Trail Runner #44, March 2007

HEAD TO TOE: THE LATEST IN TRAIL-RUNNING APPAREL AND GEAR

One Dirty Magazine

MARCH 2007 • ISSUE 44

LONGS STRANGE TRIP A training run turns life threatening

DOCTOR’S ORDERS

Ankle-sprain avoidance and treatment

PRIME TRIPS

LOST IN COLORADO’S FLAT TOPS WILDERNESS // NEW YORK’S STUNNING, 800-MILE FINGER LAKES TRAIL

2 0 0 7

T R O P H Y

S E R I E S

SPECIAL RACE EDITION

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44

C ONTENTS MARCH 2007 WWW.TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM ONE DIRTY MAGAZINE

DEPARTMENTS 4

EDITOR’S NOTE

6

LETTERS

8

MAKING TRACKS

Rancher turned trail runner, 80-yearold Bob Hayes ticks his 10th Le Grizz 50-miler; the beta on California’s 2006 Big Sur Marathon and Half Marathon.

12 GALLERY 14 ADVENTURE

The Flat Earth. Exploring (and getting lost in) Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness

BY MARK ELLER

49 ASK THE COACH

Race etiquette; aid-station savvy; bonk avoidance tips.

17 58

2 0 0 7

T R O P H Y

S E R I E S

SPECIAL RACE EDITION

LONGS STRANGE TRIP Jamin Camp woke from unconsciousness on a run up a Colorado 14er, not even sure how he took the bonebreaking fall. Alone at over 13,000 feet in the winter, Camp faced a bleak, life-anddeath battle.

BY JUSTIN NYBERG ART BY JEREMY COLLINS

50 TRAIL RX

Get Twisted (or not). How to prevent and cope with ankle sprains.

BY APRIL ROSE FERRENTINO

52 GREAT ESCAPES

Finger on the Pulse of the East.

Up and down on the 800-mile Finger Lakes Trail.

BY NANCY KLEINROCK PHOTOS BY DAVID CLIFFORD

COVER: Exclamation point: Mavis Fitzgerald gear testing in Castle Valley, Utah, with the striking Castleton Tower in the background.

PHOTO BY DUANE RALEIGH THIS PAGE: Nancy Kleinrock takes a spin on the Falls Trail, Taughannock Falls, Trumansburg, New York.

PHOTO BY DAVID CLIFFORD

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E D I T O R ’ s n ote

Back in the Saddle she thought trails would be the antidote to competitiveness

A

longtime road runner, I based the legitimacy of all my workouts on splits, paces and effort. I loved to race; hence I loved to train. I couldn’t run a single road mile without being painfully aware of the time and feeling lousy when I realized I was running off pace. I am so competitive by nature I have been known to get downright giddy when I

find out I have a lower cholesterol level or resting heart rate than a friend or co-worker. So, imagine how dramatically my life changed when I took up trail running two years ago, and had no real idea

In the beginning this aspect of running trails drove me crazy, but over time I started to relish the ease of workouts with no real measuring stick, other than perceived effort, to identify my pace. It was as if my ugly, competitive nature had taken a backseat to a kinder, gentler personality that found joy in winding through a fragrant sage meadow without as much as a glance at my watch. I even started running with friends, something I could never fathom when road running, since I was sure this could somehow get in the way of my pace. But on the trails, I felt laid back and just happy to be out.

Last month, that all changed. My weekly running partner and co-worker, Elinor, met me at the local trailhead with a fancy new gadget in hand. She had just returned from a Nike press camp and was the proud owner of an Nike Plus-equipped iPod integrated PDA that could measure and calculate just about anything the running mind could conjure up. At the end of our run, she proudly announced our distance, splits, pace, tempo and was confident she could download the information into the Mac back at the office to analyze further. I couldn’t decide if I was joyous or devastated that once again I had access to this information.

In a matter of minutes, my anxiousness gave way to old competitiveness.

My newfound knowledge on all the exact distances and splits at our local trail-running destination has resurrected the pace junkie in me. I am beside myself when I realize I have run the first two steep miles of Red Hill in under 18 minutes, and am delighted to go on major outings now that I can back-calculate pace and evaluate my performance. I even went as far as asking Elinor to swap our last trail run for a date with 400s at the local highschool track to test the device’s accuracy.

So, while I am sure the laid-back lifestyle is good for some folks, it really isn’t for me after all. Maybe it is time to get my cholesterol checked again.

randy levensaler

by Lisa Raleigh

how far or fast I was running.

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2007

GoLite G oLite USARA

Adventure Race National Championships November 2-3, 2007 • Missouri

Regional Sponsorship Program: The 1st place coed team from each regional qualifying race will receive a $400 sponsorship, provided by the regional qualifying race, to be applied to the teams entry fee for the 2007 GoLite USARA Adventure Race National Championship™. If the 1st place team does not attend, the sponsorship will roll down to the 2nd place team, etc.

Lewis & Clark Urban Adventure Race (AR) • November 11, 2006 www.urbanadventurerace.com Texas Dare (TX • December 9, 2006 www.texasdare.com Odyssey 1-Day Extreme (VA) • January 13, 2007 www.oarevents.com Bonk Hard Chill (AR) • February 3, 2007 www.bonkhardchill.com Swamp Stomp (FL) • February 17, 2007 www.wecefar.com Woodstock Goldrush 24 (GA) • March 2, 2007 http://coy.ymcaatlanta.org Eco-Lonestar (TX) • March 10, 2007 www.terrafirmapromo.com Sunflower 24 Hour Adventure Race (KS) • March 24, 2007 www.berrymanadventure.com Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race (GA) • April 14, 2007 www.adventureracega.com Endorphin Fix Adventure Race (WV) • April 20, 2007 www.oarevents.com Silicon Valley Series (CA) • April 21, 2007 www.shootingstaradventures.com Save the World Adventure Race (SC) • April 28, 2007 www.s-t-w.org MISSION Adventure Race (IN) • May 12, 2007 www.dinoseries.com Florida Coast to Coast (FL) • May 25, 2007 www.adventurousconcepts.com

Spread Your Wings Adventure Race (TX) • May 26, 2007 www.toocoolracing.com Yough X-treme (PA) • May 26, 2007 www.americanadventuresports.com The Cradle of Liberty Adventure Race (PA) • June, 2007 www.goalsara.org Longest Day Adventure Race (NY) • June, 2007 www.nyara.org Run, Row, Rock, & Roll Adventure Race (NE) • June 9, 2007 www.nscracing.com New England AR Series #2 (VT) • June 9, 2007 www.racingahead.com Lionheart 24 Hour Adventure Race (PA) • June 30, 2007 www.americanadventuresports.com Silicon Valley Series (CA) • July 21, 2007 www.shootingstaradventures.com Odyssey 1 Day Adventure Race (VA) • July 21, 2007 www.oarevents.com Atlantic Coast Conquest (FL) • July 28, 2007 www.mycfar.com Kit Carson Adventure Race (NV) • August, 2007 www.bigblueadventure.com Krista Griesacker Memorial Race (PA) • August, 2007 www.goalsara.org Bushwak This! (AK) • August 4, 2007 www.egadsalaska.com Silicon Valley Series (CA) • August 25, 2007 www.shootingstaradventures.com

The SHAG (NY) • September, 2007 www.nyara.org Bear Adventure Race (FL) • September 2, 2007 www.performancemultisports.com/BEARinfo.htm BlackBeard Adventure Race (NC) • September 15, 2007 www.americanadventuresports.com New England AR Series #3 (NH) • September 22, 2007 www.racingahead.com Midwest Monster Adventure Race (IL) • September 15, 2007 www.monsteradventure.com Wild Adventure Race (MN) • September 21, 2007 www.wildadventurerace.com Berryman Adventure Race (MO) • September 29, 2007 www.berrymanadventure.com Raid the Rock Urban Adventure Race (AR)• October, 2007 www.raidtherock.com Terra Firma Adventure Race (TX) • October 6, 2007 www.terrafirmapromo.com Warrior Challenge Adventure Race (NE) • October 21, 2007 www.nscracing.com Howl at the Moon (FL) • October 27, 2007 www.adventurousconcepts.com The Thunder Rolls Adventure Race (IL) • TBA www.thethunderrolls.org

The 2007 GoLite USARA Adventure Race National Championship team will receive free entry to all 2008 Regional Qualifying Events. (see website for details)

Zanfel is proud to donate $10000 towards the entry fee to the GoLite USARA Adventure Race National Championships to the winning teams from each Reginal Qualifying Event.

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LETTERS You will not be able to drive off of your toes, as it will cause you to slip. Finally, your calves will scream as they are being engaged in a full stretch and contraction.

This is how we are meant to run.

—Gregory Lowe Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

DESERT DIVERSITY

Light Is Right Like Anton Krupicka, the subject of your cover story in the January 2007 issue [No. 43], I believe in a minimalist approach to running shoes. Correct running form begins with a proper foot strike, which involves landing on the mid- to forefoot. Modern running shoes with built-up heel cushioning inhibit the full motion of the foot, ankle and lower leg, leading to shin, knee, hip and back injuries.

So what is the answer? The next best thing to barefoot running, which is not really practical, is using shoes that have no cushioning or heel buildup. This allows for a full range of motion, leading to more complete firing of the muscle fibers in the calves and stretching of the Achilles tendon, and utilizing the shock-absorbing capacity of the leg muscles.

Don’t believe me? Try this. Run on a treadmill in socks, concentrating on a mid- to forefoot strike.

You will find that you cannot land on your heel without pain—you were not designed to. You will feel very springy; the arch of your foot is a natural shock absorber.

The muscles on the front of your leg will burn as you are used to holding your toes in a somewhat upward position to avoid stubbing.

I enjoyed Lindsay Yaw’s article, “Southwestern Sortie,” in the January issue [No. 43], about trail running near my birth town of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Almost two decades ago I relocated to Albuquerque, which has its own trail-running gems nestled around New Mexico’s largest metropolis. We have something for every taste, from mesa trails skirting ancient petroglyphs to “my backyard,” an extensive foothills open-space trail system that is a stone’s throw from wilderness trails that wind up the 10,000-plus-foot Sandia Mountains.

I only have one thing to add to Lindsay’s article and one minor correction. With dwindling public-agency budgets, it is important for trail runners to become proactive in protecting our trail systems. Two excellent groups worth supporting are the New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors (www.nmvfo.org) and Friends of the Sandia Mountains (www.friendsofthesandias.org).

So please give a little sweat to the trails you love—it beats the heck out of a gym fee.

The minor correction is in the spelling of the Winsor (not Windsor) Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest. Keep up the good work, and we’ll keep the rubber on the dirt!

—Bill Velasquez Albuquerque, New Mexico

GRAND KUDOS I was in awe of the perseverance and determination of the trail runners in your article “A Grand Canyon Adventure” [September 2006, No. 41]. I have been to the Grand Canyon twice and hiked halfway to the bottom. I showed the article to my sister, who is a consistent cross-country runner, and she was amazed. Who wouldn’t be?

—Morgan Haley Louisville, Kentucky

FAN CLUB It is not always easy to be a fan.

Some people admire rock stars who sing and dance. My star happens to be Matt Carpenter who runs the rocks. He is the winner of numerous events and holds the records for the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon.

For years I had admired him from afar. My dad always told me that the mountain did not come to Moses but that Moses went to the mountain. I decided that Matt was not coming to Flint, Michigan, and that I would have to go to Pikes Peak, so I signed up for the Pikes Peak Ascent, 13.4 miles up a steep, rocky trail to the top of Pikes Peak.

I had big hopes of winning a place in my age group and having the award presented by Matt, the king of the mountain.

When I received a training manual from Matt, my confidence quickly left me. Matt’s slogan, “Take off fast and when it hurts, speed it up,” failed me in a local 5K. I started swimming under water, staying under as long as I could. I tried running with a plastic bag over my head but that only made me dizzy. I read everything I could find about hypoxia. In the early morning darkness I ran repeats

up and down the biggest hill in our area. Eventually I felt ready for Pikes Peak.

On race day the weather was perfect, and I was wearing my favorite pink shirt that read, “I am in denial.” I had planned to take very few walking breaks, but soon realized that I was on a walk with a few running breaks. Soon, my breathing got harder and my legs felt like they were not moving at all, which may have been a very accurate assessment, as a grandmother with a sign that read “Pikes Peak or Bust” blew past me.

Humiliation set in and I wanted to give up, but I was already at mile 11 so kept going. My heart was beating fast as I struggled along with a few more walking zombies. The finish was bittersweet. I was happy and proud.

My thoughts quickly returned to that moment of confidence six months ago when I signed up. I had also signed up for the marathon, which was tomorrow.

Back at the start line early the next morning, I had no hopes of feeling any better but hoped to catch a glimpse of my hero. I was not even halfway up the mountain, when word came through other runners that the first place runner—Matt Carpenter—was on his way down. I got a brief glance as he shot by.

—Marith Janse Flint, Michigan

TIE ME UP I just wanted to commend you on your 2007 Race Calendar [January 2007, No. 43]. There are Ride and Tie Races in there that I haven’t even been able to locate through the Ride and Tie folks.

Great job.

—Ben Volk Pasco, Washington

T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m march 2007

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TRAIL ADVOCACY ENTER YOUR FAVORITE RUNNING TRAIL INTO THE AMERICAN HIKING SOCIETY’S “BEST HIKES OF THE NLCS” CONTEST

The United States’ Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the largest public-land title holder in the world, managing nearly one eighth of the country’s landmass. In 2000, the BLM established the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), encompassing 26 million acres, to protect this mostly wild landscape. The conservation system houses thousands of miles of scenic running and hiking trails rich with wildlife and heritage.

September 8, 2007 8:00 AM Park City, UT

On February 1, the American Hiking Society and BLM is launching a contest entitled “The Best Hikes of the NLCS,” to raise awareness of conservation efforts, including volunteer maintenance and responsible new trail creation within the 12 Western States.

To enter, go to www.AmericanHiking.org and click on “Best NLCS Hikes.” Submit a written description your favorite trail run, including digital photographs, for a chance to win trail gear such as Leki hiking poles and Nalgene bottles. Judges will select the winning trails and announce the winners in May 2007.

Come and run this stunningly scenic marathon on a level single track trail at 8,000 feet. The trail traverses Deer Valley, Park City, The Colony and The Canyons ski areas with spectacular scenic vistas, enchanted forests, glowing aspens and outstanding foliage.

Sponsored By:

Photo by: Mark Maziarz ParkCityStock.com

For the avid trail runner, we offer a stage race in the mountains of Park City!

The Triple Trail Challenge combines three events, the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase on August 11, the first half of the Park City Marathon on August 25, and the Mid Mountain Marathon on September 8, 2007. Complete all three, and you’re wearing the “must have” fashion statement – an embroidered vest, bragging rights included. Registration and more information can be found through . . .

eDITorIaL

aCCouNTING

PuBLISher Duane Raleigh

Mark Kittay CPA

draleigh@bigstonepub.com eDITor

Michael Benge

mbenge@trailrunnermag.com aSSoCIaTe eDITor

Elinor Fish

efish@trailrunnermag.com CoNTrIBuTING eDITor

Garett Graubins Alison Osius

CoLuMNS eDITor

aosius@bigstonepub.com

www.mountaintrails.org

accounting@bigstonepub.com aDVerTISING SaLeS aSSoCIaTe PuBLISher

Lisa Raleigh lraleigh@bigstonepub.com aDVerTISING MaNaGer

Joanne Kneafsey

jkneafsey@bigstonepub.com CIrCuLaTIoN

CreaTIVe ProDuCTIoN CoorDINaTor

Rowan Fryer

CIrCuLaTIoN DIreCTor

Paula Stepp

pstepp@bigstonepub.com

rfryer@bigstonepub.com

SuBSCrIPTIoNS MaNaGer

ProDuCTIoN MaNaGer

Lindsay Brown

Quent Williams

qwilliams@bigstonepub.com

lbrown@bigstonepub.com BIG STONE PUBLISHING 417 Main Street, Unit N Carbondale, CO 81623 Office: 970-704-1442 Fax: 970-963-4965 www.trailrunnermag.com

DeSIGNerS

Carolyn Britton Sarah Layland

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 6 weeks for the first issue after subscribing or a change of address (to expect continuous service).

No part of this publication March be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. © Copyright 2007 by Big Stone Publishing Ltd.

7 maRch 2007 T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m

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Big Sur

Burn

www.campmor.com Marathon-distance winner Mark Matyazic battled heat, hills and runner-up Steve Bremner.

O

California’s premier coastal course puts the hurt on trail runners

n a brisk, sunny October 7th morning, nearly 300 runners hoofed off the start line of the 17th Annual Big Sur Trail Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5-Miler in southern California’s Andrew Molera State Park. By day’s end, 43 marathoners covered seven hamstring-

hounding climbs—some over two miles long—and quad-pounding descents in the quest for bragging rights and rubber chickens. The rubber chicken, the typical prize at all EnviroSports events, is

WARM

•

COMFORTABLE

•

FUN

The unforgiving out-and-back course is also known for its beautiful panoramic views of the Big Sur coastline. While exposed switchbacks offer little shelter from the scorching sun, leg-turning flats weave through lush, fragrant oak forests, redwood groves and over the historic Bixby Bridge above the Big Sur River.

The morning’s crisp air warmed quickly, slowing the start line’s snappy pace to a breath-pulsing trot up the first of the steep, long ascents. Leading the pack was Steve Bremner, 51, a seasoned distance runner from Manitou Springs, Colorado, who has run 79 marathons in 41 states over the past 16 years. “I was feeling really good and figured I’d push hard to see what kind of a lead I could open,” says Bremner.

