FEBRUARY 2016
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KEEPING AUSTIN WEIRD Freesoloist Survives Fall and Keeps Climbing
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Hearing Jerry Beckwith address the crowd at the inaugural Jerry's Baddle biathlon. In spite of his struggles with ALS, he spoke about how much the biking and paddling communities meant to him, and described the beauties and intricacies of the Green River. Jerry passed away a few weeks later, but his event lives on today.
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DAN BRAYACK One time while running I decided to take a selfie. I totally tripped and did a front roll on the asphalt. Embarrassed, I got up quickly, grabbed my phone and kept running. and got an ovation from a couple of dudes in a truck.
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The moment I set off on my secondever mountain bike race, the Big Bear Lake 2x12. The 12-mile circuit was ankle-deep in peanut butter-like mud, my one chamois was already sandy and wet from the day before, and I'd never ridden 24 miles in one day. Key ingredients for a sufferfest.
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February 2016 CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
7 THE DIRT
19 TRAIL HEROES
Freesoloist Austin Howell survives a near-death fall and keeps climbing.
12 QUICK HITS
Lance wins a trail race—people get pissed • Chimney Rock expands • Former Olympian runs sub-five mile for 40th consecutive year
15 FLASHPOINT
Cut the carbs? Crank up the workout intensity? Juicy detox cure? 5 common fitness myths debunked.
42 THE GOODS
Adventure runner Phil Phelan’s go-to gear for multiday treks.
46 TRAIL MIX
Fast Hands and Hard Truths: New albums from Larry Keel and Malcom Holcombe. COVER PHOTO BY
There aren’t many large black women lining up at the starting line of 62-mile ultras. That hasn’t stopped Mirna Valerio, a Georgia teacher and coach who is shattering stereotypes. Meet Mirna and four other inspiring trail runners from the Blue Ridge.
24 BLUE RIDGE BUCKET LIST
Make 2016 the year of no excuses. Check out these 41 regional events that are sure to make your quads crumble, your forearms scream, and your sides cramp. If you live here or play here, these are the must-dos.
40 THE WAY FORWARD
Ultrarunning legend and multiple national champion Anne Riddle reflects on what the trail has taught her.
44 APRÈS SKI
No two words excite snowsports aficionado Graham Averill more than après ski, roughly translated from the French: ‘I drank too much champagne and fell in the hot tub while still wearing my ski boots.’
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THE DIRT
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WHAT'S KEEPING AUSTIN WEIRD? AUSTIN HOWELL HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CLIMB IN A TOP HAT, NAKED, AND WITHOUT A ROPE, BUT HE’S ALSO FREQUENTED MANY HOSPITAL BEDS. WHAT’S KEEPING AUSTIN PSYCHED ON CLIMBING? by JESS DADDIO
S
ince the dawn of rock climbing, and throughout its bruised and bloody history of improbable speed ascents and unprecedented tragedy alike, the question 'why?' has never been far from the minds of climbers. Why climb in the face of danger? Why risk life and limb for the sake of a summit? Why try when you could die? For 28-year-old Atlanta-based free soloist Austin Howell, those questions hit close to home. Since embarking on his now decade-long relationship with climbing, Howell has been more than bruised and bloody, and on more than one occasion. In 2008, it was a broken back. A few years later, shattered ankles. Then, just last year, Howell fell 20 feet headfirst while climbing The Nose, fracturing his skull, wrist, and five neck vertebrae. To the average climber, any one of those injuries might be sufficient reason to stop climbing altogether, but Howell is not your average person, nor is quitting climbing an option. Born and raised just outside of Houston, Howell has always had an affinity for heights. As a child, he would take to the trees during hideand-seek, proudly perched on a limb for hours while his friends searched tirelessly. But it wasn’t until Howell
AUSTIN HOWELL CRUISES THROUGH THE FINAL MOVES ON HIS FREE SOLO ASCENT OF PINBALL WIZARD 5.11, THREE PITCHES, SHORTOFF MOUNTAIN, LINVILLE GORGE, N.C. photo by ANDY TOMS
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attended the University of Houston that he was formally introduced to the sport that would change his life. “One of the girls that worked at the [indoor] wall explained what routes were and tied me in,” Howell remembers. “I got skunked 15 feet off the ground, not because it was impossible, but because I didn’t know what to do. At that point, it became a puzzle and it needed solving. That’s when I got hooked.” Though Howell was in school to study electrical engineering, his interests quickly evolved from the academic to the athletic. When he wasn’t in class, he was on the wall. When he wasn’t on the wall, he was pouring over YouTube videos of his spirit animal, Tommy Caldwell. On his third day of climbing, Howell was already projecting 5.8 routes at the gym. The challenge of the puzzle, part mental, part physical, became all-consuming. “Hans Florine said it best,” Howell says, quoting the famous American speed climber: “The only thing better than climbing is more climbing.” Just two years into his climbing career, Howell was forced to reevaluate that logic. While projecting
“Basically, she told me I could keep climbing or keep having family support for college,” he says. “As you can see, I’m still climbing.” The perceived risks of climbing became such a source of tension between Howell and his mother that their relationship, especially after Howell quit school, crumbled beneath the weight of ‘what if.’ For Howell, the choice was a no-brainer. The courage to see it through, however, was on par with leading a runout 5.12 trad route. “When you find something that gives you that deep of a sense of peace, why would you let it go?” he says. “For most people, if they’ve really found something that’s meaningful in their lives, the choice…is going to be really obvious. The trick is admitting it.” The next five years for Howell were a whirlwind of bloody fingers, burritos, and truck bed camping. From Hueco Tanks to Looking Glass, and a side trip to Germany, Howell targeted the best crags to push his limits. He was living the quintessential dirtbag dream. Even without the college degree, Howell found success in climbing Telecom towers to fund his fun, which eventually landed him in the Southeast. Meanwhile, Howell was slowly
“When you’re really at your limit, your mind has to become a complete void. You just become the movement.” a new gym route called Final Destination, his belayer failed to catch a fall, causing him to land back-first from a height of 35 feet. Yet it wasn’t the broken T11 and T12 vertebrae, or the four ensuing months of back brace sedentary living, that made Howell doubt his passion. It was his mother.
coming to grips with an identity he never expected to embrace—that of a free soloist. His life until then had taken some unexpected twists and turns. But the more he climbed, the more he trained, and the more he trained, the harder he climbed. Soon, Howell’s baseline for “easy” was a photo by JACOB BODKIN F E B R U A R Y 2 01 6 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M
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solid 5.10 trad route. Free soloing, it seemed, was the logical next step. “Once upon a time, there was only climbing. We didn’t have safety equipment. There was no sport, there was no trad, there was no solo. There was just climbing,” he says. “Whenever I’m climbing easy stuff, placing gear gets really annoying and slows me down. It takes me out of the moment.” His inquisitive and analytical nature earned him the nickname The Professor. Having an activity that quiets the mind and forces the present is imperative to his being, Howell says. No longer a puzzle of mind over body, climbing became first and foremost an activity of the spirit. “Whenever you’re doing something incredibly hard on the wall, everything disappears,” he says. “It’s just you and this handhold, this foothold, this particular way to twist your body. When you’re really at your limit, your mind has to become a complete void. You just become the movement.” Oftentimes, Howell and his meditative but quirky personality are met with apprehension at the crag. Fellow climbers, unaware of Howell’s values, are quick to judge. They see a young and seemingly reckless dude in a top hat casually sending 80foot, 5.10 trad routes, with just two pieces of protection. When Howell eliminates the rope altogether, the judgments worsen. “I frequently draw a mixed bag of reactions, from genuine concern to horror, rage, elation, contempt and simple confusion,” Howell writes on his blog, Dreaming of Gnar. “Wellintentioned folks try to point out all the possibilities that could lead to an accident: there could be loose rock, there could be bugs, there could be wet rock.” Be that as it may, Howell argues that roped climbers face the same situational uncertainties that free 10
AUSTIN PREPARING FOR THE CRUX MOVE ON HIS FREE SOLO ASCENT OF PINBALL WIZARD 5.11, THREE PITCHES, SHORTOFF MOUNTAIN, LINVILLE GORGE, N.C. photo by ANDY TOMS
“Every time I closed my eyes, it was like getting tossed into one of those paint can shakers at Home Depot,” he remembers. soloists do. A slipped foothold doesn’t necessarily lead to a whipper, just as the mere presence of a belayer won’t ensure you don’t hit the deck if you do fall. In fact, Howell says, were it not for the false pretense of safety under which modern day society operates, fewer climbers would put their faith in gear over skill. “Your first fundamental piece of protection [in climbing] is your fingers,” Howell says. “We have this safety culture, but really, you don’t have any safety protection beyond your ability to make competent decisions.” Behind Howell’s wide eyes and wiry hair, the wheels never stop turning. Though he has racked up a number of onsite solo ascents 5.10 and under (including an 11-pitch tour of Shortoff Mountain, totaling 4,500 feet of vertical climbing), most free solo attempts in the 5.11+ range require countless roped laps. Each time Howell stands at the base of a potential solo, if he’s not calculating
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his mojo, he’s adding up hours spent on the campus board in his basement. Thorough, humble, and honest, Howell knows when to back off a solo, and when to power through. “I hate stressful climbing,” he says. “Being scared out of your mind while climbing is not a pleasant experience.” Unlike the vast majority of climbers, Howell experiences fear not from free soloing but from leading trad. Remember the fractured skull, wrist, and neck vertebrae? Howell wasn’t free soloing The Nose when he fell headfirst—he was roped in, well-protected, and seemingly on top of his game. “We’ll never know what happened,” he says. “The first thing that went wrong was it was wet, which forced us to aid climb instead of free climb. Then a piece of aid gear pulled out under body weight. Then, an additional piece probably pulled out as well. Then I hit the ledge.” Fractures aside, Howell also lost the hearing in his left ear as well as
his internal equilibrium. He spent two days in the intensive care unit, and nearly another week in the hospital unable to comprehend what had happened, or why the world spun uncontrollably whenever he tried to sleep. “Every time I closed my eyes, it was like getting tossed into one of those paint can shakers at Home Depot,” he remembers. The doctors, unsurprisingly, told Howell there was no foreseeable future in which he would ever be able to climb again. The average person suffering from so many fractures and head trauma simultaneously could expect to be bedridden for months before seeing any signs of progress. But Howell is not the average person, nor is quitting climbing an option. Just one month after the accident, he was top-roping 5.6 in the gym. Now, only a few months shy of the year anniversary, Howell is stronger than ever. Though the injuries initially set him back physically, he credits the incident to a much-needed change in attitude toward climbing, and toward his answer to the question Why? “I once was completely obsessed with hard routes, chasing the next number and progressively seeking out harder and harder climbs to test myself and project them into submission,” he writes, whereas now, he understands that, “[i]t’s not about climbing hard, trad, sport, boulder, multi-pitch, big wall, this grade, or that. It’s about having the absolute most fun you can have. [T]hat’s how you know you’re doing it right.” You likely won’t see Howell on the next climbing-centric “60 Minutes” feature. He’s too busy having fun to worry about the fame—unless, that is, it involves first natural ascents (as in naked free solos). Just last spring, EpicTV featured a video of Howell going balls to the wall on Dopey Duck, a 350-foot, three-pitch, 5.9 route in the Linville Gorge. True to his mantra, Howell admits that naked climbing is “a jackass stunt, but at least it’s a fun one.”
