Trail Runner Issue 32

TrailRunner WIN A TRIP TO ITALY! ENTER THE 2005 TROPHY SERIES CELEBRATING

One Dirty Magazine

5 YEARS

MARCH 2005 | ISSUE 32

GEAR UP! >>WHAT KIND OF TRAIL FIENDARE YOU? p.48 <<

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CONTENTS 34) Summer Kamp Potty humor, poison ivy and bunk beds.

Trail-running camps let adults be kids again.

BY GARETT GRAUBINS PHOTOS BY PATITUCCIPHOTO

40) The Grand Slam Class of 2004 Four races, 400 miles, one summer—An inside look at an outrageous subspecies.

BY CATHY TIBBETTS

DEPARTMENTS

6) EDITOR’S NOTE 10) LETTERS 18) NUTRITION 26) 2005 TRAIL RUNNER TROPHY SERIES 28) ADVENTURE 30) FACES 32) TAKE YOUR MARK 46) GALLERY 56) TRAIL TIPS 60) RACE DIRECTORY 12) MAKING TRACKS USATF salutes 2004’s top guns, and looks ahead to 2005; Jorge Pacheco talks trails; Race Reports: Bizz Johnson and Shut-in Ridge.

18) NUTRITION What you eat is just as important as when.

Fueling up before, during and after big runs.

20) TRAINING All runners could use a little more speed. Boost your cruising pace with interval training. BY MARK ELLER

22) GREAT ESCAPES

✱48)

GEAR-UP SPECIAL!

WHAT KIND OF TRAIL RUNNER ARE YOU? WE’VE GOT THE GEAR FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES DIRT.

Endless trail networks and a new government initiative make Chattanooga, the “Boulder of the East.”

25) ASK THE COACH Training for a spring 10K—indoors; alternative knee treatment needs track record; protein strategy.

NEW!

33) BUSHWHACK New columnist, Jonathan Thesenga. writes about his comical experiences on the trail. This issue, all is not as it seems with a certain surly racer.

COVER: Hilaree O’Neill in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ACE KVALE

63) LAST GASP We introduce another columnist, the prolific Bernie Boettcher. Why hasn’t he run an ultra?

THIS PAGE: Looking for easy access and serene seclusion? Head to the beaches of Oregon (see page 28).

PHOTOGRAPH BY HEATH ARMY

(ONE DIRTY MAGAZINE)

FEATURES

MARCH 2005 | WWW.TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | ISSUE 32

© 2004 adidas-Salomon AG. adidas, the adidas logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas-Salomon AG group.

BIOMECHANICS

IT’S WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN RUNS

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IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

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EDITO R’S NOTE

by DUANE RALEIGH

A Fresh Perspective SLOW DOWN AND SMELL THE ... JUNIPER BERRIES -Paul DeWitt

photo by: PatitucciPhoto

Montrail Patagonia Ultraunning Team 2nd place Overall champion of MUC

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March 12 • Way Too Cool 50km Cool, California April 23 • Zane

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April 30 • Miwok 100km Sausalito, California May 14 • Ice Age 50km La Grange, Wisconsin June 4 • Kettle Moraine 100km La Grange, Wisconsin June 25 • Western

States 100mi Auburn, California 100mi West Windsor, Vermont

July 16-17 • Vermont

July 30 • White River 50mi Crystal Mountain, Washington August 27 • Goldengate/Headlands 50km Sausalito, California August 20-21 • Leadville

100mi Leadville, Colorado

September 17 • Great Eastern 100km Charlottesville, Virginia October 15 • Montrail UltraCup Championship

Mt. Masochist 50mi Lynchburg, Virginia

Categories: Overall Open series • Sunsweet Overall Masters series 50 km distance • 50 mile distance • 100 km distance • 100 mile distance Overall and Masters category participants must complete 4 races, one at each distance Distance series participants must complete each race listed for the chosen distance

Register on-line @ run.montrail.com

A month ago I was cruising across the vast and trackless desert near Castle Valley, Utah. The winter sky was steel gray, and a steady sheet of sleet and rain beat loudly against my shell hood. The storm had pushed down from the nearby 12,000foot La Sal Mountains, stalling over the valley for more than a week. As I ran, the saturated, sticky earth balled up under my shoes, a lucky turn of the cards, as I would soon discover.

I slipped and skidded along, mud skiing down the steep embankment of an arroyo then slugging up the other side to a bench on a ridge where I stopped under the shelter of an overhanging boulder to kick the mud off my shoes.

I had been here before, several times, but had never noticed this boulder, black with the varnish of ages and rearing up like the bow of a sinking ship. The block was nestled among a compact stand of junipers. I picked a berry off a branch, crushed it between my fingers and sniffed the pungent green juice. “Gin,” I said to myself, “smells like gin.”

I wasn’t the only one who had sought shelter here.

Scattered on the ground was an assembly of bones. Judging from a black hoof still attached to a shank, these were the remains of a deer, the dietary mainstay for a thriving population of coyote and cougar. The bones were gnawed clean, save a few scraps of hairy hide. I nudged a rib with the toe of my shoe, then nervously spun around. After de-gunking my shoes, I set out again, urged on by thoughts of a cat sizing me up for lunch, but slowed to a shoe-sucking crawl by the gumbo underfoot.

Other boulders appeared. Fantastic rocks, similar to the first, but perched higher on the ridge, these were sandblasted into crazy pocketed and cratered lumps that resembled enormous sea sponges more than stone. One boulder sported a bathtubsized hueco filled with neon grass. Another scoop was partly filled with water, at the bottom of which lay the transparent shells of tiny shrimp.

Though I’d passed this precise spot before, even marking the way with indiscreet cairns, this might as well have been my first time here. Before, I’d hustled through only paying attention to the tick of the watch. The landscape had been an apparatus, an outdoor treadmill. I’ve been running and climbing in this desert for over 20 years, but still have to slow down sometimes to appreciate the bigger perspective.

I cruised on, discovering more “new” sights, veering off course here and there to get a better vantage point where I could watch low-lying fog spill down the mesas and engulf the 10-mile-long valley. On my way out, I followed fox tracks on the muddy banks of a seasonal stream. Back at the truck, I jumped in, knocked off the larger chunks of desert still stuck to my shoes and drove off. I didn’t notice until the next day that I had forgotten to turn off my stopwatch.

■ 6 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

Marcus finished the Boston Marathon in 3:15, and the New York in 3:05. †(US Patent No. 6186970) ©2005 CW-X. CW-X is a Wacoal Corp. registered trademark.

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LETTERS

Brian Metzler’s high-school cross-country article [“Beaned & Bitten,” Run Amok, No. 31] resonated with me. Back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, cross country was a sport for the unwanted and meek at Spartanburg High School.

Back then, we received a blessing in the form of a transplanted Chicago highschool coach named Jim Kilbreth. Kilbreth swept into Spartanburg, brought all the 120- and 130-pounders under his wing and introduced a whole new dimension of pain and suffering to local high-school sports, collecting many state titles in the process. One of my life’s highlights was competing in Kilbreth’s program. Like Metzler, many of my former teammates and friends are still runners, Ironman triathletes and cyclists.

—Brian Tate, Spartanburg, SC GEEK SPEAK Jeremy Collins’ illustration of the gaudy, scrawny, bespectacled highschool runner [Run Amok, No. 31] looks just like I did in 9th grade. I thought Jeremy had found my team photo in my high-school yearbook. Good one!

Congratulations on Trail Runner’s fifth anniversary—you just keep getting better.

—Tim Yanacheck, Madison, WI

WHO BUYS THE BEER? You failed to mention the number one unwritten trail rule [Editor’s Note, No. 30]. If someone hits the dirt, i.e. both hands down, that fallen runner owes one fresh pint of beer to all runners who witnessed the occurrence. Of course this only applies to non-serious incidents.

10 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

I had a fall this summer in a race in Squamish, B.C. Luckily I only had to purchase one pint at race’s end.

—Gary Robbins, Whistler, B.C., Canada

PLAYING WITH FIRE I read your comments regarding the use of ibuprofen during endurance events [Ask the Coach, No. 31]. There is agreement that it is risky, but there seems to be some dancing around the specific reason why.

The dehydrated endurance competitor who takes the drug to relieve pain is like the person who leaves their car running and smokes a cigarette while pumping gas. Usually nothing happens, but occasionally there is a catastrophe.

—Dr. David G. Terry, M.D., Portland, OR

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR In October, I flew out from London to Amarillo, Texas, to take part in the Palo Duro 50 trail race. Now in my late 70s, I have run many races in your delightful country over the years, but this one would be special—I anticipated it being my final race in America (age now begins to dictate). I can only call my experience the “Original Magical Mystery Tour.”

Please try to understand the mindset of an elderly Englishman brought up on a staple diet of black-and-white, “cowboys and Indians” films. My idea of America was of the Wild West and places like Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon.

Well, there I was one early morning at the very dark and cold starting line of the Palo Duro. As the day progressed, I was in wonderment as nature opened up in all its glory and color. Plants and wildflowers burst into life and began to turn toward the sun. Watching these wondrous things made me realize how bloody insignificant I was in the realm of things. I was on hallowed ground

AMAZING COMEBACKS Trail Runner is looking for a few good men and women to include in an upcoming feature article. If you’ve suffered a serious injury or medical problem and returned to trail running, we want to hear from you. Please send a synopsis of your story to mbenge@bigstonepub.com.

Thank you.

JEREMY COLLINS

WEAKLINGS UNITE

Non-steroidal anti-inf lammatory drugs such as ibuprofen relieve pain by blocking the action of a prostaglandin.

This prostaglandin is thereby prevented from performing a very important function—allowing the kidneys to maintain good blood flow despite the lowblood volume we call dehydration. The kidneys filter fragments of destroyed muscle protein, and tend to plug up when blood flow falls. Plugging up is bad because it can lead to renal failure. That is why taking ibuprofen in a prolonged endurance event poses risk.

letters « in the Land of the Red Indian, who lived here long before the white man arrived. I suddenly had a feeling of complete peace and freedom, with no fear of getting lost. My stride was the best it had been for many a year, and I felt like a young man again.

So here I am, back in Oldie London Town. It is early in the cold and damp morning, and I’m not sure whether I need to run or just keep warm and read the Sunday papers. One thing is for sure, I WILL return to the Palo Duro in 2005 to try and recapture the feeling of peace and solitude.

—Lou Myers aka The Ancient Brit, London, England

CORRECTIONS In “Running on the Rooftops of the World” about the Himalayan Run/Trek (No. 30), the race director’s name is spelled C.S. Pandey.

■

EDITORIAL

CIRCULATION

PUBLISHER Duane Raleigh

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

draleigh@bigstonepub.com EDITOR Michael Benge mbenge@bigstonepub.com SENIOR EDITOR Garett Graubins ggraubins@bigstonepub.com COLUMNS EDITOR Alison Osius aosius@bigstonepub.com PHOTO EDITOR David Clifford dclifford@bigstonepub.com EDITORIAL INTERN Kyle Boelte kboelte@bigstonepub.com CREATIVE ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

Bonnie Hofto bhofto@bigstonepub.com PRODUCTION MANAGER

Quent Williams qwilliams@bigstonepub.com

Paula Stepp pstepp@bigstonepub.com SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER

Lindsay Brown lbrown@bigstonepub.com RETAIL SALES COORDINATOR

Rowan Fryer rfryer@bigstonepub.com

ACCOUNTING Mark Kittay CPA accounting@bigstonepub.com BIG STONE PUBLISHING 1101 Village Road UL-4D, Carbondale, CO 81623 Office: 970-704-1442 Fax: 970963-4965 www.trailrunnermag.com

ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Lisa Raleigh lraleigh@bigstonepub.com ADVERTISING MANAGER

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EXECUTIVE Randall Lavelle rlavelle@bigstonepub.com WARNING! The activities described in Trail Runner carry a significant risk of personal injury or death. DO NOT participate in these activities unless you are an expert, have sought or obtained qualified professional instruction or guidance, are knowledgeable about the risks involved, and are willing to assume personal responsibility for all risks associated with these activities. TRAIL RUNNER MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, OF ANY KIND REGARDING THE CONTENTS OF THIS MAGAZINE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY REGARDING THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. Trail Runner further disclaims any responsibility for injuries or death incurred by any person engaging in these activities. Use the information contained in this magazine at your own risk, and do not depend on the information contained in this magazine for personal safety or for determining whether to attempt any climb, route or activity described herein.

The views herein are those of the writers and advertisers; they do not necessarily reflect the views of Trail Runner’s ownership.

•Manuscripts, photographs and correspondence are welcome. Unsolicited materials should be accompanied by return postage. Trail Runner is not responsible for unsolicited materials. All manuscripts and photos are subject to Trail Runner’s terms, conditions and rates •Please allow up to 10 weeks for the first issue after subscribing or a change of address (to expect continuous service).

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. © Copyright 2005 by Big Stone Publishing Ltd. 2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 11

MAKING TRACKS ALL THE TRAIL NEWS YOU CAN USE // BY GARETT GRAUBINS

TEST YOUR METTLE AT THESE 2005 USATF TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIPS: National Trail and NACAC (North America Central America Caribbean) Championship Teva Spring Run-Off; Vail, CO; June 4; www.vailrec.com 50-Mile Trail Championship White River 50; Crystal Mountain, WA; July 30; www.whiteriver50.org 50K Trail Championship Golden Gate Headlands 50K; Sausalito, CA; August 27; www. headlands50k.org

MUT Matters USATF AND MUT TRUMPET 2004 FEATS AND 2005 EVENTS DECEMBER 1-5, 2004, USATF NATIONAL CONVENTION, PORTLAND, OREGON —The

grittiness of off-road running is a far cry from the glitz of road races and track sprints, but trail running has garnered increased respect on the national stage. And, at the annual USA Track & Field Convention, the Mountain/Ultra/Trail (MUT) Council heralded 2004’s notable achievements and announced 2005’s key events.

Surrounded by top USATF brass and several Olympians at the awards banquet, MUT Chairperson Nancy Hobbs announced the runners of the year. In Mountain Running, Paul Low (Amherst, Massachussetts) and Laura Haefeli (Del Norte, Colorado) snagged top honors. Low, 30, won the U.S.A. Mountain-Running

Championships at the Mt. Washington Hill Climb and was the top American finisher at several international events. The 37-yearold Haefeli, a seven-time biathlon National Champion, won her first National Trail Championship and was the second U.S. finisher at the World Mountain Running Trophy (WMRT) in Italy, leading the U.S. to its best-ever, third-place finish.

Like their mountain-running counterparts, the Ultrarunners of the Year were also trail beasts (the Ultra award is open to road runners, too). Nikki Kimball, 33, of Livingston, Montana, collected trail ultra titles like spare change, winning the Western States 100 (California), USATF 50-Mile National Championship White River 50 (Washington) and Mountain

NEW ZEALAND QUALIFIERS Are you anxious to run trails in the land of Hobbits and Whale Riders? Qualify for the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team at one of these races, and you could run in the 2005 World Mountain Running Trophy over the weekend of September 25, 2005, in Wellington, New Zealand.

June 4. Teva Vail Spring Run-Off (13K men, 9K women); Vail, Colorado.

Top two men and top woman qualify.

June 25. Northfield Mountain (15.3K); Northfield, Massachusetts.

Top man and top woman qualify.

July 16. WORS Devil’s Run (14.7K men, 9.8K women); Devil’s Head, Wisconsin.

Top man and top woman qualify.

August 7. Mount Cranmore Trail Run (13.8K); North Conway, New Hampshire.

Top man qualifies, with strong consideration for top woman.

Visit www.usatf.com for more qualifying information.

12 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

OVER-

HEARD

“Pavement impacts the body three to five times the body weight. My experience is that trails disperse shock much better and reduce impact to two to four times the body weight—possibly less.”

—MICHAEL BROWN, Adidas Running Business Unit Manager.

“This race is a pain in my Manassas.”

—DAVE HORTON of Lynchburg, Virginia, during a previous Bull Run Run 50-Miler, a Civil War-themed trail race held in early April near Manassas, Virginia.

“One trail user reported a cougar trailing her. She turned around and it stopped mid-step.”

—LARRY JOHNSON, Chief Ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Empire, Michigan, on a 2004 mountainlion sighting. Reports of cougars east of the Mississippi River are on the rise—but still very rare.

COLIN MEAGHER

USATF announced that the White River 50 (pictured) will be the 2005 50-mile Trail Championship.

Masochist 50 (Virginia). The men’s winner, Dave Mackey, of Boulder, Colorado, displayed similar dominance. He won the Zane Grey 50-Mile (Arizona), placed second at the Western States 100 and grabbed the 2004 Montrail Ultra Cup Title.

The MUT Council also announced the 2005 national trail championships and qualifying races for the 2005 Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. Simon Gutierrez of Alamosa, Colorado, MUT Council member and three-time qualifier for the Team, encourages runners to target the qualifiers: “We really want the team to continue improving.”

For additional information, visit www. usatf.com.

» making tracks

NOVEMBER 6, 2004, SHUT-IN RIDGE TRAIL RUN, ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA —

Anne Riddle (bib number 1) attacked the Shut-In course early and never looked back.

After years of training in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Bill Baldwin—a former 14:50 5K runner and perennial top-five finisher at many big road races—felt the time had arrived to run his first-ever trail race.

The stage? One of the most revered races in the East, the 25th annual Shut-In Ridge Trail Run, an unforgiving 18-mile jaunt from the North Carolina Arboretum to the parking area just below Mount Pisgah’s 5450foot summit—a gain of more than 3000 vertical feet. What’s more, the 2004 men’s field was the deepest ever.

It included Will Harlan of Asheville, three-time defending champion of the 40-mile Mount Mitchell Challenge up the East’s highest mountain; Cid Cardoso of Cary, North Carolina, who fired off the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon three weeks earlier; and Asheville rocket Dane Mitchell.