But Mark Matyazic, 43, a triathlete from Irvine, California, and last year’s secondplace finisher, was hungry for the winner’s chicken. “Steve is a very fast downhill runner,” said Matyazic, “so I had to wait for the uphills to inch up on him.” Pushing the pace along a old dirt farm road that was once the main transportation artery between Monterey and Big Sur before Highway One opened in 1937, Matyazic patiently made up time between miles 10 and 17.

As Matyazic closed in on Bremner, Stefani Jackenthal, 40, from New York City, the leading woman, battled for third with Eric Edelson, 27, from Stanford, California.

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the organizers’ way of saying “come to our race and go hard; just don’t take it too seriously.”

www.kahtoola.com T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m march 2007

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S

brightroom.com

MA K I N G T RAC K S

Meanwhile, a mother to six boys from San Juan Capistirano, California, Ginny Story, 39, fought for the women’s lead.

Running upright and strong, she trailed Jackenthal by a mere one minute 30 seconds at the halfway point. “This was my first trail marathon and my first marathon since Boston in 2001,” said Story, who had taken the hiatus from running marathons to spend more time with her family. “This is such a beautiful course; it’s worth every mile I trained”. However, the demanding course took its toll and by mile 18, Story began to lose steam and drop back.

Bremner found himself in a similar funk. “Halfway up the second to last hill I ran out of gas,” said Bremner of the point at which Matyazic passed him. However, Bremner made one last effort for victory, blazing past Matyazic on a plummeting descent. “He came back to me fast when I had thought he was broken,” said Bremner, admitting he was surprised when Matyazic again blasted past him on the final butt-burning climb. Matyazic held onto the lead, winning the race in 3:36:12. Bremner arrived six minutes later in 3:42:34 and Edelson finished third in 3:46:17.

Winning the women’s division and finishing fourth overall, Jackenthal crossed the line in 3:51:31. Story finished a solid second among the women in 4:20:33 and Judy Mazowiecki, 40, from San Clemente, California, took third place in 4:34:59.

Winning the half marathon by over five minutes, Kevin Meehan, 25, from Brooklyn New York, pounded out a zippy 7:27 per mile pace over the course’s 2880 feet of elevation gain, finishing in 1:37:40. Kermit Cook, 28, from Redwood City, California, took second in 1:42:57, with Andres Stinchfield, 29, of Kentfield, California, wrapping up third in 1:44:40.

Women’s winner, Holly Tate, 28, from San Francisco, California, beat 22-year old Linsay Griffen, from Thousand Oaks, California, by nearly three minutes. Tate finished in 1:47:54, Griffen in 1:49:08, and Jami Calwell, 24, from San Jose, California, took third in 1:51:20.

Meanwhile, 60-year-old Giuseppi Slater, from Royal Oaks, California, spanked the

GearFinder

other 5-milers on the out-and-back jaunt over a two-mile, 1020-foot mountain pass.

He finished in a frisky 37:29, outpacing Alan Bernier, 36, from San Francisco, California, who ran 40:38 for second.

King Wayman, 57, from Novato, California, timed 42:26 for third place. Just a minute behind, in 43:07 was women’s winner Mary Plumb, 45, from Edwards, California, who had out-sprinted Sydney Bernier, 36, from San Francisco, California, by a mere 18 seconds (43:25). Jennifer Pilotti, 26, from Montery, California, rounded out the top three in 44:15.

For full results, go to www.envirosports.com.

OVER

HEARD

“Be cautious—this is woods running— not a nice road with course marshals.

Potential exciting dangers if you go off trail are: getting bitten by starving animals, exploding gas pipelines, 29,000 volts of electricity, wind burn, running into tree branches and poking eyes out, sticker bushes, crawling under barbed wire, sliding down mud cliffs, slipping on ice or snow and breaking bones, encountering swamp gas or frozen rats.”

Honey Stinger introduces Peanut Butta Pro protein bars. Truly a great tasting protein bar. Formulated with organic honey, whey protein, gluten-free, 0g trans fats and 23 essential vitamins

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The perfect meal replacement or recovery snack.

Available at specialty running, outdoor and natural food stores. Sting or be Stung!

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From the disclaimer for the Rumson Hash House Harriers’ Freezing Cold Hash Run on January 6, 2007, in Edison, New Jersey.

“A race isn’t about having fun. It is about pushing your limits. If that isn’t painful, then you aren’t pushing your limits. If you want to just run up Pikes Peak with a smile on your face, then do it with a bunch of friends and not in the middle of a crowd of strangers.”

Bill Wright, 44, of Boulder, Colorado, of the La Sportiva Mountain Running Team

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M a king t r a c ks

Rancher Turned Runner 80-year-old Montanan Bob Hayes achieves “legend” status

NFR ADV P36452 ENDURANCE JAMES MOTEL

TRAIL RUNNER

Bleed: 16.25 x 5.25”

bear figurine mounted on a four-foot-long juniper plank. The monstrous timepiece, too large for any mantle, commemorates the tenacity of those who finish Montana’s oldest ultramarathon 10 times.

Hayes, a running maverick, doesn’t stretch, wears the same running shoes for chores as he does racing and only buys new shoes every two years or when his knees begin to hurt. He always runs with a feather poking out of his ball cap, loves talking about running and, even as an octogenarian, says he has many more miles to go.

Your goal at this year’s Le Grizz was to beat your time of 10:13:49, but instead you were over 11 hours. How do you feel about that?

I like to think I don’t get slower, but inevitably, age has slowed me down.

However, it was a beautiful, frosty morning, and it was a great to be running.

Trim: 16 x 5.125”

Live: 15.5 x 4.875”

Tom Bauer

B

ob Hayes might not be as fast as he was last year, but at 80 years old, the distance runner from Evaro, Montana, says he’s in the best shape of his life. Lean and wind-whipped like a greyhound, Hayes runs with the rolling, steady gait of a man half his age.

The rancher and timber cruiser secured “legend” status last October when he completed his 10 th Le Grizz 50-mile ultramarathon, held in Montana’s scenic Glacier National Park.

“The finish was very emotional,” says Tom Hayes, who supported his father during the race. “My brother, Andy, ran the last six miles with Dad, and Mom and I ran the last 200 yards.”

A rowdy standing ovation greeted Hayes when he crossed the finish line in 11 hours 4 minutes, making him the oldest inductee into the race’s 10 Bears Den, a hall-of-fame honor for which Hayes received a trophy made of a clock and

DDB Seattle

ENDURANCE is

T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m march 2007 10

A muggy motel room, somewhere. Infomercials. Twice-sorted gear. Through proper training and preparation, James Bonnett became the youngest

NFR JamesAd TR m2.indd 1 10 p.009-11 MakingTracks.44.indd

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finish

Making tracks

Did your cairn terrier, Jack, run with you?

He accompanies me to most races, and ran about 10 miles with me at this year’s Le Grizz. At one point, he broke his leash and ran after a squirrel. I chased him into the timbers to round him up, which added a detour to the race course.

Tom Bauer

What do you think about while running 50 miles?

I think about chores waiting for me at home—collecting wood, shingling the roof or some other job. I think about my friends and family, and when I’m really tired, I look around at my fellow runners and if I see they are tired too, I ask, “Are you having any fun yet?” Sometimes they reply with a pretty glum look.

Why did you start running?

Twenty years ago, when I was 60 years old, the first annual Evaro Mountain Challenge 5K and 10K was held and part of it runs through my ranch. I wasn’t very fit, but wanted to give it

a go, so I rounded up my wife, Ann, my sons and daughter, Susie, and got the whole family into it.

I figured I should train prior to the race, so my first runs were in logging boots and jeans. My son, Tom, saw me and shouted, “Dad, you aren’t running in those boots!” and bought me some running shoes. I’ve been running ever since.

How do you train?

I run five to 10 miles three times a week, plus a slightly longer run once a week, all year round. I begin training for ultramarathons in late spring by adding a weekly 10- to 12-mile run, and building up to 30 miles. I break up the long runs into two parts within a 24-hour period, because it’s easier on my body. I do 20 to 25 miles one day, and then five to 10 miles the next. For variety I do intervals or hill repeats once in a while.

How do you stay motivated?

My training schedule is always tailored to a goal race. I feel better when I am

running and don’t feel so good when I take too many days off. Besides, I like knowing I could run 50 miles if I had to. I love running logging roads behind my house, county roads and sometimes on my daughter’s Ovando, Montana, ranch.

What is your daily training diet?

I eat pretty much the same thing every day, including a lot of fruits and vegetables, not too many eggs and just a little bit of fat. For breakfast, I usually have two bowls of oatmeal with raisins. Lunch is a peanut butter and banana sandwich and supper is a meat dish with salad, some homemade bread and fruit pie. I try to drink eight glasses of water a day.

What will you do with the 10 Bears Den Trophy?

It’s so big that the only place it will fit is in the garage. I figure it will look real good there.

—Betsy Cohen

ttle

gest

finisher of the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run. See what it takes to be an endurance runner at enduranceis.com Photos: Corey Rich/Keith Sutter

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Abi Watras takes the chill off a stormy day, Craftsbury, Vermont.

PHOTO BY CHRIS MILLIMAN

Walk

on a rainbow

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tra

alk a

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beauty.

WILL BE

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adventure

by Mark eller » photos by Duane raleigh

The Flat Earth

Exploring [ and getting lost in ] Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness

Paradise Found: Mark Eller and Elinor Fish experience the high-country ecstasy of the North Derby Trail.

There are two kinds of explorers: the good and the lucky.

Ferdinand Magellan belongs in the first group: Unconvinced by those who held the earth was flat, Ferdy steadfastly guided his crew around the globe (unfortunately, he didn’t survive the journey). On the other hand, Christopher Columbus lucked his way into discovering the New World while searching for India—and was so convinced of his navigational prowess that Native Americans were saddled with the name “Indians” for centuries.

Anyone who has joined me for a backcountry ramble will tell you that dumb luck guides most of my route-finding choices. And so it was that I led a few friends onto the North Derby Trail—not the East Fork Trail that I had intended on following—for a multi-hour run in Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness.

Unique among Colorado’s central mountains, the 235,035-acre Flat Tops offer broad plateaus that are custom-made for runners. Leg-busting steeps exist, but they’re fewer and farther between in the Flat Tops than in other ranges. A typical journey starts with a big, but not overly steep, climb, followed by several miles of singletrack that undulates across flowery alpine meadows, then eases back to treeline.

Our starting point for this run was Stillwater Reservoir, situated at 10,200 feet, on the northern end of the Flat Tops. The nearest town, Yampa, is popular with fisherman who wet their lines in the region’s abundant streams and lakes. For those who don’t know

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Runs from Stillwater Reservoir The town of Yampa marks the entry point for Stillwater Reservoir, the launching point for the routes described here. Reach the reservoir by taking County Road 7 (which becomes Forest Road 900) 17 miles south to the Cold Springs and Horseshoe Campgrounds.

the difference between a Royal Wulff and a Wooly Bugger, the resort town of Steamboat Springs, 30 miles north of Yampa, makes a better reference point.

The North Derby Trail led past pleasant streams and fields of wildflowers, climbed a steady rise to a saddle, and deposited us in a flower-laden meadow. Unfazed by the fact that the contour lines on my map didn’t match what lay before us, we gazed up at an enormous wall of fractured granite punctuated by jagged ridgelines.

“With the built-in altimeter on my watch, I don’t really need a compass to navigate,” I informed Duane, while trying in vain to position the map in a way that would mesh with the scenery. In my defense, an altimeter is an excellent tool for exploring most of

North Derby Trail: This out-and-back run has a logical turn-around at the confluence of the Indian Cliffs and Island Lakes Trails, creating an excellent 10-mile trek. You can tag on a few more miles venturing out the Bailey Lakes or Solitary Lake trails.

East Fork Trail to Devil’s Causeway to Chinese Wall Trail to Bear River Trail: The exposed scramble across the Devil’s Causeway—a 50-foot long, five-foot wide rock ridge with sheer drops to either side—is the highlight of this eight-mile loop. The Causeway is not for the faint of heart, but the footing is good and the rock is stable on the well-traveled passage. After crossing the Causeway, you’ll ramble along the plateau on the Chinese Wall Trail (indistinct in spots—look for cairns and vertical wooden markers) to a left turn at the well-marked intersection with the Bear River Trail. A pleasant descent through pine forests leads back to the reservoir.

East Fork Trail to Devil’s Causeway to Chinese Wall Trail to West Lost Lake/ Lost Lakes Trail to East Fork Trail: This 24-mile loop creates an ambitious one-day run, or the opportunity for a less-daunting overnight fastpacking trip. The loop runs well in either direction, but doing it clockwise gets you across the Devil’s Causeway in the morning, with less chance for being caught on the exposed ridge in bad weather. During a July run, I crossed the ridge under blue skies 80-degree temps, and was glad to be off the plateau when a snow- and hailstorm, punctuated by lightning, blew across the ridge just 30 minutes later.

15 March 2007 T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m

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Flat Tops Fundamentals Colorado’s high country—however, the broad plateaus of the Flat Tops don’t offer the same vertical contrast as other ranges.

I couldn’t figure out why I was having so much trouble spotting the Devil’s Causeway.

Although I’d never seen the area’s signature feature, the Causeway seemed unmistakable: a five-foot wide traverse across a spine of rock, poised hundreds of feet above fields of talus.

Then Elinor asked the question all men dread.

“Can I see the map?”

“Here be dragons,” I thought, and handed over the goods.

“That has to be it,” she intoned after a few moments of study, pointing across the valley to a saddle about the same elevation as the one on which we were standing. I made out the spiny ridge cresting a sheer wall of rock — the Devil’s Causeway—and plastered a smile to my face.

We steered by committee for the rest of the day, but there was no mutiny. The

North Derby Trail continued past Hooper and Keener Lakes. Surrounded by Indian Paintbrush, Larkspur and other wildflowers, the lakes offered twin reflections of nearby Derby Peak (12,186). Gradually losing elevation, we continued to the three-way intersection with the Island Lakes and Indian Cliffs trails.

We settled into a steady trot for the homeward leg, slowed to a hike for a 1000-foot drop from the saddle, then ran the flat two-mile stretch back to Stillwater Reservoir.

At the East Fork trailhead, I mentioned the possibility of continuing onward, in search of the elusive Devil’s Causeway. “I wish we could, but I think it’s time for us to get home,” replied Elinor. The day was still reasonably young, and I couldn’t think of a good reason to stop exploring. Re-filling my hydration bladder, I studied the map vigorously, re-applied sunblock and headed off in search of the Causeway, confident that luck would be on my side. n

Getting there: Located in central Colorado, roughly between Steamboat Springs and Craig, the 235,035-acre Flat Tops Wilderness offers few spires, no fourteeners and more than 150 miles of singletrack trails.

Hundreds of lakes and ponds—plus scores of trout-laden streams—make the Flat Tops a popular destination for fisherman. Abundant water sources provide plenty of opportunities for runners to re-fill hydration bladders (bring chemical treatments and/or a filter). But they also generate clouds of mosquitoes, so don’t forget to pack plenty of bug sauce.

Season: Visit in late June to late August for generally snow-free trails.

Map: Trails Illustrated’s Flat Tops NE Trappers Lake (Number 122).

Permits: None required. Sign-in at the trailhead is requested.

Ranger office: U.S. Forest Service in Yampa, Colorado; 970-638-4516.

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T R O P H Y

S E R I E S

SPECIAL RACE EDITION

EL R AR A S GE PP RIE IN , A SO ST AR S BE E CE C TW A O D FO AN

2 0 0 7

STILL PEAKING Lisa Goldsmith takes on the hills

TOP OF THEIR CLASS Meet the 2006 Trophy Series Champs

ULTRA LEGEND SCOTT JUREK REVEALS TRAINING AND DIET SECRETS

TAPER RIGHT

Get the most from your hard training

SIGN UP NOW! 2007 TROPHY SERIES CALENDAR INSIDE

BONUS OFFER—JOIN US & receive up to 40% off La Sportiva trail shoes PLUS a chance to join the La Sportiva Mountain Running Team

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NOVEMBER 2004 | WWW.TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM

2 0 0 7

T R O P H Y

S E R I E S

C ONTENTS

6 FANTASTIC FOUR From a California family guy to a swift-footed Wyoming cowgirl, these are the 2006 Trail Runner Trophy Series champions.

BY GARETT GRAUBINS

SPECIAL RACE EDITION WWW.TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM ONE DIRTY MAGAZINE

8 MOUNTAIN MAVEN Lisa Goldsmith’s road-marathon ghosts drives her burgeoning success in the world’s toughest uphill trail races.

BY ELINOR FISH

DEPARTMENTS 12 TRAINING

Dirt Secrets. Scott Jurek reveals performanceenhancing cross-training and diet strategies.

BY GEORGE BEINHORN

18 TAPERING

Rest For the Weary. Sit back, relax and run a PR.

BY AARON COE

20 2007 GEAR GUIDE

The latest in trail-running clothing, footwear and accessories.

BY ELINOR FISH

26 TAKE YOUR MARK

Golden Gate Canyon Trail Run, Cranmore Hill Climb, Brew to Brew and Dances with Dirt Ultra.

BY BRIAN METZLER

28 2007 TROPHY SERIES RACE CALENDAR 30 LAST GASP

Race Face 101. Lessons learned in the heat of competition.

BY BERNIE BOETTCHER

COVER: Lisa Goldsmith en route to a win and women’s course record in the 2006 Indian Peaks 10K Trail Run, Eldora, Colorado. PHOTOS (COVER AND THIS PAGE) BY BRIAN SOLANO

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EDITOR’S NOTE

by MICHAEL BENGE

New Year’s RESOLUTIONS

PUT THE 2007 TRAIL RUNNER TROPHY SERIES ON THAT LIST

t’s a new year, and no doubt you’ve been mulling over your 2007 race ambitions. What, in the parlance of the ultrarunning legend David Horton, will be your BHAG—Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal? With our second annual Trail Runner Trophy Series Special Race Edition, we hope to motivate you.