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A DRY-HOPPED HARD CIDER WITH CITRUS AND FLORAL NOTES
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QUICK HITS
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BEYOND THE BLUE RIDGE
LANCE WINS A TRAIL RACE, PEOPLE GET PISSED
SHORTS
BLUE RIDGE BRIEFS
WOOD S ID E, C A LIFOR NIA
by JEDD FERRIS CHIMNEY ROCK EXPANDS
CHI M N EY RO C K STAT E PA RK, N.C.
Thanks to recent land transfers by the Nature Conservancy, North Carolina’s Chimney Rock State Park has expanded by 536 acres. New parcel additions now bring the park total to 6,200 acres and help connect the iconic namesake rock outcropping with the nearby Bat Cave Preserve and the southern rim of the Hickory Nut Gorge. Since it was established in 2007, after being a private park, Chimney Rock has spurred an increasing amount of new recreation opportunities in areas around Lake Lure, a seasonal vacation town that revolves around its namesake lake, about 30 miles southeast of Asheville. New singletrack was recently built at Lake Lure’s Buffalo Creek Park and the town also hosts a two-day road ride, Cycle NC Mountain Ride, in the summer. Regional climbers flock to Chimney Rock in the off-season to hit the popular crag Rumbling Bald. In a story about the park expansion, Brian Payst, president of the Carolina Climbers Coalition, told the Asheville Citizen-Times, “Nobody goes to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock in the winter, except climbers.”
CHURCH GROUP BUYS GAULEY WATERFRONT PROPERTY
NI C HO LAS C O U N TY, W. VA .
A non-denominational Christian organization recently bought a prime piece of land right on the Gauley River in West Virginia. Young Life, a 75-year-old ministry group for students between middle school and college, purchased an 1,100-acre tract of land along the Gauley that will be used to open one of the organization’s adventure camps. Young Life 12
operates 29 camps around the U.S. that include activities like climbing, rappelling, horseback riding, and parasailing, according to the group’s website. The organization’s new piece of land is located near the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park and borders 665 acres owned by the West Virginia Land Trust that will eventually be transferred to the Gauley River National Recreation Area. Construction work on the land will reportedly begin in the spring. “Young Life’s land includes more than one mile of Gauley River shoreline, then comes up to the top of the cliffs and onto a good chunk of relatively flat land on top, where the main camp will be set back from the rim and be out of the viewshed,” said Ed Maguire of the Highlands Group when explaining the acquisition to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
FORMER OLYMPIAN RUNS SUB-5-MINUTE MILE FOR 40TH STRAIGHT YEAR SHIP P E NSBURG, PA .
At 53, Steve Spence is still cruising. The former Olympic marathoner, who placed 12th at the games in 1992, ran a mile in less than five minutes for the 40th straight year back in December. Even though his pro running career ended in 1997, Spence, a crosscountry coach at Shippensburg University, unintentionally kept the
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illustration by WADE MICKLEY
streak going when running 5Ks for fun. In 2008 he decided to make a point to keep what’s now thought to be an unchallenged record intact, but he told Runner’s World it’s not as easy as it used to be: “This has been my toughest year.”
A.T. HIKERS REMOVE 1,000 POUNDS OF TRASH
A PPA LAC H IA N TR A IL
As the 2016 class of A.T. thru hikers prepares to get moving, hopefully they’ll take some inspiration from 2015 hikers Seth Orme, Joe Dehnert, and Paul Twedt. Last year when the three friends hiked from Springer to Katahdin, they also completed what they called the Packing It Out Initiative, removing trash from the Appalachian Trail. According to a report from Gearjunkie.com, the trio impressively removed a whopping 1,000 pounds of litter from the A.T., enlisting volunteers to help get the trash to and from trailhead garbage cans. At one point the guys hauled a dirty mattress out of the woods for two miles. The group is planning another long-distance thru-hike/trail cleanup this year on the Pacific Crest Trail. LEARN MORE
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Lance Armstrong, the adventure world’s celebrity trainwreck that so many of us can’t help but care about (just look at his nearly 4 million Twitter followers), was on a race course at the end of last year and, of course, it caused a stir. In mid-December, Lance joined 50 runners at the Woodside Ramble 35K in California. He won the race with a time of 3:00:36. Race participation by the former pro cyclist, stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping and associated misconduct, became fodder for an internet debate. One of the race organizers, Tanya Stahler, posted on Facebook: “To us, Mr. Armstrong was just another paying registrant. We did not publicize his presence or treat him any differently than other runners.” But some runners weren’t comfortable with his presence in their sport. Ultrarunner Ethan Veneklasen told Trail Runner, “Racers running for the best place possible were robbed by the most notorious doper in history.” Ninetime U.S. Mountain Running national champion Joe Gray posted: “I hear people talk about second chances for a 'particular' athlete (who is making their way into trail racing). What of the second chances for the athletes who lost their careers due to being cheated by this athlete?” Armstrong’s racing ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency doesn’t include most trail running events, and he seems intent on participating: “I'm not running for money or trophies," he told TrailRunner. "I run for my own personal reasons and that's to stay fit and to remain sane.” GoOutAndPlay
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FLASHPOINT
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TOP 5 HEALTH & FITNESS MYTHS BUSTED
CONSIDERING TAKING ON A NEW DIET, BUYING THE LATEST STYLE OF RUNNING SHOE, OR SAVING UP FOR AN AT-HOME JUICER? CHECK OUT WHAT OUR EXPERTS HAD TO SAY ON THE FIVE MOST COMMON HEALTH AND FITNESS MYTHS BEFORE YOU DO. by JESS DADDIO #5
IF IT AIN’T HURTIN’, IT AIN’T WORKIN’ EXPERT SAYS: Try, if it ain’t workin, it’s probably because you’re hurtin’ too often and too much. High-intensity interval training is all the rage in crossfit gyms throughout the country. With claims to help you get fitter, leaner, faster, it’s no wonder the sweat-till-you-drop regimen has soared in popularity in the past few years. But is intensity really the key to improving performance? “One of the things that people do far too often is hard intense workouts,” says ZAP Fitness Coach Ryan Warrenburg. Warrenburg is a distance runner, not a crossfit buff, but he knows what it takes to get to the top. At ZAP, Warrenburg coaches post-collegiate, Olympic-hopeful distance runners in the mountains of Blowing Rock, N.C., and says that even his elite runners keep high-intensity workouts
to a minimum, no more than a few days a week. Why? “Anytime you work hard, whether it’s running or otherwise, you have to make sure you take adequate recovery time so your body doesn’t just break down,” he says. “Oddly enough, that’s how you get better.” By “recovery time,” Warrenburg’s not suggesting you veg out on the couch with a complete series box set and a bag of potato chips for weeks on end. In fact, he says, “you’re going to recover faster if you actually move your legs a little bit,” like going for a walk or swim or even hopping on the elliptical for 20 minutes. But after a serious training cycle or race, Warrenburg says that if you don’t take the proper time to rest, your cortisol levels will go up, your muscle tissue will break down, and your bones will become more prone to stress fractures and injuries. “Everything we’ve ever learned in life kinda says if you’re not getting results, you need to work harder,” he says. “It becomes this cycle of
banging your head against the wall and you’ll see it time and time again when [athletes are] not improving and consequently they get frustrated with their performance.” BOTTOM LINE: “Think of intensity and volume as two sides of a scale,” Warrenburg says. Decrease the intensity, and up the volume. For example, if you’re running 30 miles a week, no more than 10 of those should be highintensity. How do you measure what qualifies as “high-intensity?” “You wanna be doing a workout at an intensity where you end and you feel like you could have done a little more. Work pretty hard, but leave a little in the tank.” #4
THE JUICE IS WORTH THE SQUEEZE EXPERT SAYS: Sure, if you’re squeezing for type two diabetes. In an era of juicing detoxes, at-home juicers, small-batch juice
companies, and cold press juice bibles, it seems logical to think that crushing an eight-ounce glass of fruit medley would suffice for the five a day quota. But recent research shows that juice, specifically fruit juice, is not the elixir of life it’s squeezed out to be. “Fruit juice, once it’s squeezed, is essentially sugar water,” says Dr. Barry Popkin, W. R. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina and author of The World is Fat: The Fads, Trends, Policies, and Products that are Fattening the Human Race. “It has a few vitamins, but they get lost and make no impact on us. It’s like drinking a coke or Pepsi.” That’s right. Juice is no better than coke. So the next time you reach in your wallet to pay $12 for some appleorange-spinach concoction, consider this: in one eight-ounce can of coke, there are 21 grams of sugar. In one eight-ounce glass of apple juice? 22 grams. For the past 25 years, Popkin has dedicated his work to addressing
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this beverage crisis that has everyone from doctors to politicians concerned about the future of America’s obese. He says that overconsumption of fruit juice, specifically, can lead not only to weight gain but also to an increased risk in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. What’s more, the vitamins and fibers you normally absorb by eating a piece of fruit disappear almost instantly the moment you cut into it. “It’s all juice, whether it’s from a juice bar or a home juicer or a bottle or can bought in a grocery store,” Popkin adds. He says that a regular glass of orange juice, which is the equivalent of about five oranges, doesn’t fill you up like eating five oranges would. Because of this, Americans aren’t only ingesting more calories and sugar when they drink juice, they’re also not cutting back on their food intake. BOTTOM LINE: Eat fruit, don’t juice it. And for all you kale freaks out there, don’t sweat. Popkin and his colleagues’ studies have nothing to say about taking a pound of kale and juicing the heck out of it. So what is Popkin’s advice on how to get your daily dose of veggies? “It would be better to eat them than to juice them.” #3
YOGA IS FOR WANNABE HIPPIES AND GRANOLA-LOVING MILLENNIALS
EXPERT SAYS: Please. When was the last time you flipped on the television or scrolled through your newsfeed? Everybody does yoga. Former NFL linebacker Keith Mitchell. NBA all-star LeBron James. Even actor Robert Downey, Jr. gets down on some power-flow yoga. “I think people hear ‘yoga’ and they associate it with somebody meditating with incense,” says Girls 16
At Play founder and former World Freestyle Championship bronze medalist Anna Levesque. Levesque has been practicing yoga for nearly 20 years, and kayaking for just as long. She says were it not for yoga, she feels confident that now, at age 41, her body would be feeling it. “I once had a yoga teacher say, ‘if I had to build a contraption that would ruin hips and hip flexors, I’d build it in a way that would make you sit externally rotated where you have to grab something with your inner thighs.’ That’s essentially how you sit in a kayak,” she says. Over the years, yoga has helped Levesque regain strength in overused muscles, and build strength in underused ones. It has also improved her balance, core strength, and recovery times. But the most important thing she’s found in her yoga practice is, quite simply, routine. “It helps to create a routine and routine is really important in consistency in performance,” Levesque says, citing her best freestyle results as examples of times when yoga was regularly incorporated into her daily regimen. By nature, athletes are drawn to movement, but Levesque warns against vinyasa and ashtanga classes, saying that the power flow characteristic to these styles might afford a workout, sure, but may not be as beneficial as methodical, alignment-based practices. Still, Levesque says that any yoga is better than no yoga. BOTTOM LINE: “There’s no right or wrong,” Levesque says. “I think it’s important to not be so rigid with [your practice]. If all you can do is one or two poses before you go to bed, that’s great.” #2
