the Fall Equinox my partner in ridiculous pursuits Zeke Tiernan and I dropped a car shuttle off at the Mitchell Creek Trailhead and then began our climb up No Name. You may ask at this point if we celebrated Fall in style. We did. Zeke tripped over a rock 4 minutes in. Don't worry, I tripped over a stick about 30 seconds later. You can't celebrate autumn without a fall.....

The route was everything I could have hoped for and more. We climbed out of the canyon and into an alpine zone, and then we got lost. For an hour. If anyone ever repeats this route, please note to take a hard right down a hill about 5 minutes after seeing a sign for route # 635. Don't go down that route. We didn't. But we still had no idea where we were. The torrential rains from the late summer turned the trail into an overgrown jungle. If you want to know what the trail looks like, I suggest you take a giant leaf and put it over your face. We bushwhacked and second guessed ourselves about 5 times. The trail opens up about 3-ish miles from the Hatchery. Lucky for us, the sky also opened up and we were hounded with hail and rain for the rest of the run. About 4 miles from the finish, we lucked out and ran right into the thickest brush of stinging nettles in the United States. I was really happy to hit this patch as I love having really itchy legs. We didn't just brush up against the nettles. We were "in the shit" as they say.

The route ending up being a 5 hour outing, though the running was more around 4 hours. I look forward to exploring this area more next season. Below are some images from the route.

Zeke one mile into the route

4 miles up No Name. Canyon entrance is in the background

Zeker pushing through some brush halfway through No Name

a low bridge at the headwaters of the No Name creek make the crossing difficult in early season

Zeker heading into the alpine zone toward the top of the canyon

a really neat picure

Zeke checking the map on the Flat Tops

heading down Mitchell Creek 2 miles from the Hatchery

Avalanche Lolli-Pop Loop

two weekends ago my great buddy and training partner Zeke Tiernan and i checked off my final long outing before arkansas traveler. the loop was actually a lolli-pop style run starting at the avalanche creek trail head just off of highway 133 outside of carbondale. any time i'm in charge of picking the route, we usually end up bushwhacking at some point...we got to bushwhack. to achieve the loop, run 11 miles up avalanche, then make a right onto the silver creek trail. (there is good signage here.)

my girlfriend Lyssa was camping out with a group of kiddos for outdoor ed, so we were treated with a brief stop and some chatting with her about 2 and half hours in. We topped off our bladders and continued up the first of three passes. after gaining the first pass (Grassy Pass), you stay high for some amazing high alpine track, then you climb out of a small basin onto Silver Creek Pass. From there, it's a fast and furious descent down toward the town of Marble. at the base of Mt Arkansas, make a right at the bearded hunter laying next to a rock, and head up the north fork trail to avalanche pass.

avalanche pass is a bitch. the footing is rutted out and there is some over growth on the way up. once you are on the pass, head up to the right toward the high point another 200 feet. now this is where you get to have fun. time to bushwhack. the trail poops out 500 yards down the other side of the pass. the trail is a brown, dotted line on the map, which usually means it is a primitive or unmaintained trail. in this case it is a figment of the maps imagination. follow the creek about 2 hours back to avalanche and cross. then it's just 8 miles back down avalanche to the car and you're done!

in all seriousness, we had 9 hours of epic running and it was a great way to spend the day. here are some pictures from the day.

The Barefoot Deathmatch

Who would have thought a few years ago that Christopher McDougall's book "Born to Run" would usher in a new wave of running footwear?  The trend in the running footwear industry is one that desires less. Less cushioning.  Less differiential between the heel and toe. Less stability.  Less weight.  Vibram's Five Finger shoes were the best option for those seeking to fulfill the gospel of McDougall, but 2011 offers the barefoot-crazed maniacs some new options in which to strengthen their feet, improve their running form, and potentially tear their achilles tendon.

The Players:
New Balance and Merrell lead the charge with  their new lines of barefoot running footwear.  The two shoes to keep an eye on will be the Minimus Trail by New Balance and the Trail Glove (Pace Glove for women) by Merrell. There are already about five million reviews and comparisons of each, so I decided to make the count five million and one.