Unfamiliar with the Trophy Series? Plain and simple, it’s the largest trail-racing series in North America, and this year includes 116 races across the United States and Canada. Runners compete in two divisions—Ultra, or Marathon and Shorter—and automatically enter the series just by finishing any Trophy Series race.

42!), 25.

Eighteen prize packages will be awarded to division winners. (On page 6, you will meet the 2006 Trophy Series overall winners, an eclectic mix of trail fiends.)

And new this year, our title sponsor, La Sportiva, will give Trophy Series participants the opportunity to purchase its excellent trail-running shoes for up to 40 percent off. In addition, we will hold a weighted drawing (based upon how many Trophy Series races you run) for a La Sportiva Mountain Running Team honorary membership, which entitles the winner to a slew of great La Sportiva goods (please visit www.trailrunnermag. com for details).

Not only does the Race Edition include the 2007 Trophy Series Calendar, it is chockfull of other content to prepare you for this race season. Our Q&A with ultrarunning guru Scott Jurek will prep you for crucial downhill training and advise you on the best foods for optimal recovery. We profi le Lisa Goldsmith, a La Sportiva Mountain Running Team member and former elite triathlete, cyclist

and road runner, who now focuses on trail running and helped the 2006 U.S. women to their fi rst-ever World Mountain Running Trophy title. And to help you get the most from your hard training, we present the latest information on how to taper your efforts properly before a race.

In Take Your Mark, we highlight four 2007 Trophy Series Races you should consider, and Ask the Coach tackles the most frequently asked race questions, such as how to avoid bonking mid-race.

On the lighter side are Bernie Boettcher’s reflections on race lessons, including a real-life pissing match.

As for my own BHAG, I’m still procrastinating, and avoiding my friend Garett, who is renowned for his own grand BHAGS and for suckering his running buddies into them as well. Recently, after a few post-run brews at the pub, he drew up contracts on the bar napkins, committing our friend to the Leadville 100-miler!

We at Trail Runner thank you all for your interest and participation in the Trophy Series.

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2006 Champions

by Garett Graubins

2006 Trophy Series champions blaze paths to the podium

t began with muddy strides in early March, endured through summer’s merciless heat, reached sky-raking altitudes and tapered into the nip and shiver of fall. After all the miles had been run and shoes retired to the back doorstep, the third annual Trail Runner Trophy Series was in the books.

Almost 20,000 runners took part in more than 100 Trophy Series races, collecting points for finishing and bonuses for placing high. These four runners topped their divisions: a California family guy, Seattle’s version of Pippi Longstocking, a swift-footed Wyoming cowgirl and our first-ever champion from the Hoosier State. Meet them here.

Women’s Ultra Division Champion Van “Pigtails” Phan Van Phan, 35, is easy to overlook. She stands five feet tall and weighs a paltry 108 pounds. Says Phan, “I’m not sure if many people actually know my real name.”

That may be overstating it. People know who she is—she’s the svelte speedster who laps the field at the trail ultras every weekend. They know her as “Pigtails,” not by her true name.

Says Phan, “I wear pigtails to almost all my races, which are more noticeable since my hair goes past my waist.”

Phan, who lives in Maple Valley, Washington, did not initially target the Trophy Series.

Yet she claimed the points lead while she pursued a different goal: to run 52 races of marathon or longer in one year. “I learned that I was the leader after my win at the March Mudness 100K (in Portland, Oregon),” she says.

“I decided to add winning the Series as a goal and to travel more to run Series races.”

Pigtails makes it sound easy, as if adding some of the country’s most challenging trail ultras is like planning a few extra 5K runs.

But her title did not come easily. In all, she raced 622 miles on the Trophy Series circuit, including the notoriously gnarly Miwok Trail 100K (California) and Mount Hood PCT 50 (Oregon).

“The Lost Soul 100 was my most difficult,” says Phan. “It was the combination of travel

Van Phan’s 2006 goals included running 52 ultras and winning the Trophy Series.

to Alberta, Canada, the distance, rocky terrain, near-100-degree temperatures, my asthma and muscle cramps. I considered quitting at mile 18, but dug deep and toughed it out.” Phan more than toughed it out. She won in 28 hours 48 minutes.

After the Trophy Series’ conclusion, the pressure to complete her goal of 52 races in 2006 didn’t let up. As of press time, she was going strong, despite the occasional paved course. “If I had my druthers, I would have completed 52 trail ultras,” she says.

Graham Cooper of Oakland, California, may have won the 2006 Trail Runner Trophy Series in June on the track of Placer High School in Auburn, California. The rust-colored oval is home to the final 300 meters of the Western States 100.

To be fair, Cooper, 36, ran strong at several other tough 2006 Trophy Series races, including the Ohlone Wilderness 50K (2nd place), American River 50 Miler and the Way Too Cool 50K. His stellar year aside, Cooper’s Trophy Series title will forever be linked with Western States.

It’s fitting, because, in Cooper’s words, “Those other races are all great, but it’s like asking whether you prefer a White Castle burger or a porterhouse.”

With his sights set squarely on the 100-mile stretch from California’s Squaw Valley Ski Resort to the town of Auburn, Cooper prepared with a single-minded focus on Western States. He left his job in January and tackled an intense regimen.

“I basically trained, ate and slept,” he says.

“I did not have a job for the five months leading up to the race, and I prepared like a maniac.”

Western was also everything to Brian Morrison of Seattle, Washington, and he led the 2006 race into the homestretch.

He seemed a cinch to win, but staggered and fell on the track several times before his pacer and race officials helped him, thereby disqualifying him. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he spent two days recovering. Cooper hit the track roughly 12 minutes later and jogged across the finish line with his two children, Minnie and Henry, on either side of him.

Cooper wasn’t aware of what had happened ahead of him. “When I crossed the finish line in second, I was ecstatic … on top of the world,” he says. “And then my pacer, Suzie Lister, came over to tell me that I may have won. It was like garlic butter on the porterhouse.” If the Western title was garlic butter, than the Trophy Series title may have been the A-1 Steak Sauce.

van phan collection

Fantastic Four

Men’s Ultra Division Champion Graham Cooper

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winners

Men’s Marathon and Shorter Division Champion Hugh Davis

Graham Cooper quit his job to train exclusively for Western States—and it paid.

Sometimes called “Forrest Gump” in his hometown, Hugh Davis did the Midwest proud, completing 10 Trophy Series races.

clockwise: Luis Escobar; Hugh Davis collection; Annette Van Baalen collection

van phan collection

Women’s Marathon and Shorter Division Champion Annette Van Baalen “I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment,” says Annette Van Baalen when she recalls the September 3, 2006, Grand Teton Trail Marathon.

Van Baalen, 38, tackled some of the most difficult trail races on the 2006 Trophy Series calendar, including six that were close to the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. In addition to the Grand Teton, she ran the high-altitude Mid-Mountain Marathon in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains and the 25-mile Spring Desert Ultra, held on far western Colorado’s ankle-bending singletrack. Van Baalen’s season was impressive, especially for a newcomer to the sport. “I ran my first trail marathon in the summer of 2005,” she says.

Van Baalen lives in Laramie, a southeastern-Wyoming town often associated with cowboys, college kids and high winds.

But it suits her trail-running passion perfectly. She confides, “Those of us who love Laramie are afraid it will be discovered, because we think this is the best place to live if you love trails.” Easy access to remote wilderness routes—the Medicine Bow National Forest is a 10-mile drive out of town—and the local trail-running club (WARTS or Wyoming Adventure Running Team) help her stay motivated and in prime marathon shape.

Relative trail newcomer Annette Van Baalen tailors her work schedule to pursue her passions.

Van Baalen, who is single except for her cat and dog, gives her outdoor lifestyle major priority and admits to making sacrifices to maintain it. She is a physician, working part time in Laramie as well as in Fort Collins, Colorado, 90 miles away. “I’ve chosen to work less so I have time for other pursuits such as skate skiing and cycling,” she says. Now, she may need to add one more endeavor to her list: defending her Trophy Series title in 2007.

If that is the case, it will be a labor of love. “I’ll never let any goals take away the enjoyment of a simple run,” says Van Baalen. “I find nothing more wonderful than going for a long run on the trails with my dog.”

When the final 2006 Trophy Series schedule went public last spring, Hugh Davis of Tell City, Indiana, took aim. “I was in luck,” he says, in a gentlemanly, southern drawl.

“The Series favored my schedule.”

That’s not to say that Davis, 42, has a cushy work schedule that allows him long weekends to jet-set to far-away locales. He toils for 12 hours at a time as a whitesmith, a rough-and-tumble job of aluminum smelting.

With a staggered, albeit brutal, work schedule, Davis planned a trail-racing season including both rough terrain and extended windshield time. He traveled to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for the Grand Island Marathon, to Florida for the John Holmes 15-Miler and to Virginia for the Bel Monte Trail Races, to name just three of 10 races he completed. “I count the miles I run and not the miles that I drive,” says Davis. “Driving is just a necessary evil.”

Still, Davis’ Trophy Series title did not come easily. Aside from juggling work, Davis has a 16-year-old daughter. “She ran a few of the races, too,” he beams. Plus, he had to negotiate some rough weather (18 miles of downpour at Grand Island) to go with some technical terrain that sent him somersaulting several times. “At the Berryman Trail Races, I really banged up my left knee,” he recalls. “For a few minutes, I stood there and wondered if I could go on.”

In his hometown of 8000 people, Davis and his running habit stand out—although another local, Brian Beckort, finished second in the final Trophy Series standings. Also, few of Davis’ coworkers understand his zeal for the sport. He’s been called “Runner Man” and “Forrest Gump” plenty of times. Yet he takes it in stride. “They probably judge me as an oddity, but that’s fine with me,” says Davis, “because I can hold my own in any company.”

That is a social skill that should prove useful, as Davis joins another club: past and present Trophy Series champions.

TS- March 2007 T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m

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Maven

Lisa Goldsmith’s road marathon ghosts

drive her burgeoning success in the world’s toughest uphill trail races.

By Elinor Fish

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Brian Solano (Middle and Right); Randy Levansaler (Top Left)

Mountain

“That felt really good. I’m glad I was faster, even though I didn’t win,” says Goldsmith. The carefree comment typifies 42-year-old Nederland, Colorado, resident’s competitive philosophy. “As a masters runner, my approach to competition is more relaxed and about having fun.”

Goldsmith’s decision to wrap up a stellar season chewing up insanely steep mountain trails—including winning the Barr Mountain Trail Race with a recordsetting margin of victory—with a road race is as carefully calculated as every other aspect of her training. “I’m preparing for the Boston Marathon next spring,” she announces coolly.

Running alongside over 35,000 pavement-pounders in the Boston Marathon— with a paltry 443-foot elevation loss and not speck of dirt in sight—seems a strange goal for the gifted uphill trail runner. But Goldsmith’s motivation to run the world-famous marathon harkens back to unfinished business from her premountain-running athletic endeavors.

Brian Solano (Middle and Right); Randy Levansaler (Top Left)

Redemption Run

Standing roadside in Colorado National Monument in Fruita, Colorado, I am waiting for mountain runner Lisa Goldsmith to cross the finish line of the Rim Rock Run 37-kilometer road race. Before long, she hammers down the final downhill stretch in second place.

On a chilly November morning, wearing only racing flats, a running bra and tight-fitting shorts that show off her wellmuscled figure, Goldsmith resembles a sleek road racer more than a rugged mountain runner. Her smooth, brown hair is pulled back from her tanned face, and bright blue eyes sparkle with satisfaction as she sees her finishing time is four and a half minutes speedier than last year.

After a successful triathlon career during which she won the 1988 national championships, Goldsmith transitioned to professional cycling for five years before then turning to road running and setting her sights on the 2000 Olympic marathon trials. “I missed my first attempt at the qualifying standard of 2:50 at the Chicago Marathon, so I spent the winter training for the Boson Marathon the following April. There, I finished in 2:50:12, missing the standard by only 12 seconds.”

She finally relinquished her Olympic quest and looked beyond road running for a sense of purpose.

Unsure of where to direct her athletic aspirations, Goldsmith competed in a few trail races in 2004, then had a breakthrough performance at the Mount Washington Hill Climb road race, the U.S. mountain-running-team selection event.

Goldsmith finished eighth over the 7.6mile course notorious for its escalating gradient which reaches a wall-like 22 percent in the final 50 yards.

“At the Mount Washington race I realized mountain running was the sport for me,” she says. “I was thrilled to discover

how much I love going uphill. This was a new talent I could cultivate, whereas in marathon racing, I was only getting slower, tired and injured.”

TRAIL TEMPTATION Goldsmith now does much of her training on trails in Boulder’s Flatirons, often performing interval sessions on Mount Sanitas’s punishing ascent.

“Mount Sanitas is strenuous, no matter how you approach it,” says La Sportiva Mountain Running Team Manager, Buzz Burrell. “Lisa makes it even harder, alternating one minute hard and one minute ‘easy’ on a rocky trail that climbs 1000 feet per mile. It’s more severe than any mountain trail race.”

“I train just as hard mentally and physically on trails as I did for the marathon, but my attitude is different,” says Goldsmith. “I’m just out in the mountains playing with friends.”

Several of those friends are masters road and track runners, though an alliance with eight-time Pikes Peak Ascent winner, Scott Elliott, played a significant role in Goldsmith’s rise to mountain-running greatness.

For uphill specialists, the ultimate test is Pikes Peak Ascent in Manitou Springs, Colorado, a gut-wrenching climb of 7815 feet over 13.32 miles topping out at over 14,000 feet. In her early attempts, Goldsmith managed mediocre results, until Elliott introduced her to the benefits of high-altitude training. “Scott and I would do two-hour interval workouts above 12,000 feet, which made all the difference,” recalls Goldsmith.

She went on to win the women’s 2005 and 2006 Ascent titles, improving her time by four minutes—a testament to her hard work.

Three-time Pikes Peak Ascent winner, Cindy O’Neill, of Manitou Springs, Colorado, has finished second behind Goldsmith the past two years. “I’ve known Lisa since our college days of racing triathlons,” says O’Neill. “We have

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“You need to let your body adapt to the strain.

The pace is inevitably slow,

I simply continue running—though barely—when everyone else walks.”

different styles at Pikes—Lisa goes out really fast whereas I go out easy and speed up.

We both want to win, so we certainly push one another, but we also encourage and support each other.”

Goldsmith’s 30 years as a competitor have given her the ideal mindset for tortuous uphill racing. “Running uphill requires patience because it’s uncomfortable from the get-go,” says Goldsmith. “You need to let your body adapt to the strain. The pace is inevitably slow, but the workload is high. I simply continue running—though barely— when everyone else walks.”

Thanks to her 2005 win-streaked season, Goldsmith put the World Mountain Running Trophy (WMRT) back on her radar. She hadn’t been a member of the mountain-running team since 1997, when she went to Upice, Czech Republic, where she was the top American woman, placing 41st, and felt “in another galaxy” compared to Europe’s vastly superior mountain-running talent.

“I knew the 2006 WMRT was an uphill-only year [the course alternates between uphill-only and uphill-downhill courses] and since most of the races I have won are purely uphill, I thought I had a chance of making the team,” says Goldsmith. The nopressure approach rewarded her with a surprise win at the Vail Mountain Hill Climb, which gained her a spot on the U.S. mountain-running team.

“I have a lot of international race experience as a triathlete and cyclist, so I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied to just be there for the experience,” says Goldsmith. “But I wasn’t quite in the caliber of the top mountain runners, either.”

Goldsmith set a goal to finish in the top 20, but upon arrival at the Bursa, Turkey race venue, she saw that the course didn’t suit her strengths. Though it had a net uphill gain, long flat and even downhill stretches called for leg-turning speed Goldsmith didn’t possess.

“I wasn’t fast enough to catch the frontrunners early in the race, so I made a pact with myself to just run my best. In the final 3K, we came to a steep Mount Sanitas-like section, allowing me some redemption,” says Goldsmith of the point at which she blew past eight women, finishing 30th.

Celebrating along with her teammates, who claimed team gold for the United States for the first time in the event’s 22-year history, Goldsmith knew she’d return to the WMRT. “I will train specifically for this year’s up-down course. Then next year is uphill only again, and I’ll be 44, but as long as I’m still having fun, I’ll keep coming back.”

Goldsmith and McClenahan, an accomplished climber from California, married in 2000 and now reside in the small mountain town of Nederland, Colorado.

Goldsmith originally moved from Texas to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1991 to develop her road-cycling prowess at the Olympic Training Center. However, after five years in an intense competitive arena, including two trips to the women’s Tour de France, Goldsmith quit bike racing. Athletics on hold, she worked as a bicycle courier in Boulder, Colorado, and a year later opened Lisa Goldsmith Massage Therapy.

“What I love about my work is that it’s not separate from the rest of my life—it’s about health and well-being,” says Goldsmith. “I try to be really focused on the moment, to be aware of my clients’ needs and service them in a mindful way.”

Goldsmith and her husband, climber Roy McClenahan, 46, now live in the Bohemian hamlet of Nederland, 17 miles up a winding canyon road from Boulder’s bustling mini-metropolis. “I work and recreate in Boulder, but Roy and I live here because it’s peaceful and quiet, like a little Switzerland.”

Guests to their quirky, chairless 900square-foot house are initially taken aback when offered a seat on fluffy floor pillows or a bouldering pad and meals crosslegged around a low-profile dining table.

“Sitting on the floor or on exercise balls instead of chairs is better for the hips,” explains Goldsmith.

These days, Goldsmith carefully doles out her energy to the things she says matter most. “My life is full with running, my massage practice and my husband,” she says. “I have no need to complicate life with anything more.”