CUT THE CARBS, PUMP UP THE PROTEIN EXPERT SAYS: What kind of a life is one without bread? Or pasta? In the
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wake of pro-protein, pro-fat diets like Paleo and Atkins, people are now, more than ever, apt to cut the carbs to shed the pounds. But according to Asheville-based dietician and nutritionist Kendra Gaffney of Nutritious Thoughts, forgoing, or substantially increasing, any one of your three basic macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) can lead to serious health implications down the road. “The recommended percentage of protein intake is 10-20 percent,” Gaffney says. “Paleo pushes that recommended boundary, averaging 25-35 percent, which could eventually cause kidney disease or kidney failure just based on the amount of protein your body is being forced to digest.” Gaffney says carbohydrates earned a bad rep after the low-fat diet craze of the ‘70s, when sugar was added to low-to-no-fat, carb-heavy foods. The resulting studies showed the diet had an adverse effect on health, which was good news for fat, bad for carbs. “Elimination of carbohydrates is pretty detrimental to the body,” Gaffney says, citing the recommended 45-65 percent range for daily carb-based caloric intake. “If we eliminate them completely, our body is going to have a huge deficit and have a hard time functioning. It’s like not putting gas in your car.” Instead, Gaffney advises individuals to be mindful of maintaining a balance across the board between carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. No one diet, she argues, is a cure-all and the diet industry certainly doesn’t have your best interests in mind. “The issue with dieting is it’s a great platform to make a lot of money because people are really into appearance and weight,” she says, “but the fact is that it’s a $65 billion industry with a 98 percent failure rate.” Which means new trends and new diets aren’t going away any time soon. Up next? Intermittent fasting, a diet that requires spells (sometimes more than 14 hours at a time) without
eating anything at all. Gaffney, who specializes in weight management, sports nutrition, and eating disorders, fears that intermittent fasting may cause troubling side effects. “Creating that long space of not nourishing the body can really play with the mind,” she says. “Blood sugars are low, your mind is cloudy, and when that happens, we make poor decisions. I worry about people sliding through that fasting day and then eating everything they lay eyes on the next.” BOTTOM LINE: Most diets aren’t sustainable. What works for one person may not work for you. The key to fueling your body is finding balance, eating whole foods, and drinking water. “Nourishment is individualized and a lot of times, we like to blame food,” Gaffney says. “Keep a food log that has physical feelings also. Replenish with protein and carbohydrates.” #1
I CAN ONLY RUN IN CUSHIONED SHOES EXPERTS SAY: Hold up. Let’s get something straight. Who does the running? You? Or your shoe? “Runners run,” says Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Professor of Family Medicine at West Virginia University School of Medicine and owner of Two Rivers Treads, the first minimalist footwear store in the country. “Shoes don’t run, so our focus is on the real equipment of a runner. Their body.” Cucuzzella’s philosophy is simple—get rid of the cushion and learn how to land. According to Cucuzzella, as children, we were all well versed in the ways of what he calls “impact moderating behavior,” in other words, landing. Over time, we ran barefoot less, bought fancy shoes with heels and cushion, and largely allowed the mainstream footwear industry to dictate what we think our feet need.
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The problem? The footwear industry was, and still is, wrong. “In 2000, I had bad arthritis in my feet,” Cucuzzella says. “I had operations on both of my feet, and the medical opinion at that time was, don’t run. But I was a doctor, and knew off the bat that most of what we learned in medical school was wrong.” Cucuzzella started studying runners in East Africa and decided to swap his squishy shoe for a minimalist design. He began jogging again, lightly at first, slowly building on more miles but with significantly
less pain. Now, at 50 years old, Cucuzzella is still running, and not just leisurely. He can crank out a marathon in the 2:40 range, and doesn’t have any plans of quitting any time soon. Cucuzzella’s story proves what Harvard graduate and OESH shoe founder Dr. Casey Kerrigan has been saying all along—more cushion doesn’t mean less pain. Kerrigan began studying the physiology of walking and running in the late ‘90s during a time when research in the field was practically non-existent. Her
findings? “The more you alter the traditional shoe design and try to cushion impact, you actually do the opposite of what shoe companies are advertising,” she says. “When you are giving the biggest injurious forces to your joints is when your weight is fully planted over your foot mid-stance,” which, according to Kerrigan’s research, can’t be solved with more cushion. Cushioning, cradling, and arch support are the three biggest and most common problems with
photos by JESS DADDIO
modern-day shoe design, never mind heels, which, according to Kerrigan, increase knee arthritis by 26 percent. BOTTOM LINE: Look for lifestyle and active shoes that are flat frontto-back, and side-to-side. While barefoot-style shoes are a step in the right direction, Kerrigan suggests finding shoes with a sole made from responsive, springy material that will help support and strengthen your feet.
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Heroes OF THE TRAIL
MEET FIVE OF THE REGION‘S MOST INSPIRING RUNNERS
by MASON ADAMS
FEARLESS MIRNA VALERIO PULLED
to the side of the highway and took some deep breaths. Panicked, and feeling like she was having a heart attack, she took a few minutes to regroup on the shoulder of a busy interstate. She finished the drive but scheduled an appointment with her doctor, who told her that if she wanted to watch her then-five-yearold son grow up, she needed to lose weight. Valerio was a big woman based on sheer genetics, but before moving to New Jersey the year before, she’d kept active her whole life. She played field hockey and lacrosse in high school, and later ran occasional road races. Growing up in Brooklyn, she was used to traveling by foot. But since moving to New Jersey, she drove everywhere and didn’t have time to
exercise anymore. The doctor’s warning pushed her back toward exercise. Valerio started with 17-minute miles on a treadmill, then signed up for a road race. She volunteered at the New Jersey Trail Marathon and became aware the race was also offered in 50-kilometer, 50-miler and 100-miler versions. “I thought, oh my god, these people are crazy,” says Valerio, 40. “The race director, Rick, one of the race directors of the NJ trail series, he’d say we’ll see you next year at the trail marathon. Then I signed up and just did it,” in 2012. Encouraged by her newfound trail-running community, she did the same with a 50K trail race a year later. She struggled during the race but just kept going. She remembers the encouragement from volunteers and other runners, and at the finish line, “I was hooked,” she says. “I can’t say I was hooked while I was doing it,
but the minute I finished, I thought, wow, that was great. I’m going to do it again, and I’m going to better my time.” As of November, Valerio had run seven ultramarathons, including her first 100K, the Javelina 100K in Arizona, which took place on Halloween and All Saints’ Day. She doesn’t exactly burn up the trails, running a roughly 12-minute pace most of the time, but Valerio, who stands 5 feet, 7 inches, runs doggedly, and often. She’s displayed discipline throughout her life, beginning with her vocal training at the Juilliard Pre-College Division, a program of the New York City music academy which prepares singers and musicians for conservatory. Instead of singing professionally, she channels her energy into teaching and running. Valerio now lives in the foothills of Appalachia in Rabun Gap, Georgia, where she teaches and
photo by YAN LUSS
coaches cross country at a private school, and she finds few things more satisfying than hitting a local trail. “Personally what drives me to the trails is being outdoors,” Valerio says. “I love living in the country. I was a city girl but I love being in the country and being in nature as much as possible. It makes me a healthier person, makes me a nicer person. I just love the fellowship of being a human in nature. We’re meant to be outside, we’re meant to be moving outside.” Valerio’s not sure of her maximum weight back in New Jersey, but early in her renewed exercising, when she’d noticeably lost weight, she checked the scale: 302 pounds. Today she weighs about 240 pounds, a fairly steady figure that serves as inspiration to her supporters and a target for trolls and detractors on social media
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FATGI R L R U N N I N G - FAT RUNNE R.BLOGSP OT.COM
and her popular blog, Fat Girl Runs. She started writing FGR in 2011 while training for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., which she has now run four times. Her posts focused not on the goal of weight loss—“The weight was coming off, so I wasn’t concerned about it and didn’t care about what others thought.”—but about health and fitness generally. Sometimes months passed between posts. Then, early last year, Valerio received an email from Rachel Bachman, the Wall Street Journal’s fitness and exercise writer. The ensuing story boosted her traffic before an extended profile in Runner’s World a few weeks later exploded it. Valerio had become an inspirational icon for a certain segment of wouldbe runners who just needed a nudge in the right direction. For her part, Valerio is bemused by the attention. “A lot of people say, thank you for being out there, thank you for letting people see you, thank you for being you, thank you for giving me permission to go outside and run and show my body, to try to run even though I'm fat. That’s surprising to me that there were so many people afraid to exercise or run out in public and let people see them. That’s depressing, but also really cool it opened the door for them.” As a teacher, both in her personality and profession, Valerio has embraced the role of inspiration, using motivational advice and selfies alike to reach her audience. In 2016, 20
“A lot of people have said thank you for giving me permission to go outside and show my body, to try running even though I’m fat. I’ve never felt like I needed permission to go outside and exercise. I never felt like I had to ask anybody or check in with anybody.” —Mirna Valerio ABOVE: NORTH GEORGIA TEACHER MIRNA VALERIO RUNS ULTRAS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIA. BELOW: THREE-TIME OLYMPIC TRIALS QUALIFIER MICHAEL WARDIAN WINS THE 2014 NORTH POLE MARATHON (photo courtesy THE NORTH POLE MARATHON).
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she wants to run at least a couple more 100K races, a triathlon, and her first New York City Marathon. Eventually she wants to run a 100-miler, but she’s doubtful it will happen this year. Valerio offers four pieces of advice: First, just get outside, no matter the weather. It will pay off on numerous levels. Second, turn off your television, computer and phone more often. Third, engage your children in outdoor activities. Finally, “just lace up and go.” “You’ve got to let go of preconceived notions of what running is,” Valerio says. “If you think you’re running, you’re running. Just because someone is faster doesn’t mean they’re more of a runner than you are. Let go of all of that. Just get outside and try.”