Baldwin asserted himself early in the race and broke away in the first mile, leading from start to finish with a time

of 2:26:44. He was 1:44 off race director Adam Pinkston’s six-year-old course record of 2:25.

Behind Baldwin, track-workout partners Mitchell and Frankie Adkins shadowed Harlan through most of the race, with Adkins falling back late.

Mitchell stayed with Harlan and even overtook him with two miles left. But Harlan made a spirited charge up the toughest section of trail leading to the finish—a steep, technical, twomile climb that takes even elite competitors over 20 minutes—to claim second in 2:27:57.

In the women’s race, Asheville’s Anne Riddle, 38, continued her amazing year by winning in 2:55:25. Despite raceweary legs from a long season that included her first 100-miler (Vermont 100), victories at the National 100K and 50K championships and a sixthplace finish at the IAU 100K World Cups, Riddle was never challenged.

Locals Karen Masson (3:02:23) and Meadow Tarves (3:02:59) were second and third, respectively.

—Gary Glancy

JOHN FLETCHER

Eyes Wide Shut-In

making tracks «

ENDANGERED TRAILS Where: Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Fifteen-plus miles of forest-covered singletrack winding through the Bolin Creek area.

What’s happening: The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is planning new buildings along with 17,000 parking spaces, as part of a campus “improvement” plan.

Quotables: “So many places are fortunate enough to have land and forward-looking stewards that do not equate acreage with development. Such is not the case in Chapel Hill.” —Steve Hoge, Chapel Hill runner and activist “As a former collegiate runner, I am very sensitive to maintaining a great environment for runners. We have 1000 acres ... only a quarter of which will be developed.”

—Tony Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, UNC Chapel Hill Get involved: Visit www.trailheads.org to contact Chapel Hill-area runners and learn more about the proposed plan; See also, www.unc.edu for the University of North Carolina.

Seeking Speed INAUGURAL TRAIL RACE DRAWS BOSTON MARATHON HOPEFULS. OCTOBER

10,

2004,

WESTWOOD,

CALIFORNIA—In

a race billed as the best of both worlds—road-race fast and trailrace scenic—268 marathoners cruised the backwoods of northern California in the inaugural running of the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon. Surrounded by pine trees for much of the race, runners crossed multiple old bridges over the Susan River as they followed an old railroad grade. As a Boston Marathon qualifier, the race drew many runners who don’t usually seek out-of-the-way trails.

And it was fast. Michael Fretz, 36, of Reno, Nevada, won the men’s race in 2:45:34, a 6:19-per mile pace. The race was Fretz’s second marathon ever.

“The soft dirt was easy on my legs, and

BY THE NUMBERS

I was able to maintain an even pace for the whole race and never felt any soreness,” says Fretz. Matthew Debski, 27, of Silicon Valley, California, dictated the pace for the first 21 miles of the race, before finishing second in 2:46:51. Both men beat out Chris Zieman, the fastest American at this year’s Boston Marathon, and Scott Jurek, six-time Western States 100 champion. The fastest woman of the day was Heidi Schuette, 34, of Denver, Colorado, who finished in 3:15:41, 11 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Tanya Martian, 28, of Carson City, Nevada (3:27:36).

Complete results are available at www. redwoodtrails.com.

—Kyle Boelte

2,000,000

Years that humans have been runners according to a recent study in the journal Nature that hypothesizes that long-distance running has been a major factor in human evolution.

180

Years since the first asphalt road was created, in Paris, meaning that man ran offroad exclusively for about 1,999,820 years prior to the first road run.

making tracks « Q & A

Border Crossing JORGE PACHECO’S LIMITLESS TALENT AND POTENTIAL IN 1981, A 14-YEAR-OLD JORGE PACHECO

LARRY GASSAN

honed his soccer skills outside Manzanillo, Mexico. Meanwhile, the local running club, called “Pies Rapidos,” ran speed reps on the nearby track. “I can do that,” thought young Jorge. After practice, he approached the coach, and asked if he could join the club.

The coach agreed, but only if Jorge trained hard for several months and showed promise in some races. But, Pacheco explains, running did not come easily.

“I began by running about two miles on the local beach,” says Pacheco, today 37 and living in Los Angeles, California.

“And I couldn’t do that without some walking breaks.”

Those days are far behind Pacheco. He lives in a different country—“L.A. is actually a different world,” he says—and thrives running trail ultramarathons up to 100 miles.

He has won the Angeles Crest 100-miler (Wrightwood, California) three straight times, in addition to several other presti- Jorge Pacheco with friend and pacer Ragious southern-California races, including fael Ramos, just minutes after winning the the Bulldog 50K (Malibu Creek), OTHTC 2004 Angeles Crest 100-Miler.

High Desert 50K (Ridgecrest) and San Gabriel Mountains 50K (Mt. Wilson). Trail Runner recently spoke with Pacheco about his roots, accomplishments and the future of the sport.

ARE YOU MARRIED? Yes, my wife, Maria, is an ultrarunner, and she’s been very important to my success. Her support is what really gets me going.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING? I’m a machine operator and I work up to 12 hours a day, including some Saturdays and holidays. I don’t mind the work, as long as I get paid.

DID YOU SPEAK ENGLISH WHEN YOU CAME TO THE U.S.? No. I’ve been teaching myself. I read a lot and watch English-speaking movies. When I first arrived in the U.S., I carried my EnglishSpanish dictionary everywhere.

WHEN YOU STARTED RUNNING, DID YOU RUN ONLY SHORT DISTANCES? No, I also trained long. I would run to my grandmother’s house in Manzanillo, exactly nine kilometers away. I would drink water there and then return home.

As an extra challenge, I tried to outrun the city bus. It made many stops, but it still beat me most of the time.

AND HOW ABOUT RUNNING TRAILS? I started in 1998. I was invited to train on the Angeles Crest 100 course, and I loved it right away. Since then, I haven’t stopped training and racing on trails. It’s a great combination of challenge, scenery and fun—and the AC100 is now my favorite trail race for all of those reasons.

YOU RECENTLY BECAME A MEMBER OF THE VASQUE ULTRARUNNING

TEAM. WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT ATHLETE SPONSORSHIPS? Even though Vasque has not been on the ultrarunning scene for long, they have a solid team, and I think sponsorship is great for the athlete and the sport. Sponsored athletes must train harder and push their limits to prove their worth. That leads to more course records and more interesting races, which attract more media attention.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE SPORT IN FIVE YEARS? Trail running is going in the right direction and, every year, more companies advertise their products at events. As long as they stay interested and athletes support each other, the sport will continue to blossom. I would like to see more economic incentive for athletes, so they can make a living out of trail running, just as any other sport.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE TRAILRUNNING FIGURES? I have special admiration for all runners who enter strenuous 100-mile ultras—especially the older runners, since they have to overcome many obstacles during the race. They are the real heroes.

WHY DON’T WE SEE MANY HISPANIC TRAIL RUNNERS? In Latin American countries—just like here in the U.S.— there is a great tradition of road racing.

I think it is just a matter of time before we see more Hispanic trail runners.

■ 2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 17

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NUTRITION

by SCOTT DRUM

» photo by DAVID CLIFFORD

habits, endurance fiends may attain one half of that target. Worse yet, some trail runners feel that they run slow enough to favor mostly fat metabolism, only to “hit the wall” halfway through a big race.

Here is why: fat is oxidized in the flame of a carbohydrate; in other words, carbohydrate availability is needed to utilize fat as fuel for sustained muscle contraction. Therefore, optimal carbohydrate storage is paramount to good performance during a long trail race and for your body to effectively mobilize the “fat burn.” Research has shown that no matter how fit you are, once you surpass about 45 percent of your VO2max or maximal oxygen delivery to and utilization by muscle (see Training, page 20), the body favors carbohydrate as fuel, not fat. Thus, even though you may be running slow in long races, as you become dehydrated and fatigued, you will almost always creep beyond a steady intensity of 45 percent of VO2max.

STORING UP

Christian Griffith fueling up during the 2004 San Juan Solstice 50-Miler, Colorado.

High Octane KEEP YOUR “TANK” FULL FOR OPTIMUM ENERGY AND RACING PERFORMANCE It’s time to cut out the pumpkin pie and whipped cream, get off the couch and begin training—and eating—for the upcoming racing season. You need to eat the right foods at the right time to optimize your energy and performance. ¶ Many runners are guilty of not planning nutrient-dense meals. Instead, they focus on caloric-dense foods to fuel their habit, hoping that copious calories will automatically be stored as glycogen (carbohydrate) in their muscles. Carbohydrates, of course, are the preferred fuel source for athletes. However, caloricdense nutrients “in” don’t always mean enhanced energy “out.”

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS The body craves carbohydrates, especially when engaged in high-intensity activities like trail running. If you eat too much saturated fat and protein, which is typical if you focus simply on caloric-dense foods, the body becomes inadequately stored with carbohydrates. You need to have optimal carbohydrate stores to fuel muscle contraction and promote a stable blood-sugar level during trail runs.

The optimal carbohydrate storage capacity for a 155-pound person is just over 1000 grams or 4000 calories (4 kcals per gram of carbohydrate ingested). With poor eating 18 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

So, what do you eat before a big race day or training run? It is best to eat a fairly large meal three to four hours before a long run. The proverbial pasta emphasis is a good start.

For multiple days before a big race or training day, focus on ingesting nutrient-dense carbohydrates, rich in starch, which is the storage form of carbohydrate in plants (also known as complex carbos). Good food suggestions include oatmeal, bran muffins, pancakes, bananas, potatoes, beans, cooked rice, spaghetti (pastas), bagels, Fig Newtons, fruit yogurt, grape juice or submarine rolls. Make these foods greater than 60 percent of your daily caloric intake.

HEAT OF BATTLE During a race, most trail runners revert to ingesting simple sugars that are easily and quickly digested. These carbos maintain blood sugar and can help spare glycogen stores, which will help you finish stronger and run longer without fatigue. During a race or run greater than an hour, you must maintain regular consumption of these simple, quick-to-digest carbohydrates (30 to 60 grams per hour). Also, during ultra runs drinking one liter or slightly more of water and/or sports drinks per hour is crucial to staying hydrated and buffering

nutrition «

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT WHEN

The higher the glycemic index, the quicker the food enters the blood once ingested.

1) Low-glycemic foods Eat 3-4 hours before run & daily.

Apples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Fish sticks . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Navy beans . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Lentils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Kidney beans . . . . . . . . . 29 Sausage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Peanuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2) Moderate-glycemic foods Eat 3-4 hours before run & as part of high-carb diet.

Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 All-bran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Potato chips . . . . . . . . . . . 51 White pasta . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Oatmeal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Sweet potatoes . . . . . . . 48 Whole-wheat pasta . . . . 42

3) High-glycemic foods Eat within 1 hour post run & during run.

Glucose . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Carrots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Honey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Whole-meal bread . . . . 72 White rice . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Brown rice. . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Raisins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Bananas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Merrell Full Pursuit

ON THE DOWN LOW

Sample low-glycemic diet (consists mainly of complex carbohydrates.)

Breakfast (or 3-4 hours pre race or training run) 30 g All Bran, 24 g carb 1 diced peach, 8 g carb 1 slice grain bread, 14 g carb 1 tsp margarine 1 tsp jelly Snack (daily or immediate post race or workout) 1 cup fruit yogurt, 50 g carb Lunch (or 3-4 hours pre race or training run) 2 slices grain bread, 28 g carb 2 tsp margarine 25 g cheese 1 apple, 20 g carb

the build-up of fatigue-causing metabolic by-products.

Whew, a lot to digest, but well worth implementing during any trail race or training day. Remember, if you don’t practice eating while training long, you won’t last long when racing, or may end up vomiting the very food that’s supposed to be sustaining you.

Bernie Boettcher, 2003 U.S. Masters Mountain Runner of the Year and a Silt, Colorado, resident, swears by half of a banana and six to eight ounces of green tea (27 g of carbohydrate per serving) tucked away in his fuel belt during long races.

Last fall, with this combination, Boettcher handily pulled away to win his second consecutive 37K Rim Rock Run in 2:18:47.

Says Boettcher, “Gels upset my stomach, so I stick with what works for me.”

POST-RACE REFUELING After a long race or training day, develop a plan to refuel muscle tissue and liver with glycogen. In addition, day-after-day long runs of 60 minutes or greater cause the body’s muscles and liver to become severely glycogen depleted. This can leave you feeling sluggish and unmotivated, and lead to injury. So, you should not only emphasize carbohydrate-rich food intake

Snack (daily or immediate post race or workout) 3 Fig Newtons Dinner (or a few hours post race or workout) 120 g lean minced beef 1 cup boiled pasta, 34 g carb 1 cup of tomato & onion sauce, 8 g carb Green salad with vinaigrette, 1 g carb Snack (daily or immediate post race or workout) 1 orange, 10 g carb 1 cup reduced-fat milk, 14 g carb

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before each bout but also within an hour after each run.

Research has shown that the body is most receptive to carbohydrate/glycogen storage within the first hour after a workout. The body is in a sort of defense mode and will hoard incoming carbohydrates within that time. In fact, praise be to the mountain gods—experts recommend high-glycemic foods (quick to enter the blood) such as carrots, bananas, shredded wheat or white rice along with some simple sugars, such as candy bars, fruit juices, brownies or chocolate-chip cookies. Then, it’s time to move back to complex carbohydrates.

Tim Parr, 2004 Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team member and currently training to represent Colorado’s Western State College in the NCAA Division II cross country national meet in November, chows a Snickers bar after each training run. “It is quick energy restoration and a great tasting way to finish a workout,” says Parr. “I eat one and then focus on healthier carbohydrates.”

Scott Drum is an Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the new High Altitude Performance Lab at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado.

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 19

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TRAINING

by MARK ELLER

» photo by TIM DE FRISCO

Monitor Progress

As your aerobic fitness improves, the pace you can hold in a given heart-rate zone will get faster. Say you’re used to a cruising pace of nine-minute miles on long trail runs.

After about four to six weekly interval sessions, you might be surprised to see that your cruising pace has dipped to 8:45-minute miles, with no increase in perceived effort.

Your heart-rate monitor—by now your best friend for workouts—will confirm that you aren’t fooling yourself. At this point, most runners believe the discomfort of running intervals is worth the effort.

interval workout designed to increase your VO2max and LT will deliver major benefits. Even a few weeks of intervals will yield noticeable results.

Although both VO2max and LT are usually addressed in the same manner, LT is more trainable. “In essence, VO2max can be enhanced or optimized, but it doesn’t increase dramatically in trained athletes,” says Scott Drum, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. With proper interval training you’ll see small gains in VO2max, and larger ones in your LT.

TRAINING WITH INTENSITY

Sucking Os. Determining your maximum aerobic capacity is necessary for proper interval training, but you don’t have to get hooked up at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs like Buzz Burrell (above).

Heavy Breathing BOOST YOUR CRUISING PACE WITH INTERVAL TRAINING You know the story about the turtle who outlasts the rabbit and wins the local trail race? It’s a lie. In the real world, sprightly bunnies blow the doors off the slow-mo plodders every time.

The lesson, Aesop, is that even long efforts require some degree of speed. A weekly interval workout—running short hard bursts with brief rests in between—is the best way to increase a runner’s maximum aerobic capacity—“VO2max” to training weenies.

Intervals also boost a runner’s lactate threshold (LT)—the level of exertion needed to cause lactose to collect in the muscles, inhibiting performance. Lactose, more than “lactic acid,” is the culprit that causes your legs to seize when you attempt too hard a pace. By increasing your VO2max, you’ll automatically increase your LT, thus allowing a faster cruising pace. Even if a marathon is your idea of a sprint distance, a weekly 20 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

To better understand why training at a high percentage of VO2max is important for long-distance runners, think of a car engine. A small motor that strains to reach 100 miles per hour isn’t very efficient when it revs near its limit. If you just want to putter around town on short, slow trips, the small engine will do fine. But if you want to hit the highway and cruise at high speeds for hours, you’ll do much better with a bigger, more powerful model. Intense intervals literally put more horsepower in your stride, so you can cruise faster and longer, and break down less often.

(Intervals, however, are no substitute for and should not be attempted without a solid aerobic base, which you can only attain by logging plenty of miles at a steady aerobic intensity.)

In a car, both the speedometer and the tachometer measure how hard the engine is working. The equivalents for runners are a stopwatch, which measures speed, and a heart-rate monitor, which measures how high your internal motor is “revving.” Just as race-

training « car drivers pay more attention to their RPMs than to their speedometers, performance-oriented runners should learn to evaluate their efforts with heart rate, not speed. A heart-rate monitor tells you how hard you’re working, even when a trail’s steepness or technical difficulty prevents you from hitting top speeds.

Optimizing your VO2max and boosting your LT come from working at the right intensity, not from running at a specific minute-per-mile pace.

NOT TOO FAST, NOT TOO SLOW Many runners make the mistake of running too close to their VO2max when they design an interval program.

Several studies have shown that the biggest gains in VO2max and LT come from running intervals lasting between three and five minutes, and are performed at a heart rate around 86 to 88 percent of your absolute ceiling—your lactate threshold.

“Once lactate spills into the blood, it slows your ability to transport oxygen to working muscles, and aerobic capacity or power diminishes, as does your pace,” says Drum. “Thus, it is crucial to train at, near or slightly above LT in order to boost the point at which lactate enters the blood. By ‘spilling’ lactate into the blood during LT training sessions, it encourages biological and physiological changes that allow for a faster pace with no increase in effort during long races.”

To determine your approximate LT pace, you must find your maximum heart rate. The easy route is to use this formula: 220 minus (age in years).

(Women are often advised to use 230 minus age.) This is a very rough guide, usually insufficient for serious training.

For example, the formula predicts my

Self Exams

It’s a good idea to re-test your aerobic capacity every few months.