Looking forward to the 2007 race season, the two-time U.S. Track and Field Masters Mountain Runner of the Year has both the WMRT in Saillon, Switzerland, and Boston Marathon on her tick list. “I have an undying passion for the marathon. Even though I’m older now, I feel healthier and more enthusiastic than ever,” says Goldsmith.

“More importantly, I look forward to seeing how my marathon training impacts my deeper love—mountain running.”

Elinor Fish is the Associate Editor of Trail Runner.

Randy Levansaler

THE SIMPLE LIFE

but the workload is high.

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training

by George Beinhorn » photo by patitucciphoto

DirtySecrets Scott Jurek reveals performance-enhancing cross-training and diet strategies In this interview, seven-time Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run winner and course-record holder, Scott Jurek, suggests cross-training strategies that will help you make the most of your time and talents.

Scott Jurek in perfect stride at the Way to Cool 50K, California.

n his recent book, Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore describes a conversation between coaching legend Bill Bowerman and two-time Olympic gold medalist and mile and 800-meter world-record holder Sebastian Coe. Bowerman was quite surprised when Coe revealed that he trained just 40 to 50 miles per week. Later, Coe mentioned, almost in passing, that he also regularly put in 10 to 12 hours per week at the gym, working on core strength, flexibility and speed with weights, plyometrics and range-of-motion drills.

If your schedule prevents you from running 120 miles per week, or if you lack the V02 Max of an Olympian, supplementing your training with appropriate exercises can help you accomplish your trail-running goals. That isn’t just our opinion.

Q: How should people prepare their bodies for the special demands of trail running, especially in terms of injury avoidance and punishing downhills?

Scott Jurek: I find that many runners assume, “I run, therefore I have strong legs.” But that’s a big misconception.

The biggest issue, especially for downhill running, is preparing your leg muscles, particularly the quadriceps, hamstrings and glute muscles, to work eccentrically, which means contracting while lengthening. By contrast, in concentric contraction—for example, working your quads going uphill—you contract the muscle while shortening it.

Of course, the best way to strength train for downhills, in terms of specificity, would be to run downhill. You don’t have to run miles-long downhills typical of the Western States course; just find the longest hill in your area and run down it. Folks who live in flatter terrain can prepare for long mountainous downhills by doing repeats, going up and down short hills. And you don’t need to practice on trails—a logging road works fine, for example.

Downhill training can also be done on a treadmill, by inclining the back of the treadmill and creating a downgrade. Don’t try this if you’re new to the treadmill. Also, you will need very strong supports to elevate the treadmill (and if at a gym, the permission of the owner/manager).

Q: What about downhill-running tactics?

SJ: The key component is being aggressive, which comes with practice and getting comfortable with going fast with gravity. If you never train to attack the downhills, or learn to let your body “fall” down a hill, you can’t expect to learn it for the first time in a race.

So play with speed. Lots of runners say, “I try to keep my heart rate high on the downhills.” But you’re not stressing the cardiovascular system on downhills; you’re actually recovering, and that’s the beauty

of trails. The thing you’re really trying to stress is the skeletal muscles, for the eccentric contractions.

Q: How about technique, especially on very steep downhills?

SJ: Do not lean back! Keep a high stride rate, 85 to 90 per minute, and let the legs spin with quick steps, minimizing time on the ground.

Quick short strides allow you to react to technical, steep terrain. Scan the trail 10 to 15 feet ahead, and “pick a line.” Also, lower your center of gravity by increasing knee bend and slightly flexing the hips. Arms can go out to side for more balance. Stay stable and strong in your core. As your comfort level grows, you can lengthen your stride with more confidence.

Q: How do you recommend reaching maximum speed safely on moderate downhills?

SJ: Again, employ a high stride rate, and let your body “fall” without excessive braking, i.e. landing too far out in front with the legs.

Let the foot land under the body, but the torso should fall forward with the core/pelvis in neutral and stable position—not leaning from waist. Make sure arm swing follows stride length and rate. Your arms should be a good source of propulsion on moderate downhills.

Q: What leg-strengthening exercises do you recommend?

SJ: I’m a big fan of doing things one-legged, because that’s how we run—we’re constantly on one leg. Yet it’s surprising how many people go to the gym and do their squats and leg presses two-legged.

Lunges are great, too, even though you’re supporting yourself on your back leg. It takes more time to work one leg at a time, but it’s worth it. Single-legged workouts also reveal any imbalances between left and right, and that can be a huge element in terms of injury prevention, as well as performance.

If you’re preparing for long downhills, I suggest periodizing your strength training: doing some strength-endurance exercises (high reps, low load) for a few weeks, then some strength-power (medium reps, medium loads), followed by high-resistance, low repetitions for pure strength.

Runners who want to prepare for long downhills but don’t have access to that type of terrain can do cross-training exercises with high repetitions—for example, 30, 40 or 50 reps of lunges or one-legged mini-squats. They are time consuming

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Training

and can be boring, but you have to reach a fatigue point.

Q: Gym instructors often recommend 90-degree squats. Is that the same as a mini-squat?

SJ: With a one-legged mini-squat, you’re only bending to about 45 degrees. The deepest I would usually have somebody go is 60 degrees. You’re trying to mimic the range of motion that happens when you run. When you’re running, you never really bend deeper than 60 degrees, except possibly when you’re climbing a steep hill.

Q: What do you think of full squats, i.e., going all the way down?

SJ: I recommend avoiding them. Even if somebody’s really watching their technique and they’re comfortable with squats, functionally, there’s really no reason to go that far down.

Q: What about core strengthening?

SJ: Having a strong core reinforces your lower extremities’ ability to stabilize your body. When you build a house, you want a solid foundation. If you have weak core musculature—which includes the glute, hip, abdominal and back muscles—it’s like building a house on a swamp.

The excellent East African and Mexican runners spend a lot of time on dirt, which gets you more fatigued than roads. It’s not a strength workout, but you’re constantly making adjustments for the terrain.

Q: What core-strengthening exercises do you recommend?

SJ: Sit-ups and crunches build core strength, but I encourage runners to incorporate exercises like Pilates [a method of exercise that emphasizes proper alignment, concentration, breathing and flowing movement]. You aren’t crunching, you’re not bending or moving your low back, but you’re staying stable while you’re moving your arms and legs. Bridging or plank work are good, where you’re on your elbows, holding yourself suspended or using side planks. Working with a Swiss gym ball adds a dynamic component to further engage stabilizing muscle groups in the core.

I’m also a proponent of the abdominalpelvic stabilization exercises, because postural muscles fire a lot when you’re on trails, whether you’re going up or down. You aren’t bending forward or doing extensions, so it makes no sense from a functional standpoint to load up your back or abdominal area with

weights and do crunches, for example. What I tell my clients is that you’ve got to ask what are the sport’s specific demands.

Q: What do you think of plyometrics for a hill runner?

SJ: Plyometrics are great, but for folks who don’t have a strength-training base, they can be dangerous. I encourage light plyometrictype activities like jumping rope, skipping or hopping. For hardcore plyometrics like box jumps, you really need a trainer or a physical therapist who’ll help you design a good program. You want to have a good level of strength before you go into plyometrics at that level. Intense plyometrics really load the joints and muscles.

Runners tend to be really weak. [Laughs] They think they’re strong, and if they do lots of trail running, up and down hills, they’re probably better off than your average road runner who isn’t doing any strength training.

As you age, you lose strength, starting at 25 or 30. Muscles will lose strength unless we’re using them, or stressing them through resistance exercises.

Heeding Jurek’s sound advice, even flatlanders can rise to ultra greatness Q: How about yoga for trail runners?

SJ: I’m a huge fan of yoga. But sometimes I’ll recommend Pilates first, so that people can become aware of their body position. I’ve seen athletes go to yoga class and push themselves too hard. Athletes have to drop the ego when they start doing yoga. Unless you have natural flexibility and/or you’re being closely monitored by an instructor, you may find the poses difficult and frustrating.

Yoga gets people to slow down and develop body awareness. Where am I tight? Where am I strong? Yoga can also be a great core-strengthening workout, because you’re constantly aware of what your core is doing in space. But there’s just so much happening in a yoga posture that the average runner needs to start with a basic-level class.

Q: Do you think yoga helps a person relax while they’re running?

SJ: The benefits of yoga depend on the style.

Some people teach a very vigorous type of yoga, and that may or may not help you relax.

The slower, gentle types of yoga are what I usually recommend for runners, because they’re getting plenty of strengthening if they’re working in the gym or running hills.

I think it’s best to “think slower,” so you can focus on body awareness, breathing and form.

That can definitely help you be more relaxed when you’re running.

Q: Do you work with runners on posture?

SJ: Definitely. Runners will often assume, “We run the way we learned as kids, so we’re stuck with that technique.” While running isn’t as technical as golf or skiing, paying attention to posture, body alignment and movement and consulting with a running biomechanics and technique expert can improve your efficiency.

Yoga helps, because it improves body awareness. People have been running a certain way for years, and they don’t realize that maybe they’re bending forward from the waist, or their head is tilted forward, or they’re tight in their upper body.

Q: It’s widely known that you follow a vegan diet. Can a person become a better trail runner by changing what they eat?

SJ: You’ll find people who have great diets and run decently, and people who have very poor diets and run very fast.

In terms of performance, diet may not help you on race day, but a healthy diet improves the body’s ability to recover and repair. When you’re young, you can bounce back quickly, but individuals who’ve paid attention to their diet for many years usually run and recover better later in life.

Q: Are there specific foods that you find helpful for recovery?

SJ: I like to say “get-down, wholesome, whole food.” Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans. Dense protein sources like tempeh and tofu are great. But I try to advise individuals, as I do with my own diet, to incorporate as many fresh whole, unprocessed foods as possible, because they have the most intact vitamins and minerals. They are the building blocks.

Another important dietary consideration for runners is glycogen replenishment, which is best accomplished by ingesting carbohydrates 20 to 30 minutes after a workout.

And we now know from research that some TS-13 MArch 2007 T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m

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training

By Dominique Hall, Trainer, Peak Performance NYC

Trails’ variable terrain challenges core stability and reveals muscle imbalances. Malfunctions in the core can manifest as joint pain and muscle imbalances between the body’s right and left sides. Downhill running especially requires a strong core, which can be enhanced with focused strength training. The following exercises will boost your trail prowess.

Begin each exercise with two sets and work up to three. When you can do 15 reps of any exercise, increase the number of reps, weight and/or resistance.

Single-Leg Squats

Single-Leg Calf Raises

Stand on one leg aligning the hip, knee and foot. Sit back as if you were about to sit in a chair, but don’t drop down too far (45 to 60 degrees at most; at 90 degrees, you upper leg would be parallel to the ground). Go back to standing position by fully extending the hips and knee. To increase difficulty, stand on an Airex Pad as you perform the exercise. The pad is a soft mat that challenges the body to stabilize in all planes of motion.

Stand on a step on one leg. Hold onto a wall or stable object with one hand for balance. Raise the heel, making sure you avoid rolling out onto the small toes.

Lower back to start position. To increase difficulty, hold a dumbbell in your free hand.

Planks Lie on the floor with your forearms supporting your torso. Lift your body so that only your forearms and toes touch the floor. Work up to holding this position for one minute. Further increase the difficulty by lifting a foot or arm off the floor.

Slide-Board Leg Curls Lie on the floor with only your legs on the slide board. If you do not have a slide board, you can put a towel under each foot. Bend your knees with your ankles flexed, toes up. Next, extend your hips while contracting your glutes. Finally, straighten your legs keeping your glutes contracted and your hips extended, until you return to the starting position. To increase difficulty, simultaneously bend your knees and extend your hip. Your hips will come off the floor. Don’t forget to contract your glutes when you start the movement.

When you have mastered this step, do the exercise with one leg off the floor.

Exercise-Band Hip Abduction Stand with your hips and knees slightly bent with an exercise band right above the knees. Feet should be hip width apart. Walk sideways to the left opening the thighs and then returning to hip width for each repetition. Finish the set by walking the same number of steps to the right. To increase difficulty, perform a squat every time you open the thighs. As you stand up, go back to the starting position.

Or hold a dumbbell close to the body against the chest while going through the exercise.

Balancing on One Leg

Simply stand up straight on one leg with the knee slightly bent.

Work up to one minute on each leg. To increase difficulty, stand on a half foam roller (a tool made out of high-density foam; one side is round and the other is flat.) Stand on the flat side of the foam roller.

Later you can graduate to an Airex pad.

Wood Chops

You can use a cable machine or thera-band tubing for this exercise.

Kneel with the leg closest to the weight stack forward and the one away from the weight stack down.

Both legs should be bent at 90 degrees. Make sure the torso is upright and aligned right over the back knee. The cable should travel in a diagonal pattern from shoulder to opposite hip. Pull the cable to the middle of the chest with the outside arm then push with the inside arm to finish the movement. Keep the cable close to the body.

protein, and maybe a little fat, helps carbohydrate replenish the glycogen stores.

I also like to incorporate things like barleygrass juice and wheat-grass juice. These and other “super foods” like chlorella, spirulina, etc. provide condensed vitamin and mineral content that’s minimally processed.

Q: On your website, you mention eating solid foods, such as quinoa, aduki beans and pita bread, during races.

SJ: Yeah, but I do different things also. I’ll sometimes eat bean-and-rice burritos, potatoes and bananas. It depends on the timing during the race, as well as other factors. At Badwater [a grueling 135-mile race in Death Valley] this year, I had some potatoes and bananas, but I didn’t do a whole lot of solid food, probably because the heat was so intense.

Solid foods take a lot of water to get down, and when it’s that hot I stick to gels and drinks, with some fruit here and there. I had some soy-protein drink, but mostly I ate simple foods.

Heeding Jurek’s sound advice, even flatlanders can rise to ultra greatness (or at least finishes). Consider Matt Mahoney: the native Floridian has finished all of the major trail 100milers, including multiple finishes at Colorado’s Hardrock, the most difficult trail ultra of all, with more than 33,000 feet of elevation change.

Yet the highest hill Matt trains on is a 50-foothigh freeway overpass. His secret? Regular weight work emphasizing the quads.

Former Western States 100 director Norm Klein believes that 85 percent of the race’s dropouts are caused by the relentless, quadtrashing downhills. (The WS 100 course features 23,000 feet of descent, and “only” 18,000 feet of climbing.) No question, the hills can kill you. Probably the most timeefficient way to transform your legs into trail tigers is by following Scott Jurek’s advice: spend time in the gym or cross training, especially if you aren’t running high mileage over mountainous terrain.

In addition to his formidable running accomplishments, Scott Jurek is a licensed physical therapist and personal trainer advising clients worldwide (www.scottjurek.com).

George Beinhorn is a freelance writer living in Mountain View, California. He used supplementary weight training to cure mild piriformis sciatica and finish a double marathon (52.4 miles) with 14,000 feet of climbing pain free. He is the author of Fitness Intuition: The Wisdom of the Heart in Exercise and Sports Training (www.fitnessintuition.com).

Illustrations by Jeremy collins

HardCore

Home exercises to prepare you for the trails

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T R O P H Y

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* WIN ONE OF 18 PRIZE PACKAGES, STUFFED WITH AWESOME GEAR FROM TROPHY SERIES SPONSORS!

For 2007 Trophy Series information and updates, visit www.trailrunnermag.com.

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training

by Aaron Coe » photo by David Clifford

TAPERING NUTS AND BOLTS ➧ Taper to maximize training benefits, maintain fitness and minimize fatigue ➧ Maintain or slightly increase training intensity ➧ Reduce training volume by 50 to 90 percent ➧ Cut training frequency as low as 80 percent (highly trained runner) or even down to 33 percent (less trained) ➧ Individualize taper duration between four and 28 days based on training and event ➧ Reduce mileage progressively as event approaches ➧ Expect performance improvement of about three percent DURATION: A STARTING POINT Establishing a timeframe is one of the trickiest parts of tapering due to individual variance. Use these times as a general guideline: ➧ ➧ ➧ ➧

Rest For the Weary

Sit back, relax and run a PR

Priming for a big race should start weeks in advance, especially for those who run hard or far. Experts agree that a restful tapering period is a key to unlocking the wealth of speed and endurance accrued in the labors of training, but less consensus exists concerning the finer points of a successful taper.

While the experts continue to debate details, nailing down tapering’s essentials can arm you to go the distance and run a great race when it counts.

What is tapering?

Reasons to taper

Tapering refers to a period of reduced training, usually before a race. Tapering runners change their routines most noticeably by decreasing mileage, but other factors, such as workout frequency and intensity, can also be manipulated.

Training style and physical constitution matter; athletes also adapt to training sessions at different rates. These personal factors affect the taper’s structure and duration, so an ideal taper varies from runner to runner.

“Tapering is as much an art as a science,” explains Toby Schwarz, the head cross-country and track coach at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. “Everyone does not react to tapering the same.”

Despite its complexities, tapering is worth the effort. It doesn’t produce additional fitness gains, but lets you take full advantage of work already exerted. By providing additional rest, a taper eliminates the fatigue and microscopic muscle damage of hard training, giving you time to recover and heal. Besides, it makes little sense to suffer through tough workouts immediately before a race or big adventure, since most benefits from a training session don’t occur for about two weeks.

While resting and tuning up for your target event, you gain other benefits, too.

Glycogen stores have a chance to fill up and full hydration is easier to attain.

According to Brian Mackenzie, a nationally

5K-12K 12K-25K 25K-50K 50K and up

7-14 days 10-20 days 10-30 days 14-30 days

accredited British running coach, athletes also experience increases in blood plasma (essential for hydration and sweat), redblood-cell density (bringing more oxygen to the muscles) and enzyme activity in the leg muscles (improving the muscles’ ability to use oxygen). Neuromuscular improvements, which can accrue in a day or less, produce a nervous system better able to coordinate faster running. Come race day, your body is primed for optimal performance.