UNSTOPPABLE MICHAEL WARDIAN started running because it was cheap
MIKE WARD IA N.COM
and efficient. The former college lacrosse player had laid down his stick during the tail end of his junior year but wanted to stay fit. “I picked up running because it was cheap and I was poor,” Wardian says. “It was really effective, because you could do an hour run and be good for a workout for the day.” He started running longer and longer, and then while visiting a friend’s house during Easter, his friend’s mother talked about recently completing the Boston Marathon. “I thought if that lady can run a BlueRidgeOutdoors
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marathon, I can run a marathon,” Wardian says. "I asked her if she could help me, and she was kind enough to give me a program. Now I know, she just copied it out of a training manual.” He was hooked. Today, Wardian, 41, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, has become a running celebrity. He qualified for the Olympics in 2004, 2008, and 2012, and although he didn’t actually compete he did represent the United States in 50K and 100K world championship races over that stretch. It made sense for Wardian to make the jump from marathons to ultras, but even he has been surprised by his 2015, which included the Vermont Marathon, the Western States 100 Miler, the 105K Buff Epic Run, the SpeedGoat 50K, the Chaski Challenge 80K in the Andes Mountains, and the Spartathalon—a 246K run from Athens to Sparta. All the while, Wardian has maintained a regular job as an international ship broker specializing in vessels carrying humanitarian foodaid cargo. “As I was growing up, I wanted to be the best lacrosse player in the world. There’s not a huge future in that,” Wardian says. “I never thought of myself as a runner, but now I’m one of the best in the world at what I do. It’s cool to get to challenge yourself against people in the North Pole, or Antarctica, or the far east. In college I would have been happy to finish a marathon. Now I’ll do a 100-mile race and the next weekend do a 50-miler. I race back to back to back.” Wardian’s advice for other runners? Be consistent, even if it’s only running short distances. “It builds on itself and becomes part of who you are and what you do,” he says. “You start to crave it, then get faster as your body becomes used to it. It’s very reflective of the amount of time you put into it. Mostly it’s this: If you do the work, you get the results. There are no judges in this sport. The clock is the clock no matter where you are in the world. I like that about it.”
SHININGSULTR A .BLOGS POT.COM
SHINING SOPHIE SPEIDEL GOT
hooked on trail running during an early version of Blue Ridge Outdoors’ own Blue Ridge Burn 10K race in the late ’90s, when it was held at Walnut Creek Park near Charlottesville, Virginia. That event launched a passion that most recently culminated in the completion of her tenth—and final—Hellgate 100K. Afterward, Speidel took to her running site, Shining’s Ultra Blog, to reflect on the experience. “I had taken a calculated risk for this final ride, gambling that the warm 50 degree temps overnight and 70s during the day would not be an issue; I was wrong,” Speidel wrote. “After 42 miles of cruising comfortably near PR pace, on the hot grind up from Bearwallow Gap, the course once again reminded me who was in charge. And that's the way it should be.” Speidel has been an athlete for her whole life, including playing lacrosse for the University of Virginia. After graduating, she and her husband both participated in sprint and international-length triathlons. She dabbled in road marathons before discovering trail running at the Burn. Ahead of her 40th birthday, Speidel heard about the Hard Rock 100 and the Barkley Marathons, both 100-mile trail races that attract an intense bunch of grizzly runners. She ran her first ultra in 2002 at the
Holiday Lake 50K near Appomattox, Virginia, and then a year later ran her first 50-miler at the Mountain Masochist Trail Run near Lynchburg. “I was really hooked,” Speidel says. “Ultra-running attracts a lot of likeminded folks, refugees from other endurance sports: road marathons or triathalons or folks being athletic for the first time in their lives. That’s what is attractive for me, just the people.” Speidel, 53, runs from her home base in Charlottesville, where she lives with her husband. They’ve raised three children, ages 23, 21 and 18, two of whom have also played lacrosse at the collegiate level. When she first got into ultra-running, those children were 9, 7 and 4. Running provided an outlet for release.
CHARLOTTESVILLE’S SHINING ULTRARUNNER SOPHIE SPIEDEL HAS RUN THE HELLGATE 100K TEN TIMES. photo by NATALIE KROVETZ
In a race, “you just have to focus,” Speidel says. “I’m a mom. How great is it when all you have to worry about is, are you eating enough? Are you moving at a reasonable pace? Isn’t it beautiful out tonight? Are you eating enough? You have to be very present, and pay attention to things you don’t normally get a chance to think about. I think about the moment I’m in. I check in.” That enables her to be more present when she is with her children, her students or the young athletes on the junior varsity lacrosse team she coaches. In fact, her “shining”
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nickname was bestowed on her by her 2005 team in honor of the Aaron Carter pop song, “Girl You Shine.” Don’t be surprised if you see one of those girls, inspired by Speidel, coming sometime soon to a trail race near you.
WARRIOR
ROANOKE’S ANITA WALKER FINKLE HAS BATTLED BACK FROM CANCER TO CONTINUE RUNNING THE TRAILS SHE LOVES MOST. photo by JOHN WIMMER
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TRUE RUNNERS become consumed by what began as a hobby, spending more time on the trail and running through life’s ups and downs. Anita Walker Finkle ran through cancer and out the other side. Finkle, 49, a Roanoke resident since 2003, started running in high school, first to supplement her soccer play and then as her primary focus. She walked onto the cross-country teams first at the University of Texas at El Paso and then at West Virginia University. Finkle ran her first marathon in 1996. Later, as she trained for more marathons, one of her training partners talked her into signing up for her first ultra, the Beech Mountain 50K in 2001. The following year she ran the Umstead 100, her first 100-miler. In January 2002, she met her future husband at the finish line of the Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50K. The following weekend they went on their first date, both running the Charlotte Marathon. “That was our social life, to go out and run,” Finkle says. “I think I always liked running and hiking, but I didn’t like carrying the big backpacks and everything. Here in Roanoke, this is trail mecca. It’s so beautiful and the people are so good to hang out with.” In 2010, Finkle went in for a mammagram after she found a lump in her breast. Doctors told her the lump was just a cyst, but to be cautious they took a biopsy. Initially the cyst looked to be noninvasive, but further investigation
revealed a highly aggressive cancer that required not only surgery but chemotherapy. Those treatments lasted from July through September and were followed by a course of radiation. During radiation treatment, Finkle not only ran a 5K race in Roanoke but began training for the Indianapolis Marathon. “It was real slow, but [husband] Jay ran the whole way with me. I was exhausted but I was able to do it.” Finkle continued periodic intravenous treatment until the following spring, and then “I was just able to run through everything,” she says. That included the Crooked Road 24 Hour Ultra in 2011, along with a handful of 50Ks and, last year, the Umstead 100 again.
an important part of understanding how the gorge trail system works. “The problem is the fact that you have a trail—let’s say you head down on Babel Tower Trail,” he says. “At 1.4 miles you’ll take a right. But there’s an illegally cut trail not on the map one mile down. You’ll come down to that illegally cut trail that's not on the map and get lost. That’s the problem with Linville these days. When you’re leaving things like
STEADFAST IN LATE 2011, Phil Phelan set out
L INV ILLEGORGEA DV ENTUR ES.C OM to quit boozing and turn his energies PHIL PHELAN SET THE RECORD FOR toward a life FASTEST TIME RUNNING THE BLUE passion: documenting all of the RIDGE PARKWAY AND SKYLINE DRIVE, WHICH HE COMPLETED IN 17 DAYS. trails, both official and vigilante, that ran through North Carolina’s Linville Gorge. that out, what’s a guidebook for if Phelan, 35, had grown up it’s not telling you everything?” exploring the gorge. He moved Another aspect of Phelan’s with his family from Texas to fascination with Linville Gorge Raleigh, North Carolina, when involves its cliffs and boulders. he was 9 and spent weekends and He’s constantly looking for summers traveling back and forth unmapped and undiscovered spots between the city and gorge. When to climb, both within and beyond he went to work on the guidebook, the gorge. Phelan decided to really delve into Although most of his work the gorge’s many trails. goes toward his books, Phelan “The U.S. Forest Service also has won attention for his acknowledges 17 trails; there’s record-setting runs. He just more like 300, the majority of them notched the fastest-known-time on cut illegally,” Phelan says. While Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, completing the 575-mile he doesn’t want to promote illegal or vigilante trails, he says they’re journey in just over 17 days. BlueRidgeOutdoors
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BLUE RIDGE IF YOU LIVE HERE OR PLAY HERE, THESE ARE THE MUST-DOS.
by JESS DADDIO
TOP: SPECTATORS LINE THE BANKS OF THE GREEN RIVER NARROWS TO CHEER ON PADDLERS AT THE ANNUAL GREEN RACE. photo by SCOTT MARTIN BOTTOM: RUNNERS CRANK AWAY AT THE SHUT-IN RIDGE TRAIL RUN. photo by DAVE PERKINS
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f you’re anything like me, the energy you mustered behind your New Year’s Resolutions is likely starting to putter out, if it hasn’t died altogether. Daily yoga sessions quickly became every couple of days. Twice-a-week bike rides? Try twice a month. Take solace. We’re not alone. Studies show that 25 percent of Americans give up on resolutions just one week into the New Year. At the root of our commitment crisis? Ambiguity. Setting concrete goals, and realistic ones at that, helps us stay motivated. Instead of saying, “I want to get outside more,” how about, “I want to compete in the Green River Games and finish.” Make 2016 the year of no excuses. Check out these 41 regional events that are sure to make your quads crumble, your forearms scream, and your sides cramp. But no pain, no gain. No excuses.
TRAIL RUNNING
SHUT-IN RIDGE TRAIL RUN ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA NOVEMBER 5, 2016 JUSRUNNING.COM
One of the oldest trail races in the Southeast, the Shut-In Ridge Trail Run has been shutting runners down since its inception 38 years ago. Though the course is just shy of 18 miles long, it’s the elements that get you—leaf strewn, often-slick singletrack weaves and winds across the Blue Ridge Parkway, relentlessly climbing some 3,000-feet to the Mount Pisgah parking area. Set that against a backdrop of unpredictable November weather, be it snow, sun, rain, or all of the above, even the best of runners will need to dig deep on this beast. “You really just need to do the course. You don’t need to do all of your training on the course, and you don’t need to do it all at once, maybe in thirds or halves, but you gotta be good at both uphills and downhills.” —Norman Blair, Owner, Jus’ Running, Race Director, Shut-In Ridge Trail Run KEY TO SUCCESS:
DIRTY DOG 15K KANAWHA STATE FOREST, W.VA. MID-MAY 2016 WVMTR.ORG JAMES RIVER SCRAMBLE RICHMOND, VA. MAY 21, 2016 DOMINIONRIVERROCK.COM THE NATURALIST 25K AND 50K FRANKLIN, N.C. EARLY OCTOBER OUTDOOR76.COM
ULTRA RUNNING
MOUNT MITCHELL CHALLENGE BLACK MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA FEBRUARY 27, 2016 ULTRASIGNUP.COM
This 40-mile race isn’t just a challenge against the terrain, the elements, the competitors toeing the line beside you—it’s a challenge against yourself. Start at the break of dawn in the quaint town of Black Mountain. From there, you’ll climb 4,324 feet in the first 20 miles, so be prepared to feel the burn early on. Fortunately, the killer views of Mount Mitchell and the surrounding western North Carolina mountains should be stunning enough to at least temporarily relieve you of your pain. Key words: "should be." JFK 50-MILER BOONSBORO, MD. LATE NOVEMBER 2016 JFK50MILE.ORG THE BARKLEY MARATHONS FROZEN HEAD STATE PARK, TENN. LATE MARCH 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/ THEBARKLEYMARATHONS GRINDSTONE 100 SWOOPE, VA. OCTOBER 7-9, 2016 MOUNTAINPEAKFITNESS.COM/ GRINDSTONE
ROAD RUNNING PEACHTREE ROAD RACE ATLANTA, GEORGIA JULY 4, 2016 ATLANTATRACKCLUB.ORG
Celebrate freedom and fitness with 60,000 other runners during this 10K run. The largest road race in the
United States, Peachtree is widely regarded in the South as a tradition. Kids, elders, seasoned runners, and novices alike will find their step among the crowd. Follow up your accomplishment with a night on the town. Nothing says “celebrate” more than an evening of fireworks. KEY TO SUCCESS: “Don’t underestimate the heat, humidity and hills. Make sure you are properly hydrated for race day, and be sure to incorporate some hills into your training.” —Rich Kenah, Executive Director, Atlanta Track Club
COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN CHARLESTON, S.C. APRIL 2, 2016 BRIDGERUN.COM UKROPS MONUMENT AVENUE 10K RICHMOND, VA. APRIL 9, 2016 SPORTSBACKERS.ORG BLUE RIDGE MARATHON ROANOKE, VA. APRIL 16, 2016 BLUERIDGEMARATHON.COM
THE PEACHTREE ROAD RACE IS THE LARGEST ROAD RACE IN THE U.S. photo by PAUL KIM
TEAM EVENT
SMOKY MOUNTAIN RELAY PINK BEDS STATE PARK TO NANTAHALA OUTDOOR CENTER, NORTH CAROLINA APRIL 22–23, 2016 SMR.SMOKYMOUNTAINRELAY.COM
Nothing says team building like a 12-person (or six if you’re core), 214-mile overnight relay. Begin in the dead of night at Pink Beds State Park, located in the heart of Transylvania County and the Land of Waterfalls. Your team will be escorted by van down the course to designated exchange points until you reach the finish line at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Runners might be a little sleep-deprived and sore the next day, but the memories of camaraderie, technical trail, and panoramic Smoky Mountain vistas will last a lifetime.