One nice way to do this is to run the same course that you used to test your maximum heart rate. This time, the goal is to run the course as fast as you can without letting your heart rate creep beyond your LT range. If you’ve done your aerobic intervals right, you’ll be amazed when you run faster and farther than you did for the max heart-rate test. Keep track of how much ground you can cover in eight minutes and watch for it to increase as you continue your aerobic interval training.

max heart rate should be 183 beats per minute (bpm). In reality, 176 bpm is as fast as my ticker goes. If I determined my interval pace from the simple formula, I’d run all of my intervals too hard, resulting in too much fatigue and decreased aerobic benefit.

So, how do you determine your true maximum heart rate? With an easy, but somewhat painful, test. You’ll need a good heart-rate monitor, a reasonably smooth running surface and a stopwatch.

Option 1: Simply run a local one- or two-mile race. If you build your pace throughout the run, you’ll hit your max heart rate during the last half mile.

Option 2: Another good test is to run a six- to eight-minute time trial, building the pace gradually for the first half of the run, then going all-out for two minutes.

You might try running the final stretch on a slight incline to ensure you hit your true maximum heart rate.

KNOW YOUR ZONES After determining your maximum heart rate, you can calculate your LT zone with a high degree of accuracy. For most people, 85 to 90 percent of max heart rate is the right range for interval training.

For instance, with my 176 bpm max, aerobic threshold intervals should be done at a heart rate between 150 and 158 bpm. Five intervals, each three to five minutes long, is a good workout if you haven’t done much interval training.

Even advanced runners won’t need more than eight intervals to see solid improvements in VO2max and LT capacities.

Between intervals, a rest period approximately equal to the work period should provide enough recovery.

Remember, the actual speed of the intervals isn’t important. If you run them on a flat, smooth surface, you’ll maximize your pace, which may be helpful for runners interested in improving leg speed for short, fast races. On the other hand, if you prefer longer races where muscular endurance and aerobic efficiency are more important than pure speed, feel free to do your intervals on rough trails, hilly climbs and other types of demanding terrain. As long as you stay in the right heart-rate range, you’ll be enhancing your VO2max and LT capacities.

Mark Eller gets his interval training by chasing fellow bike commuters in Boulder, Colorado, where he is senior editor of Ski Racing magazine.

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 21

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GREAT ESCAPES

by EMMA WILLIAMS

» photographs by RICHARD BERNABE

Last Light: Natalie Sims and Heather Stone savor the view of the Tennessee River from Edward’s Point on Signal Mountain.

Perfect TENnessee CHATTANOOGA’S SCENE MAKES IT THE “BOULDER OF THE EAST” On a late summer evening in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a fit-looking group gathers in a parking lot atop Signal Mountain. These trail runners are here for the Chattanooga Trailblazers Adventure Racing Club’s weekly trail run, organized by local hardcores Jim and Carol Farmer.

Despite a recent foot injury, I’ve gamely accepted the Farmer’s invitation to tag along as the group bolts into the nearby woods—a verdant expanse of dogwood, hickory, maple, redbud and pine. Known as Edward’s Point, the popular area draws runners, mountain bikers and day hikers, and its maze of singletrack winds from 22 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

mountaintops to river bottoms, alongside creeks, waterfalls and cliff edges.

Thanks to several intersections with the Cumberland Trail (a 300-mile-long trail starting at nearby Prentice Cooper State Forest), the Edward’s Point routes are a popular springboard for more ambitious multi-day expeditions.

Back on the trails, the air feels cool, at least by Southeastern standards—a humid 80 degrees with a mountain breeze—with shafts of late-day sunlight filtering through the green canopy.

Within minutes the group spreads out and conversation dwindles to a few sporadic remarks and some brief rest-stop ribbing between long-time training partners.

With daylight fading, we’re running a challenging six-mile out-and-back to Mushroom Rock—an imposing boulder that rises suddenly amidst the trees like a frozen lightning strike.

All in all, it’s just another day in the outdoor paradise that makes Chattanooga an ideal trail-runner’s destination.

Chattanooga itself is an unexpect-

great escapes «

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TRAILHEAD

from your skin so you don’t get

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

GETTING THERE: Located in southeastern Tennessee, Chattanooga is almost equidistant from Atlanta, Knoxville and Nashville. All three neighboring airports offer direct flights to Chattanooga; driving time is about two hours.

FOOD & DRINK: For local microbrews and mouthwatering burgers, hit the Big River Grille and Brewing Works (downtown on Broad, 423-267-2739). Carbo load for the next day’s run by b-line-ing to Tony’s Pasta (on High, 423-265-5033 ext. 6) or Lupi’s Pizza (on Broad, 423-266-5874). Lupi’s has an off-the-wall décor, imported beer and to-die-for lasagna. Share trail-running war stories with pals at the Stone Cup—simply the best java jolt anywhere (on Frazier, 423-265-5010).

overheated. So now you can slam the door on windchill, blow away the need for bulk, and find comfort in your favorite high-aerobic activity – in virtually any condition.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Lodging alternatives are as diverse as the trails, with accommodations to suit every taste and budget. Best bets offering local flavor include: Chattanooga Choo-Choo Holiday Inn (downtown on Market, www. choochoo.com, 800-TRACK29) and the Stonefort Inn (on 10th, www.stonefortinn. com, 423-267-7866). Camping is available at Harrison Bay State Park (Harrison Bay Road in nearby Harrison, 423-344-6214) on picturesque Lake Chickamauga.

WEATHER: Chattanooga enjoys moderate temperatures year-round. Winters are cool (mid-30s) and wet. Summers are hot and humid, with the mercury hovering in the 90s. Visit in the spring for the best temps and awesome trailside wildflowers, or wait for October and bathe in the famous fall colors and endless blue skies.

RESOURCES: For an overview of the city, visit www.chattanoogafun.com.

Rock Creek Outfitters is basecamp for the local outdoor community. The website features detailed trail descriptions (www.rockcreekoutfitters.com; 888-707-6708).

Trailblazers Adventure Racing Club hosts a weekly trail run at Edward’s Point (www.trailblazerAR.com).

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 23

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» great escapes

Local outdoors fanatic Carol Farmer flashes down the Cumberland Trail.

SO MANY TRAILS, SO LITTLE TIME

IN CHATTANOOGA, IT’S EASY FOR NEWCOMERS TO FEEL AS IF THE TRAILS ARE RUNNING AROUND THEM INSTEAD OF VICE-VERSA. HERE ARE THREE TRIED-ANDTRUE CIRCUITS:

CRAVEN’S HOUSE LOOP Location: Lookout Mountain Distance: 12+ miles Type: Loop with out-and-back options.

Difficulty: Ranges from easy to technically difficult with an elevation gain of 1200 feet.

From Craven’s House, head for the John Smartt trail (known around town as “Big Daddy”) and go up, up, up—the first mile is a lung buster. Reach Sunset Rock, and inhale the jaw-dropping, 360-degree views.

EDWARD’S POINT Location: Signal Mountain Distance: 8 miles Type: Out-and-back dirt road and singletrack Difficulty: Moderate This trail boasts the most spectacular views of the Tennessee River Gorge and downtown Chattanooga. Stay on the well-used trail and descend toward Edward’s Point. This area is prime for longer runs (between 12 and 30 miles)— just connect with the Cumberland Trail and head down the mountainside to Prentice Cooper State Forest.

WHITESIDES-SHINGLES-GLEN FALLS TRAILS Location: Lookout Mountain Distance: 5.3 miles Type: Out and back Difficulty: Moderate to hard A quiet trail with beautiful scenery and lots of history, it meanders through deep wooded forests and huge boulders before arriving at the falls.

24 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

edly hip Southern city with a vibrant downtown—a blend of West Coast flair and Southern charm that boasts pedestrian- and biker-friendly streets and a flurry of new businesses, restaurants, residences and nightspots springing up in the (previously derelict) Southside and Northshore districts.

Nestled on a bend in the Tennessee River among the southern Appalachians, Chattanooga is surrounded by some of the nation’s best trail running, mountain biking, hiking and whitewater sports.

As a result, Mayor Bob Corker dubbed this 155,000-strong city the “Boulder of the East.” But the town’s “get-outside” attitude extends well beyond a marketing campaign. From a network of designated bike routes, a blueway (for those who like to paddle across the river to work) and free electric shuttle buses to the abundance of rock walls and trails, Chattanoogans can’t help but get involved with the outdoors.

“Within minutes you can find somewhere to run as long and hard or as quick and easy as you’d like,” says Carol Farmer. “You can enjoy an epic 2000foot climb or a leisurely 10K within the same trail system.”

Call it a trail-runner’s delight or a cross-trainer’s utopia; whatever your pleasure, all you need is a change of clothes (or two), your favorite trail shoes and a few accessories (kayak, mountain bike, post-run sandals).

■

RACE CALENDAR CHATTANOOGA AREA

April 1, 2005 Rock Creek/River Gorge Trail Race 15K Chattanooga’s signature trail race.

Features a team division, shortcourse race and great schwag. www.chattanoogatrackclub.org; online registration at www.active.com October 8, 2005 Stump Jump 50K An Appalachian-style off-road epic. www.chattanoogatrackclub.org December 17, 2005 Wauhatchie Trail Run 6.7 Miler No frills, straight up. Literally. jgaither@gps.edu and www.chattanoogatrackclub.org

A S K T H E C O A CH

by THERESE IKNOIAN

» Illustration by JEREMY COLLINS

SWEET INJECTION, PROTEIN & GETTING LOOP-Y ON MY KNEES

TREAD INSTEAD

I experience knee pain when I add miles or run downhill. Physical therapy has helped, and I have orthotics. X-rays reveal no major problems. I’d like to know more about prolotherapy as a treatment option.

I don’t like running in the cold, but want to train for a spring 10K race. Any suggestions?

—TURIYA JOHNSON, SANTA FE, NM

For those of you scratching your heads, prolotherapy has been around as a holistic alternative for centuries, but has only recently captured mainstream attention. In the procedure, a doctor injects a sugar solution into a joint, which is thought to promote growth of ligaments and tendons, as well as shock-absorbers such as the meniscus, or may add lubrication in the case of degenerative diseases. The American Association of Orthopedic Medicine (www.aaomed.org) promotes prolotherapy, calling it “useful” as a non-surgical method of treating musculoskeletal injuries.

Thus far, however, no placebo-controlled studies have been done. Recently, the National Institutes of Medicine have funded a study sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to be the first to rigorously study prolotherapy. Unfortunately, we have to wait until 2008 for results.

So is prolotherapy advisable as a treatment for knee pain? “I’d want to figure out why you’re having pain before I’d consider injecting a substance into the knee,” says Paul Brooks, M.D, a medical director at the Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Lexington, Kentucky. “I wouldn’t take prolotherapy lightly because it is an invasive practice.” He recommends reserving prolotherapy as a last resort for highly degenerative diseases, such as osteoarthritis.

Brooks suggests a complete analysis by a sports orthopedist, who can analyze your biomechanics, joints, footwear and workout history. Bottom line: see a sports specialist.

—BILL LEE, NORMAN, OK

Here’s your best option: train on a good treadmill. Basically, you can put together a program that will translate outdoors, including intervals, hill repeats, easy runs and long runs. The biggest challenges will be recreating technical terrain and coping with treading on an endless loop.

The tedium can be an advantage, says Jack Daniels, Ph.D., coach of Olympians and professor of exercise science and cross-country coach at State University of New York, because “the boredom makes the real thing seem easy.” One rule: Adjust the incline up to about 1 percent (as much as 2 percent if you’re truly a speed demon) to compensate for the lack of air resistance. Also, keep water handy since you’ll likely sweat more. Use distractions like TV and music.

If you can’t hit hills outside, try this treadmill workout to increase leg strength: Warm up for about 10 minutes, then set a comfortable tempo pace (about 15 to 20 seconds slower than 10K pace). Run for two minutes, then increase the incline one percent. Run for another two minutes, then up the angle another percent. Repeat two to three more times until your legs and lungs are screaming, then drop back to one percent for two to three minutes, slowing your pace if necessary. Repeat the cycle two or three times, then cool down for five to 10 minutes.

The fun of a treadmill is creating your own hill and speed workouts.

WINTER BLUES According to a recent Trail Runner website poll, 35% of respondents use a treadmill at least once a week in the winter.

PURPOSEFUL PROTEIN I read that consuming protein after a hard workout is beneficial to rebuilding muscle. Is this true, and what is the best recovery protein?

—JOEY LUTHER, BOULDER, CO

Athletes fueling up for aerobic activities focus on carbohydrates (see Nutrition, page 18), but protein can’t be ignored—especially after workouts. A study in the July 2004 issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s journal, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that cyclists rode longer to exhaustion during both moderate- and higher-intensity rides and had less muscle damage post-exercise when they drank a carbohydrate beverage with a small amount of extra calories from protein, both during exercise and within 30 minutes afterward.

And athletes do need more protein than couch potatoes.

For endurance runners, that

means 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (divide pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms). According to Susan Kleiner, R.D., author of Power Eating (Human Kinetics, 2001), whey protein is one of the best sources, based on a higher content of more essential amino acids, and is used in many energy bars and drinks. Other good sources are milk protein, egg and soy. Carbs are king, but pump the protein, too.

SHOE GIVEAWAY

Trail Runner would like to hear your pertinent questions on training, medicine, gear and technique. Please send them to coach@bigstonepub. com. If we use your quesion in an upcoming issue, you may receive a pair of INOV-8 trail runners. The Terroc 330 offers great comfort and performance. Very flexible, light-weight and highly breathable, it is ideal for hard-packed trails and the occasional dirt road.

www.inov-8.com 2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 25

2005

IT’S EASY! JUST FINISH ANY TROPHY SERIES RACE, AND YOU

TROPHY SERIES

L S R

S

ARE ENTERED IN THE 2005 TRAIL RUNNER TROPHY SERIES. 8WHAT a point series of over 120 trail races, including two divisions: Marathon and Under, and Ultra.

8WHO anyone is eligible. Just finish a TROPHY SERIES race, and you’re automatically entered. Win bonus points for finishing top three.

8WHEN all races take place between March 1 and September 30, 2005.

8WHERE TROPHY SERIES races dot the United States

and Canada, from coast to coast (see page 60 for listing).

GRAND PRIZE PRESENTED BY TITLE SPONSOR LA SPORTIVA A TRIP FOR TWO TO THE 2006

DOLOMITE SKY RACE IN ITALY!

SIMPLY FINISH THE MOST TROPHY SERIES RACES TO WIN. INCLUDES: 8Two roundtrip airline tickets to Europe 8Lodging for two in Italy’s scenic Val di Fassa 8Rental car for one week 8Two pairs of La Sportiva trail-running shoes See page 60 for a listing of all 2005 Trophy Series races.//Visit: www.trailrunnermag.com for details and updates.//Plus go to: www.dolomiteskyrace.com to get inspired.

LEFT: A RACER ENJOYS PERFECT CONDITIONS AT THE SAN JUAN SUMMER SOLSTICE 50-MILER, COLORADO, IN THE 2004 TRAIL RUNNER TROPHY SERIES. RIGHT: RUNNERS IN A RECENT DOLOMITE SKY RACE.

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

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A FABULOUS GRAND PRIZE OR ONE OF 18 GEAR PACKAGES FROM TROPHY SERIES SPONSORS.

ADVENTURE story and photos by HEATH ARMY

THIS ISSUE: FASTPACKING ALONG THE BEACH WHERE: THE DUNES OF OREGON’S CENTRAL COAST ADVENTURE RATING: ★★★★★ HIGHWAY 101 IS RARELY TOO FAR AWAY. EASY NAVIGATION BECAUSE THE PACIFIC OCEAN IS ALWAYS TO THE WEST.

Sand, Stars & Seafood OREGON’S DUNES OFFER RUNNERS ACCESSIBLE SECLUSION AND A SOFT RIDE Tucked away along the storm-lashed Oregon coast between rocky headlands and ATV tracks lie endless miles of virgin sand dunes. Here, winds shape the dunes, breakers pound the shore and few brave souls dare to pull off the Pacific Coast Highway to enjoy the salty air. Yet this shifting landscape offers the ideal trip for trail runners craving challenging miles and a night under the stars.

“It’s just a big playground—an endless sea of sand,” says Heather Pfeiffer, an ER nurse from Whitefish, Montana. Along with her friend Eric Young, a professor at the University of Montana, Pfeiffer drove two days from northwest Montana to Oregon’s coast to escape gray spring-time skies and melting snow. The two hoped a two-day fastpacking trip would cure their springtime blahs.

Pfeiffer and Young planned to savor the work of visionary governor Oswald West who, in 1911, pushed a plan to maintain Oregon’s 262-miles of coastal beaches as public. His concept evolved over the years and culminated with the 1966 passage of the Beach Bill, legislation that ensured public access to Oregon’s sandy jewel. Oddly, few people seem to know about the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, making 28 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

it easy to find solitude here.

To avoid dune buggies and ATVs, Pfeiffer and Young opted to head south from Carter Lake Campground, just off Highway 101 about seven miles from Florence and, more importantly, south of a major off-road-vehicle area. With a leisurely pace and a few breaks thrown in, they planned to head south across the dunes and beaches to Oregon Dunes Overlook—10 miles as the crow flies.

After ditching the car at the campground and telling the host they would return the next evening, Pfeiffer and Young vanished into the undulating sandy landscape.

Here, the desert-like environment of

LIFE’S A BEACH: ERIC YOUNG AND HEATHER PFEIFFER ESCAPED THE SPRING MUCK OF MONTANA FOR A WARM JAUNT ON THE SHORES OF WESTERN OREGON. ABOVE THEY DISCUSS THE FINER POINTS OF JELL-O TEA.

the windblown dunes contrasts sharply with the lush, green vegetation throughout western Oregon. The desolation translates to serenity, even though Highway 101 is rarely too far away.

The dunes’ soft, deep sand makes for slow progress when shouldering a pack.

Pfeiffer and Young took it all in stride and shot straight for the first monster wall of sand. “This is the most scenic Stairmaster ever,” said Young.