Still, nothing can replace a positive mental outlook. “Confidence in the taper is as important as the physical effects,” says Schwarz. “A scientific taper or even lack of taper won’t matter if an athlete ‘feels’ tired.” This presents a special danger for many trail runners, who often run for enjoyment and closely associate foot travel with sanity. The negative thoughts and stress that pop up with curtailed mileage are potentially the most daunting obstacles a resting runner faces. “It takes a lot of self-control to sit in your hotel room watching the television, when you could be out seeing what’s on the other side of a hill,” agrees Paul Low, a U.S. Mountain

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Running Team member. Achieving this sort of relaxed focus lays a strong foundation for a balanced training regimen.

Stepping Back

The taper itself includes several components, including your method of reducing mileage.

Training loads can be reduced in a linear model, exponentially, or in a “step,” where the runner cuts back a certain amount and maintains that rate throughout the taper.

The exponential structure, where runners reduce their training more and more as the taper progresses, is the method favored by many coaches, as it has produced the best results in studies. For example, you might run 10 percent less the first week, then 30 percent less, then 60 percent less the final week before an event.

Length

Studies have found positive effects from tapers as long as 28 days and as short as four. Two-time Olympic marathoner Pete Pfitzinger and the English Institute of Sport both recommend about three weeks for the marathon distance. Other authorities suggest slightly built runners can taper for as little as 10 days for races over an hour.

Generally, more highly trained and more heavily muscled athletes need a relatively longer taper, while their recreational and reedy counterparts require less tapering.

There is also a general gender difference.

“Men tend to require a longer taper than women,” says Schwarz. “This does have to do with muscle mass, but also the relative intensity and volume that most men undergo in training.”

The key to this variable is to find the middle road: abridged tapers leave insufficient time to reap benefits, and tapering too long leads to eventual fitness losses. “It is wise to err on the side of tapering too much,” Pfitzinger advises, “since any one workout gives you far less than one percent fitness improvement, but a well-designed taper can improve race performance much more.” Still, psychological distress may counteract any physical benefits of a long taper for those who can’t stand it, so don’t force yourself off the trails unless you can tolerate it mentally.

Volume

Emil Zatopek, a mid-20th century Czech distance star, grew violently ill and convalesced in hospital for two weeks before the 1950 European Games. Leaving the dispensary only two days before the meet, Zatopek

subsequently won the 10K by 400 meters and the 5K by 23 seconds. This astonishing feat was dubbed the “Zatopek phenomenon.”

“Reducing the amount you run has the greatest impact on reducing accumulated fatigue to improve racing performance,” says Pfitzinger. Few runners would consider tapering with such abandon, though; many agree with recent Pikes Peak Ascent winner Simon Gutierrez’s remark, “I feel sluggish if I back off too much.” Pundits commonly advise a 50 to 60 percent peak volume reduction, but still, some advocate running only 10 to 20 percent in the final week of the taper. Some studies support this latter position, as does outstanding trail racer Matt Carpenter, who whittles his training down to about 20 percent the week before handily winning major races.

Frequency

“High training frequencies seem to be necessary to avoid detraining and/or ‘loss of feel’ in highly-trained athletes—especially in more ‘technique-dependent’ sports—but training-induced adaptations can be kept with very low training frequencies in moderately trained individuals.” Here the authors of the Peak Performance newsletter identify a partial answer to the sluggishness some hard-training runners associate with tapering. Unlike volume, the frequency of training sessions should be kept up around 80 percent by these runners, whereas those with easier regimens can run one-third to one-half of their usual workouts without adverse effects.

Also, trail running may necessitate a higher training frequency during tapering compared to track and road running, as the former is slightly more “technique dependent.” I have experienced this loss of feel on relatively tame college cross-country courses, so avid mountain runners will likely feel an even greater effect.

Intensity

Training intensity should not be cut. “I actually increase, slightly, my intensity during a taper,” Low states. “I also tend to do a higher percentage of my total volume as speedwork.” The strategy might seem strange at first, but studies indicate that little or no benefits arise from reducing intensity, and a small boost in intensity can be helpful. A crucial aspect of tapering, staying speedy enhances neuromuscular coordination and keeps you fit to run fast. “Maintenance of training intensity is necessary to avoid detraining, as long

THE REST OF THE REST What else are you doing?

Be aware of non-running activities while tapering. Filling the “extra time” with rigorous yard work, for example, will not help your taper. Make sleep a high priority, too. Finally, “DON’T DO ANYTHING NEW!” shouts Whitworth College cross-country and track coach Toby Schwarz. “Change produces stress, and stress can cause soreness or injury. Keep it normal.”

What are you eating?

Running less burns fewer calories.

So unless you eat less, too, you’ll probably gain weight and lack energy. You might have to be deliberate about your food choices during this time. “I have always found that my appetite lags behind my actual metabolic need by about a week,” says mountain running champ Paul Low. What are you running on?

Trail runners should also pay attention to the terrain they run during a taper. Long, steep, hilly loops are not the best option.

Low and Simon Gutierrez, another mountain running ace, both stick to flatter surfaces when tapering.

as reductions in other training variables allows for sufficient recovery to optimize performance,” says Peak Performance. So keeping the pace up helps, but you don’t need to run all-out 500-meter repeats every day (although one study found this very effective for cross-country runners), and definitely don’t introduce formal speedwork into your training now for the first time.

If you do include intervals and the like, be sure to get plenty of recovery. This will enable you to keep the intensity without introducing extra fatigue. It is also another part of the neural improvement equation, which relies on rested muscular and nervous systems to enhance coordination.

Tapering is only as good as the training before it, so you won’t turn super-fast overnight. Most studies show an average three percent improvement, which may sound modest, but knocking 1:30 off a 50-minute effort or nine minutes off a five-hour race is not too shabby. You’ll find that kind of progression is worth the (reduced) effort.

Aaron Coe is a slightly competitive runner in Portland, Oregon, where he revels in the abundance of nearby trails. While not running, he pursues graduate studies at Portland State University and tapers carefully for big exams.

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TRAIL TESTED

by ELINOR FISH » photos by DUANE RALEIGH

[ MAVIS IS WEARING ]

[ JEFF IS WEARING ]

SALOMON SMARTWOOL Raid SS tech-T // $65 THRESHOLD BENT CREW // $75 www.salomonsports.com www.smartwool.com Salomon’s most technical trail-running top A proven favorite. This temperature-regulatis super lightweight, has mesh panels and ing long-sleeve wool top with flat seams is is seamless, making it chafe-free. ideal for layering.

Z E A L OPTICS Jetstream Sunglasses // $80 www.zealoptics.com Weighing only 16 grams, you’ll hardly notice this high-performance shield. The versatile ZB 13 lens adapts to bright light and low light and the flash-mirror finish protects eyes.

2007

GREGORY Pyr Pack // $79 www.gregorypacks.com For an overnight fastpacking trip, the Pyr has a 1150-cubic-inch carrying capacity. The waist belt’s multiple connection points keeps it snug against the lower back. Expandable easy-access side pockets keeps gels and bars within easy reach.

IN THIS SPECIAL RACE EDITION, WE BRING YOU THE LATEST IN RACE-WORTHY FOOTWEAR, CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES.

BEST IN TRAIL GE AR T R A I L R U N N E R M A G . C O M MARCH 2007 20-TS

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Whether you prefer wool’s softness and natural anti-microbial quality or the latest in high-tech polyester blends, these stylish tops keep you dry and comfortable out on the trails.

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SHORT SLEEVE TOPS NEW BALANCE Helio Short Sleeve // $50 www.newbalance.com

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TRAIL TOPS 1

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ASICS Velostretch Run Shirt // $36 www.asicsamerica.com

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PATAG O N I A Wool T-Shirt // $75 www.patagonia.com

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H E L LY H A N S E N Versa Trailwizard Short Sleeve // $45 www.hellyhansen.com

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GOLITE Drimove Lite // $30 www.golite.com

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THE NORTH FACE Translution Tek Te // $45 www.thenorthface.com Quick-drying shirt made of breathable mesh that still offers UV protection and moisture management.

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SMARTWOOL Threshold Bent Crew // $75 www.smartwool.com A proven favorite. This temperatureregulating long-sleeve wool top with flat seams is ideal for layering.

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M O U N TA I N HARDWEAR Imogene Crew // $45 www.mountainhardwear.com This contoured-fit polyester top is treated with anti-microbial protection and wicking finish.

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GRAMICCI Cross Country Zipneck //$86 www.gramicci.com A 100% organic merino wool top offering next-to-skin softness and warmth.

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CLOUDVEIL Highline 1/2 Zip // $80 www.cloudveil.com A stretchy polyester top with moisturewicking, anti-bacterial wash and UV protection.

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SIERRA DESIGNS Latitude Zip Neck // $42 www.sierradesigns.com This wispy, ultra-wicking polyester top provides ultimate comfort.

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OR Radar Pocket Cap // $24 www.orgear.com SUGOI Lift Cap // $25 www.sugoi.com SALOMON XA Cap // $18 www.salomonoutdoor.com

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M O U N TA I N HARDWEAR Ghost Anorak // $85 www.mountainhardwear.com A featherweight weighing a mere 3 oz, this is a versatile shell made from wind-resistant ripstop nylon.

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PATAG O N I A 9 Trails Jacket // $95 www.patagonia.com This triple ripstop polyester jacket has a durable waterproof finish and stretchy, breathable back and underarm panels. 4.4 oz.

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OR Synapse Jacket // $119 www.orgear.com An ultralight (3.3 oz) weather-resistant hooded shell with a zippered internal check pocket that doubles as stuff sack.

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JACKETS

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2 CW-X Sport Support Bra // $45 www.cw-x.com If you need extra support, this bra uses encapsulation instead of compression to control movement.

Each breast is supported by a five-pointed starshaped webbing.

IBEX Seamless Sports Bra // $49 www.ibex.com Though initially skeptical of a wool sportsbra, testers found its tailored fit and touch of spandex great for women who don’t require a great deal of support.

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TRAIL TESTED

LOWER BODY From shoes to shorts, here you’ll find a selection of top trail-racing shoes, socks, shorts and tights to complement your personal style and trail conditions.

TRAIL TREADS These four trail-racing shoes reflect the latest trend in off-road footwear.

Light and fast, they will carry you to PR in your next trail race. Check out the next issue of Trail Runner for our 2007 Spring Shoe Review, featuring a broad line-up of new trail-running shoes.

(Weights reflect men’s size 9)

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GOLITE Sun Dragon // 11 oz // $95 www.golite-footwear.com The lightest member of GoLite’s new Sky Running footwear line, manufactured by Timberland, the Sun Dragon features large “Trail Claws” that act as independent springs to cushion your ride over uneven terrain. Its unique PreciseFit system lets you customize the fit with inserts (provided).

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L A SPORTIVA Raceblade // 11 oz // $85 www.sportiva.com This new race model has a sleek fit and lightweight FriXion XT sticky rubber outsole for excellent traction and durable toe cap. A triple-density midsole offers stability and hydrophobic heel foam dries quickly in wet conditions.

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INOV-8 Roclite 285 // 10 oz // $95 www.inov-8.com In pursuit of optimal comfort and performance, the Roclite 285 has a water-repellent finish and stable, low-profile midsole. The flexible fascia-band outsole enhances the foot’s natural forward propulsion, making it ideal for short but speedy trail races.

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TE VA X-1 Racer // 10 oz // $95 www.teva.com An even lighter version of its popular predecessor, the X-1 Racer takes amphibious performance to a new level. Mesh panels drain water and provide maximum breathability while the supportive Wraptor Lite system hugs the midfoot. Diamond-shaped 4mm lugs grip almost any terrain.

SOCKS 1

SMARTWOOL Running MedMini Crew // $14 www.smartwool.com A wool-nylon blend sock with a contoured fit and cushioned instep.

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FEETURES Light Wool HP // $13 www.feeturesbrand.com This merino wool-Coolmax blend controls temperature and moisture.

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THORLO Trail Running Mini Crew // $12 www.thorlos.com This classic design is still as soft, durable and moisture-wicking as ever.

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NEW BALANCE Dual Layer Reversible // $9 www.newbalance.com Reduce blister-casusing friction with this double-layer sock.

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TEKO Ecopoly Quarter Cut // $12 www.tekosocks.com Made from recycled polyester, they are surprisingly soft and durable.

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PATAG O N I A LW Endurance Quarter // $15 www.patagonia.com This merino wool-polyester blend sock has an arch-hugging fit.

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SUGOI Compression Ankle // $8 www.sugoi.com This thin, lightweight Coolmax sock has an snug arch-supporting fit.

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BRIDGEDALE X-Hale Trailhead // $17 www.bridgedale.com Terry-looped knit design provides extra cushioning at strategic points.

TIGHTS H O T C H I L LY S Mirco-Elite Chamois Tight // $50 www.hotchillys.com

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SHORTS Available in a variety of lengths and fits, these styles have a compression short made of moisture-wicking material underneath a superlight nylon short.

They have pockets for carrying gels, keys and small-item essentials.

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SUGOI Vulcan Short // $38 www.sugoi.com

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NEW BALANCE Vega Short // $42 www.newbalance.com

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GOLITE Skyrunner Short // $40 www.golite.com

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ASICS Perform 2-in-1 Short // $40 www.asicsamerica.com

[ MAVIS IS WEARING ] SALOMON Fast & Lite II Jacket // $85 www.salomonsports.com A wonderfully light taffeta shell jacket with water-repellent finish and stretch panels across the back and shoulders.

IBEX Energy Tight // $130 www.ibexwear.com Made of winter-weight merino wool knit with a touch of stretchy nylon and lycra, this form-fitting tight has ankle zips and a wide waistband for ideal comfort and function.

[ JEFF IS WEARING ] NIKE Siege 2 // $200 www.nikevision.com Ventilated nose bridge and adjustable temples create a comfortable, stable fit.

The “flying” lens reduces fogging when you’re working up a sweat.

M O U N TA I N H A R D W E A R Ghost Anorak // $85 www.mountainhardwear.com A featherweight pullover weighing a mere 3 oz, this is a versatile shell made from wind-resistant ripstop nylon.

H E L LY H A N S E N Trailwizard Tight // $65 www.hellyhansen.com A compression tight featuring wicking LIFA stretch fabric; also has breathable mesh panels, ankle zips and reflective striping.

THE NORTH FACE Dusky Pack // $75 www.thenorthface.com Mid-size bladder-equipped hydration pack is made from durable cordura nylon and moisture-wicking back panel.

A magnet handily connects the hose’s bite valve to the sternum strap.

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trail tested

TRAIL ESSENTIALS These accessories have your trail safety and comfort in mind. Our selection of running eyewear focuses on function and feel without weighing you down. Hydration systems are a matter of personal choice, and we present a few favorites. Track heart rate, distance travelled and more with these watches. Lastly, when the sun goes down but you still have miles to go, these light systems will help you find your way.

[ Jeff is wearing ] THE NORTH FACE Photon Hybrid Jacket // $99 www.thenorthface.com Though slightly heavy, (14 oz) this stretchy soft shell, including elasticized hood, keeps elements at bay. Zippered chest vents allow extra breathability.

WATCHES TECH 4 O Accelerator Running Watch // $60 www.silvacompass.com If you are looking for an affordable, userfriendly alternative to the latest GPS wrist computer, the Accelerator accurately measures speed, distance and caloric expenditure via a simple wrist sensor—no foot pods or belt clip sensors.

s u g oi Piston Tight // $80 www.sugoi.com This compression tight slows skin and muscle vibration to reduce fatigue.

NEW BALANCE N5 Max // $90 www.nbmonitors.com New Balance recently teamed up with Highgear to create a new line of runners’ heart-rate monitors. The N5 Max watch, featuring time-keeping functions, chronometer and caloriecounting functions; comes with a chest strap to measure heart rate.

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trail tested

PACKS

EYEWEAR

H Y D R A PACK AS Trail // $60 www.hydrapack.com The AS stands for “Air Scoop” consisting of small moisture-wicking back pods that keep your back cool. The reservoir compartment is insulated and an opening accommodates earphone cord from your music device. It has 195 cubic inches of gear space and the 70-ounce bladder can be turned inside-out for easy cleaning.

JULBO Race // $120 www.julboinc.com The Race’s hinged nosepiece accommodates various face sizes and comes with a removable stretch headband to secure the glasses to your head during vigorous activity.

Zebra lense technology adapts to prevailing light conditions.

N AT H A N Proton 2.0 // $70 www.nathansports.com Weighing only 15 ounces, the compact, narrow-fit Proton won’t slow you down or inhibit your arm swing. Air Scoop ventilation channels keep your back sweat-free and mesh shoulder straps won’t chafe. It holds a two-liter hydration bladder plus has 100 cubic inches of carrying capacity.

U LT I M AT E D I R E C T I O N Uno // $27 www.ultimatedirection.com This single-bottle waistpack has two contoured zipper storage pockets and lightweight mesh holster with bungee cord to keep bottle in place.

KAENON Rhino // $179 www.kaenon.com This oversize unisex sport frame is fashionable while offering practical wrap-around UV protection. Durable rubber nose pads comfortably keep glasses in place. Polarized lenses provide clear visibility in all conditions.

ZEAL OPTICS Slipstream // $90 www.zealoptics.com This unique featherweight running-specific shield weighs only 23 grams, has a removable sweat-guard along the brow and polarized lenses cut glare and adjust to changing light levels.

BOLLE Recoil // $90 www.bolle.com Belonging to Bolle’s Serpent line of wrap-around eyewear, the Recoil holds tight around your head and has shatter-resistant polycarbonate lenses. It’s sleek design is ideal for trail runners who demand lightweight polarized sunglasses at an affordable price.