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THE GREEN RACE
THE ASSAULT ON MOUNT MITCHELL KEY TO SUCCESS: “Number one, people need to come with the attitude of having fun. Just relax. Enjoy the experience of being with your teammates going into something that’s hard to do. Number two, every team needs to have at least one or two pretty good trail runners. It’s the Mountains to Sea Trail, we’re talking rocks, roots, creeks. If they’re flatlanders, they need to get some elevation training in. But, having said all of that, people still come totally unprepared and they just pull it together and have a good time!” —Jim Brendle, Race Director, Smoky Mountain Relay
BLUE RIDGE RELAY GRAYSON HIGHLANDS STATE PARK, VA., TO ASHEVILLE, N.C. SEPTEMBER 9–10, 2016 BLUERIDGERELAY.COM BOURBON CHASE LEXINGTON, KY. OCTOBER 14–15, 2016 BOURBONCHASE.COM BIG BEAR LAKE 2X12 RELAY BRUCETON MILLS, W.VA. JUNE 11, 2016 BIGBEARWV.COM
MOUNTAIN BIKING
SHENANDOAH MOUNTAIN 100 STOKESVILLE, VIRGINIA SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 MTNTOURING.COM
The SM100 is the bee’s knees of endurance riding in Virginia, but be forewarned—your first attempt might not go so well. Maybe you finish, maybe you don’t. Maybe you get a 26
flat in the first mile. Maybe you hurl at the top of Reddish Knob. Maybe you fly OTB into a line of cheering fans. Whatever the case, the SM100 is a practice in patience, the true test of humility. Once you get a taste of that 100-mile techy, rocky, rooty, steep course, you’ll be hooked to train harder and try again. KEY TO SUCCESS: “It
really helps to get comfortable with narrow off camber singletrack both climbing and descending. Equipment—get used to it! Don't make changes before the event... like borrowing someone's bike because it is two pounds lighter—big mistake! You should ride often—everyday if possible and enjoy it! You don't need to go ride 100 miles to be able to do this 100-mile event. Chris Eatough, Jeremiah Bishop, and Sue Haywood didn't and you shouldn't either. Get really comfortable and efficient with your three- to four-hour ride putting down steady power.” —Chris Scott, Race Director, Shenandoah Mountain 100
OFF-ROAD ASSAULT ON MITCHELL OLD FORT, N.C. JULY 31, 2016 BLUERIDGEADVENTURES.NET TRANSYLVANIA EPIC STATE COLLEGE, PENN. LATE MAY 2016 OUTDOOREXPERIENCE.ORG/TSE REVENGE OF THE RATTLESNAKE DAVIS, W.VA. LATE SEPTEMBER 2016 BLACKWATERBICYCLEASSOCIATION. WORDPRESS.COM
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ROAD & GRAVEL CYCLING
ASSAULT ON MT. MITCHELL SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA MAY 16, 2016 THEASSAULTS.COM
Pain loves company. Tackle this 102.7-mile ride at your own pace, without the pressure of competition, in the presence of 750 world riders of every caliber. Novice road riders will appreciate the logistical ease of this century, with 10 designated rest stops and van shuttles from the finish on Mount Mitchell back to the start in downtown Spartanburg, while even the strongest riders will get their asses handed to them during the 10,000+ vertical feet of climbing. Interestingly, this event lands on a Monday. What better excuse to play hooky than a 100-mile bike ride? KEY TO SUCCESS: “Get time in the saddle. Work some training rides into your schedule that cover 80 to 100 percent of the distance of the Assault. Climb if possible in your area and get comfortable riding in groups. Remember patience. It is a long day. Remember why you ride a bike—have fun.” —Katie
Jordan, Event Director, The Assaults ALPINE GRAN FONDO HARRISONBURG, VA. SEPTEMBER 25, 2016 ALPINELOOPGRANFONDO.COM STOKESVILLE STRADE GRAVEL GRINDER STOKESVILLE, VA. MARCH 5, 2016 MTNTOURING.COM
photo by SCOTT MARTIN
GRAVEL RACE UP SPRUCE KNOB CIRCLEVILLE, W.VA. JULY 16, 2016 SPRUCEKNOBCYCLING.BLOGSPOT.COM
CLIMBING
TRIPLE CROWN BOULDERING SERIES HORSE PENS 40, ALABAMA, STONE FORT, TENNESSEE, HOUND EARS, NORTH CAROLINA OCTOBER–NOVEMBER, 2016 TRIPLECROWNBOULDERING.ORG
In 2002, regional climbers Jim Horton and Chad Wykle simultaneously latched onto an idea that would unite the Southeastern bouldering community and challenge the way climbers view access—they called it the Triple Crown of bouldering. Located on alternating weekends throughout October and into early November, the three-part competition takes place at boulderfields once closed off to the public altogether. Through no shortage of communication, negotiations, and a successful decade-plus of landowner-climber relationships, the bouldering series has flourished. CRAGGIN CLASSIC DYNO COMP FAYETTEVILLE, W.VA. SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 CRAGGINCLASSIC.COM DOMINION RIVERROCK RICHMOND, VA. MAY 20–21, 2016 DOMINIONRIVERROCK.COM THE BIG LICK SHOWDOWN ROANOKE, VA. TBD 2016 RIVERROCKCLIMBING.COM
THE NEW RIVER GORGE SUP RACE CUPID'S UNDIE RUN
SUP
NRG SUP RACE FAYETTEVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA SEPTEMBER 18, 2016 ADVENTURESONTHEGORGE.COM
Initially regarded as nothing more than a boaters’ hobby, the sport of stand up paddleboarding has seen an evolution unto its own in the last five years. Hosted the Sunday of Gauley Fest, the New River Gorge SUP Race pays homage to SUP’s grassroots beginning and tightknit community. Divided into two races, Attainment and Downriver Whitewater, this event is welcoming to paddlers of any ability level and provides free drinks and tacos to all of its racers. Make the most of your next Gauley Fest weekend and check out the free demos and instruction available prior to the race. KEY TO SUCCESS: “The key to success in this race is getting in some practice laps to know the upstream eddies for the attainment race and the downstream choices in lines for the whitewater race. Another key to success is board choice. Racers are required to use the same board for both races so choose a fast attainment board that will also offer stability in the downriver rapids.” —Melanie Seiler Hames, Race Organizer, NRG SUP Race
photo by JIM McQUIRE
BATTLE OF THE BROAD ASHEVILLE, N.C. TBD BATTLEOFTHEBROAD.COM 6TH ANNUAL GOLDEN NUGGET PADDLE N' PARTY MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. MAY 21, 2016 PADDLEGURU.COM
JUST FOR FUN CUPID'S UNDIE RUN
ATLANTA, GA., CHARLESTON, S.C., CHARLOTTE, N.C., NASHVILLE, TENN., PITTSBURGH, PENN., RALEIGH, N.C., VIRGINIA BEACH, VA., WASHINGTON, D.C. TBD 2016 CUPIDSUNDIERUN.COM
Not everything has to be hardcore. Push beyond your comfort zone by stripping down to your undies with thousands of total strangers! The best part about the humiliation? You’ll be parading your bad self downtown (or uptown if you’re in Charlotte), in the middle of winter. Okay, maybe that is hardcore. No matter, the run is “brief,” and dancing is encouraged. Even if your boss does see your tighty-whities on the local news station, at least you can say it was for a cause. Proceeds from Cupid’s Undie Runs support the Children’s Tumor Foundation, a non-profit aimed at fighting neurofibromatosis (NF). PLANNING FOR 2016?