From the six-story dune, Pfeiffer and Young moved through the scrub brush that separates the dunes from the coastline. “The beach is where we put the ‘fast’ into our fastpacking,” said Young.

The ability to cover ground quickly is at its best on the beach hardpack. Look for the dark, wet stuff many refer to as “concrete.”

“The beach is where we put the ‘fast’ into our fastpacking.”

Later, after an afternoon scaling dunes and running concrete, dinner was a welcome affair. Pfeiffer and Young fired up the stove as the day’s last rays of sun tickled the Pacific Ocean. The night’s menu featured freeze-dried pasta primavera and—to fend off the cold night air—hot Jell-O, sipped like tea as the nearly full moon illuminated the surrounding sandscape.

After a night spent staring into the heavens, the two awoke to a thick fog—a trademark of the Oregon coast.

Pfeiffer and Young warmed up with more Jell-O tea and oatmeal and prepared for a short second day. The final miles were spent marveling at the barren landscape that opened up before them as the fog surrendered to a fine day. Then, all too soon, the transition from sand to pavement was complete and they were on their way back north on Highway 101, with their sights set on a steaming bowl of clam chowder.

■

[Passport to Adventure] OREGON’S COASTAL DUNES GETTING THERE: The best area for foot-fueled adventures is just south of Florence, Oregon. It is a four-hour drive from Portland and one-hour drive from the college town of Eugene. Portland has the most accessible airport.

There are numerous Oregon Dunes access points up

and down the Pacific Coast Highway (101). For our trip, we headed south from Carter Lake Campground.

SEASONS: Summer has the best weather, but it can be hot on the dunes. Late spring and early fall (May, June and September) bring cooler conditions—and fewer off-road vehicles and tourists— though the wind can be blustery.

On the dunes themselves, crowds are never an issue.

GEAR: The sand permeates your gear. Bring Zip-loc bags for stowing items like toothbrushes and contact lenses. There are several stream crossings that provide water access—just be sure to bring a filter or purifying tablets.

For this adventure, a tarp or lightweight shelter such as a Black

Diamond Megamid works great.

The sand is soft, so consider leaving the pad at home. Stake everything down as the wind can howl day and night. Trail gaiters are recommended; otherwise, your sand-filled shoes become the equivalent of ankle weights.

NOTE: Camping is restricted to specially designated areas; rules are posted at beach access points.

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 29

FACES

by MICHAEL REA

» photograph by STEPHEN SCOTT GROSS

A bar promise took this Vermont attorney from non-runner to ultrarunner.

Desert Solitaire RUNNER THRIVES ON THE PLANET’S DRIEST TERRAIN

After trekking 150 miles across Chile’s Atacama Desert and enduring altitude sickness, dehydration and chilly nights, 38-year-old Lisanne Dorion let a smile cross her face. A veteran of three previous multi-day desert footraces, Dorion had successfully reached the finish line of the inaugural Atacama Crossing, a six-day stage race, proving once again that she has a flair for traveling through parched landscapes.

Dorion’s distance running career began somewhat unexpectedly when, during a night at a bar in Bermuda, her friend Anne Mailer persuaded her to try the 1995 Marathon Des Sables, a 151-mile stage race across the Sahara. “Anne said it would be difficult, but that the longest running day would be 35 miles,” says Dorion. “I thought I could handle it, so I agreed.”

Before leaving the bar, Mailer turned to Dorion, asking, “Are you sure you’re going to do this with me?”

“Of course,” Dorion shot back. It wasn’t until the following day, when her hangover subsided, that she grasped the commitment. In truth, she’d never even considered running a marathon, much less the equivalent of six of them. Worse, her only previous running experience consisted of sprints on her high-school track team.

Dorion, of Norwich, Vermont, made good on her promise and went on to complete the Marathon des Sables. But she suffered so intensely that she vowed never to attempt 30 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

another ultramarathon. One year later, however, while leafing through photos of the event, she reflected not on the punishment and searing heat, but on her elation over having realized such a tough goal.

Now, four events and three continents later, Dorion has quietly proven herself a worthy ultrarunner. In 1998, she finished the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile run from Death Valley to the base of Mount Whitney, and in 2003 was the second-place women’s finisher at the Gobi March, another 100-plusmile desert footrace. Why does she keep testing herself at such extremes?

“I do it for the challenge, of course, but also to meet people and visit new cultures,” says Dorion. “I’ve traveled through remote areas that I wouldn’t see otherwise.”

Located in northwest Chile, between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, the Atacama is one of the driest places in the world (some parts of the desert haven’t received any recorded rainfall), and its rugged terrain pushed Dorion to a new level of pain. “I was mentally worn out,” she says, reflecting on her last steps to the finish in the town of San Pedro.

Dorion—alongside 100 other competitors—negotiated the unforgiving landscape, which included sections of the storied Inca Trail, sand dunes, salt flats and even lush valleys. Throughout, she was self-supported, carrying her own food, water, gear and clothing in a backpack weighing 20 pounds. And while she anticipated warm, dry conditions, she was surprised by how cold the Atacama can be; evening temperatures dropped below freezing, turning bottled water to ice and forcing her to don every piece of clothing she had.

“Lisanne is mentally strong,” says her father, George Dorion, 75. “Growing up, she would never try things halfheartedly. She always knows what she’s facing and approaches these events with maturity.”

Mary Gadams, founder of Racing The Planet, which organized the race, says: “Although Lisanne competes as an indi-

faces « vidual, she’s quick to offer help and provide advice to newcomers.”

To prepare for the Atacama, Dorion trained near her Vermont home, running four to six hours several times a week and occasionally hiking up steep sections of the Appalachian Trail. In the winter, she snowshoed and cross-country skied, focusing less on mileage than on time spent exercising; on particularly cold days, she donned a backpack stuffed with her Atacama race gear, and headed to a gym treadmill, receiving a few odd glances from other gym patrons.

The hill training was especially effective. “I was pretty good at running up the sand dunes,” says Dorion. “You can’t just rely on road training.”

Despite her passion for ultrarunning, Dorion leads a multi-faceted life. She works as an intellectual-property attorney, coaches a women’s high-school lacrosse team, flies helicopters and volunteers at High Horses, a Vermont-based equestrian program for mentally challenged children and adults.

It’s this latter role that really aids her during low points of a race. “Whenever I feel exhausted and my legs become heavy, I think of what [the High Horses’ clients] have to go through daily, and that gets me going again,” says Dorion.

Dorion would need that inspiration to complete stage five of the Atacama Crossing, a 50-mile leg on salt flats that made running nearly impossible. Some athletes sank to their thighs. Three dropped out. Dorion concentrated on making small, consistent progress. “I just kept my head down and continued moving,” she says. “Because of the monotonous scenery and my physical exhaustion, I was too depressed to do much else.” By the end of the stage, her Salomon trail runners looked like they’d been thrashed in a blender.

Dorion’s time of 41 hours 5 minutes over the six-day course earned her second place for women. And she’s considering yet another epic footrace for 2005.

“I may race in Cairo or Antarctica,” she says, matter-of-factly. “It just depends on my schedule.”

Michael Rea is a freelance sports and travel writer who lives in Hull, Massachusetts.

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 31

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TA KE YOUR M A R K

by GARETT GRAUBINS

» Illustration by DAVE CLIFFORD

A Nip in the Muck NEW ENGLANDERS FIND FOOTLOOSE FUN

On a Sunday morning in northeastern Connecticut, trail runners are milling around the starting line for the Nipmuck Marathon. The rain falls in sheets, and the cold air triggers shivers. Beef-gravy-colored puddles collect on the forested road. The conditions define misery, but race director Dave Raczkowski is having the time of this life. Wearing a floppy hat and a sideways smirk, he briefs the soaked trail runners with this advice:

A few miles short of the finish, the rain surrenders to a clearing sky. The dense forest has absorbed the moisture like a sponge, and I brush by branches so heavy with wetness that they sag over the trail. The muddy, curvy path reveals streaked tracks from sliding runners.

Despite the drenching conditions, I crack a smile as I skate across the finish line. Raczkowski doesn’t meet finishers, since he runs the race himself. Instead of a medal, runners help themselves to “commemorative” pieces of tree stumps, marked with baby blue blazes—the same color as those we followed during the race.

Keep your road marathon medals; I will proudly display my Nipmuck tree piece, mud-stained socks and dripping shoes until next year’s race.

■

Raczkowski concludes his act by producing a poster-board course diagram, complete with an attached runner figure. As he describes the hazards of the course, he squirts catsup all over the runner to depict the potential for bloody falls and cuts. Everyone laughs, and we forget the dreadful weather.

The Nipmuck, held in early June, is a gem (albeit a curiously unusual one) of the New England trail-running scene. It’s the baby of Raczkowski, who launched it in 1984.

Only 14 people ran the race that year, but it soon grew into a must-do event. The race course is challenging, with 2300 feet of climbing on hilly, notoriously muddy trails, with enough roots and rocks to throw careless runners head-over-heels. The name of the race is rumored to be a Native-American term referring to the sound of mud sucking a moccasin from one’s foot.

Over the years, the Nipmuck has developed a reputation mirroring that of Raczkowski—whimsical and loaded with surprises. With a wink, Raczkowski explains that the race course passes near land once inhabited by the Fukawee Indians. Says Raczkoswki, “One day, long ago, two tribesmen became lost. As they stood at an overlook, one of them said, ‘Friend, I do not know where the Fukawee.’”

As everybody braces for the race to begin, about a third of the runners sport florescent-orange “High Fall Risk” stickers on their race numbers. These are the Nipmuck first-timers. Racers also discover two starting lines, one 10 feet in front of the other.

Raczkowski explains that only previous race directors are permitted to toe that line.

Conveniently, he is the only runner in this corral.

Once the Nipmuck is underway, runners cover a short doubletrack loop before funneling to a singletrack. Water seeps into our shoes, and mud splatters milky white legs.

The Nipmuck’s 26-plus miles do not contain any epic ascents, but there are enough smaller climbs and drops to challenge any mountain runner. A flat—or dry—section of the Nipmuck trail is rare indeed. At one point, my feet slip out from under me and I go airborne, firmly planting my face and chest in muddy ooze.

32 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

Race Director Dave Raczkowski in his muddy element.

MUDDY WATERS NIPMUCK TRAIL MARATHON+

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Two out-and-back segments on rolling trail littered with deep mud, slick tree roots and moss-covered rocks.

RACE DATE: June 5, 2005 ENTRY FEE: A great bargain at around $20.

Deduct $1 for each year you’ve run the race.

INFO: www.newenglandtrailrunner.com

DAVID CLIFFORD (UPPER LEFT); DAVE RACZKOWSKI COLLECTION (RIGHT)

• “Drink lots of water, so you don’t puke.”

• “Do not shoot the ATVers. Instead, contact your local legislator and ask him to enact laws permitting you to shoot the ATVers.”

• “Complaints about getting lost will be laughed at.”

B U S H WH ACK

by JONATHAN THESENGA

The A.T.G. SILENCE IS NOT ALWAYS AS IT SEEMS

What a frickin’ jerk! ¶ It wasn’t like I was asking my fellow racer for a piggyback or to help stretch my groin. All I wanted to know was if we had missed a turn. But this Asshole Tough Guy (A.T.G.) wouldn’t even glance over—let alone respond—as he passed.

A.T.G. and I were roughly six miles along and close to the lead at the Mountain Man Half Marathon near Hood River, Oregon. The other 60plus runners, however, were nowhere to be seen on the densely forested double- and singletrack. I had been 50 feet ahead of him when we passed a side trail marked with pink flagging—similar but not identical to the other flagging marking the course. Which way to go? Which way?!

“HEY,

DID

YOU

SEE

THAT

I hollered back.

Silence.

A.T.G. caught up to me as I slowed to ponder my possible navigational error (a likely scenario since I get lost in the aisles of 7-Eleven), and I again asked if he thought we’d missed a turn.

Nada. No headshake. No shrugged shoulders. Nothing.

Didn’t even break stride. Just ran past, eyes straight ahead, ignoring me.

“Tweaker,” I muttered and kept running.

A couple of minutes later the quandary was resolved when we came upon a race sign with a red arrow. We were still on course, with A.T.G. a steady 20 feet in front as I plodded behind, now begging fate to trip him on a root or rock, sending him for a sprawling header, perhaps even impaling him on a broken branch.

About two miles before the finish my evil dreams were realized when A.T.G. suddenly tottered off the trail and began madly massaging his left calf. Yes! TURN?!”

A.T.G., who was running without a water bottle, must have cramped up.

Sweet, smug satisfaction was about to be mine. “Smooth strides, no heavy breathing, eyes straight ahead, just c-r-u-i-s-e on by,” I told myself while I considered vapor trailing a beastly flatulence on him.

Karmic accountability, however, overcame me. I pulled out my bottle to offer

» Illustration by JEREMY COLLINS

him the rest of my water—the sort of selfless gesture that even a tosser like A.T.G. might appreciate.

“Hey, man, you want this water? Are you OK?” I asked as he sat on the ground kneading his calf.

With a quick glance up, he met my eyes and waved me off without a word as though I was leprous street scum asking him for change.

Was this dude for real? Not even a “Thanks” or an “I’ll be fine in a minute.”

“Screw you, A.T.G., have a nice walk to the finish,” I spat under my breath as I left him behind.

Twenty minutes later I was powering down a post-race double-cheeseburger and an icecold Pabst when, lo and behold, my good buddy A.T.G. limped and gimped out of the woods to the finish, his left leg still cramped. Sucker.

After turning in the perforated lower section of his race bib, A.T.G. wobbled up to a race official and began pointing at his number and then at the finishers’ sheet while garbling a mouthful of consonants.

“What the …” my mind warbled, as A.T.G. worked together a few more hand signals and guttural noises.

No way! A.T.G. was a deaf mute. Couldn’t talk, couldn’t hear. He was probably as annoyed with me—an oblivious blabber-mouth trying to engage in impossible dialogue—as I had been with him. Awkwardly embarrassed, I darted out of sight of A.T.G. and carved a permanent mental note into my hippocampus: NEVER—judge a fellow trail runner until you’ve run a mile in his shoes.

Uh … whoops.

Jonathan Thesenga just moved to Bend, Oregon, where he is thrilled with the plethora of great trails and friendly runners. His new column, Bushwhack, will appear regularly in Trail Runner.

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 33

f

FROM THE TOP BUNK, I can hear every snore and bodily noise in the cabin. I roll over in my sleeping bag and look at the time: 3:15 a.m. From across the room, another explosion blares—apparently my bunkmate’s bowels are struggling with the camp’s high-fiber diet.

It all adds to a sense of déjà vu. Between the cricket chirps outside and chorus of nasal rumbling, I am reminded of summer camp 20 years ago.

I was a sixth grader and my top concerns were meshing with the “cool” crowd and raiding the girls’ cabin. Now, I’m mainly worried about my receding hairline and whether my legs can rally for our trail run later this morning.

I am here at trail-running camp, a summertime getaway where I hope to learn more about the fine art of putting tread to dirt.

MY SUMMER CAMP >

trail

BUNK BEDS, POISON IVY AND POTTY HUMOR. RUNNING CAMPS LET ADULTS BE KIDS AGAIN

by Garett Graubins photos by PatitucciPhoto

a

A FEW MONTHS EARLIER, as ourselves. Along with a few tidbits on our Headlands trails in the San Francisco snowflakes swirled against my office winrunning backgrounds, at Scott’s behest, we area. “How many miles are too many?” dow, I received an email from Scott Jurek, each pose one question that we want the she asks Scott. a Brooks spokesperson and winner of three-day session to address.

Then there is Britt from Dallas, Texas. many major trail races. He and his wife, The 21 campers in the large room President of the North Texas Ultrarunners, Leah, suggested I attend their “Beyond reflect a wide range of skill levels and Britt has been running for 26 years and Trail Running” camp in California in late backgrounds. seems to be the camp’s seasoned veteran.

May. I glanced outside at the icicles susMike, a tattooed, side-burned guy from Though he has completed many ultras, pended from the gutters he still came here to elevate and smiled at the idea of his running in a major way. running in shorts. I replied “I want to break 24 hours “Yes” and promptly booked at the Western States 100,” a flight. he said. “What is the one Now it’s a summery day thing that will keep me from in late May—the first day of doing it?” camp. I sit in a room with My question: “How can I be other trail-running enthulike you, Scott?” To win my siasts as Scott and Leah share of races, do I need to run welcome us. Just behind more miles? Should I adjust Scott, a floor-to-ceiling picmy diet? Maybe, by attending ture window offers a view this camp, I can just absorb of swaying ponderosa pines whatever it is that helps Scott and California’s Sierra to win so often—some sort of Nevada Mountains. swift-footed karma. As Ken, Both Scott and Leah are a beginner trail runner from abundantly qualified to northern California said, “If spread the trail-running you’re going to learn about gospel. Scott is the course trail running, you should record holder and only sixlearn from the Michael Jordan time overall winner of the of the sport.”

Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. He also BEFORE TODAY’S holds a Masters Degree in run, Scott and Leah coached physical therapy, with a us on running form. Like specific passion for biomemost runners, I have never chanics. Leah brings a furreceived any formal instructher understanding of the tion on form. “I just run,” is human body as a massage my response when asked how therapist. She’s no trail-runI keep my stride efficient. “I ning slouch herself, having started running in 1993 and completed several ultramathat’s the same form I use rathons. Both Jureks are today. Why complicate such USATF-certified coaches. a simple sport?”

More than their credentials, “Many trail runners the two also practice what neglect form,” says Scott, they preach—a natural, “We’re in the woods, just healthy, outdoor lifestyle enjoying ourselves.” As he every day. talks, he mimics a sort of Scott Jurek welcomes campers: “We hope you’ll fee like a kid again.”

“This is not Scott Jurek’s ‘hang-loose, let-it-all-go’ runTrail-Running Boot Camp,” says Scott.