LIGHT SYSTEMS PETZL e+LITE // $30 www.petzl.com The ultimate emergency headlamp, the e+LITE is waterproof, resistant to extreme cold and heat and comes with a compact carry case. Weighing only 27 grams, it boasts up to 45-hour shine time and has a single red LED to preserve night vision.

BRUNTON L3 Headlamp // $110 Runner’s Belt // $19 www.brunton.com Now runners can make use of the Brunton L3, a super-bright 3-watt LED headlight, thanks to the new Runner’s Belt, which takes the batteries’ weight off your head and onto your waist.

PRINCETON TEC Apex Pro // $90 www.princetontec.com Weighing a mere 173 grams, the Apex Pro has four ultra-bright LED lights that pack up to 35 hours of burn time. The Apex Pro is more durable, lighter and watertight than its basic cousin, Apex.

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TAKE YOUR MARK

by BRIAN METZLER » photo by DICK ROSS

mile and relay races incorporate several loops of varying lengths and levels of calamity. Each leg is appropriately named for the anguish and humility it inflicts, such as Go Straight to Hell, Bloody Hell, This Sucks and Muddy Hell.

If that sounds like fun, then you’d better circle March 3 on your calendar. That’s when registration opens for this year’s race, and in 2006 it sold out in a single day. If you don’t get in, try to get a spot in the new Dances with Dirt race in Gnaw Bone, Indiana.

20 07 Trophy Series

Highlights Golden Gate Canyon Trail Run Location ü Golden, Colorado Date ü July 21 or 22, 2007 (see website for confirmation) Race type ü mountain trail run Distance ü 12.7 miles Terrain ü steep dirt and gravel trails Information www.runuphillracing.com Why you should go ü Only about 30 minutes from Denver and Boulder, the Golden Gate Canyon Run is hailed by many runners as the Rocky Mountain Front Range’s best trail race, and draws a wide range of runners at the front, middle and back of the pack.

The lollipop-shape course inside Golden Gate State Park starts at 8400 feet and reaches a 9500-foot high point with a delicious mix of smooth and fast to steep and technical terrain. Mid-race, runners tackle a 600-foot climb over threequarters of a mile, the last 50 feet of which puts you on all fours. “You definitely need to use your hands on that section,” says race director Adam Feerst.

“If this race doesn’t make you love trail running, I don’t know what will,” says Karen Voss, the 2004 women’s winner.

Cranmore Hill Climb Location ü North Conway, New Hampshire Date ü July 7, 2007 Race type ü mountain trail run Distance ü 10K Terrain ü steep dirt, gravel trails Information www.whitemountainmilers.com Why you should go ü It’s not fair to compare the mountains of New England to places like Aspen, Whistler and Jackson Hole—for skiing and snowboarding, that is.

But when it comes to trail races,

At last year’s Brew to Brew trail race, runner Mark Carey takes an optional rowboat ride across the Kansas River to legally cut off a mile off the race course .

New Hampshire’s Mount Cranmore holds its own as a rugged mountain-running venue. Among a large turnout of rough and tumble New Englanders, last year’s runners came from 12 states and ranged in age from 7 to 74.

The two-loop course starts at the North Base Lodge and heads up the ski trails. Much of the climb to the summit is a 16-percent grade, requiring strong quads and fervent arm swing. Then the course drops down the mountain’s back side before sending runners bombing around the front for a second loop, racking up a total of 2400 feet of vertical gain and descent.

Now in its 20th year, the Cranmore Hill Climb is a favorite of New England racing icon Dave Dunham, who finished fourth last year in 50:23. “It’s excellently run and the course is one of the best I’ve run,” he says.

Dances with Dirt Location ü Hell, Michigan Date ü September 8, 2007 Race type ü ultra-distance trail run and relay Distance ü 50K and 50 miles Terrain ü hilly dirt trails Information www.danceswithdirt.com Why you should go ü There aren’t many trail venues that can boast a “Welcome to Hell” sign, but there’s another reason runners here get a foreboding feeling in the pit of their stomach. Think southeastern Michigan is flat and easygoing? Think again. This technical trail race is chock full of devilish features like roots, rocks, mud and river crossings. “I’ll tell ya what it ain’t-it ain’t no place for wimps and it ain’t a place for pansy, ‘don’t get my shoes dirty’ runners,’” says race director Randy Step.

The Dances with Dirt 50K, 50-

Brew to Brew Relay & Run Location ü Kansas City, Missouri Date ü April 1, 2007 Race type ü solo ultra-distance run or relay Distance ü 43 miles Terrain ü trails, dirt and paved roads Information www.brewtobrew.com Why you should go ü Even if you’re not a beer drinker, the Brew to Brew 43-Mile Relay and Run can be fun. And if you are a beer drinker, all you need to know is this race runs between two sponsoring breweries in Kansas City, Missouri, and Lawrence, Kansas. “Beer seems to have a tremendous magnetic lure to it,” says Race Director Lou Joline, who has watched the event grow from 250 participants to more than 2500 since its inception 13 years ago. This is not a act of drunken debauchery—but rather an urban adventure that includes metropolitan scenery, an optional 45-foot rowboat ride across the Kansas River and occasionally a surprise beer-tasting pit stop.

Last year’s Brew to Brew drew 50 solo runners and more than 300 teams, many of which were named in accordance with the event’s intoxicating spirit. Among the teams who made it to the post-race party at the Free State Brewing Company were Beer Train, Jog-O-Holics, Where’s the Beer?, Pale Ale Princesses, Brewhahas and, of course, Last Call.

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2007

trophy series races

What is it?

How do I enter?

The Trail Runner Trophy Series is a points-based series of 116 trail races in the United States and Canada, which are divided into two categories: Marathon and Shorter Distances and Ultramarathon distances. All races take place between March 1 and September 30, 2007.

Anyone who finishes a 2007 Trail Runner Trophy Series Race is automatically entered. Each participant will earn points for completing a race and bonus points for finishing in the top three. Visit www.trailrunnermag. com for full competition rules and past results.

03/03 Foot Pursuit 5K 5K • Valparaiso, IN • shartz@porterco-ps.org • www.portercountysheriff.com/footpursuit 03/03 Old Pueblo 50 Mile Endurance Run 50M • Sonoita, AZ • oldpueblo50@simplybits.net • www.ultrazone.us/OP50/ 03/04 Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Marathon and 50K 26.2M, 50K • Damascus, MD • edschultze@comcast.net • www.mcrrc. org/racing/race06/06Greenway.htm 03/10 Carl Touchstone Memorial Mississippi 50 Trail Run 20K, 50K, 50M • Laurel, MS • info@ms50.com • www.ms50.com 03/10 Land between the Lakes Trail Runs 23K, 26.2M, 60K, 50M • Grand Rivers, KY • sdurbin@marquettetrans.com • www. wkrc.org 03/11

Trout Creek 15K & 5K Trail Runs 3.1M, 9.3M • Thonotosassa, FL • uneekware@aol.com • www.tamparaces.com/troutcreek

03/17 Chuckanut 50K 50K • Fairhaven, WA • kmoehl2000@yahoo. com • www.gbrc.net/chuckanut50k.php 03/17 Crown King Scramble 50K • Peoria, AZ • dirtrnr@yahoo.com • www.crownkingscramble.com 03/17 Prickly Pear 10 Mile and 50K Trail Runs 10M, 50K • San Antonio, TX • billyg@satx.rr.com • www.pp1050.com 03/17 Rock Cut Trail Series Final 20K • Rockford, IL • larrydswanson@ cs.com • www.rockcuttrails.org 03/24 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K, 50K, 50M • Syracuse, UT • ultrajim@charter.net • www.buffalorun.org 03/24 NOC/Subaru Bartram Trail Endurance Run 8M, 21M • Bryson City, NC • specialevents@noc.com • www.noc.com/events 04/01

Brew to Brew 43 Mile Relay and Solo Run 43M • Kansas City, MO • ljoline@aol.com • www.Brewtobrew.com

04/01

Clinton Lake Trail Run 30M • DeWitt, IL • migotsky@uiuc. edu • www.secondwindrunningclub.org

04/07 Croom Trail Fools Run 15M, 50K, 50M • Brooksville, FL • fools@wecefar.com • www.wecefar.com 04/07 Rockin K Trail Run 26.3M, 50.6M • Kanopolis State Park, KS • psheridan1@sbcglobal.net • www.ksultrarunners.info 04/13 McNaughton Park Trail Runs 50M, 100M, 150M • Pekin, IL • aweinberg@pekinhigh.net • www.mcnaughtonparktrailruns. com 04/14 Babcock Gristmill Grinder 13.1M • Clifftop, WV • grinder@ gauleyrace.com • www.gauleyrace.com 04/14 Merrimack River Trail Race 10M • Andover, MA • stephen. peterson@ca.com • www.coolrunning.com 04/15 Flatwoods Four Trail Race 4M • Thonotosassa, FL • uneekware@ aol.com • www.tamparaces.com/flatwoods 04/21 Double Chubb 25K, 50K • St Louis, MO • slugrd@yahoo.com • www.stlouisultrarunnersgroup.net 04/21 Menan Butte Trail Challenge 5K, 8K • Menan, ID • Info@PBPerformance.com • www.PB-Performance.com/pb/MBTC 04/22 Mt Si Relay and Ultra Runs 50K, 50M • Snoqualmie, WA • mtsirelay@verizon.net • www.ontherunevents. com/mtsirelay 04/22 Spokane River Run 5K, 10K, 25K, 50K • Spokane, WA • spokeaho@msn.com • www.spokaneriverrun.com 04/28 24-Hour Adventure Trail Run 24H • Triangle, VA • AlexP@ athletic-equation.com • www.athletic-equation.com 04/28 Capitol Peak Ultramarathon and Relay 50M, 55K, R • Olympia, WA • j.pearch@comcast.net • www.capitolpeakultras. com/CP50mile.htm 04/28 Escape from Prison Hill Half Marathon & Relay 13.1M • Carson City, NV • Jeffrey.Mark@us.army.mil • www. sagebrushstompers.org 04/28 Free State Trail Runs 40M, 100K • Lawrence, KS • badbendrs@ yahoo.com • www.psychowyco.com 04/28 King Of The Hills (KOTH) 1M, 5K, 10K • Glennville, CA • LazyLilacRanch@hotmail.com 04/28 Owl’s Roost Rumble 13.1M • Greensboro, NC • smbassett@ hotmail.com • www.owlsroostrumble.com 04/29 Running Fit Trail Marathon & Half Marathon 13.1M, 26.2M • Pinckney, MI • events@runningfit.com • www. trailmarathon.com 05/05 Collegiate Peaks Races 25M, 50M • Buena Vista, CO • chamber@ buenavistacolorado.org • Burke.Kaiser@collegiatepeaksbank. com • www.collegiatepeakstrailrun.org 05/05 Miwok 100K 100K • Sausalito, CA • miwok100k@aol.com • www.run100s.com/miwok 05/12 Capon Valley 50K Run 50K • Capon Springs, WV • robinkane@ msn.com • www.iplayoutside.com 05/12 Long Island Greenbelt Trail 50K Run 50K • Plainview, NY • spolansky@aol.com • www.glirc.org 05/12 Prickly Peark Land Trust - Don’t Fence Me In Trail Runs 5K, 12K • Helena, MT • mpmiller93@yahoo.com • www. pricklypearlt.org 05/12 Quicksilver Trail Endurance Runs 25K, 50K, 50M • San Jose, CA • janotomo@earthlink.net • www.quicksilver-running.com 05/12 XTERRA Malibu Creek Trail Challenge 14M • Malibu, CA • brennan@genericevents.com • www.trailrace.com

05/13 05/19 05/19 05/19 05/19 05/19 05/19 05/20 05/26 05/26 05/26

05/27 05/27 05/27

05/27 05/27 05/27 06/02 06/02

06/02 06/03

06/09 06/09 06/09 06/10

Angel Fire Ascent 8M • Angel Fire, NM • aascent@maxeventspro. com • www.maxeventspro.com/aascent.htm Berryman Trail Run 26.2M, 50M • Potosi, MO • slugrd@ yahoo.com • www.stlouisultrarunnersgroup.net Bishop High Sierra Ultra-Marathons 20M, 50K, 50M • Bishop, CA • andrew.boyd2@verizon.net • www.bhs50.com Dirty Dog 15K Trail Run 15K • Charleston, WV • danieltodd@ charter.net • www.wvmtr.org Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile Run 100M • Front Royal, VA • stanruns@att.net • www.vhtrc.com/mmt McDonald Forest 50K 50K • Corvallis, OR • ken.ward@hp.com • www.mac.oregontrailseries.org Run for the Sparrow 5K • Valley Forge, PA • walexbarth@ msn.com • www.pahomeofthesparrow.org Ohlone Wilderness 50K Trail Run 50K • Fremont, CA • ohlone50k@abovethefog.net • www.abovethefog.net Iron Knee 25K Trail Race 25K • North Vancouver, BC, Canada • eric@ironlung.ca • www.ironknee.ca Mt Wilson Trail Race 8.6M • Sierra Madre, CA • eweaver@ ci.sierra-madre.ca.us • www.mountwilsontrailrace.com Sulphur Springs Trail Run 10K, 25K, 50K, 50M, 100M • Ancaster, ON, Canada • jturner@iter8.com • www.burlingtonrunners. com Blackfoot Ultra 25K, 50K, 50M, 100K • Edmonton, AB, Canada • info@blackfootultra.com • www.blackfootultra.com Medicine Bow Half Marathon 13.1M • Laramie, WY • RunWyo@ msn.com • www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon Pineland Farms 50K & 25K Trail Challenge 25K, 50K • New Gloucester, ME • iparlin@maine.rr.com • www.mainetrackclub. com/pinelandfarms Rocky Mountain Double Marathon 52.4M • Laramie, WY • RunWyo@msn.com • www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon Vedauwoo 5k 5K • Laramie, WY • RunWyo@msn.com • www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon Wyoming Marathon 26.2M • Laramie, WY • RunWyo@msn. com • www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon Kelly Canyon Trail Run 5M • Ririe, ID • Info@PB-Performance. com • www.PB-Performance.com/pb/KCTR Kettle Moraine 100 Endurance Runs 38M, 100K, 100M, 100R • La Grange, WI • kettle100run@yahoo.com • www.kettle100. com Scorched Sole Ultra 25K, 50K • Kelowna, BC, Canada • shirleeross@shaw.ca • www.scorchedsole.com Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, Half & Relay 13.1M, 26.2M • Deadwood, SD • leanhorse@rushmore.com • www.

DeadwoodMickelsonTrailMarathon.com Lake Youngs Ultra 38.5M • Renton, WA • aj_martineau@yahoo. com • www.marathonmaniacs.com/Lake_Youngs_Ultra.htm Laurel Highlands Ultra & 50K 50K, 70.5M • Ohiopyle, PA • rfreeman@access995.com • www.laurelultra.com USATF New England Trail Championships 13.2K • Northfield, MA • dave.dunham@comcast.net • www.runwmac.com Valley Crest Half Marathon 13.1M • Tarzana, CA • valleycrestrun@ yahoo.com • www.valleycrestrun.com

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trophy series races

8/17/07 08/18 08/25 08/25

08/25

08/25 08/26 09/01 09/01 09/02 09/03

09/08 09/08 09/08

09/15 09/15 09/15 09/15 09/16

09/22

09/22

Special Trophy Series offers from La Sportiva

1

08/12

09/22 Lake Superior Shore Run/Race Against Tobacco 5K, 13.1M • Negaunee, MI • jharrington@hline.org 09/22 Odyssey Trail Marathon & 1/2 Trail Marathon 13.1M, 26.2M, 40M • Douthat State Park, VA • info@OARevents.com • www.

OARevents.com 09/22 Salomon 24 Hours of Frisco 6M, 24H • Frisco, CO • emgmh@ emgcolorado.com • www.emgcolorado.com 09/23 Rock Cut Hobo Run 25K, 50K • Rockford, IL • larrydswanson@ cs.com • www.rockcuttrails.org 09/29 Great Eastern Endurance Run 50K, 100K • Charlottesville, VA • rungillrun@adelphia.net • www.badtothebone.biz

2

08/12

STORMY 64km Solo Ultramarathon and Relay 64K • Squamish, BC, Canada • wendy@stormtrailrace.ca • www. stormytrailrace.ca Haulin’ Aspen Trail Marathon and Half Marathon 13.1M, 26.2M • Bend, OR • haulinaspen@freshairsports.com • www.FreshAirSports.com Wreck Beach Bare Buns Fun Run 5K • Vancouver, BC, Canada • Judyw@wreckbeach.org • www.wreckbeach.org Herc Open 16M, Lincoln, VT, info@hercopen.com Where’s Waldo 100K 100K • Willamette Pass, OR • thornley@ wpsp.org • http://www.wpsp.org/ww100k Bulldog 50K Ultra / 25K Trail Run 25K, 50K • Calabasas, CA • bulldogultra@yahoo.com • www.bulldogrun.com Conquer the Canuck - NB Edition 12.5K, 25K, 42.2K, 50K, 92.2K • Crabbe Mountain, NB, Canada • Trail@ccrr.ca • www.ctc. ccrr.ca Lean Horse Hundred, Half Hundred & 50K 50K, 50M, 100M • Hot Springs, SD • Leanhorse@rushmore.com • www.