TUCK FEST SUP CROSS/ENDURO/ FLATWATER CHARLOTTE, N.C. APRIL 22–24, 2016 TUCKFEST.ORG
Check out our comprehensive online event calendar, highlighting the best events in the Blue Ridge! BlueRidgeOutdoors.com
MULTISPORT
GREEN RIVER GAMES SALUDA, NORTH CAROLINA MAY 21–22, 2016 GREENRIVERGAMES.COM
The Silverback, more than any other race in the region, is the ultimate multisport event. For the past three years, an increasing number of competitors have been tackling this beast of the East in the dead of summer, when the humidity, let alone the 24-plus miles of technical class V paddling, mountain biking, and trail running, is enough to make you crumble. This year, however, the Green River Games is slated for late May. Instead of stifling heat, racers may now be faced with high flows and muddy trails. Despite its reputation as a sufferfest, the Silverback is growing in popularity. Think you have what it takes? KEY TO SUCCESS: “Start training early and train specifically on going from kayak to bike, bike to run. On day of, get a good start on the kayaking event and don’t blow out on the mountain bike. Save some for the run.” —John Grace, Race Director, Green River Games
CAPTAIN THURMOND'S CHALLENGE FAYETTEVILLE, W.VA. EARLY AUGUST 2016 NRGORGEGAMES.COM RUSSELL FORK BADDLUN ELKHORN CITY, KY. EARLY OCTOBER 2016 RFBADDLUN.BLOGSPOT.COM JERRY’S BADDLE SALUDA, N.C. TBD 2016 JERRYSBADDLE.ORG
photo by JESS DADDIO
WHITEWATER KAYAKING THE GREEN RACE
SALUDA, NORTH CAROLINA NOVEMBER 5, 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/ THEGREENRIVERNARROWSRACE
What started in 1996 as a grassroots race organized by the Green River Narrows’ most core paddlers has since emerged into the Superbowl of kayaking. Held the first Saturday of November, more than 500 spectators alone hike or paddle their way down to witness one of the world’s most action-packed sections of whitewater. Of course, navigating one half mile of class V whitewater at race pace lends itself to no shortage of memorable moments that are part brilliant athleticism, part carnage. Nonetheless, the Green Race remains a Southeastern staple in the world of whitewater, so come out and spectate or spank the Monkey for yourself. KEY TO SUCCESS: “Get a long boat and get as many days on the river as you can.” —John Grace, Race Director, Green
Race GREAT FALLS RACE McLEAN, VA. JULY 9, 2016 FACEBOOK.COM/GREATFALLSRACE UPPER YOUGH RACE FRIENDSVILLE, MD. OCTOBER 1, 2016 FALLSRACE.COM LORD OF THE FORK ELKHORN CITY, KY. OCTOBER 22, 2016 RUSSELLFORK.INFO
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2016 RACES & EVENTS PLANNER
2016 RACES & EVENTS
25 COMPETITIONS TO CONQUER & EVENTS TO ROCK ROCK ‘N’ ROLL DC MARATHON AND 1/2 MARATHON March 12, 2016 Washington, DC Run the closed streets of the Nation’s Capital this spring while rocking out to live music along the way! Distances include 5K, Half Marathon and Full Marathon. Enjoy a post race finish line festival including a headliner concert featuring Tower of Power and a beer garden. This is one running event not one to be missed! runrocknroll.com/dc BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY NASCAR RACES April & August 2016 Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN Bristol is home to one of the world’s greatest racetracks, Bristol Motor Speedway. BMS, which seats in excess of 150,000, is NASCAR’s most popular track. With races every April and August, fans from all 50 states and more than 20 countries attend the races. mybristolvisit.com
39TH ANNUAL COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN April 2, 2016 Charleston, SC The Cooper River Bridge Run is the third largest 10K in the US and one of the largest races in the world. It includes world-class competition and an outstanding Health and Wellness Expo. It takes place in Charleston, SC, rated the #1 destination city in the US. bridgerun.com
FLYING PIRATE HALF MARATHON April 16-17, 2016 Kitty Hawk, NC Pirates, Pirates everywhere! Expect the best from OBSE’s 7th Annual Flying Pirate Half Marathon and First Flight 5K. Pirates Rule at the best organized, most professional, fun race of all! Find your inner pirate at the OBX. ARRRGGH! Get yer crew to the beach! flyingpiratehalfmarathon.com
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL RALEIGH MARATHON AND 1/2 MARATHON PRESENTED BY WRAL April 9-10, 2016 Raleigh, NC Run, rock and party! With a new 5K on Saturday and Half and Full Marathon on Sunday, this event is for runners of all abilities! Run both days and earn an extra medal in our Remix Challenge. Live music along course keeps participants pumped and a finish line festival with headliner concert finishes off a weekend of fitness and fun! runrocknroll.com/raleigh
SMOKY MOUNTAIN RELAY April 22-23, 2016 Brevard to Bryson City, NC The 7th annual Smoky Mountain Relay is a tough 214 mile running relay for teams of 6 or 12 from Brevard to Bryson City, NC. With miles of trails, stream crossings and hills, the SMR is a challenge to remember. Are you #smrtough? smokymountainrelay.com
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2016
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SWEETWATER 420 FEST April 22-24, 2016 Atlanta, GA 3 days. 30 heady brews. 50 bands. 420 vibes. One epic Sweetwater weekend! sweetwaterbrew.com/420experience FRENCH BROAD RIVER FESTIVAL April 29 - May 1, 2016 Hot Springs Campground & Resort Hot Springs, NC Kick off the spring outdoor season in the Appalachians at the 19th annual French Broad River Festival in beautiful Hot Springs, NC. It’s part outdoor adventure, part music festival with whitewater and mountain bike races, hiking, kids village, camping and musical acts including Cabinet, Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds, Love Canon, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sol Driven Train and much more. Painter John, a popular FBRF musician, compares the atmosphere to “a big potluck at your best friend’s house”. What better way to enjoy spring in these mountains? Early bird tickets are available for a limited time. frenchbroadriverfestival.com
30TH ANNUAL
GREAT GREENBRIER RIVER RACE APRIL 30, 2016
RUN, ROW, AND BIKE THIS 17-MILE TRIATHLON IN AND AROUND BEAUTIFUL MARLINTON WV Register online at TriStateRacer.com or call 800.336.7009 for more information. Find us online at GreenbrierRiverTrail.com After the race, enjoy a great lunch and some rockin’ music!
GREAT GREENBRIER RIVER RACE April 30, 2016 | Marlington, WV Grab your running shoes, bike, and boat and head to Marlinton, WV for the 30th Annual Great Greenbrier River Race. This 17 mile triathlon is for the old, young and the young at heart. Online registration is available at TriStateRacer.com. Hope to see you there!! wordpress.greenbrierrivertrail.com GOODWILL MUD RUN April 30, 2016 Greenville, SC The Goodwill Mud Run presented by St. Francis Sports Medicine is Saturday, April 30, 2016, in Greenville S.C. The event is 3.5 miles, 35 obstacles, teams of two/four, and an officially timed event. goodwillmudrun.org
RACES & EVENTS PLANNER SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
2016
RACES & EVENTS PLANNER
2016
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Athletes and spectators alike love these annual competitions in the Alleghany Highlands. Pristine lakes and rivers and courses with stunning mountain views make these scenic races Uniquely Alleghany.
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smokymountainrelay.com
“Honest, tough, beautiful, hard course. Amazing views.”
Explore beautiful Western North Carolina with a team of 6 or 12 friends as you run 214 miles from Pink Beds State Park near Brevard to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City.
There’s tough. And then there’s #smrtough.
You can only call yourself #smrtough by earning it on the Smoky Mountain Relay. With 26,700 feet of elevation gain, gnarly trails, creek crossings, and more hills than you can count, the SMR just may be the toughest running relay in the US. Are you and your friends #smrtough?
ST. JUDE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MARATHON & 1/2 MARATHON April 30, 2016 Nashville, TN Rock Nashville and #RunMusicCity! Start in front of the downtown honky tonks, pass many great musical landmarks and be entertained by the bands and fans that line the course. Cap off race day with exclusive entry to a free night-time arena concert! runrocknroll.com/nashville SPRING SHAKORI HILLS GRASSROOTS FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & DANCE May 5-8, 2016 Pittsboro, NC This 14th annual spring festival features over 40 bands on 4 stages. Located on 72 beautiful farmland acres in central NC, just down the road from Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Greensboro. The event also features local crafts, delicious food, children’s activities, healing arts, workshops, environmental sustainability forums, and much more in a family-friendly setting. shakorihillsgrassroots.org FREDERICK RUNNING FESTIVAL May 7-8, 2016 Frederick, MD Tucked away in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., the Frederick Running Festival is one of the hidden gems of the running community. Now in its 14th year, the festival features four races, which all finish at the Frederick Fairgrounds. Runners can experience a big time race with small town charm with off-site packet pick-up in the suburbs of Rockville, Md., Columbia, Md., Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Choose between a half-marathon and two-person team relay on Sunday or the 5K and Kids Fun Run. frederickrunfest.com
RACES & EVENTS PLANNER SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
New Years Resolutions? Want something ACTIVE & Fun to do this year?
Register for
Cooper River Bridge Run April 2, 2016
Charleston, South Carolina
Presented By
2016
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JAMES RIVER
SPLASH & DASH LYNCHBURG, VA JULY 9
RICHMOND, VA JULY 16 PHOTO CREDIT: MARV AND AMY SOWERS
WWW.JRSPLASHANDDASH.ORG
Two Great Bike Rides in Beautiful Nelson County, VA
MAY 14 AND
MAY 15 DEVILS BACKBONE BREWING COMPANY
REGISTRATION AT BIKEREG.COM/DEVILS-BACKBONE-MOUNTAIN-CROSS UNTIL MAY 13 @ 4PM REGISTER FOR A WEEKEND GETAWAY CALL 800-282-8223
TRAILBLAZE CHALLENGE May 7 & May 28, 2016 - South Carolina May 21 & June 4, 2016 - Cashiers, NC Foothills Trail outside of Cashiers, NC The Trailblaze Challenge is a 28.3 mile hike where participants can tackle the terrain of the Foothills Trail, all in one amazing day! This is a hike, not a race, and caters to all levels from novice to advanced outdoor enthusiasts. trailblazechallenge.org (NC) sctrailblazechallenge.org (SC) DEVILS BACKBONE MOUNTAIN CROSS May 14, 2016 | Nelson County, VA A unique cycling experience that starts and finishes at Devils Backbone Brewing Company in Nelson County Virginia. Conquer the dirt roads of the picturesque George Washington National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains! Follow mountain streams to high ascents and plunge down descents for miles! bikereg.com/devils-backbonemountain-cross ASHEVILLE HALF-MARATHON AND 10K June 4, 2016 | Asheville, NC Asheville Half Marathon and 10K begins and ends in Pack Square and runs through the streets of Asheville, NC and along the French Broad River. Entertainment will be provided throughout the entire race and the views are spectacular. Enjoy our Health and Wellness Expo, Friday, June 3. www.ashevillehalfmarathon.com DESTINATION RACES VIRGINIA WINE COUNTRY HALF MARATHON June 4, 2016 | Doukenie Winery, Purcellville, VA The Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon is a destination lifestyle experience. The race starts/finishes at Doukenie Winery with the Wine & Music Festival. This scenic, tree and wineries-laden course includes multiple water stops and one wine stop. Come experience the race of a lifetime! destinationraces.com/runvirginia
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2016
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You'll Love Where We Take You
Frankfort, Kentucky March 17th - Run for the Gold 3K March 19th - Find the Fridge 8K Trail Run March 26th - Salato 4 Mile Trail Run April 2nd - Reforest Frankfort 4K April 22nd - Pro.Active for Life 5K May 7th - Derby Dash for Kids May 7th - Super Heroes Fun Run 2 Miler May 14th - United Way 5K June 4th - Funnel Cake 5K June 11th - Capital City Stampede 10K June 25th - River Blast River Run 3K July 4th - Buffalo Chase 5K September 17th - Let’s Play 3K September 24th - KY History Half Marathon, 5K & 10K October 1st - Organ Donor Awareness 3K Run/Walk October 21st - Frankfort Optimist Club Kids 1 Mile Fun Run October 28th - Black Cat Chase 5K November 24th - ACCESS Soup Kitchen Thanksgiving Walk December 4th - Honduras Medical Mission Team Christmas 5K Frankfort/Franklin County Tourism 100 Captial Avenue, Frankfort, KY 40601 800.960.7200 visitfrankfort.com