Seattle, came here in search of motivation ning stride. “We think we can just hamAnd a sigh of relief whistles from camper and training philosophies he could apply to mer away with our heads down, but that’s to camper. Even though we’re all eager the trails. “I have a wife and two children, wrong.” Scott explains how running form to improve our trail running and glean a so I don’t have a ton of time to run major affects everything, from fatigue to caloric few secrets from one of the sport’s masmiles,” he says, “That means I need to consumption. I marvel at his non-cliniters, we also crave some relaxation and train smarter instead of longer.” cal, plainspoken explanation. fun. “We’re not going to run you into the Cindy, a flight attendant from Sausalito, We learn that most form mistakes relate ground. When you leave here, we hope you California, wants to run trails in all to posture. “Dumping,” occurs when the are feeling like a kid again,” adds Scott, 50 U.S. states (so far, she’s hit 13) and runner hunches over. “Arching” means explaining that this is our camp and we admits that she needs to learn how to the runner curves his or her back to the can run anywhere between four and 20 train properly. Her smile takes center point where the stomach leads the body. miles per day—it’s up to us. stage as she explains how she started trail With this advice in mind, we head out for We go around the room and introduce running in 1996 and frequents the Marin the morning’s trail run.

t b

36 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

t

THE CAMP IS BASED in Michigan Bluff, California, a checkpoint for the famed Western States 100. Now, after hearing so much Western States folklore, receiving instruction from one of its legends and even watching an old Western States 100 video last night, everybody is humming with excitement as we stretch at the trailhead.

Because today’s theme is form, Scott has run ahead to videotape us. We’ll get feedback in our afternoon session. I’m looking forward to the run, but slightly dread seeing my form displayed on a big-screen television. It’s the sort of selfconsciousness a sixth-grader would have over a bout of acne.

The group runs together at first.

I run with Jason Davis from nearby Sacramento, California. Yesterday, Jason, 33, talked about his goal of running the Western States 100 and, since I’m training for an upcoming ultra, I figure we might be a good pacing match. As we ease into our running pace, Jason explains that he is running Western States to bring awareness to spinal-cord injury. A close family member was in a pool accident and is now a quadriplegic. Jason was also involved in a snowboarding accident and narrowly missed potential spinal-cord damage himself. It all motivates him to spread awareness of the crippling injuries, and

CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: Mike Adams hits the greens after a long trail run. Scott leads campers across the bottom of Deadwood Canyon. Under a canopy of pines, Scott and Leah Jurek tout the importance of regular stretching.

he has even established a website (www. enduren.com).

The campers form a pack of chatter boxes during today’s first miles. Scott requires that we at least run in pairs— there have been mountain lion and rattlesnake sightings in the area. Last night, Jason told a story of a 200-pound cat he saw on a recent run along this very trail.

“As long as I live, I’ll never forget the sight of that cat jumping down from the tree,” he said.

A few miles down the manzanita-lined singletrack, we turn a corner to see Scott waiting with his video camera. We go back and forth on the trail a few times, and he films us running both downhill and uphill, reserving his critiques for later.

After the run, we walk across camp to the cafeteria. Scott and Leah are vegans, and they’re introducing us to their diet for these few days. So far, their cuisine hasn’t disappointed—vegetarian chili, steamed vegetables, pasta, corn bread, fajitas and non-dairy fudge have satiated even the carnivores. There’s been only one side effect: a few gastro-intestinal surprises.

The more humorous conversations have revolved around how many “squats” each camper has made. It seems high-fiber translates to a rapid-fire peristalisis.

“That’s OK,” jokes one camper between mouthfuls of corn, “because shitting in the woods and proper waste disposal are

part of the sport.” He stands from his chair, bends his knees and demonstrates proper form, while sarcastically stressing the importance of posture. The potty humor takes me back to sixth grade. I laugh so hard that soy milk spews from my nose.

i

IN THE AFTERNOON, Scott fires up the video to review our running form.

Occasional groans fill the room, but Scott’s feedback is positive. “You’re holding your arms too low and your upper body needs to loosen up,” says Scott to Ric Hatch, a 44-year-old from Flagstaff, Arizona. To another camper, he suggests, “You should land mid-foot when you’re climbing.”

When I appear on the screen, moths dance in my stomach. Suddenly, everybody is looking at my awkward arm swing and the way my body collapses like a sack of marshmallow fluff upon each impact with the ground. But, Scott’s critique doesn’t crush my trail dreams. I learn that the things I do well—quick, firm footwork, neutral shoulder rotation and a smooth stride—outnumber the shortcoming I need to address—my arched back. With a few more sit-ups to strengthen my abdominals and some back-strengthening exercises, I’ll be in good shape, says Scott.

The evening’s entertainment is worth the price of the camp admission. Scott has arranged a special guest—the indomi2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 37

COOL CAMPS BEYOND RUNNING TRAIL RUNNING CAMPS CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, WASHINGTON. Absorb the trail-running lifestyle from Scott and Leah Jurek.

2005 CAMP DATES: 5/19-5/22 (additional dates TBA). www.scottjurek.com CLAREMONT TRAIL RUNNING CAMP NEW HAMPSHIRE. Geared to both high-school crosscountry runners and adults ranging from beginners to ultramarathoners.

2005 CAMP DATES: Sessions from 7/17 through 8/14. www.claremonttrails.com At the beginning of the day’s trail run, runners receive reminders of proper form and nutrition.

Below: Trail Time: A bell alerts campers to the next session.

table Gordy Ainsleigh. In the early 1970s, Gordy raced horses in the Tevis Cup, a 100-mile equestrian race through the Sierra Nevada canyons from Squaw Valley, California, to Auburn, California. Then, in 1974, he turned the running community on its ear by running the course. He completed the distance and the Western States 100 was born.

We’re all sitting around a large fire, and Gordy, a youthful 56, talks about the events in his life that led him to run long distances. His white-bearded face is aglow as sparks dance around him. “I believe we are all on this planet to do something, and I really believe I was put here to start ultrarunning,” he says. He talks about the first 100-mile run. “I don’t know exactly how I did it except that I didn’t quit.”

As I listen, I’m carried back to my childhood days at camp. I’m sitting on the ground in my Atari tee-shirt and Pony tennis shoes. I’m a freckle-faced kid, free of concerns about mortgage payments, job deadlines and credit-card debt.

a

AFTER LAST NIGHT’S entertainment, campers are slow to roll out of bed the next morning. Scott rings a large bell to summon us from our cabins. Today’s lessons will focus on hydration and nutrition.

“I used to eat McDonald’s three times a week,” says the twig-thin Scott. “Only later did I realize the importance of nutrition.”

Scott explains how the body burns more carbohydrates while running, so it’s very important to replenish them on the trail. If you burn through carbs, the body begins to burn protein. “You don’t want that to happen,” he explains. “It’s inefficient, and it’s basically the body cannibalizing itself.”

As we leave for our morning trail run, I decide I’m going to be smarter about eating during this run and pack a few extra

38 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

Honey Stinger gels. Today’s run takes us down into El Dorado Canyon and then 1700 vertical feet up the other side, a distance of about eight miles.

While descending into the canyon, I ponder the caloric formulas that Scott shared with us. According to him, I should consume up to one gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour during a run. Given my body weight (roughly 145 pounds), converted to kilograms (divide by 2.2 to convert pounds to kilograms), I should take in close to 66 grams per hour.

I look at the Honey Stinger gel wrapper as I squish it into my mouth: 28 grams of carbohydrates. I note that I should down almost three of these per hour.

I try not to brush against the greenery dangling over the trail. Shannon Weil, one of the Western States 100 organizers, visited the camp and delivered an overview of the area’s plant life, which includes abundant quanitities of poison ivy—most of which clusters in the canyons. I seem to escape scot-free and climb up the opposite side of the canyon. I think I’ve consumed enough calories during the run, but my stomach growls as I finish and head directly to the cafeteria for lunch.

After a meal of vegetarian lasagna and salad, we have some free time to do as we please. Some campers scramble to the pool for a quick soak while others bask under the sun with a book. I head to the pay phone to call my wife and tell her all about gels and carbs. As I’m rambling with child-like excitement, she chuckles and feigns a motherly tone. “OK, Garett, just behave yourself and don’t forget to wear clean underwear.”

l

LATER THE NEXT DAY, after our last trail run—an arduous jaunt through two canyons that we have jokingly dubbed

COACH BENSON’S SMOKY MOUNTAINS RUNNING CAMP NORTH CAROLINA. For 32 years, Coach Benson has preached the gospel of nutrition, psychology, biomechanics and strategy.

2005 CAMP DATES: 6/18-6/24 (6/18-6/21 mini-camp). www.coachbenson.com CRAFTSBURY RUNNING CAMPS VERMONT. Five- or seven-day programs with individualized evaluations.

2005 CAMP DATES: June and July, beginning 6/25. Masters’ camps in late July. www.craftsbury.com DICK BEARDSLEY’S MARATHON RUNNING CAMP MINNESOTA. Master the 26.2-mile distance while training on lush wooded trails. The allstar staff includes Dick Beardsley and Joe Henderson.

2005 CAMP DATES: 6/5-6/10 & 9/6-9/11 www.marathonandbeyond.com/dickcamp.htm MESA TRAILS RUNNING CAMP NEW MEXICO. Running and alternative exercise programs woven together with seminar themed around nutritional and personal improvement.

2005 CAMP DATES: 7/3-7/9 www.beneficialfarm.com

At night, Don Mukai and Damion Gilday brush up on their bunk-bed etiquette.

the “final exam”—I kick back on a shaded deck, reviewing the camp handouts and scribbling notes. Camp adjourns in a few hours and I want to be sure to remember everything I’ve learned. I think about nutrition and running form—the two biggies—and also the stretching exercises, training philosophies and mental training.

In one month, I’m going to attempt a 100mile race in Wyoming, and I’m planning to implement Scott’s teachings.

As I’m lounging with my bare feet propped up, Roger Dellor, a 61-year-old trail-running veteran from Los Altos, California, sits down. I glance up from my notepad and ask if he enjoyed himself.

Roger pauses, scratches his beard, and says, “I’m leaving here with a lot of ideas to use in this year’s Western States [100].”

Roger expressed concern that his injuries may prevent him from finishing this year.

“I have a lot of respect for Scott and this camp,” he says, “I may even come back next year.”

I find myself considering a return next year, too. They say that you’re only young once. But, for these three days, I was young a second time.

Garett Graubins is the Senior Editor of Trail Runner.

WHAT I LEARNED AT CAMP #1

WHAT I LEARNED AT CAMP #2

AN ECONOMICAL STRIDE LEADS TO LESS FATIGUE, INJURIES AND INCREASED ENJOYMENT. FOCUS ON THESE KEY INGREDIENTS:

TO MEET YOUR RACING GOALS, ADHERE TO THESE PRINCIPALS WHEN LAYING OUT YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM:

PROPER POSTURE. Do not arch backward or slump forward. Imagine a straight line connecting your shoulders to your hips.

OPEN CHEST. Keep your chest expanded and breath from your abdomen. Hold your chest high—as Scott Jurek jokes, “Be PROUD of your trail running!”

OPTIMAL STRIDE. An average of 85 to 90 strides per minute is ideal. On downhills, maintain that stride rate, and increase it on uphills. During an ascent, think, “step,step,step” and not “step… step…step.”

ARM SWING. Find an arm motion that propels the body forward—especially on those steep climbs.

TORSO TWIST. It’s OK to rotate the shoulders slightly, but too much action wastes energy.

FIRM WRISTS. Avoid “floppy wrist disease.” Allow your joints to relax while staying firm.

SPECIFICITY OF TRAINING. Train for your target race. If it’s flat, don’t overload with hills. If it’s mountainous, practice climbing and running downhill.

RECOVERY. The body needs to recover. “Recovery runs” are low-intensity miles that allow the body to repair itself. Do three per week.

ROAD RUNS. Road runs remind the legs how to turn over at a faster rate.

Seek out level terrain or dirt roads.

TEMPO. The single best way to increase your speed. Run at a high speed (85 percent of your maximum heart rate) for short bursts, allowing a short cool down in between. Train specific to your race (i.e. hilly, flat).

HILLS. Practice both uphills and downhills. Find climbs and descents that mirror your target race.

LONG RUNS. Once per week, run a longer distance that gradually builds to a peak three weeks before the race.

MAKE GOOD FORM THE NORM

GET WITH THE PROGRAM

Source: 2004 Beyond Running Trail Running Camps LLC

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 39

grandS THE

CLASS OF 2004

A runner at sunrise in the Vermont 100, the second stop in the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning and a pleasant contrast to the big-mountain races out West.

40 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

TIM KEMPLE

An inside look at an outrageous subspecies.

dSLAM “HUNDRED-MILE DAY DRAWS NEAR,” read the headlines of the Auburn (California) Journal. It was a few days before the 2004 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, and I was in town to run the race.

The article described the cult of ultrarunners invading the town. “Their legs are bronzed, sinewy, almost lizard-like in their lack of fat and overabundance of slow-twitch muscle fiber. Skimpy running shorts cover invisible butts. Oftentimes they’re observed sucking on

BY CATHY TIBBETTS

a plastic water bottle with the opaque liquid quickly draining away. In their eyes, a steely squint of determination marks their subspecies.”

This made for an entertaining story, but after spending the summer attempting the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, it hardly described my own observations about ultrarunners.

If they were sucking on anything, it was just as likely to be a cold beer. I didn’t see many steely squints, unless it was somebody eyeing an attractive runner of the opposite sex.

And true, there were a lot of invisible butts, but mine sure wasn’t one of them.

“DRIVEN, INDIVIDUALISTIC ,

Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, Class of 2004. BACK ROW (L to R): Norman Richardson, Joe Constantino, Ron Cunningham, Matt Watts, Doug Gimenez, Steve Hudgens, Larry Hall, Scott Snyder, Dan Brendan, Todd Holmes, Dennis Aslett, Cathy Tibbetts, Scott Jurek, Paul Schoenlaub.

FRONT ROW (L to R): Tom Schnitzius, Jamshid Khajavi, Ray Mount, Dave Mahan, Al Catalano, Marc Sanderson. NOT PICTURED: Frank Earnest.

cinations and, worst of all, fat ankles from the swelling can all be yours for only $3670.

THE FUN BEGAN ON June 25, 2004, the Friday night before Western States. Terri Schneider and Luanne Park (neither one Slamming, but top ultrarunners) invited us to a pre-race dinner at a house that they rented for the week.

“These are serious athletes so we can’t stay late,” I warned Marc. “They probably go to bed pretty early.”

As we walked into what looked and sounded like a kegger, somebody offered us a cold one from a fully stocked refrigerator. Luanne had her shirt hiked up with her stomach (what little of it there was) fully extended, trying to convince everybody how fat she was. Her five-yearold son Cooper hung from her arm begging her to turn on the Disney Channel.

A huge pot of pasta sauce simmered on the stove and piles of fresh peaches and warm brownies covered the counters.

People were eating, lounging, laughing—the “driven and individualistic” must have been at some other party.

Western States begins in Squaw Valley, California, with a 2550-foot climb to Emigrant Pass. It follows mostly trails for 18,000 feet of ascent and 22,000 feet of descent to the finish in Auburn, 8720’

WESTERN STATES 100 Climb: 18,000’

High: 8720’

Descent: 22,000’

Low: 581’

California. “You’re almost there!” someone shouted as the race started promptly at 5 a.m. Runners hunkered down for a long climb and conversations filled the crisp morning air.

One of the first people I ran with was Catra Corbett, 39, from Fremont, California. We had seen each other’s names on race results for years but had never met. Covered with tattoos and piercings, she looked like her nickname, “Tacklebox.”

“What’s your strategy?” I asked.

“I’m taking it easy on the downhills,” Corbett replied. “People run them too fast and end up blowing their quads.”

We chattered nonstop to the 11.5-mile aid station (Lyon Ridge), where a sign said “Eat Drink Pee Vomit then get your butt moving.” Mine wasn’t moving too fast, as I had gained 10 pounds by mile 30. The new electrolyte drink I was using was making me bloat.

Slammer Jamshid Khajavi, 51, of Seattle, wasn’t faring any better.

Originally an endurance swimmer, he had done most of his Slam training by commuting 40 miles round trip everyday to work on his bicycle. “This is the worst race of my entire life,” he said. “Last week I learned that my best friend has brain cancer. I can’t focus, and I just don’t have it.”

6250’

42 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

1280’ 700’

581’

MATT WATTS

they’re about to embark on their own quest for long-distance excellence in the Sierra,” the Auburn Journal continued.

That I would agree with, but after running hundreds of miles with hundreds of people, I found that the quest for longdistance excellence was mostly about having fun on the trails.

The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning is the completion of the Western States (California), Vermont, Leadville Trail (Colorado) and Wasatch Front (Utah) 100-milers all in one summer. It began in 1986 when Ultrarunning Magazine editor, Fred Pilon, asked Wasatch Front 100 race director Steve Baugh if he thought that completing the four oldest 100-milers in one summer seemed like a good idea. Baugh said yes, Pilon advertised it in Ultrarunning and Tom Green, 35, became the first to finish the Slam that year. Prior to 2004, there were 138 “Slammers”—116 men and 22 women.

Last year, 30 fellow subspecies had signed up—27 men and 3 women— myself included. If history were any indication, our group would number in the single digits by summer’s end. In 2003 there were 33 starters, 16 finishers.

In 2002, 21 starters, 9 finishers. And in 2001, 34 starters, 9 finishers.

The investment itself was all the incentive I needed to train hard. The four entry fees totaled $690. Then, to be included on the official Grand Slam finishing list, you must send in $80 before the first race. The fee covered a carved eagle trophy and a nice finisher’s shirt—if you complete all four—but I hated the idea of spending even more than was necessary.

My husband Marc told me I’d be sorry if I didn’t, so I reluctantly mailed a check at the last minute.