The burning question of the year is going to be, "do I go with the Minimus or the Trail Glove?"  A quick look at the technology won't really solve anything. Both have a vibram undersole. Both are narrow in the midfoot and wide in the toe. The Minimus, unlike the Trail Glove, doesn't have a zero drop between the heel and the toe, it's set at 4 millimeters.  That's not much, but it's enough to give the achilles tendon a little rest.

The Skinny:
The major telling factor comes with the run. I took both shoes out on Carbondale's Red Hill trail, where there is a generous helping of everything, especially rocks. The Merrell Trail Glove felt very comfortable and secure on my foot, but I had to run much slower than my normal pace because there was nothing under my foot. The first 1.5 miles is all uphill, and my achilles and fascia started to burn about halfway up. Then I stepped on a sharp rock, which didn't feel very good. My knees and shins felt achy after coming downhill for 1.5 miles as well. The Trail Glove felt better on pavement that on the trail, so this shoe lacked versatility.

It was the New Balance Minimus' turn. While I did have to slow my pace down, it wasn't nearly as much as in the case of  the Trail Glove. This shoe felt a little more like a bared-down racing flat.  My achilles never burned on the uphill, although my arches cramped.  My foot didn't feel as secure in the Minimus as in the Trail Glove, but I did feel more comfident moving quickly in the Minimus and I did feel better on the trail. The Minimus was definitely more versatile. They both retail at about $100 US.

Verdict:
I'm not convinced about this whole barefoot running thing. I typically run in the La Sportiva Crosslite, a shoe with only a 10 millimeter drop from the heel. The shoe is minimal, but you can run at full speed up, down, and over anything.  I think that these new barefoot running shoes may be great training tools to help learn a midfoot running strike, but mostly they are to satisfy the demands of the barefoot running trend.  The New Balance Minimus was designed, in part, by ultra-runner Anton Krupicka, so there is some thought behind the shoe, and it was definitely the more comfortable and runnable of the two shoes. So between the two, the New Balance Minimus wins the fight.

Salomon XR Crossmax vs. Harper the Dog on Haypark Trail

The Skinny:

The new Salomon XR Crossmax trail running shoe, due to launch in early 2011, is the first trail running shoe by Salomon meant to be a "door-to-trail" running shoe. I got my hands on a pair of these via Salomon's Kevin Johnson. We took the shoes for a spin down Highway 133 to the Red Hill Trail in Carbondale, CO to see what they were made of. I felt that the transition from road to trail and back was much smoother than what most "true trail" shoes could offer. While the Crossmax does feel somewhat boxy, it is by no means a clunky shoe. It has great flex and is very versatile on a number of different surfaces.

The fit wasn't bad either. The quicklace system and upper design provide a snug, midfoot fit, but the heel seems loose on my narrow heel. The most impressive feature of the shoe is the new OS Tendon on the outsole. This is an interesting new technology that provides stability throughout the gait cycle via a flexing tendon that runs along the underside of the shoe. The shoe comes in a neutral and stability version, with the Tendon being more aggressive in the later version. The Contagrip outsole continues to do an impressive job of adequately providing traction on off-road terrain while not being over-kill on pavement and asphalt.

All of the reviews you will read about the XR Crossmax will tell you how great it is as a transitional road/trail shoe, but I'm going to tell how it does on a wet mountain trail with no pavement while racing a crazy lab/hound-dog puppy. So without further ado....the players:

                                   SALOMON XR CROSSMAX, weighing in at 11 ounces.