Leanhorse.com Tahqua Trail 25K 8K, 25K • Paradise, MI • jcrumbaugh@ charter.net • www.greatlakesendurance.com Bramble Scramble Trail Races 5K, 15K, 30K • Williston, VT • eric@catamountoutdoor.com Grand Teton Races 26.2M, 50M, 100M • Alta, WY • info@ tetonraces.com • www.tetonraces.com Meeteetse Absaroka Challenge 5K, 10K, 15K • Meeteetse, WY • meetrec@tctwest.net • www.meetrec.org Walk in the Park 8K, 36K, 54K • Kamloops, BC, Canada • bmpskier@shaw.ca • www.ultrarunner.net/witpmain.html American Discovery Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K 5K, 13.1M, 26.2M • Colorado Springs, CO • ADTMguy@hotmail.com • www.adtmarathon.com Dances with Dirt Ultra 50K, 50M, 100R • Hell, MI • events@ runningfit.com • www.danceswithdirt.com Mid Mountain Marathon 26.2M • Park City, UT • info@ mountaintrails.org • www.mountaintrails.org Moose Mountain Trail Races 16K, 29K • Bragg Creek, AB, Canada • jen.silverthorn@shaw.ca • www.members.shaw. ca/moosemountain Cle Elum Ridge 50K Run 50K • Cle Elum, WA • marty@ cleelumridge50k.com • www.cleelumridge50k.com Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Harvest Stompede 5K, 7M • Suttons Bay, MI • rick@lpwines.com • www.lpwines.com Sombrero Ranch Roundup 4.5M • Estes Park, CO • matt@ bolderboulder.com • www.bolderboulder.com Timberline Marathon 26.2M • Mt Hood, OR • cneely@ RogueMultiSport.com • www.RogueMultiSport.com Lead King Loop 25K and Quarry Trail Climb 12.5K 12.5K, 25K • Marble, CO • macek57@hotmail.com • www. leadkingloop25k.com Bays Mountain Trail Race 15M • Kingsport, TN • markskelton@ markskelton.com • www.runtricities.org/asp/racecal_manage. asp?action=view&racecalid=529 Golden Leaf Half Marathon 13M • Aspen, CO • paul@ utemountaineer.com • www.utemountaineer.com

3

08/11

4

Highlands Sky Trail Run 40M • Davis, WV • wvmtr@starband. net • www.wvmtr.org 06/17 Joe Colton’s Off Road Adventure Run 1M, 5K, 10K, 10M, 15M • Rollinsville, CO • Lori.kinczel@igc.org • www. joecoltonadventure.org 06/17 Tanglewood Tanglefoot Trail Run 5M, 10M • Elmira, NY • twood2004@aol.com • tanglewoodnc@stny.rr.com • www. tangle-wood.org 06/23 Double Dipsea (Walt Stack DSE Double Dipsea) 13.8M • Stinson Beach, CA • runkenrun@aol.com • www.doubledipsea.com 06/23 Kusam Klimb 23.2K • Sayward, BC, Canada • sfs@island.net • www.kusamklimb.ca 06/23 Old Gabe 25/50K 25K, 50K • Bozeman, MT • trailrunner@ montana.net • www.math.montana.edu/~thayes/Runs 06/23 Slacker Half Marathon & Relay 4M, 13.1M • Georgetown, CO • bluther@co.clear-creek.co.us • www.slackerhalf marathon.com 06/24 Cranmore Hill Climb 10K • North Conway, NH • info@ whitemountainmilers.com • www.whitemountainmilers.com 06/30 Pilot Hill Trail Run (The Oldest Footrace In Wyoming) 25K • Laramie, WY • Labman_2001@hotmail.com Jul TBA Snow King Hill Climb 2.3M • Jackson, WY • jharkness@ tetonwyo.org • www.tetonwyo.org/parks 07/07 Keweenaw Trail Running Festival 5.8K, 10K, 25K • Copper Harbor, MI • jcrumbaugh@charter.net • www. greatlakesendurance.com 07/07 TEVA Vail Hill Climb 7.5M • Vail, CO • jrabinowitz@vailrec. com • www.vailrec.com 07/08 Loon Mountain Race 10K • Lincoln, NH • info@whitemountainmilers. com • www.whitemountainmilers.com 07/08 Summer Roundup Trail Run 12K • Colorado Springs, CO • raceinfo@ pikespeakmarathon.org • www.pikespeakmarathon.org 07/15 High Mountain Trail 25K & 50K 25K, 50K • Leadville, CO • coachamanda@earthlink.net • www.hminet.org 07/21 Clackamas River Runoff 8K, 15K • Estacada, OR • cneely@ RogueMultiSport.com • www.RogueMultiSport.com 07/21 Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs 50K, 50M, 100M • Lake Tahoe, NV • trt50k50m@sbcglobal.net • www.tahoemtnmilers. org/trt50/ 07/28 Grand Island Trail Marathon & 10K 10K, 26.2M • Munising, MI • jcrumbaugh@charter.net • www.greatlakesendurance.com 07/28 Mt. Hood PCT 50/50, Scott McQueeney Memorial 50K, 50M • Clackamas Lake, OR • longrunpdx@gmail.com • www. pctultra.com Aug TBA Springmaid Xstream 10K 10K • Spruce Pine, NC • matthollifield@ mitchellraces.com • www.mitchellraces.com 08/04 HURL Elkhorn 50 Mile Endurance Run 50M • Helena, MT • slengebrecht@msn.com • www.elkhorn100.com 08/04 Indian Peaks Trail Run 10K • Nederland, CO • info@ racingunderground.com • www.racingunderground.com 08/11 Dirty Girls’ 6, 12 & 24 Hour Trail Race 6H, 12H, 24H • Toronto, ON, Canada • dchesla@sympatico.ca 08/11 Mt Disappointment Endurance Run 50K • Mt Wilson, Angeles National Forest, CA • eventdirector@mtdisappointment50k. com • www.mtdisappointment50k.com 06/16

For each Trail Runner Trophy Series race you finish, you will receive 10% off a pair of La Sportiva trail running shoes. Accumulate up to 40% off by running four Trail Runner Trophy Series races of any distance. To begin earning your La Sportiva shoe discount, you must register online by August 31 at: www.trailrunnermag. com/Trophyseries/2007/entry. html, then run Trail Runner Trophy Series events.

Participants will receive a coupon for either 10%, 20%, 30% or 40% off shoes (depending on the number of races run) by email in December, 2007. The coupon (valid for six months) can only be applied to online purchases from www.sportiva.com.

Also when you register (must register

by August 31) on www.trailrunnermag. com/Trophyseries/2007/entry.html, you will be automatically entered to win the grand prize: an honorary position on the La Sportiva Mountain Running Team. The more Trophy Series race you enter, the better your chance of winning!

The winner will receive four pairs of La Sportiva trail-running shoes and a team apparel package including socks, headlamp, singlet, running tee, shorts, warm-up jacket and headwear. The winner will be announced December, 2007.

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Last gasp

by Bernie boettcher » illustration by JEREMY COLLINS

Race Face 101 I’ve learned three things in years of competition: fake confidence until you have it, never underestimate any of your competitors, and the women are out to get us. In fact, I’ve met some women warriors who would challenge the very notion of any primal male’s belief in his “manhood.”

One cold morning years ago, I witnessed two young women face two grown men in a “pissin’ contest” on the flanks of Ballyhoo Mountain in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

The contest rules were to spell your name legibly in the trailside snow using a steady stream of urine.

This type of competition is traditionally male-dominated, but the winner and runner-up were female. The champion had five letters in her name! Some might say, “The writing’s on the wall,” though in Alaska that day, the writing was in the snow.

Of course, persistent rumors of performance-enhancing beer were soon splashing headlines at the Elbow Room, a local bar where the women winners were declared.

The men, to help save their pride, were declared winners of the Men’s Division, but for the concession were compelled by the women victors to jump naked into the Bering Sea, in February.

All this proves is that: The breakfast of some champions is beer.

Never challenge a girl to a pissing contest.

Common sense is easier to have than dispense.

Losing can make a man feel really small (aka, shrinkage).

Competition is everywhere.

I love to race as much as I love to run.

The ever-present bouts are the push-me pull-you trail to success. Anyone who is behind me pushes me faster, and anyone ahead of me pulls me forward.

Occasionally, the sacrifice of sweat trickles to a taste of victory. But day in and day out, if I can simply manage to outrun the athlete I was yesterday, I never lose.

This past summer I raced the Beaver Creek Vertical Ascent, to see who could run the most vertical feet in six hours. On the fifth lap, Anita Ortiz passed me like I was carrying a cinderblock from the wall I’d just hit.

Even though I felt like I’d failed, I tried to fall forward. Anita nearly won the race, while I hung on for third—and beat my best time.

We all have those days where we feel as if we’re pushing hills on a flat track, or hitting the wall on a curve. I’ve hit the wall in so many trail marathons, my face is flat.

But eventually we learn it takes a hard head to break through the wall, and that’s where the real race begins. In the long run, we learn that all finish lines are merely hurdles in disguise, and that the ways to win are as varied as the hairstyles and outfits of those who do.

I shamefully admit I was once crushed by a certain young upstart named Ricky Gates at America’s Uphill, a grueling race up Aspen Mountain. The humiliating part was not getting beaten by a youngster, but by someone wearing a full-body clown suit, complete with an orange Afro wig and a shiny red nose.

The number-one tactic, if you want to race well, is to run really, really, really a lot.

Hard work always works better than hardly working. You have to make your dreams your goals and then take that first step and practice them. What goes into practice comes out of practice. Thoughts need practice, too, so practice winning thoughts.

Examples: If you don’t follow your dreams, you might as well be a turnip.

Some people buy a Mercedes, some people are a Mercedes.

If you never go fast, you’ll never go fast.

If you fall off the perch, fly!

Avoid shortcuts, which only weaken you.

I learned that the hard way in high school when I took about six Vivarin (caffeine pills) before a race. I was hoping I’d run faster.

I led the race for about 50 feet before the freight train pounding in my heart hit the brain cells parked in my head. I blew up and barely finished.

To spell things out in one final squirt: dreams lie at the start, reality lies at the middle and proof lies at the end.

Lies can be found everywhere. The honest truth is, you can’t go faster until you lie to yourself and say, “I can,” at which point, you do.

Don’t be afraid to lose. It’s how to win.

The winner of 100 out of 217 races in 216 weeks, Bernie Boettcher can only say, “I lost 117 times. There’s a lot left to learn.”

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ASK THE COACH

by Therese Iknoian » illustration by Jeremy collins

Staving off the bonk

A moveaBLE feast, trail etiquette

Feed the Machine How do I avoid bonking part way through a long race?

You’d be surprised how many calories per hour your body demands while treading the trails. Anytime you’re racing longer than an hour, you’ll need to think calories. Calories equal energy. Most people need about 150 to 300 per hour, depending on your level of training and the weather. The body depletes its stores in about two hours, but being more highly trained and eating a high-carb diet can help you last longer before bonking, since training teaches the muscles to hang onto the energy stores. In races, focus on getting calories in before the bonk happens—most certainly by about 75 to 90 minutes out—and then eating regularly to keep the energy flowing at a constant rate.

Before a race, size up the aid stations, estimate how long it will take you to get between them and plan exactly when you’ll need to take in calories. If you figure on about two doses per hour, each with about 100 calories, you may find that you’ll need to imbibe your chosen calorie source between aid stations. Some favorite energypacked foods include gels, Shot Bloks, jelly beans, sport and fig bars and raisins. Energy drink powders, such as Gatorade Endurance, Ultima Replenisher

and Hammer HEED, are also an easy way to get calories down the hatch.

These drinks also supply much-needed sodium and electrolytes. Being low or imbalanced on those can also bring on the bonk. Popular electrolyte supplements include Succeed, E-Caps and Thermo Tabs. Of course, you don’t have to pop pills to get the recommended 300 to 1000 milligrams per hour. Potatoes dipped in salt, chips and electrolyte drinks also work—at least over shorter distances.

Unless you’re in a 100-miler, protein isn’t really necessary and is harder to digest. Of course, everybody is different. You may find you only need 150 calories an hour; on a cold day, when your body is working harder to also keep you warm, you may need over 300. The primary message here is: Don’t wait to stoke your fires. Race planning also means plotting and timing your calorie intake.

Aid-Station Buffet I’ve heard stories of aid stations that are more like buffets. Any advice about what to do when I get to one?

Ah, yes, Coach remembers her first long race and how a friend warned her about the “booo-fay” she would find.

Seeing a banquet table spread of sweets, savories, soups and

sport treats for the first time is a staggering experience, especially while racing.

It can be seductive to dawdle, nibbling on this and that. Don’t.

Spending even a couple of extra minutes at an aid station adds up. Remember the distance runner’s mantra: Relentless Forward Motion. Next: Prepare.

If you have bottles or a reservoir that need filling, open them as you approach so you can expedite that procedure.

Finally, move quickly. Slap your hydration system back on, walk the table quickly, slosh down a cup of electrolyte drink, grab your favored chow (potatoes dipped in salt if it’s hot, soup if it’s cold, chocolate, sport gels, chips or whatever), throw them in your mouth or pocket (or both), and keep moving out of the station. Consider grabbing something extra since you never know what you’ll need in another 30 minutes.

Many aid stations can be chaos with people reaching in every direction, so be polite, don’t shove, but be determined. And, hygienically speaking, please, oh, please don’t bury your entire hand into a bowl of goodies; instead touch only what you take. Finally, say thank you to all those smiling volunteers filling your water and offering you snacks.

Mind Your Manners Everybody seems so friendly on the trail. Is there some kind of unspoken race etiquette?

Over and above written race rules, following the unspoken guidelines makes you a true member of the trail-running family. Trail running and races are still small enough that you can’t get away with being a rude and egotistical clod. It’s important to watch out for others too, even if that means losing a few race minutes. If you come across someone stagger-

ing, sitting, lying at the side of the trail or otherwise acting abnormal, ask if everything is OK. Offer something you have to help them along, such as salt tablets or antacids. If something still doesn’t seem right, tell the staff at the next aid station the person’s condition, location and race number if possible.

Other etiquette: Passing on narrow trails can be tough so everybody needs to work together.

If you want to pass, don’t expect someone to just stop and let you charge by. Say, “I’d like to pass when I can,” then at the next wider spot, say, “Passing on your right (or left),” to get by. Say thank you, too.

Now, if someone is trying to pass you, don’t hog the trail.

Once someone has told you he or she wants to get by, look for a good spot to let them. Coach sometimes will say, “Get ready to pass on my left ... OK, this is a good spot ... GO!” Then I’ll slow slightly, and turn my shoulders sideways to let the speedier person by. Now this isn’t saying of course that Coach ever gets passed.

One last tip: Don’t throw wrappers or packages on the ground. We all love the beauty of the trails, so stuff trash in a pocket and dump it at the next aid station. Some races will disqualify you for littering.

GEAR GIVEAWAY

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

www.inov-8.com

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TRAIL RX

by APRIL ROSE FERRENTINO » illustration by STEVE GRAEPEL

FIBUL A

TA L U S

L AT E R A L LIGAMENTS

CA LCA N EU S

GET TWISTED [OR NOT ] HOW TO PREVENT AND COPE WITH ANKLE SPRAINS You’re cruising along a beautiful singletrack, enjoying your elevated heart rate and a great view, when suddenly you lose your footing. Ouch! Along most trail runners’ favorite routes lie such potentially ankle-turning hazards as roots, rocks and quick descents. A brief moment of not paying attention to where you’re stepping is all it takes to disrupt the ankle’s delicate balance. Even worse, injured ankles remain weakened for an average of six months.

Up to 80 percent of all ankle sprains stem from previous injuries. Athletes who have an injuryweakened ankle joint are about 10 times as likely to suffer a repeat injury than those who don’t.

Twelve to 20 percent of all sports injuries are ankle sprains.

The ankle’s physiology is one reason why inversion injuries are so common. The inside of the ankle is much more stable than the outside, especially when the toe is pointed (plantar flexed).

The good news is that you can quickly and easily determine if your ankles are weak, and take precautions to keep them healthy.

ARE YOU AT RISK? According to head athletic trainer at Boston College, Bert Lenz, “The most common type of ankle sprain seen in sport involves the ligaments on the lateral [outside] aspect of the ankle. Injury to these ligaments most often occurs with a ‘rolling’ of the ankle inwards, or an inversion mechanism, such as simply stepping on a rock while running. This type of inversion action to the ankle can damage one or all three of these ligaments in differing degrees.”

Sports medicine professionals define dysfunction resulting from ankle inversion injuries as a reduction in proprioception, or knowing where your ankle is in space and what it is doing. If your brain isn’t aware of how your ankle should react, you’re much more likely to trip over a log or roll your ankle in a downhill divot. So how do you know if you have a weak or “dysfunctional” ankle? According to a study published by T. H. Trojan and D. B. McKeag in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the simple “single-leg balance test” is a reliable way to predict the possibility of future ankle sprains.

To perform the single-leg balance test, stand barefoot on a flat surface. Balance on one foot with the opposite leg bent and not touching the weight-bearing leg.

Focus the eyes on a target, then close them for 10 seconds. If you sense any imbalance, the test is failed. If the foot moves on the floor, the arms move, the legs touch or a foot touches down the test is failed. A failed test suggests the individual is more susceptible to ankle sprains and injuries. Further, according to Trojan and McKeag, athletes who failed the single-leg balance test but taped their ankles were less likely to sustain ankle sprains than those who didn’t.

AN OUNCE (OR TWO) OF PREVENTION So here’s the damage control. If you have a weak or dysfunctional ankle, you can reduce the likelihood of injury, and re-injury, by taping, bracing, stretching and strengthening the joint in question.

If you’re planning on taping your ankles, see a physical therapist or an athletic trainer who can show you how. Ankle braces are easily found in your local drug store and can effectively fortify vulnerable joints.

Another ankle-saving consideration involves selecting the proper shoes. Jason McGrath, USATF Level 2 Track Coach, decorated ultrarunner and shoe expert, suggests trail-specific shoes that are neutral and low to the ground. Most running shoes suitable for pavement are well cushioned; however, a thick midsole means that your feet are farther from the ground, causing less stability and increasing the probability of rolling an ankle. McGrath also warns against wearing “stability” shoes, common on the road-shoe market.