The four 100-milers are scattered throughout the United States, so Slammers also need to budget for travel expenses. Round-trip airfare to California and Vermont for Marc and me: $1800. Hotels: $500. Car rentals in two cities: $300. Meals and margaritas for pacers and crew: $300. Blisters, vomiting, exhaustion, injuries, hallu-

JOE KULAK COLLECTION ( LEFT); DAVID CLIFFORD

A 90-plus-degree afternoon in ovenlike canyons eventually became a long, cool night. At the mile-78 river crossing, many runners sat huddled in blankets.

It wasn’t really that cold but dehydration and exhaustion made it seem colder than it was. All of that, plus blisters, had reduced me to a walk. If the first race of the Slam was this tough, how was I ever going to survive three more?

AS THE SUN ROSE I FELL in behind a man with a shirt that said “Hi, Mel” on the back.

“Hi, Mel,” I said, hoping a conversation would get my mind off of my pain. It turned out to be Mel Quecan, another Slammer.

“This is my first 100-miler,” Quecan said. He wanted to celebrate his 65th birthday by doing something different, so signed up for the Grand Slam. “This is a piece of cake,” he said, trotting off.

Not so for me. I pitifully limped on, and made it to the Auburn High School track, where the finish line was three quarters of a lap away. Most runners muster a lastminute sprint for the cheering crowd.

I didn’t care and let them all pass me, wondering why I had ever signed up for the Grand Slam. As I hobbled around the last bend, a race official said, “You need to lean into that turn.”

i Above left: Joe Kulak, who set the Grand Slam record in 2003, paces Todd Holmes at the 2004 Wasatch Front 100. Above: 2004 Grand Slam winner, Scott Jurek, pounds out a second place finish at Colorado’s Leadville Trail 100.

VERMONT 100 Climb: 14,160’

High: 1,945’

Descent: 14,160’

Low: 492’

1945’

1350’

1350’

650’

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 43 492’

LEADVILLE TRAIL 100 Climb: 15,600

High: 12,620’

Descent: 15,600’

Low: 9200’

12,620’

10,152’

10,152’ 9200’

“If I lean, I’ll fall over,” I laughed, for the first time all day. And finished with a smile on my face.

THREE WEEKS LATER, NEXT up was the Vermont 100. All of my toenails had turned black and fallen off from the pounding at Western States, and I was still peeling dead skin off my feet from the blisters. After Western, Corbett showed me a way to tape my feet to prevent blisters, and I was upbeat about solving the problem. Refreshed from Vermont’s local greenery and tasty sharp-cheddar cheese, I finally felt recovered from Western States.

At the pre-race meeting I saw one of the elite Slammers, Todd Holmes.

He and I were teammates at the 2000 Borneo Eco-Challenge and spent a week

in the steamy jungles pulling leeches off ourselves. Runners always complain about the Vermont humidity, but it was nothing by comparison.

“Nice time you had at Western,” I remarked. He finished 15th. “What are you going to do this one in?”

“I’d like to get in before dark,” he said.

Holmes was more than capable of the 17-hour finish that would entail.

“I’d like to get in before it gets light,” I replied. That would give me a more generous 25 hours.

The Vermont 100 course seemed even prettier than Western States, if that could be possible. We crossed covered bridges, passed quaint bed and breakfasts and ran through pastures of knee-deep grass.

At mile 70, Holmes suffered a strained quad muscle. “It was OK as long as I

WASATCH FRONT 100 Climb: 26,882’

High: 10,450’

Descent: 26,131’

Low: 4880’

44 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

didn’t run,” he said, “so I walked most of the last 30 miles. So much for getting in before sunset.”

Quecan didn’t fare much better, getting lost three times before he found the finish line. I managed to finish before sunrise and looked forward to some sleep. Back at our little 10-room, momand-pop motel in Windsor, Vermont, we couldn’t find the room key.

“I gave it to you,” I said to Marc.

“No, you didn’t,” he said.

“Yes, I did.”

We didn’t want to wake up mom and pop, so we spent the next hour tearing everything apart trying to find it.

After inadvertently hitting the car horn and waking everyone, we found the key tucked into a side compartment of Marc’s pack. (continued on page 57)

10,450’ 9300’

6100’ 4880’

5720’

PATITUCCIPHOTO (BOTH)

Runners recover after finishing Western States (left); and the Western States finish line at Auburn High School.

Âť gallery

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;T.S. ELLIOT

Janine Patitucci racing sunset on the Grand Balcon Sud Trail above Chamonix, France.

PHOTO BY PATITUCCIPHOTO

05

» photos by DAVID CLIFFORD

Gear and Clothing

TRAIL ESSENTIALS

G EAR UP

by MICHAEL BENGE & GARETT GRAUBINS

WHAT KIND OF TRAIL RUNNER ARE YOU?

We trail runners are a quirky lot, fretting over our identities and wondering just what our true gear needs are. In our special Gear-Up section, we’ll help you come to grips with your inner trail self, and spell out just what you need to hit the dirt in style. So, what kind of trail runner are you?

Maybe you live in Manhattan and only have time for a half-hour jaunt in Central Park between multi-million-dollar deals.

Many urban centers are breaking up the concrete with unpaved paths, and runners are flocking to them, seeking less stress on the old knees and a renewed connection to nature. If you fit into this class, you might be our Urban Trail Runner, for whom a Starbucks is (usually) only a few 48 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

blocks away. Gear up with the right stuff so you can jog in and order that double latté in style.

Or perhaps you’re more of a hammerhead. In between life’s diversions such as midterms, work or kids, you harbor a need to attack relentless slopes, cross frigid streams and skid on dicey downhills. You’ve got that next 10K in your sights. You may be one of those closet

trainers who rises before the kids, and puts in a quick six before donning your work clothes. Come Saturday, you’re like Clark Kent and raid the closet for your fast outfit to become the 10K Warrior.

No, no, you’ve been at this game for awhile, and 26.2 is your magic number.

Or maybe you’re a longtime road marathoner looking for a new challenge. In any case, you’ve pumped up the volume, and put in the requisite 40-mile weeks, sacrificing weekend time with your significant other to pound out that regulation long run. After an IPA or three at potlucks, you talk about finally bucking up for Pikes Peak or Jay Mountain or Big Sur ... Trail Marathoner, we’ve got the gear so you can back up the talk.

Wait, a marathon is but a sprint. For a core trail racer these days, the glamour word is “ultra,” at least 50K or bust.

You start warming up at the 20-mile mark, pain is your friend and your hero is Western States 100-Miler lord Scott Jurek. You’ve got secret files, with dropbag lists, detailed training logs and splits from Hardrock (you hope to get drawn to enter). You’re an Ultrarunner, and miles are what you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

OK, enough race jive. The essence of our sport is communing with the wild things. Admit it: you’re a tree hugger, and you live for the smell of pine, dirt between your toes and deer sightings on the trail. There are no aid stations where you tread; you bring all you need on your back or hip. You dream of linking up all the local peaks in one go. You may even sleep under the stars for a night or two to do it. You, Grasshopper, are a Backcountry Runner/Fastpacker.

Whatever pigeon hole(s) you fit into, we all share the glow of hanging up our shoes after a tough trail cruise with pals.

Then, we slip into our comfy duds, kick back, crack a cool one ... and engage in the age-old art of sandbagging. “Man, I haven’t been getting in much running.

I’m kinda feeble,” you’ll say, neglecting to mention the 80 miles you sneaked in this week. “Hope I can keep up with guys tomorrow.” Yes, a little bit of the Aprés Runner is in all of us. g

Join the shoe release program at vasque.com or call 1-800-224-4453.

Velocity Trail Runners, released by Andy Jones-Wilkins of the Vasque Ultra Running Team.

Š 2004 Vasque

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for those stretches of road to and from the running path.

CAP: InSport Mesh Cap, $16, www.insport.com; Finally! A technical cap that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look geeky. Inner sweat band stops drips and the reflective logo is a traffic-stopper. SHADES: Smith Factor, $99, www.smithoptics.com; Wear these stylish frames on the trails or city streets.

Interchangeable lenses let you adapt to conditions. SPORTSBRA (HIDDEN): Hind Energy Bra, $36, www.hind.com; Seamless design and racer back mean chafe-free support and stability. TOP: Patagonia AiriusT, $46, www.patagonia.com; High-wicking mesh fabric on hottest parts of torso, while silkweight capilene offers abrasion resistance.

TUNES: Rio Forge Sport 256-Megabyte MP3 Player, $170, www.rioaudio.com; Stores up to 8 hours of melodies, tunes to FM and has a stopwatch. WATCH: FitSense FS-1 Speedometer, $125, www.fitsense.com; For the focused runner: instant feedback on your speed, distance and heart rate. Afterward, sync it with your computer and trace your progress. TIGHTS: InSport Competitor Tight, $55, www.insport.com; Wicking material that stretches and supports. Locking leg zippers with reflective piping. Zip pocket for your keys or credit card. SOCKS: DeFeet Levi-T-Ator, $12, www.defeet.com; A thin, wicking sock that still provides cushion where it counts. SHOES: Adidas GFF Revenge, $100, www.adidas.com/running; A 10ounce road shoe with enough support to handle nontechnical off-road surfaces. Breathable, quick-drying upper, plus extra heel support for trail obstacles.

50 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

10K

WARRIOR Fu

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(Marmot Essence Jacket)

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short and fast.

Wear nimble, lightweight shoes and include interval training to optimize your ability (see page 20).

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HEADWEAR: Buff, $19, www.buff.es; Versatile headwear can take many forms—stocking cap, headband, neck gaiter or bandanna. Guards well against cold, wind and dust. SHADES: 180s Pivot Festo, $60, www.180s.com; The temples rotate to the front of the eyegear (hence the name), preventing scratches. Weigh less than one ounce. SHELL: Marmot Essence Jacket, $160, www.marmot.com; Full water protection—including visored hood—and sleek design at minimal weight (7 oz). SHIRT: The North Face S/S Zephyr Crew, $40, www.thenorthface.com; Textured Vaporwick fabric is so porous and breathable, it’s see-through.

Rear-side pocket ideal for stashing gels. WATCH: Polar AXN300, $230, www.polarheartratemonitors.com; An outdoor computer that tracks heart rate, altitude and energy expenditure. Also displays current altitude reading with a graphical trend curve.

SHORTS: Cloudveil Journey Short, $40, www.cloudveil.com; Light, quick-drying short with a longer cut to protect your upper legs. SOCKS: Smartwool RBX Racer, $12, www.smartwool.com; Great all-around sock wicks moisture well (read: fewer blisters) and provides added cushioning. Snazzy color options available. SHOES: La Sportiva Slingshot, $75, www.lasportiva.com; A breakthrough in trail-running shoes: feathery light and breathable without sacrificing support or grip. HYDRATION: Ultimate Direction Fastdraw Plus, $12, www.ultimatedirection.com; Mesh handle provides ventilation and zip pocket holds up to two gels.

New leak-proof, kicker valve opens and closes easily.

TRAIL ESSENTIALS 05

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 51

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MARATHONER HEADWEAR: Honey Stinger Visor, $20, www.honeystinger.com; From the energy gel folks, go with a visor and keep a cool head. WATCH: High Gear Axis, $150, www. highgear.com; A reliable mountain tool—the altimeter, barometer and compass augment top-notch stopwatch features. SPORTS BRA (HIDDEN): CW-X Sport Support Bra, $45, www.cw-x.com; Mesh webbing built into the bra cup encapsulates breast rather than compressing, resulting in less upward bounce. TOP: EMS Techwick Sleeveless, $25$30, www.ems.com; The Techwick line is ultra lightweight, breathable and odor-resistant, making it ideal for long summertime runs. HYDRATION: Brooks Waterboy Aid Station, $34, www.brooks.com; Comfy fit.

Holds 21-ounce bottle and four gels. Elastic waist band = no bouncing. SHORTS: Adidas Wildwood Split Short, $28, www.adidas. com/running. ClimaLite material wicks moisture and the loose fit lets you move freely.

SOCKS: PowerSox Trail Running, $9, www. powersox.com; The polyester/wool blend is lightweight and soft on the skin. Spandex zones conform to the foot shape. SHOES: Brooks Cascadia, $90, www. brooks.com; The lower profile and svelte 10.5-ounce weight are great when you feel the speed need. Dual pivot posts handle rugged terrain.

GEAR TIP » Depending on the

number of aid stations, bring energy gels, bars and sports drink. Wear wicking and water-repelling materials.

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(Native Eyewear Silencer)

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and fast--but don’t be foolish.

The body cools drastically at night, and you’ll need warm clothing.

HEADLAMP: Petzl MYO XP, $70, www.petzl. com; Say good-bye to the halogen/LED flipflop. One high-output LED offers four lighting levels and burns all night. (Available May 2005) SPECS: Native Eyewear Silencer, $120, www.nativeyewear.com; Four interchangeable lense options deliver versatility. Soft rubber nose piece and arm ends are comfortable over the long haul. TOP: Brooks Energy T, $36, www. brooks.com; Silky-soft V-neck lets the air waft through while the fabric pulls moisture from the skin. FANNY PACK (see inset): Ultimate Direction Spree, $32, www.ultimatedirection.com; 75-cubicinch storage space holds plenty—with room to spare. Cinch straps hold tight to shell or warmer top. 10 ounces. SHORTS: Cloudveil Journey Short, $40, www.cloudveil.com; Feather-light and durable material make this an ultrarunning favorite.

Quick-drying. SOCKS: Smartwool Adrenaline Mini Crew, $15, www.smartwool.com; Tapered toe and narrower heel specifically made to fit a woman’s foot. Men’s models are also an ultrarunning staple.

SHOES: Montrail Highline, $93, www.montrail. com; New for spring ’05. A stable shoe ideal for long, rough trail miles. Lots of cushion, a wide platform and breathable mesh.

FANNY PACK CONTENTS: Pearl Izumi Quest Arm Warmers. ($20, www.pearlizumi.com), 180s Convertible Running Glove ($20, www.180s.com), Balance Bar ($1.40 per, www.balance.com), Icebreaker Beanie ($25, www.icebreaker.com).

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 53

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$1 2

RUNNER

SHADES: Smith Frontline, $119, www.smithoptics.com; Big lenses and curved design blocks more UV rays. Three lenses are simple to change out. TOP: Helly Hansen Zip L/S Jersey, $75, www.hellyhansen.com; A base layer that fits a wide range of temps, thanks to the breathable polypro/polyester blend and long zipper. SHELL: Mountain Hardwear GoreTex PacLite Swift Jacket, $260, www.mountainhardwear.com; 13 ounces of serious weather protection: welded construction, water-resistant zippers, under-arm ventilation and a hidden hood. HYDRATION: Kelty Ion, $45, www.kelty.com; 2-liter bladder, abundant stash space, bomb-proof construction and a locking, no-leak bite valve, SHORTS: New Balance Trail Ridge Shorts, $29, www. newbalance.com; Mid-cut, comfortable and quick-drying. Pocket in small of the back takes several gels, bars or light gloves. SOCKS: Bridgedale XHale, $15, www.bridgedale.com; A layer of light mesh lets air circulate around the foot. Reduced volume in toe box, instep and arch shave weight. SHOES: Salomon GCS PRO, $130, www.salomonsports.com; Ideal for rugged backcountry challenges. Fast-drying, ultralight and stable. Quickfit lacing system allows for quick adjustments.

(FASTPACKER) GEAR TIP » Make every ounce

count and leave out the luxury items. Cutting a few pounds makes an exponential difference in the backwoods.

54 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

WITH JUST A BIT MORE GEAR, THE BACKCOUNTRY RUNNER IS READY FOR AN OVERNIGHT ADVENTURE: PACK: GoLite 24 Pack ($90, www. golite.com), SLEEPING PAD: Big Agnes 3/4 Length REM Sleep Pad ($45, www.bigagnes.com), SNACK: Clif Builder’s Bar ($2, www. clifbar.com), CAP: Sugoi Midzero Tuke ($20, www.sugoi.com), PANTS: InSport Waterproof Nimbus Pant ($95, www.insport. com), INSIDE PACK: SHELTER: Hennessy Hammock UltraLite Backpacker A-sym ($170, www.hennessyhammock.com), CHOW: Balance Trail Mix Energy Bar ($1.40, www.balancebar.com), Backpacker’s Pantry Cajun Salmon Inferno ($8.75, www.backpackerspantry.com), SLEEPING BAG: Valandré Mirage $355, www.valandre.com), STOVE: MSR Pocket Rocket ($40, www. msrcorp.com), COOKWARE: MSR BlackLite Classic Cookset ($35, www.msrcorp.com), WATER PURIFICATION: MSR MIOX Purifier ($130, www.msrcorp.com) SECOND TOP: Ibex Zepher Zip T-Neck ($80, www.ibexwear.com), GLOVES: DeFeet Duraglove ($15, www.defeet.com)

)

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and replenish your body’s reserves by drinking and eating within one hour (see page 18).

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GEAR TIP » After the race, stretch

EDITOR’S CHOICE (Fox River AXT Socks)

SHADES: Ryder Coiler, $69, www.ryderseyewear.com; 100% UV Protection and three polycarbonate lenses (gray, orange, clear) in a stylish frame. A lense gasket guards against scratching and bending. VISOR: Kavu Strapvisor, $15, www.kavu.com; Keep the sun off your face and let the breeze cool your head. FLEECE: Patagonia R2 Fleece, $149, www.patagonia.com; After the race, dump that sweaty tee for warm fleece. Softer than that sofa you had in college. SHIRT: EMS Techwick Tee, $25-$30, www.ems.com; EMS expands its breathable and comfortable Techwick line to include explosive colors and long-sleeve options.

Perfect for in-race wear, too. SHORTS: Mountain Hardwear Wander Short, $50, www.mountainhardwear.com; Durable, relaxed and comfortable. Ideal for lounging around or hiking back up the trail to check on the slower runners. BEER: Quaff an adult beverage and refill your carbos after the race—you earned it. SOCKS: Fox River AXT, $10, www.foxsox.com; A blend of merino wool, wool and polypropylene makes this a velvety—but durable—sock. CLOGS: Teva Oraibi Slip-on, $55, www.teva.com; Like a pair of outdoor slippers, Oraibis coddle your feet after the trail abuses them. POOCH: Paws to celebrate a job well-done.