BIKE VIRGINIA TOUR June 24-29, 2016 | Woodstock to Harrisonburg, VA Come join a real bicycle adventure vacation in VA’s beautiful mountains and valleys. Weekend, weekday and 6 day options. All levels welcome. Camping, hotels, entertainment, food, and so much more. Choose routes 20-100 miles, totaling up to 400 miles. bikevirginia.org THE JACKSON RIVER SCENIC TRAIL HALF MARATHON, 10K, 5K AND 1 MILE FUN RUN June 25, 2016 | Covington, VA This event has something for everyone! The certified course will begin and end at The Intervale Trail Head of The Jackson River Scenic Trail in Covington, VA. The trail follows an old railroad bed of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The course has a smooth crushed gravel surface and is mostly flat. runsignup.com/Race/Events/VA/ Covington/JRSTHalf JAMES RIVER SPLASH & DASH July 9, 2016 | Lynchburg, VA July 16, 2016 | Richmond, VA Looking for a fun run with a twist? Join the James River Association for a one-of-a-kind trail run that includes a flat water tube on the James River. After you ‘splash’ grab your friends and join us for the after party! Ages 10 and up. jrsplashanddash.org THE TRAIL DAMES SUMMIT July 15-17, 2016 | Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N.C. The Summit is a women’s hiking and backpacking conference held in Western North Carolina. Join us for classes in environmental education, new trails, gear selection, backpacking, car camping, photography, writing, and hiking. You will spend the weekend learning, laughing and making new friends, and you will return home inspired to get out and enjoy the outdoors! traildamessummit.com
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2016
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PRESENTS
BLUEGRASS,
BEER & BIKES with
TRAVIS BOOK of The
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS A SIX-SHOW TOUR IN THE BLUE RIDGE
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Fri., April 22 Sat., APRIL 23 SUN., APRIL 24 * MORE INFO TO BE ANNOUNCED AT BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM
coloRADo
N.Carolina
NORTH CAROLINA
Fri., April 29 Sat., APRIL 30 SUN., MAY 1
THE BALTIMORE RUNNING FESTIVAL October 15, 2016 Baltimore, MD Join us at the event that many are calling one of the best races on the East Coast. With five distances to choose from, and all runners snagging a great Under Armour shirt for participating, this event is for you! Over-achievers can tackle both the Frederick half (in May) and Baltimore full or half-marathon and earn a cool extra medal. Sign up fast as the races sell out every year. You won’t want to miss the 16th Annual Baltimore Running Festival. baltimorerunfest.com FRANKFORT / FRANKLIN COUNTY RACES Throughout 2016 Frankfort, KY Racers love to run through downtown Frankfort and so will you. The topography and historic sites provide a lovely location for a race. If you would like more information, please go to visitfrankfort.com or call 800-960-7200. We know “you will love where we take you” in Frankfort. visitfrankfort.com MARTINSVILLE / HENRY COUNTY RACES Throughout 2016 Martinsville, VA With races along rolling hills of the Dick & Willie Passage Rail Trail, by the scenic Smith River and through rural Virginia countryside, you’ll find a race for your pace in Martinsville-Henry County. Visit visitmartinsville.com/running to learn more and plan for a winning weekend getaway. visitmartinsville.com
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emotion I bring to it. I have run down the trail at various times crying, screaming, or praying. I’ve felt emotions so powerful that I couldn’t seem to go fast enough to outrun them, and felt so weak that I had to collapse in the dirt in sobs. When I am at my wit’s end, the start of the run feels like any other— muscles tight, the stresses and worries of the day heavy on my shoulders. Yet as my feet strike the soft earth, again and again, mile after mile, something magical begins to happen. The change is so gradual that I almost don’t notice it. Bit by bit, the distressing thoughts lose their power. The worries still come, but with less frequency and intensity. The thoughts and concerns that felt all-consuming a few miles ago somehow don’t matter quite as much. Gone are the conversations that typically circle round and round in my brain, and I focus only on the ground beneath my feet. Life takes on a sense of lightness. I wonder if
THE WAY FORWARD WHAT THE TRAIL HAS TAUGHT ME
When your world is rocked, you basically have two choices—to indulge in the pity party of “why me?” or to pick yourself up and continue down the trail.
by ANNE RIDDLE
S
ometimes life has a way of kicking you in the ass. You're cruising along, taking care of day-to-day affairs—going to work, running errands, schlepping kids to and from practices and music lessons, hopefully sneaking in a workout when time allows—and all of a sudden, the unexpected happens and your world is turned upside down. Just like a root or rock on the trail can suddenly rear its ugly head and send you flying, disrupting a perfectly good run, life's challenges can arise swiftly and without warning. Just yesterday I was cruising down some sweet singletrack, singing out loud to the tunes on my iPod and feeling strong and powerful when, as luck would have it, I hit the only patch of ice on the entire trail, falling flat on my ass. My first instinct was to lie on the frozen ground and cry. But it was cold, the woods were getting 40
dark, and I had miles to go. So I forced myself to get up, brush off the mud, and carry on, gingerly picking my way through ice and rocks. For better or for worse, life is the same way. When crisis hits and your
B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / F E B R U A R Y 2 01 6
world is rocked, you basically have two choices—to indulge in the pity party of “why me?” or to pick yourself up and continue down the trail. The forest has always been my sanctuary. As a child, and even more so as a teen, that is where I sought solace. Now, as an adult, I find that the woods continue to provide healing. When a problem feels too big or complicated to handle, I know that the trail is where I need to be. For me, the trail is a living, breathing thing—not just in the sense of the various life forms present, but something larger. Whereas sometimes people let me down, the forest can always absorb whatever
this is how a deer feels loping through the woods, effortlessly hurdling blowdowns and other obstacles. Unlike us, animals don’t seem to obsess about the past or worry about the future. They are present in this moment only, which is how I begin to feel after an hour on the trail. When I finish my run, I pause for a moment, recognizing that nothing in my external reality has changed. Soon enough, the burdens of being human will sneak back upon me. But for now, something has shifted. I take a deep breath, holding on to that feeling as long as I can, safe in the knowledge that the trail will be there for me whenever I need it next.
BlueRidgeOutdoors
GoOutAndPlay
BlueRidgeOutdoors
TAKING BACK THE
GAULEY by LUCIE HANES
I
started whitewater kayaking when I was twelve years old. I warmed to it quickly, gung-ho and full steam ahead without any reservations. Like most young kids, I lived in a constant state of rash boldness. I was inclined to believe that I could rise above consequences without much effort, that I could do anything perfectly on the first try. Happily fixed in that mindset, I took to the rapids with a relish. I started out on the James River in Richmond, where I grew up. After a season or two there, pushing through area classics like Hollywood and Pipeline, I was itching for more. I signed up for a trip to the New River Gorge with Passages Adventure Camp. I remember thinking that I was such a rock star, because this was what I chose to do with my lazy summer season instead of staying in town to lifeguard at the neighborhood pool. Self-esteem came pretty easily back then. The New River treated me well that week. It lives up to its reputation of big, bouncy, and generally simple. My swollen ego soaked it all in like a sponge. After three successful days and five pain-free laps through those rapids, we headed off in search of a little more variety. The Gauley River bears a lot of similarity to the New, so it’s usually a
photo by RICH YOUNG
great next step for paddlers who want to add to their portfolios. I was in great shape for the run. It turned out to be a simple mistake that broke my success streak, a hidden rock that caught my downstream edge right before a sharp turn in the river. Like every kayaker, I’d had my fair share of flips in tricky places. Unlike every kayaker, I’d always managed to come out on top—literally. I had never had a bad swim, no horror story to hide from my mom so that she wouldn’t worry. This one became my story. The panic and the pain of that moment have stuck with me in an eerily clear way. I flipped near the middle of the rapid, right before the most technical drop through a slot between two looming boulders that guarded the flow from a menacing height. Almost instantly, the current pulled my capsized boat into the more shallow waters alongside the riverright boulder and lured the tip of my paddle beneath a small but sticky undercut rock. My bare shoulders scraped along the stony floor until the thief took one last tug on my blade and persuaded me to release my desperate grip. The recoil from letting go shot my bow into the boulder with a fantastic force that jerked my torso forward
and back with the movement of the wave against its vertical shore. Out of breath and full of fear, I pulled my skirt and swam through the rest of the turbulence before catching one of the three rescue lines thrown toward me at the mouth of the next drop. I gave up paddling for about five years. I would still join my dad on the occasional James River day trip, but I could only manage to take the easiest lines and the quickest runs because I was too afraid to try anything that I wasn’t completely sure of. Even when I finally broke out of that perspective and took on harder challenges again, I pretended that the Gauley simply did not exist. I had tackled more alarming rapids and endured more heinous swims, but I couldn’t get past that sharp memory of when I had first experienced a total lack of control and understanding. Fear and luck ruled this game. This fall, seven years after my Gauley swim, I went back. I was nervous every single day of that month leading up to the Gauley trip, every minute of the drive to West Virginia, every bump on the road to the top of the river. Once I got out on the Gauley, my hands shook with each pull through the water, and in the opening rapids, I had trouble rallying the power that I needed to steer myself.
Then, I blinked. It was a slow blink. I closed my eyes deeply and rolled my pupils in circles behind their dark lids to help hydrate my contacts. When I opened them a few seconds later, I was in a different place on the river. I couldn’t have drifted more than ten feet down, but the space around me had changed. I realized that water holds onto an exceptional quality of never moving in the same manner twice. In the time it takes to blink, fast or slow, the river transforms entirely. I can’t control the water, but I couldn’t assume that it would treat me the same way again either. Every second on the river exists as its own individual entity, and I needed to accept that gamble and that imperfection in order to take back my love for the sport. For seven years, I’d needed to prove something to myself by getting back on that river. I had needed to show myself that bad days don’t have to be the last days, and that perfectionism only means being powerless in the name of false victory. On all the occasions that I’ve been truly victorious, I’ve been terrified and exhausted and defeated up until the very end. Now, the good fight is my favorite part, because that’s where all the life is. That is the part that I want to remember.
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THE GOODS
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PHIL'S FAVORITES
ADVENTURE RUNNER PHIL PHELAN’S MULTIDAY MUST-HAVES
RIBZ FRONT PACK Going for a FKT is all about logistics and efficiency. If you have to stop to get your food or GPS out of your backpack, you’re wasting time. This pack puts everything on your front so you can access it easily. And it fits well— no hot spots at all. $65; ribzwear.com
by GRAHAM AVERILL Phil Phelan knows the Blue Ridge Parkway better than most. The North Carolina-based hiker and adventure runner spent more than two weeks running the entire length of the highway, including Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park. Phelan is probably best known for his work in the Linville Gorge— he’s written a couple of exhaustively thorough guidebooks after spending years hiking and mapping the area. But he’s recently added Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempts to his repertoire. Phelan earned the FKT for the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive last summer, running the entire road, south to north, self-supported in 17 days and 16 minutes. He bagged 575.5 miles and 99,851 feet of elevation gain along the way. And he’s
just beginning. This winter, Phelan will attempt the self-supported FKT for the Florida Trail, then move on to the Appalachian Trail, Mountains to Sea Trail, and Benton Mackaye Trail. “I like pushing my boundaries and finding out what I can do,” Phelan says of his newfound passion for long trail FKTs. “This is my way of expanding my world, getting outside of my comfort zone, and hopefully becoming a better person.” We asked Phelan to detail his essential pieces of gear during these multi-day FKT runs. Here are his favorite pieces of gear, in his own words.