                                         Harper the Dog, weighing in at....I have no idea

                                    The Venue...Haypark Trail from the Old Snowmass Side

I ran out about 4.5 miles with my friend Jen along with her pup Harper. Once we turned around, it was 4 miles of on-and-off battling between Harper and myself. It was a perfect test to see how the Crossmax could handle tight turns, wet rocks, and stream crossings over leaf covered singletrack at a fast pace....with a dog in hot pursuit. The battle was fierce, with Harper dying out on the final, long ascent. And by dying out I mean losing interest and peeing on trees. He came at me one last time in the final half mile, which is a flatter section of trail. The Crossmax felt the best on this smoother, fast section of trail, proving that they were made with road-running in mind. As for Harper, he proved that he was a dog and lost interest again when we came upon the cows.

The shoes held their own over the terrain, but I felt more of a mid-foot flex and lower differiential between the heel and toe would have made for a more comfortable ride around the turns and on the bomber downhills. And that is what sets it apart from being a spectacular mountain/trail running shoe. It will do fine on the fast, flat trails and on the roads though, which is the intended function of the Crossmax.

The Conclusion: The Crossmax fulfills it's designers' intentions well, serving as a great cross-over hybrid. You lose a little on either side of the coin, but the transition from road to trail is pretty smooth. This shoe will be priced at around $130 US. You might spend alittle more for the Crossmax, but you won't necessarily need a separate pair of road and trail shoes with this hybrid. Could be a money-saver in the long run.

Shoe Review: La Sportiva Fireblade

 

The Skinny:

I decided to begin the shoe reviews with a shoe I have just recently started training in. I am a huge Sportiva fan, and this shoe is a classic in their line-up, so it is fitting to begin with the La Sportiva Fireblade.

The Fireblade is coined as a lightweight stability trainer. It weighs in at 12.8 ounces. Add a superfeet or some other sort of insole and you're looking at 14-ish ounces, so lightweight stability trainer needs to be taken.....lightly. The shoe has a triple density midsole, explaining the weight of the shoe, but the weight is a small price to pay for providing a comfortable ride on gnarly terrain over longer distances.  This is an outstanding long-distance trail runner.

The heel of the Fireblade is a dual-density EVA called Trail Shock. This second density foam firms up the heel counter and keeps the subtalar joint from over-pronating. The genius of the post is that it wraps the entire heel, keeping lateral and medial motion to a minimum. The toe counter is equipped with a high-tensile composite rockguard that successfully protects the ball of the feet from rockier terrain while still having great flexion on the ascents. The undersole of the shoe is a compound sticky rubber that works great on surfaces unless they are acceptionally wet or muddy. The toe is equipped with a rubber guard that is more protection than most trail shoes have, and the heel cup is nice and snug for a lower-volume heel. I have a bunyun, and it didn't feel pinched at all, so even though I believe the shoe's upper can accomadate a medium to slightly wide toe box.

What they are Good For:

After taking the shoes on a test drive up Haypark Trail, a singletrack comprised of rock-strewn, steep inclines and flat, mud-caked two track, I joked that these shoes are a minimal tank. My feet didn't feel worked in the least, even on a trail that could pass as a rock field. These shoes are great at absorbing shock, making them a superb choice for long-distance treks over obstacle-infested terrain. My thoughts go to events such as Speedgoat 50K, Silverton Alpine Marathons, Zane Grey.....Massanutten..........Hardrock.

Why they Work:

A major factor working to the advantage of the Fireblade is that the heel sits at 26mm and the toe at 16mm, making the heel-to-toe differiential only 10mm. Why is that important? Over-pronation takes a toll on the body the longer it continues, and the longer we run the slower we get, meaning the more time our feet naturally spend on the ground. This is where foot, joint, and muscle fatigue can become amplified. The greater the differiential is between the heel and the toe, the longer the foot remains in the mid-stance phase of the gait cycle. If that differiential is decreased, then the foot doesn't have to travel as far, meaning it spends less time in the mid-stance phase and the foot doesn't spend nearly as much time on the ground. This gives the foot less time to pronate. Thus this shoe is a minimal tank.

Is the Price Right?

The Fireblade is sitting pretty at $95 US. That's not bad.

Parting shot. Taking the La Sportiva Fireblades up Arbaney Kittle Trail in Basalt, CO.