Blossom, Trail Runner’s resident basset hound, sports a Ruff Wear collar (www.ruffwear.com).

TRAIL ESSENTIALS 05

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 55

T R AIL TIPS

by GARY DUDNEY

» photo by DAVID CLIFFORD

Six tips to keep you on course

1 2

No pain, no gain. Associate the discomfort with an extraordinary performance.

You may feel bad simply because you’re at maximum effort.

Relax and breathe. Panic and fear cause your body to tense up. Start at the top of your head and work down, relaxing each muscle group as you continue on the trail. Combine this with slow, deep breathing.

3

Work your mantra. Repeat words of encouragement to yourself. I use, “Infinite patience, steely determination.”

If you don’t have a mantra, choose a song with positive words, like Tom Petty’s “I won’t back down” or Chumbawumba’s “Tubthumping.”

4

Break it up. Set mini-goals: the next aid station, the next mile marker or that big boulder at the top of the climb. Frank Shorter once asked trail-running legend Ann Trason if she ran her races from checkpoint to checkpoint. She said, “No, I do it tree to tree.”

5

Enjoy the scenery. Concentrate on your surroundings. Big Sur International Marathon runners claim the breathtaking views overwhelm their discomfort.

But you don’t need cliffs and the Pacific Ocean. Focus on trees, rocks, flowers or fields.

When jellied quads reduced him to a walking pace in the 2004 Leadville Trail 100, elite runner Matt Carpenter took a breather and persevered to finish.

Winners never quit WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU WANT TO CALL IT A DAY

Legs like cement … went out too fast … getting passed … too hot … should’ve trained harder … too far … just not my day … try again next year. ¶ The reasons to quit pile up and you’re thinking about throwing in the towel. Don’t. You may feel physically and emotionally defeated, but that is no reason to surrender. Try some mind games.

56 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

6

When all else fails, take a mini-break.

Better to lose a little time than blow up completely. Walk a short stretch or sit for a few minutes. Concentrate on relaxing.

The rest should rejuvenate you.

In the end, overcoming your urge to quit may be what you cherish most after you cross the finish. In Thomas Paine’s words, “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.”

■

grand slam «

GEAR FINDER

(continued from page 44) “So I wouldn’t lose it,” he said.

I about lost it myself, but after some sleep and a steak dinner that evening, all was forgiven. Besides, it’s all part of being crew—which overworked crew members all claim stands for “Cranky Runner Endless Waiting.”

THE THIRD SLAM RACE was the Leadville Trail 100, which starts and finishes at an elevation of 10,152 feet in the historic mining community of Leadville, Colorado. When the unemployment rate hit 50 percent in 1983, Ken Chlouber, himself an out-of-work miner, came up with the idea of a race to stimulate the economy. It was an outand-back, starting in Leadville and turning around at the late 1800s ghost town

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CW-X tights retail for $80.00 and shorts for $60.00 and are available at leading running specialty shops.

When your Best Friend is your biggest Motivator The Buddy System is an innovative, hands free leash designed for walkers, runners, hikers, and anyone who likes both hands free yet, still wants to take along their best friend. It is set apart from other hands-free leash systems by its built in safety mechanisms and the ability to store the unused leash on the belt when the dog is off-leash.

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B

y mid-afternoon, sick runners lined the trail, bent over

vomiting from the relentless heat and climbs. Even Yankz SureLace System™

six-time Western States

Run, hike, and cross train in great comfort and never tie laces again! Yankz! Surelace System features 2 zones for adjusting your shoes - the ankle and toe. Great performance on all terrains. Provides a Personalized Fit, Water Resistance, and Durability. Now Available in 27 COLORS, including reflective versions. Go to www.yankz.com and inquire about a retailer near you.

winner Scott Jurek got so sick that he had to stop for a nap. of Winfield. Now known as the Leadville Trail 100, the race brings close to 500 runners plus their families, pacers and crew to Leadville every summer. The town is so busy that some restaurants stay open all night to accommodate weary crews. Hotels are booked several months before race day.

I was excited about staying at a house in town that a shoe sponsor had provided for its runners. Maybe this was the elusive “driven and individualistic” crowd that I had yet to meet. It was a five-bedroom home with a huge den. I carefully chose a downstairs bedroom at the end of the hall, not wanting to disturb the “serious” runners.

We made our way down a side street to The Grill for stacks of chicken enchiladas and too many margaritas.

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www.lowaboots.com 2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 57

The Course: A fast, flat accurate Boston Qualifier with spectators cheering all along the way ... NOT! Actually, a 13 mile loop of hilly dirt trail through Michigan wilderness! Camping near the start! 1 hour from Detroit Metro Airport!

Part of the Trail Runner Trophy Series.

ENTER AT:

trailmarathon.com

GRAND SLAM AT A GLANCE Total miles: 400 // Total climbing: 74,642 feet // Total 2004 starters: 30 Total 2004 finishers: 21 // Fastest: Scott Jurek, 30, Washington 77:40:12 Least fast: Ray Mount, 58, Massachusetts, 121:51:28

Night Life: Jurek at the finish line of the 2004 Leadville 100.

small adobe eatery was packed with locals. The waitress kept smiling at my pacer, Bob Lyle, 51, from Durango, Colorado. I thought I’d never get him out of there.

When we returned to the house, race preparation was in full swing. Runners, pacers, crew and an Australian Shepherd

RACE #1 MASAI 5K, February 5, 2005 Observatory Hill Trails, Charlottesville, VA

named Zip were sprawled out over the couches and floor, watching the Olympics on television.

“Anybody want a beer? I’ve got plenty,” Jason Ostrom, 28, of Fort Collins, Colorado, offered as he made a run to the refrigerator. Bowls of popcorn made the rounds and Zip even scored the occa-

PRESENTED BY

RACE #2 KINABALU 10K, February 19, 2005 Foxhaven Trails, Charlottesville, VA

RACE #3 AND #4 BEL MONTE ENDURANCE RUN 50K AND HARDROCK 25K, March 26, 2005 Sherando Lake Recreation Area, VA RACE #5 HIGHLANDS SKY 40 MILE TRAIL RUN, June 18, 2005 Monongahela National Forest, Davis, West Virginia RACE #6 VERMONT 100 MILE ENDURANCE RUN, July 16-17, 2005 Green Mountains, Woodstock, VT RACE #7 AND #8 GREAT EASTERN ENDURANCE RUNS 100K/50K, September 17, 2005 George Washington National Forest, Charlottesville, VA RACE #9 AND #10 VITESSE 10 MILE AND HALF MARATHON TRAIL RACES, November 19, 2005 Walnut Creek Park, Charlottesville, VA

Third Annual Great Eastern Trail Run Series

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sional treat. It was like hanging out on a Friday night with my college roommates.

The race kicked off Saturday morning under starry skies, and I comfortably settled into the middle of the pack. As I dropped into the tiny town of Twin Lakes at mile 39.5, I prepared for the climb up 12,600-foot Hope Pass, and looked forward to hooking up with Bob at the Winfield aid station. Muling (where the pacer carries the runner’s food and gear) is allowed at Leadville so I had given him a lightweight pack loaded with warm clothing to get me through the night.

Climbing to Hope Pass, I noticed a carpet of hailstones alongside the trail.

A pack of lead runners came by, on the return trip. “How was the hail?”

I asked.

“That was sunshine,” they howled with laughter, finding their predicament totally hilarious. Ultrarunners take a perverse glee in being miserable. The worse the conditions, the happier they seem.

Mel Quecan wasn’t laughing.

“I underestimated Leadville,” he later told me. “I never thought it would be that cold and I didn’t have a jacket—big mistake. The volunteers at the Hope Pass aid station saw how hypothermic I was and

DAVID CLIFFORD

adventure slam » grand

grand slam « kept me there for over 30 minutes, and I missed the next cutoff by 15 minutes.”

Holmes, on the comeback from his Vermont injury, finished in fifth place.

“It’s all a matter of minimizing everything that can go wrong,” he humbly remarked.

I had minimized everything that could go wrong, too, and still barely eked out a finish before the 30-hour cutoff. But the final and most difficult Slam race was still to come.

I FELT THE PRESSURE at the Wasatch Front 100. We were down to 21 Slammers and had all come too far to blow it now. And this was going to be a leg-busting final exam. Run in the Wasatch Range on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, Utah, the Wasatch Front 100 has 26,882 feet of climbing with a 36hour cutoff.

Instead of hail, it was heat that tortured Wasatch-ers. By mid-afternoon, sick runners lined the trail, bent over vomiting from the relentless heat and climbs.

I passed Slammer Matt Watts, 48, of Broomfield, Colorado. He had thrown up twice already. “If I weren’t doing the Grand Slam I’d drop,” he said. Even six-

time Western States winner Scott Jurek, on track to run the fastest Slam time in history, got so sick that he had to stop for a nap.

Todd Holmes happened to pass Jurek on the trail. (And nobody passes Jurek on the trail.) “He was walking—slowly,” Holmes said. “And I wasn’t running, either.”

But Quecan wore a smile. He was back to run Wasatch despite being out of Slam contention. “This is beautiful!” he raved.

“I am just out here to enjoy myself.”

It was hard not to enjoy the views of the Great Salt Lake and the brilliant red fall foliage. It appeared that we had saved the most spectacular Slam race for last.

“THAT LAST 10 MILES through the red leaves was so gorgeous,” Holmes said, “I was singing ‘I’m going to finish Grand Slam, yeah, yeah, yeah,’ and high-fiving my pacer. Then my foot hit a root and I went down hard. It was kind of embarrassing.”

Quecan finished in 36:07, missing the official cutoff time by seven minutes, but he got the biggest ovation of all. “I’m coming back again when I’m 70,” he grinned. I told him I’d be his pacer.

At the awards ceremony I met the rest of the Slam Class of 2004. I hadn’t met

some of the faster runners, and one of the first to shake my hand was Jurek himself, who had run the second fastest time in Slam history. He knew I existed!

I was so glad I had sent in my $80 to be an official Slam finisher.

“I’m sorry it’s over,” Matt Watts said.

“It was one hell of an adventure and a perfect way to spend the summer.”

“It was so much fun with all of us sharing the same thing,” Jamshid Khajavi said.

I thought back to the Auburn Journal article, as I mingled with the guys whose bronzed sinewy legs and invisible butts are the stuff of legend. Everybody there had to be driven and individualistic to finish the Slam. But other than the carved eagle trophies they carried away with them, you never would have known. They melted into the finish-line picnic to relax just like everybody else.

Definitely a nice subspecies to spend a summer with.

Cathy Tibbetts, 50, of Farmington, New Mexico, thought that getting to know the other Slammers was more fun than the 74,642 feet of climbing.

She was the only woman to finish the 2004 Grand Slam.

THE CLEVELAND WEST ROAD RUNNING CLUB PRESENTS THE 16TH ANNUAL

MOHICAN 100 TRAIL RUN June Saturday-Sunday 18-19, 2005, Loudonville, Ohio

WICKED GLACIERS SACRED MOUNTAINS TURQUOISE LAKES

INCA TRAIL MARATHON & CHASQUI CHALLENGE - PERU June 12 to 26, 2005 PERUVIAN ANDES RUNNING ADVENTURE July 17 to 31, 2005 ECUADOR RUNNING ADVENTURE May 26 - June 3, 2005 PATAGONIA RUNNING ADVENTURE December 16, 2005 to January 2, 2006

For registration and info the journey begins here:

www.mohican100.org For applications and information contact:

(800) 289-9470 www.andesadventures.com

Bob Strong, Mohican 100 PO Box 7, Loudonville, Ohio 44842 USA rlstrong@neo.rr.com

>>SIGN UP NOW! Just finish any 2005 TROPHY SERIES race, and you’re automatically entered.

See p. 26 or trailrunnermag.com for info PACIFIC 03/05 Old Pueblo 50 Mile Endurance Run; Sonoita, AZ; www.ultrazone.us/OP50; oldpueblo50@bblabs.net 03/05 RWT Palo Alto Vista Trail Run 5K, 10K, 13.1M; Palo Alto, CA; www.redwoodtrails.com; info@redwoodtrails.com 03/12 Way Too Cool 50K; Cool, CA; www.run100s.com/wtc.htm; wser100@comcast.net 03/19 Catalina Marathon 5K, 10K, 26.2M; Two Harbors, CA; www.pacificsportsllc.com; catmar@pacificsportsllc.com 03/19 Chuckanut Mountain 50K; Bellingham, WA; www.gbrc.net/chuckanut50k.html; krmoehl2000@yahoo.com 03/26 March Mudness 13.1M, 50K, 100K; Portland, OR; www.orrc.net; longrun@pcez.com 04/02 American River 50 Mile Endurance Run; Sacramento, CA; www.run100s.com/AR50/; info@ar50.org 04/17 Mt Si Relay and Ultra Runs 50K, 50M; Snoqualmie, WA; www.ontherun.com/mtsirelay; mtsirelay@mail.com 04/17 Spokane River Run 5K, 10K, 25K; Spokane, WA; www.spokaneriverrun.com; spokeaho@msn.com 04/19 Auburn Marathon 5K, 10K, 13.1M, 26.2M; Auburn, CA; eric@redwoodtrails.com 04/23 Zane Grey Highline 50 Mile Trail Race; Payson, AZ; www.zanegrey50.com; jazzzaz@comcast.net 04/30 Miwok Trail 100K; Sausalito, CA; www.run100s.com/wmw.htm; Miwok100K@aol.com 05/14 Malibu Creek Trail Challenge 4M, 14M; Calabasas, CA; www.trailrace.com; info@trailrace.com 05/14 McDonald Forest 50K; Corvallis, OR; www.proaxis.com/~lacava; macultra@proaxis.com 05/14 RWT San Francisco Coastal Challenge .5M, 5K, 10K; San Francisco, CA; www.redwoodtrails.com; info@redwoodtrails.com 05/14 RWT Waterfalls of Big Basin 5.5M, 10.5M, 16M; Boulder Creek, CA; www.redwoodtrails.com; info@redwoodtrails.com 05/21 Bishop High Sierra Ultras 20M, 50K, 50M; Bishop, CA; www.bhs50.com; Andrew.boyd2@verizon.net 05/22 Ohlone Wilderness Trail Run 50K; Fremont, CA; www.abovethefog.net; Ohlone50K@abovethefog.net 05/28 Mt Wilson Trail Race 8.6M; Sierra Madre, CA; lheinz@ci. sierra-madre.ca.us 06/25 Double Dipsea 13.8M; Stinson Beach, CA; www.dserunners.com; RunKenRun@aol.com 06/25 Western States Endurance Run 100M; Squaw Valley, CA; www.ws100.com; wser100@comcast.net 07/09 Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series #3 10M; Crystal Mountain, WA; www.whiteriver50.org; searunco@aol.com 07/23 Baldy Peaks 50K; Mt Baldy Village, CA; www. larrygassan.com/BP50k_index.html; L_GASSAN@beachnet.com 07/30 Scott McQueeney Memorial Mt. Hood PCT 50/50 50K, 50M; Portland, OR; www.pctultra.com; longrun@pcez.com 07/30 White River 50 Mile National Trail Championship; Crystal Mountain, WA; www.whiteriver50.org; searunco@aol.com 08/06 Plasses/Silver Lake Trail Run 6.3M; Silver Lake, CA; jshaw5@volcano.net 08/14 Haulin’ Aspen Trail Run 26.2M; Bend, OR; www.FreshAirSports.com; haulinaspen@freshairsports.com 08/20 Where’s Waldo 100K; Willamette Pass Ski Area, OR; www.wpsp.org/ww100k; thornley@wpsp.org 08/27 Headlands 50K National Trail Championship; Sausalito, CA; www.headlands50k.org; guypalmer@headlands50k.org 09/17 Cle Elum Ridge Trail Run 50K; Cle Elum, WA; kmoehl2000@yahoo.com 60 TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM | MARCH 2005