REI FLASH BAG It’s a three-season bag, rated to 29 degrees that’s comfortable and durable—I’ve thrown this thing on the ground and slept in it many nights. And you can’t beat the weight. It only weighs a pound. $259; rei.com
SPOT GEN3 Safety precautions should always be at the forefront of any planned excursion. I can’t stress that enough. The SPOT allows people to track me on an adventure, and allows me to get help if I need it. $150;
HOKA STINSON 3 ATR I was reluctant to try these because of the way they looked, but I don’t know if my feet have ever felt better. Once I tried them, I couldn’t go back. They’re so comfortable. $160; hokaoneone.com LACK DIAMOND ICON I enjoy night hiking, and when you’re going for a Fastest Known Time, you have to do a lot of it. The spotlight on this lamp is amazing. It’s kept me safe a number of times. $89.95;
blackdiamondequipment.com 42
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findmespot.com
ENO SINGLENEST HAMMOCK I was a tent guy for so long, but I haven’t looked back after trying this hammock. It’s a little heavier than a bivy sack, but it’s comfortable and it has endured storms, cold weather, hot weather…it’s easy to set up and the thing is bombproof.
$60; eaglesnestoutfitters.com BlueRidgeOutdoors
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DITCH THE GPS GET LOST AND FIND YOURSELF
by DEVON O'NEIL
I
had finished off my water and eaten the last of my honey and Oreos. My campsite was at least five miles away, and my guess is I had already wandered at least three miles in the wrong direction. I was lost. I had mistakenly kept running down the trail instead of turning right somewhere. So I tried to stay optimistic and concentrate on retracing my steps. After an hour of following trails until they fizzled out, I finally found the turn I missed. I resumed my loop wearily and warily, whimpering up the climbs and stumbling down the descents, thirsty and tired, until at last I collapsed beside my tent. It took a few weeks for the what-if feelings to subside, but ultimately I came to view the experience as a boon. I’ve gone back and run the loop a few more times, and I know the whole area by heart now. It’s weird how that happens—how sometimes you can’t understand a place until it swallows you whole, then spits you back out later, more grateful and aware. I’ve read the stories about people who got lost and never made it home. They’re terrifying. I carry a map and pay attention to landmarks and direction, but I’ve also gotten lost a fair bit in my time—and, thankfully, lived to tell each tale. When I say getting lost might be underappreciated, I’m not saying it should be underestimated. The reality is we have never had more tools to prevent us from getting lost. GPS tracking, top-notch maps and apps, and guidebooks upon guidebooks show us the way and keep us there. But I’d argue those tools rob us of more adventure than they enable. Recently, a new guidebook highlighted backcountry skiing in the mountains and woods near my house. I used to go weeks without seeing anyone. Now each vehicle at the trailhead had the new guidebook on its dashboard. Wouldn’t those folks have had a richer experience if they’d taken out a map at home, studied the area to see where there might be good skiing within striking distance of a trailhead, then gone out to find that area on their own? Yes, they might have gotten turned around in the process, or plain old lost their way. Chances are, they would have figured it out. And in doing so, I’m sure they would have come to know that area with a greater appreciation than they did by following a stranger’s directions. Getting lost is good like that. You find a new backyard. You learn to stay calm, to trust yourself, to persevere.
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43
APRÈS SKI
by GRAHAM AVERILL
A
près ski. There's no way to say it without sounding like a complete douche, and yet no two words in any language get me as excited. Roughly translated from the original French, après ski means, "I drank too much champagne and fell in the hot tub while still wearing my ski boots." I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist. Sadly, there are no champagne/ hot tub accidents where I ski. Because, you see children, my local ski hill is in a dry county. There are no shot skis. No Jager luges. No bar with cougars trolling for ski bums. When the lifts shut down, our only après ski option is to head to the nearest Steak n’ Shake for burgers. N’ shakes. The struggle is real. I'm not a wise man, but I’ve learned a few things in my 39 years on this planet. For instance, I know that making peace with your own limitations is the key to happiness. Well, it’s one of the keys to happiness. There are probably 12 keys to happiness in total. I don't know, like I said, I'm not a wise man. But 12 seems like the right number. A couple of other keys to happiness I figured out along the way: marry someone who's out of your league. Conventional wisdom says you should stick to your own classifications for attractiveness when finding a life partner. If you're a seven, marry a seven. But trust me, waking up to someone who's significantly hotter than you will make you happy. Also, listen to a lot of Beastie Boys. But back to accepting your
own limitations. What I'm really taking about here is the Southern Appalachians during ski season. We have a lot of really great ski resorts to choose from in the South, and during a banner year, there is even some cross country and backcountry turns to be had. But you simply can’t compare the Southern Apps to the Rockies, or even the Northern Appalachians for that matter. We just don't have the snow. It’s a matter of math. The South has a lot of fine qualities that make up for the lack of snow (boiled peanuts, bourbon), but you can’t argue with math. It took me a while to come to terms with the Southern Appalachians’ geographical limitations, but as soon as I accepted those limitations, and made peace with a winter that was less snowy, I started enjoying the ski season more. I’ve accepted a winter full of man-made snow and the occasional dusting of God-given powder. I can accept a ski resort that only gets 60 inches of natural snow a year, but I cannot accept a resort that has no bar in the lodge, or anywhere within a 10-mile radius, for that matter. You have to drive 20 minutes across the county line to get a beer. And that beer is in an Ingles. You gotta drive all the way back to Asheville to hit a legitimate bar, and then you're the only one wearing ski boots and still sporting goggles. That’s not après ski. That's just drinking. Our lack of snow is a matter of geography. The lack of booze at my hill is human error. Fortunately, it’s an isolated situation; there are plenty of great après ski options in the South. Beech has a killer bar on
top of the mountain. They even have their own brewery. Whitegrass Café, at the base of Whitegrass ski touring center, is a veritable party after a good powder day. In fact, the resort where I hold my season pass might be the only dry ski resort below the Mason Dixon. The lack of a bar at my local hill is frustrating, mostly because I don’t want to ski anywhere else. I like the terrain. The ski patrol lets me skin up the hill during the week. The lifties wear denim and blast classic rock from mid-station. Why can’t this mountain have a damn bar? And more snow, but we already talked about that, so I’m gonna let it go. But the bar…the lack of a bar is a tough thing to let go. Alas, when the world gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Then spike that lemonade with vodka. So in lieu of a legitimate bar, we tailgate. We pop the trunk on our SUV, brandish a cooler full of quality local beer and crank the Phil Collins, right there in the middle of the parking lot. You’ll see a few other people doing the same, particularly during that hour between the day session and the night session when the mountain is closed for grooming. Dudes retreat to their trunks and sit, nursing a few beers, tired but ready to hit the hill again after dark. We talk about how the mountain needs a bar. How the food could be better. And how much we like the mountain anyway, in spite of all of its flaws. Or maybe because of them, it’s hard to tell. And really, who needs a snooty après ski bar with overpriced Bud Light, when you can après ski in your own trunk. SEC football style.
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TRAIL MIX
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FAST HANDS AND HARD TRUTHS
NEW ALBUMS FROM LARRY KEEL AND MALCOLM HOLCOMBE
by JEDD FERRIS
L
arry Keel and Malcolm Holcombe are often called musician’s musicians. They’re both masters of their respective crafts—Holcombe a deeply insightful lyricist and Keel best known as a fastas-lightning flatpicking guitarist— and they’ve both shared the stage with many more-recognizable roots music icons. They’re also both Blue Ridge natives—Holcombe born and raised in the mountains of western North Carolina, while Keel hails from up the chain in Virginia. And both have raspy, powerful voices: each sings like a variation of Tom Waits born in an Appalachian holler. They’re also prone to giving their respective acoustic guitars bruising, soulful workouts. By coincidence they’re also both releasing guest-filled new albums this month. Holcombe’s Another Black Hole (out February 12) is his fourteenth studio album to date. His career has been prolific and independently scrappy with one notable go at the mainstream two decades ago. Back in 1996, he inked a major-label deal with Geffen Records, but his dreams were dashed when the label decided to shelve his debut A Hundred Lies. Before heading back home to North Carolina, though, he did manage to make some notable friends. Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris added vocals to Holcombe’s 2012 album Down the River, and his new one has some impressive guest contributions as well. To make his latest album, 46
Holcombe teamed up with former Wilco drummer Ken Coomer, and some percussion help from Futureman of Bela Fleck’s Flecktones was assembled to give Holcombe’s songs a sturdy country-rock backbone and the hearty support of extra acoustic strings. There is also some electric muscle added by bayou blues guitarist Tony Joe White. The sounds are used to accentuate Holcombe’s vivid blue-collar tales. In songs like “To Get By” and “Don’t Play Around” he describes hard-luck characters trying to survive their (sometimes self-imposed) desperate circumstances. In “Papermill Man,” a song set to a rollicking honkytonk groove, the main character suspiciously watches “dirty smoke blowin’ up in the air” and endures sawdust in his lungs while working for a dollar a day on the Pigeon River. Holcombe looks like he could be one of these characters, and he’s openly discussed battling personal demons. He has the deeply embedded facial lines of someone who’s lived hard, and when you see him perform it’s immediately obvious there is nothing contrived about his look or his notebook. As he sings on the new album’s contemplative closer, “I wallowed in my bad moves and
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hollered in the dark.” Keel’s songs also come from a very real place. Growing up in western Virginia near Lexington, he recalls that family members, particularly his brother Gary, taught him old mountain songs from a young age. His skill level was exceptional, and in 1993 he went west to the venerable Telluride Bluegrass Festival and placed first in the guitar competition at the progressive picker’s mecca. Two years later he went back and won the contest again, and this time Keel’s first notable band, McGraw Gap, was also recognized, taking top honors at the festival’s band competition. Keel’s old bandmate in McGraw Gap, banjo player Will Lee, is now his sideman in his current touring band the Larry Keel Experience, which also features his wife Jenny Keel on bass. Through the years, while often staying under the radar, Keel has collaborated with some of the best in bluegrass. With a style of guitar playing that’s fiery and expansive, he tends to attract those in the genre who are open to experimentation. He penned a song on the Del McCoury Band’s Grammy-winning album The Company We Keep, and he’s played shows with Tony Rice and Sam Bush. Some of these high-lonesome
heroes agreed to lend a hand on Keel’s new (and 15th overall) studio album Experienced, which is being independently released on February 26. The album starts with Keel, Lee, and Bush (doing double duty on fiddle and mandolin) trading blistering solos on the six-minute newgrass workout “Ripchord,” but fleet-fingered fun is only part of the equation on this seven-track effort. “Lil’ Miss” is a bluesy shuffle that works well with Keel’s gruff vocals, while “Miles and Miles” is a patient, open-hearted highway song that features a vocal assist from jam troubadour Keller Williams. McCoury, an elder statesman in the bluegrass world who once sang with Bill Monroe, shows up too, harmonizing with Keel and fiddler Jason Carter on the fast-paced foot-stomper “Fill ‘em Up Again,” which also features mandolin help from the Steep Canyon Rangers' Mike Guggino. The album serves as an impactful cross-generational testament to Keel’s influence in his genre. As McCoury puts it, “I think what makes Larry so powerful is that he has lived his songs, he’s not sitting in a room trying to write the hit of the week, he’s writing what’s in his heart and on his mind.”
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PLAY WILD, WONDERFUL WEST VIRGINIA
YOU’LL FIND IT HERE. Who says only adults can have snow days? Escape to our wild winter playground.
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