ROCKIES 04/16 Greenland Trail 50K 12.5K, 25K, 37.5K, 50K; Castle Rock, CO; www.coloradorunnermag.com/other/Greenland50K.html; derek@coloradorunnermag.com 04/23 Spring Desert Ultra 25M, 50M; Fruita, CO; www. geminiadventures.com; reid_delman@geminiadventures.com 05/07 Collegiate Peaks Trail Races 25M, 50M; Buena Vista, CO; www.collegiatepeakstrailrun.org; chamber@buenavistacolorado.org 05/14 Prickly Pear Land Trust Don’t Fence Me In 5K, 12K; Helena, MT; www.pricklypearlt.org; mpmiller93@yahoo.com 05/21 24 Hours of Boulder...The Run 24H; Boulder, CO; www. geminiadventures.com; reid_delman@geminiadventures.com 05/29 Wyoming Marathon Races 13.1M, 26.2M, 52.4M; Laramie, WY; www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon; RunWyo@msn.com 06/17 Bighorn Trail Races 30K, 50K, 50M, 100M; Sheridan, WY; www.bighorntrailrun.com; shspst@fiberpipe.net 06/25 Jim Bridger 50K 25K, 50K; Bozeman, MT; www.math.montana.edu/~thayes; trailrunner@montana.net 06/25 Wahsatch Steeplechase 17.5M; Salt Lake City, UT; www.wahsatchsteeplechase.com; butch@butchadams.com 06/29 Summit Trail Running Series - Horseshoe Gulch 3M, 8M; Breckenridge, CO; www.townofbreckenridge.com; dianem@townofbreckenridge.com 07/01 Midnight Mountain 50K; Preston, ID; racers@brigham.net 07/01 Snow King Hill Climb 2.3M; Jackson Hole, WY; www.tetonwyo.org; jharkness@tetonwyo.org 07/10 Summer Roundup Trail Run 12K; Colorado Springs, CO; www.pikespeakmarathon.org; raceinfo@pikespeakmarathon.org 07/16 Backcountry Run 10M, 16.5M; Ketchum, ID; www.elephantsperch.com; brosso@elephantsperch.com 07/16 Mountain Challenge Trail Run 5K, 10K; Park City, UT; www.mountaintrails.org; bowlingdk@aol.com 07/17 High Mountain Trail Run 25K, 50K; Leadville, CO; kbartlett@hminet.org 07/20 Summit Trail Running Series - Cucumber Gulch 5M, 10M; Breckenridge, CO; www.townofbreckenridge.com; dianem@townofbreckenridge.com 07/23 Grin and Bear It Trail Run 9.3M; Crested Butte, CO; www.visitcrestedbutte.com/mtnrunners; cristian@rmi.net 08/06 HURL Elkhorn 50-Mile Endurance Run; Helena, MT; mpmiller93@yahoo.com 08/08 Golden Gate Canyon Trail Run 12M; Denver, CO; www.runuphillracing.com; info@runuphillracing.com 08/13 Jupiter Peak Steeplechase Trail Run 16M; Park City, UT; www.mountaintrails.org; bowlingdk@aol.com 09/03 Meeteetse Absaroka Challenge 5K, 10K, 15K; Meeteetse, WY; www.meetrec.org; meetrec@tctwest.net 09/04 Breckenridge Crest Mountain Marathon 5M, 13M, 24.5M; Breckenridge, CO; www.boec.org/marathon; jim@boec.org 09/04 Steamboat 10K at 10,000 Ft. 10K; Steamboat Springs, CO; info@runningseries.com 09/05 American Discovery Trail Marathon 5K, 13.1M, 26.2M; Colorado Springs, CO; sultancat@adelphia.net 09/10 Imogene Pass Run 17.1M; Ouray, CO; www.imogenerun.com; staff@imogenerun.com 09/10 Mid-Mountain Marathon 26.2M; Park City, UT; www.mountaintrails.org; info@mountaintrails.org 09/17 Mount Helena Classic 5.6M; Helena, MT; mpmiller93@yahoo.com 09/18 Golden Leaf Half Marathon 13.3M; Aspen, CO; www.utemountaineer.com; paul@utemountaineer.com 09/25 Lead King Loop Half Marathon 25K; Marble, CO; cmacek@rfsd.k12.co.us HEARTLAND 03/12 Carl Touchstone Memorial Mississippi 50 Trail Run 20K, 50K, 50M; Laurel, MS; www.ms50.com; info@ms50.com 03/19 Land Between the Lakes 14.25M, 58K; Grand Rivers, KY; www.krc.org; sdurbin@marquettetrans.com

04/02 Rockin K Trail Runs 26.2M, 50M; Kanopolis State Lake, KS; www.ultrarunners.info; sheridan@wwwebservice.net 04/16 Double Chubb Trail Runs 25K, 50K; St. Louis, MO; www. stlouisultrarunnersgroup.net; princessmudpuddle@yahoo.com 04/16 McNaughton Park Trail Races 30M, 50M, 100M; Pekin, IL; www.geocities.com/running_50/homepage.html; aweinberg@pekinhigh.net 04/24 Running Fit Trail Marathon 13.1M, 26.2M; Pinckney, MI; www.trailmarathon.com; susan@runningfit.com 05/07 Pilot Knob Trail Race 15K; Forest City, IA; www. pilotknobtrailrace.com/pktr.html; pilotknobtrailrace@yahoo.com 05/22 Alpine Valley Open 5K, 10K; Monticello, WI; cassie_mtb@yahoo.com 05/28 Berryman Trail Run 26.2M, 50M; Potosi, MO; www.stlouisultrarunnersgroup.net; DavidWhite465280@cs.com 06/04 Kettle Moraine 100 Endurance Runs 100K, 100M; Whitewater, WI; www.kettle100.com; kettle100run@yahoo.com 06/05 Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon 13.1M, 26.2M; Deadwood, SD; www.deadwoodmickelsontrailmarathon.com; leanhorse@rushmore.com 06/11 Lake Mingo Trail Run 7.1M; Danville, IL; www.kennekuk.com; krr@kennekuk.com 06/18 Mohican 100-Mile Trail Race; Loudonville, OH; www.mohican100.org; rlstrong@neo.rr.com 07/02 Afton Trail Run 25K, 50K; Afton, MN; www.aftontrailrun.com; aftontrailrun@yahoo.com 07/02 DINO Trail Run Series #4 - Muscatatuck Park 5K, 15K; Muscatatuck Park, IN; www.DINOseries.com; Brian@DINOseries.com 07/16 Devil’s Run 5K, 10K, 15K; Monticello, WI; cassie_mtb@yahoo.com 07/30 Minnesota Voyageur Trail Ultra 50M; Carlton, MN; www.computerpro.com/~hsloan; BDCurnow@msn.com 08/07 Escape from Turkey Mountain 5M; Tulsa, OK; oklaking@sbcglobal.net 08/20 DINO Trail Run Series #5 - Westwood Park 5K, 15K; Westwood Park, IN; www.DINOseries.com; Brian@DINOseries.com 08/20 Lean Horse Hundred & Half Hundred 50M, 100M; Deadwood, SD; leanhorse@rushmore.com 09/10 Dances with Dirt Ultra XI 50K 50M; Hell, MI; www.danceswithdirt.com; susan@runningfit.com 09/10 Horsethief Canyon Trail Run 6.5M; Horsethief Canyon, KS; psheridan@classicnet.net 09/17 North Country Trail Run 26.2M, 50M; Manistee, MI; www.stridersrun.com; steve@stridersrun.com 09/24 Newton Hills Trail Challenge 8M; Canton, SD; www. siouxfallsarearunningclub.org; marathnr@hotmail.com 09/24 Running Bares XC 5K; Weatherford, TX; www.vistagranderanch.com; vgr1@airmail.net 09/25 Sunburst Showdown 5K, 10K; Monticello, WI; cassie_mtb@yahoo.com 09/25 Wild Wild Wilderness Trail Run 7.6M; Danville, IL; www.kennekuk.com; krr@kennekuk.com EAST 03/05 Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Marathon 26.2M, 50K; Damascus, MD; www.mcrrc.org/gallery/greenway04.html; ed516p@aol.com 03/05 Umstead Trail Marathon 26.2M; Raleigh, NC; www.carolinagodiva.org/umsteadmarathon; bnelson@sampsonrmc.org 03/26 Bel Monte Endurance Run 50K & Hardrock 25K; Charlottesville, VA; www.badtothebone.biz; badtothebone@adelphia.net 04/02 Umstead 100-Mile Endurance Run 50M, 100M; Raleigh, NC; www.ncroadrunners.org/umstead/; BlakeNorwood@nc.rr.com 04/03 Mudders and Grunters 5M; Yorktown, NY; www.runner.org; squinn@rcn.com 04/09 Croom Trail Fools Run 15M, 50K, 50M; Brooksville, FL; www.wecefar.com; shawn@wecefar.com

Other Must-Do Races 04/10 Flatwoods Four Trail Race 4M; Tampa, FL; www. tamparaces.com/challenge/index.html; ricky@tamparaces.com 04/24 Muddy Moose Trail Races 4M, 14M; Wolfeboro, NH; www.metricmarathon.com; FergusCullen@aol.com 05/07 Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 101.8M; Front Royal, VA; www.vhtrc.org/mmt; stanruns@att.net 05/14 Capon Valley Run 50K; Yellow Spring, WV; www.iplayoutside.com/capon50/; lynn@edgebrook.org 05/21 Dirty Dog 15K Trail Run; Charleston, WV; www.wvmtr.org; danieltodd@charter.net 06/04 Deckers Creek Trail Half Marathon 13.1M; Morgantown, WV; www.montrails.org; mwthorne@access.k12.wv.us 06/05 NipMuck Trail Marathon 26.4M; Ashford, CT; www.newenglandtrailrunner.com; nipmuckdave@wmconnect.com 06/11 Laurel Highlands Ultra 70M; Ohiopyle, PA; www.laurelultra.com; runhewitt@comcast.net 06/18 Highlands Sky 40 Mile Trail Run; Davis, WV; www.wvmtr.org; helvetiawv@starband.net 06/19 Tanglewood Tanglefoot Trail Run 5M, 10M; Elmira, NY; www.tangle-wood.org; twood2004@aol.com 06/25 Northfield Mountain Run 10K, 15K; Northfield, NH; dave. dunham@verizon.net 06/26 Double Trouble Trail Runs 15K, 30K; Morgantown, PA; www.pagodapacers.com; rhornpcs@aol.com 07/30 Jay Mountain Marathon 28M; Jay, VT; www.jaychallenge.com; rd@Jaychallenge.com 08/14 Half Wit Trail Run Half Marathon 13.1M; Reading, PA; www.pretzelcitysports.com; rhornpcs@aol.com 08/14 Turkey Swamp Race Day 5M, 10M, 25K, 20M, 50K; Freehold, NJ; www.njrrc.org; martyfrumkin@comcast.net 09/01 Great Eastern Endurance Run 50K, 100K; Charlottesville, VA; www.badtothebone.biz; badtothebone@adelphia.net CANADA 03/06 Run Inn Sane 10K; Vancouver, BC; www.ironlung.ca; silvio@ironlung.ca 04/09 Diez Vista 50K Trail Run; Port Moody, BC; www.diezvista.itgo.com; pslayer@mail.com 05/14 Keremeos Kruncher 25K, 50K; Keremeos, BC; www.eagleruns.com; eaglemoe@img.net 05/28 Five Peaks Trail Series 5K, 10K; Canada Olympic Park, AB; www.fivepeaks.com; info@5peaks.com 05/28 Sulphur Springs Trail Run 10K, 25K, 50K, 50M, 100M; Ancaster, ON; www.burlingtonrunners.com; jhewitt@pathcom.com 06/11 Five Peaks Trail Series - Rattlesnake 5K, 10K; Rattlesnake, ON; www.fivepeaks.com; info@5peaks.com 06/11 Frontrunners GutBuster Trail Run #4 5K, 10K; Nanaimo, BC; www.gutbustertrailrun.com; info@gutbustertrailrn.com 06/18 Kusam Klimb 23.2K; Sayward, BC; www.kusamklimb.ca; hollo@oberon.ark.com 07/09 Frontrunners GutBuster Trail Run #5 8K, 13.1M; Victoria, BC; www.gutbustertrailrun.com; info@gutbustertrailrn.com 07/09 Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run 30M; West Vancouver, BC; www.kneeknacker.com; rd@kneeknacker.com 07/16 Eagle Run, North America’s Toughest 50 Miler; Keremeos, BC; www.eagleruns.com; eaglemoe@img.net 08/06 Five Peaks Trail Series - Camp Fortune 5K, 10K; Ottawa, ON; www.fivepeaks.com; info@5peaks.com 08/06 Five Peaks Trail Series - Quebec City 5K, 10K; Quebec City - Mont Sainte Anne, QB; www.fivepeaks.com; info@5peaks.com 08/06 Five Peaks Trail Series - Terwilliger Park 5K, 10K; Terwilliger Park, AB; www.fivepeaks.com; info@5peaks.com 08/08 Northwest Passage Marathon 13.1M, 26.2M, 50K; Resolute, Nunavut; www.canadianarcticholidays.ca/ArcticMarathon.html; mail@CanadianArcticHolidays.ca 08/20 Five Peaks Trail Series - Whistler 5K, 10K; Whistler, BC; www.fivepeaks.com; info@5peaks.com 09/10 Moose Mountain Trail Races 16K, 29K; Bragg Creek, AB; www.members.shaw.ca/moosemountain; jen.silverthorn@shaw.ca

Kinabalu 10K Trail Race February 19, 2005 Foxhaven Trails, Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Foxhaven Trails are located on a private land owned by Mrs. Hayward who is a local environmental patron, a true lover of forests, wildlife and avid hiker, even though she is now well into her 80’s. She created this network of trails to assure that many will enjoy what she loves most. The course is comprised of a loop and out-back section. www.badtothebone.biz; rungillrun@adelphia.net American River 50-mile Endurance Run April 2, 2005 Sacramento to Auburn, CA AR50 is one of the oldest, most popular ultramarathons in the U.S. The course starts in Sacramento, follows the bike path along the American River for 24 miles, and switches to trails from Beals Point to the finish line in Auburn. The final three miles include 1,500 feet of ascent. We offer prize money, capilene t-shirts, finisher‚s jackets and a pre-race banquet. www.ar50.org, Lisa Demoney, Race Director, info@ar50.org.

Spring Desert Ultra April 23, 2005 Fruita, CO The 25-mile race will be a single loop connecting the desert trails of Kokopelli’s and adjacent trails. The course rolls between elevations of 4,500 and 5,400 feet with over 4,000 feet of climbing per loop. We will have five aid stations located throughout the course, at approximately five-mile intervals. The 50-mile course will repeat the 25-mile course in the opposite direction. www.geminiadventures.com; reid_delman@geminiadventures.com.

The Great Adirondack Trail Run June 25, 2005 The Mountaineer will host the first annual trail run in the heart of the Adirondacks. This charity event will be a backcountry/mountain trail run on a challenging, rugged 11 mile course over spectacular terrain (3200’ elevation gain and loss), including two mountains. A shorter but just as exciting 3.5 mile run will also be held. Both will end at The Mountaineer in the hamlet of Keene Valley. Patagonia and Salomon are the major sponsors. www.mountaineer.com; info@mountaineer.com.

Peruvian Andes Running Adventure July 17 to July 31, 2005 Run the Inca Trail and finish at the legendary “Lost city of the Incas”—Machu Picchu! Then continue on a spectacular high mountain circuit. For runners of all abilities. Full support provided to allow you to enjoy the runs “at your own pace.” 15 days—$2,995. Includes international airfare & internal flights, first class camping, fine hotels and all meals. (800) 289-9470, www.andesadventures.com.

JOIN TODAY AND SUPPORT OUR SPORT. The All American Trail Running Association (AATRA), is a 501(c) not-for-profit corporation founded in 1996 to represent and promote trail and mountain running. Visit our web site,

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Our goals...

• Educate and provide information about our sport to the media and non-running entities that have similar goals and objectives.

• Organize AATRA-sponsored and supported events.

• Provide a forum whereby the business of the sport can be discussed and organized.

• Create and nurture alliances with other organizations.

• Develop recreational participation and provide opportunities for families to enjoy our sport.

In addition to benefits that include our newsletter Trail Times, $9 of your $25 annual membership entitles you to one-year subscription to Trail Runner.

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Haulin’ Aspen Trail Marathon August 14, 2005 Shevlin Park—Bend, Oregon New trail marathon in Bend, Oregon—a destination not to be missed. Head out under the Aspens and climb into the Ponderosa Pines on single-track trails in the Cascade Mountains. Be one of the first to experience the brand new Metolius-Windigo trail extension. The looped course starts and finishes in Aspen Meadows at Shevlin Park, an amazing 650 acre park five minutes from downtown Bend.

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 61

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WASHINGTON BUCKS COUNTY OUTFITTERS + LOGO

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LAST GASP

by BERNIE BOETTCHER

BlaaARGH! MUTINY ON THE MARATHON A mob of mutinous thoughts has crept in beneath the polished planks of my cranium. I hear the whispers and groans: “The marathon’s not enough anymore, Bernie. You’ve got to try an ultramarathon.

Everyone else is doing it. ... You’ve always wanted to try an ultra, haven’t you?”

And then my captain, the stern but sensible B.G. Bligh, strides out of his sleeping quarters. “Batten down the booby hatch, Bernie,” he yells. “Remember the pain of the last five miles of your last marathon. You want to run 73.8 more miles!?”

The swashbuckling crew retorts, “You could just try a 50-miler!”

BlaaARGH! Aye. I carried this rolling and pitching conversation in my head for a 20-mile trail run the other day. Either I’ve got to quit thinking about running an ultramarathon, or quit reading Mutiny on the Bounty.

» Illustration by JEREMY COLLINS

Part of me wants to set sail for an ultra, but the rest is quite content running a steady course around the marathon and calling it good after 26.2 (or less) miles.

I love the 10Ks, half-marathons and trail trundles that end before 26 miles.

In the last two years, my treasure trove includes 102 such races. But no matter how many events I do, I always get asked, “Have you ever run an ultra?”

I hate answering, “No.” Let’s face it, ultramarathons are the new marathon. Even the grocery-store clerk knows that scuttlebutt. After all, pictures of Oprah sculling her scow through 26.2 were plastered all over the tabloids, proving beyond a doubt that the tide has turned. Marathons used to be for the elite runners among us, but now they are for the masses. Pheidippides, that ancient Greek who ran 26 miles with news of victory and died upon delivering his message, would doubtless be surprised at the volume of runners who have matched his feat without keeling over.

Even trail marathons are getting crowded these days. Much as I love the camaraderie of racing trails with a raucous band of medal marauders, for most of my days out there training, I never see a single soul. Exploring nature’s riches in solitude is fulfilling. I crave it.

Voyages beyond the fringe of civilization are what make a person feel alive.

And most trail rovers want to take their craft to the furthest degree. The persistent lure of that self-imposed challenge drives us to be our best. Whether we choose a 10K, a marathon or an ultra to test ourselves may depend on experience, but the progression toward ever-longer distances is natural. The more you run, the more you can run, and it’s human nature to keep pushing the limits.

Ultras are sexy. Their finish lines are buried treasure on the far side of beyond where e-X-treme marks the spot. Who could resist?

Well, me.

But sometime this year I want to toe the line of at least one ultramarathon, and finally be able to tell the grocerystore clerk so.

Bernie Boettcher of Silt, Colorado, was named the USATF Masters Mountain Runner of the Year in 2003 and last year’s Masters National Snowshoe Champion.

2005 MARCH | TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM 63