These shoes contain medial posting, or a separate material lining the instep that prevents overpronation of the foot. When running on uneven terrain these shoes place more stress on the physiologically weaker lateral (outside) portion of the ankle, making it more likely to roll. In the meantime, you will also want to add ankle strength and flexibility exercises to your workout regimen.

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TRAIL RX

Support

RECOVERY ROAD In the event that you do sprain your ankle on the trail, here are a few tips to get yourself back in action fast. Everyone’s doctor suggests RICE immediately following an ankle injury. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation and is the old standby for athletic injuries.

In the article “Management of Ankle Sprains,” authors Michael W. Wolfe M.D., Tim L. Uhl PhD., ATC, Carl G. Mattacola PhD., ATC, and Leland C. McKluskey M.D. emphasize the importance of stretching and exercises to maintain range of motion during the initial icing stage immediately after injury. Compression using an elastic bandage alleviates swelling in the area.

According to a study by Bleakley, McDonough and MacAuley in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the best way to ice an ankle sprain is in 10-minute intervals, alternating with gentle stretches.

This procedure may be repeated every two hours, and was shown to significantly reduce the pain felt on activity within the first week of injury. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) also alleviate swelling and pain. After pain and swelling are gone, begin a stretching and strengthening routine, taking care to tape or brace your ankle before hitting the trails. n

RICE 101 REST: Stop running immediately after ankle injury occurs.

ICE: Apply ice for 10 minutes, stretch for 10 minutes, re-apply ice for 10 minutes and repeat every two hours until swelling subsides.

COMPRESS: Cut a U-shape out of a wad of gauze. Place the bottom of the U underneath the bone on the outside of your ankle (“ankle bone,” or malleus) so that the bone is surrounded on both sides and underneath by gauze. Hold this in place and wrap an elastic bandage toe to mid calf around the ankle. Otherwise use an ankle brace.

ELEVATE: Lie or sit down, relax and place the injured ankle no lower than six inches above the heart until swelling subsides.

Group

Ankle braces, which both compress the ankle and improve joint stability, are easier to use than traditional taping methods, generally comfortable to run in (although they may not fit well in all running shoes) and washable. A couple of proven products are:

Body Glove Ankle Support: (www.bodyglove.com) Stromgren Supports Double Strap Ankle Support 325: (www.stromgren.com)

STAY SUPPLE

STAY STRONG

Stretching the ankle is important to restore and maintain its range of motion.

The following exercises will get you back on the trail.

Strengthening the ankle muscles provides greater stability and reduces the likelihood of re-injury. The following exercises can be easily performed anywhere.

1. Calf stretch: Sit on the ground with both legs straight out in front of you. Loop a jump rope around one foot and pull the toes back toward the knee as far as you can without the rope’s help. Make sure the knee remains straight. Then gently pull back on the rope to assist the stretch and hold for approximately two to three seconds. Perform this stretch six to 10 times on each leg.

2. Tibialis anterior stretch: Sit down on a chair with your left ankle resting on the opposite knee (the actual ankle bone should be about two inches off the thigh). Point the toe as much as you can, then grasp the toe with your right hand and gently pull it toward you on your right side. Hold this stretch for two to three seconds and repeat six to 10 times for both legs.

3. Ankle everter stretch: In the same position as the previous stretch, grasp the forefoot with your hands and from the ankle, rotate the foot inward towards you so that the sole of your foot is facing up. Assist the twist with the hands and hold for two to three seconds. Repeat six to 10 times on both sides.

4. Ankle inverter stretch: In your chair, raise one leg so that one foot remains on the floor and the heel of the other foot is on your chair in front of your buttock. Rotate this foot outward and gently assist it with your hands placed on the forefoot. Hold for two to three seconds and repeat six to 10 times on both sides.

5. Range of motion practice: Lift one foot into the air and draw circles with your toes for 30 seconds in each direction on both sides.

1. Towel scrunches: Sitting in a chair, place a hand towel underneath your forefoot and your heel placed firmly on the floor behind it. Use your toes to scrunch the towel as far as possible. Repeat three times on both sides.

2. Towel scoops: Again, in your chair, keeping your heel on the ground and your forefoot on the towel, scoop your forefoot toward the midline of your body, straighten and repeat until you have passed the towel from outside your foot to the inside.

3. Towel push-aways: In the same position, with the heel on the floor off the towel, push your forefoot away from your body, straighten and repeat until the towel has moved from the inside of the foot to the opposite side.

4. Calf raises: Stand with the ball of your foot on a step and hold onto a railing for balance.

With a straight knee and the non-exercising leg bent at the knee, raise yourself by pointing the toe of the exercising leg. Repeat 10 times on each leg.

5. Heel walking: Raise your toes in the air and walk only on the heels of your feet for 15 to 20 yards.

6. Wobble board: An oval-shaped board that pivots freely over a hard cylinder or ball, the wobble board is great for training proprioception. Stabilizing on the board may feel difficult at first, but most people progress quickly.

Stand on the board and try to rotate it three times around in each direction. Then try to tap down in the four directions north, south, east, west consecutively. Try to balance on the board with no parts touching the ground for as long as you can. This will strengthen ankle muscles and improve proprioception.

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Great Escapes by nancy kleinrock » photos by David Clifford

The author on the Falls Trail, Taughannock Falls, Trumansburg, New York.

Finger on the Pulse of the East Up and down on the 800-mile Finger Lakes Trail My partner, Steve Shaum, and I stopped, scanned the grid of ramrod-straight pine trunks and shook our heads. “Where’d the blazes go?” I asked. Steve and I had been blithely following the white blazes on a section of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), when we suddenly felt like we were in a hall of mirrors.

Every direction looked the same. The ground was an even expanse of soft brown needles revealing no apparent trail, and the green canopy was punctuated by a cobalt late-summer sky. It was time to retrace our steps.

“There’s one!” said Steve after a short backtrack, and we continued on our 18-mile run through pines and hardwoods, over hills, across streams and to the edge of bluffs that mark the Finger Lakes Trail and associated Abbott Loop in Danby State Forest just south of Ithaca, New York.

ENDLESS POTENTIAL The 800-mile FLT includes a main, white-blazed trail plus a wealth of loops and linear spurs. Parts of the FLT are already certified components of the North Dakota-to-New York North Country Trail, which will eventually be the longest trail within the nation—a whopping 4600 end-to-end miles. The FLT traverses from the Allegheny Mountains in the west to its eastern terminus in the Catskill Forest Preserve, where it meets the Long Path, a 350-mile trail stretching between the Albany area and Fort Lee, New Jersey, that intersects the Appalachian Trail in Harriman State Park. In western New York, the FLT’s Conservation Trail stretches northward to Canada, where it meets the 525-mile Bruce Trail, which follows the Niagara Escarpment through Ontario to Tobermory on Georgian Bay.

As if the FLT isn’t sufficient on its own to invite long or short exploratory runs, every three years comes a ready excuse for locals and visitors to partake of its delights: the aptly named Triennial Finger Lakes Trail Relay. In this event, depending on the decree handed down during the irregular meetings of the organizing committee that invariably take place in the race director’s bathtub, teams of six or seven runners cover roughly 80 miles of the trail between Watkins Glen and Dryden, sampling the dynamic waterfalls, pastoral fields, expansive lake views, environmentally protected bogs, titillating wineries, deepdark woods with suddenly appearing stone walls and enigmatic gorges for which Ithaca is nicknamed—Ithaca is Gorges.

As administrative habits suggest, the Triennial is not just any relay race. It was concocted in 1981 by the Rossiter brothers, “Dump Truck” and “Spider,” as, says Truck, “a competitive team relay to break local runners out of their ‘another week, another 10K race’ and ‘how many marathons have you done?’ rut.” Over the years the Triennial, which now takes place in late September,

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IT’S A GREAT DAY. The ability to push for your personal best even when conditions might be near their worst. That’s the authentic GORE-TEX

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THE FIRST STEP FOR A GREAT DAY

Great escapes

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[ date ]

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TNF Endurus

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G1896

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Trail Runner

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1/3 – 4C

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BOTTOM: The author running along Taughannock Creek, which flows into Cayuga Lake, the largest of the five Finger Lakes.

RIGHT: Katie Danner, Shaum and Kleinrock shaded by hardwoods, FLT.

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TOP: Nancy Kleinrock, Steve Shaum and Ian Golden (owner of the Finger Lakes Running Company) basking in the sunset on the Finger Lakes Trail.

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Great Escapes

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THE FIRST STEP FOR A GREAT DAY

La Sportiva Ultranord with GORE-TEX XCR fabric technology ®

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Footwear made with GORE-TEX® has grown in quirkiness while retaining its original objectives. To help Truck, Spider and their still-young-at-heart cronies retain the advantage their legs and lungs once provided them outright, runners are granted age- and gender-based handicaps, and to augment the cross-country scoring system are bonuses based on the number of Triennials run and—if the bathtub water temperature is just right—by demonstrably helping to spread the word. To participate in a Triennial, all team members must first show their mettle. One option is to prerun their respective section of trail at an acceptable pace. Thus, the summer of 2005 found members of the Finger Lakes Runners Club checking out their “stages” of the race, as well as sampling those of their teammates.

On one such summer day, Steve and I continued running past the double blaze marking a transition from the uniformity of the pine plantation to well-defined singletrack with hardwoods above and ferns and moss below. Passing a well-kept lean-to and fire ring constructed to accommodate through-hikers, we plunged to the valley floor, girding ourselves for the grind back up and our remaining dozen miles. The Ice-Age-carved Finger Lakes region features deep north-south cuts, making the trail more than rolling but less than mountainous. Although local farmers might argue otherwise, the terrain has a low proportion of rocks, and offers enough mud, roots and variable footing to guarantee a good adventure run.

A CIVILIZED WILDERNESS A couple of weeks prior to my run with Steve through the Danby State Forest, I joined several other intrepid runners just a few miles east for a one-way jaunt along the FLT in the Shindagin Hollow State Forest.

The run’s leader, Joe Dabes, not only has been part of the Triennial shenanigans from the beginning, but also serves as map maker for the Finger Lakes Trail Conference and trail-section coordinator for over 100 miles of the FLT, including all that the race encompasses. As we ran through stretches of lush woods punctuated with luscious but sometimes-prickly raspberries, Joe filled us in on the trail’s history. The 1930s found the U.S. government buying up private acreage—largely pastureland—and gifting it to New York State to convert to forestland.

The FLT zigzags through these forests and a smattering of state parks, and also relies on the goodwill of the more than 450 private landowners who permit the trail to cross their property.

The trail’s stone walls are remnants of borders and cattle restraints that have been engulfed by second-growth woodlands.

“I’ve done the Finger Lakes Trail six times,” declared Dabes, “and I’m working on my seventh. I love this trail.” Many a summer day will find Joe with his golden retriever, a chainsaw and pruners tending needy trail sections.

While some prefer to view trail running as a wilderness experience, others appreciate easily accessed road crossings and appealing towns for off-trail good times and eats.

fabric is the most tested in the world.

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55 March 2007 T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m

©2006 W. L. Gore & Associates Inc. GORE-TEX®, XCR®, GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY®, GORE® and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates, 1-800-GORE-TEX

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Great escapes

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The Finger Lakes Trail falls into the latter category, with spurs, loops and additional regional trails permitting convenient point-topoint, loop or out-and-back excursions. And Ithaca, made cosmopolitan by the presence of Cornell University and Ithaca College, provides the perfect hub for exploration of not only the FLT, but also dozens of Finger Lakes wineries, the riches of Ithaca itself and the myriad New York State Parks (some contiguous with the FLT and some reachable via a short spur or modest drive).

Tucked right downtown is the famed Moosewood Restaurant, featuring principally vegetarian fare. The ABC Café is a likeminded eatery just up East Hill in Collegetown, and Joe’s Restaurant offers traditional Italian cuisine. The various branches of Collegetown Bagels–Ithaca Bakery vie with Wegman’s grocery for the best in bagels and deli service, and Gimme! and Juna’s are favorites when it’s time for a coffee fix. New to the scene is the Finger Lakes Running Company, where owner Ian Golden will get you into the right shoe or gear and set you up with FLT maps. In the evening, catch an art film at Cinemapolis or Fall Creek theaters or a live show at the Hangar or Kitchen theaters or on one of the campuses. This musical town has no shortage of nightspots, including the Rongovian Embassy to the USA, nestled in nearby Trumansburg, just a veritable stone’s throw from the Interloken Trail—the FLT

spur in the Finger Lakes National Forest, New York’s only national forest—which is home to the Finger Lakes 50s Trail Races (July 4th weekend).

Back on the trail, Steve and I had been rolling along and were in the throes of a hill that during a race is more efficient to walk than run. However, we continued our trot until we found ourselves at Thatcher’s Pinnacles, with an endless view of hills, valleys, streams and ponds. We promised each other to strap on our snowshoes come wintertime and again drink in the expansive vista.

With the next running of the Triennial not until 2008, there is plenty of time to travel to New York’s Finger Lakes and discover for yourself what the region has to offer—and to practice following the white blazes of what might become your stage in an upcoming Triennial. Although the Rossiters’ Team Atrocious always manages to declare itself winner, there are a bevy of coveted accolades bestowed at the post-relay party, such as “Christopher Columbus” (most lost), “Catherine the Great” (outstanding performance), “Timothy Leary” (long strange trip), “Oliver North” (ends justifies the means) or even “Monica Lewinsky” (you’ll have to visit the Triennial website to get the lowdown on this new award!).

Nancy Kleinrock is a competitive runner and freelance writer who lives half a mile from trails that connect her to the Finger Lakes Trail. Between runs she writes about emerging technology’s impact on business.

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Inov-8 Roclite 318 with GORE-TEX XCR fabric technology ®

Trailhead

Finger Lakes Trail, New York

MAP // Tiffany Stram, North Country Trail Association Cartographer; copyright 2005, Finger Lakes Trail Conference

Getting There // “Centrally isolated” Ithaca is located in the triangle formed by Binghamton, Rochester and Syracuse, New York. Ithaca, which lies at the convergence of NY routes 13, 34, 79, 89, 96, 96B and 366, is also served by daily flights by US Airways and Continental Airlines.

Seasons // Run the FLT anytime from mid-April through midNovember, then break out your snowshoes for the winter months. During the fall deer-hunting season (mid-November through mid-December), some sections are officially off limits.

Gear and resources // The Finger Lakes Trail Conference is a good source for maps and guidebooks. Order from www.fingerlakestrail.org, or pick them up at area running and outdoor stores, notably the Finger Lakes Running Company, Ithaca’s full-service running store (138 W. State Street; www.fingerlakesrunningcompany.com; 607-275-3572) or Eastern Mountain Sports (722 S. Meadow Street, Threshold Plaza; 607-272-1935).

The Finger Lakes Runners Club’s 300 members constitute a ready resource for information and trail companionship (www.fingerlakesrunners.org).

Triennial // Form a team and get ready for the anticipated date of September 28, 2008. Keep an eye on http://home.hetnet.nl/~fatcat/triennial.htm for details.

Camping and accommodations // Run, hike, splash and camp in five of the unique New York State Parks near Ithaca: Buttermilk Falls, Robert H. Treman, Taughannock Falls, Watkins Glen and Sampson (www.nysparks.state. ny.us/regions/finger_lakes.asp). Primitive camping is available in the Finger Lakes National Forest (www.fs.fed.us/r9/gmfl/fingerlakes).

Ithaca and its surrounding communities have lodgings that range from countryside B&Bs to motels to downtown high-rise hotels; see www. visitithaca.com. Trailside B&Bs include the Red House Country Inn (www.redhousecountryinn. com ), nestled in the Finger Lakes National Forest; Comfort Woods Guesthouse (www. ithacacooperstown.com), just south of Ithaca near the Danby State Forest; Noble House Farm (www.noblehousefarm.com), west of Ithaca on Connecticut Hill, whose proprietors help maintain the adjacent section of the FLT; and Treman Lodge (www.vacationrentals411.com/vacation/8871. html), abutting Upper Treman State Park for a hand-hewn Japanese-inspired retreat.

Other activities // Tour and taste the bounty of the dozens of awardwinning Finger Lakes wineries that dot the region’s lakes (www.winetrailcountry.com). Visit the Corning Museum of Glass (www.cmog.org), which doubles as the finish line of the Wineglass Marathon on the first Sunday of October (www.wineglassmarathon. com). Fill yourself with the local flavor and flavors of Ithaca on weekends at the waterfront Farmers Market (www.ithacamarket.com).

®

Footwear made with GORE-TEX® fabric is the most tested in the world.

But the most crucial test is how you feel at the end of the day.

Every footwear design that uses GORE-TEX® fabric must endure hours of testing and be flexed up to 200,000 times underwater.

There can be no leaks, no drips and no excuses. Only then can it carry the GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY® promise.

Shop for great gear at gore-tex.com

[ da

[ clie [ tit

It’s a great day.

[ job

[ pu

[ issu

57 March 2007 T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m

©2006 W. L. Gore & Associates Inc. GORE-TEX®, XCR®, GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY®, GORE® and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates, 1-800-GORE-TEX

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14,259’

14,000’

Longs

13,548’

Strange Trip

13,237’

A run up a colorado 14er turns life threatening

12,389’

When Jamin Camp regains consciousness, he’s sliding, slipping fast down the short, steep shoulder of a mountainside. He doesn’t understand why. It’s slick as a rink, and there’s no slowing down. He sees the edge coming, the stark drop. Then he’s over, and everything slows down.

There is time to realize he’s really falling. Time to realize that this simple winter trail run up a mountain he’d run many times before had somehow gone terribly, inexplicably wrong. He is flailing his arms and legs uselessly, trying to right himself in midair. Then, as vaguely as it began, it’s over.

The lights go out.

11,089’

11,000’

by Justin Nyberg art by Jeremy Collins T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m march 2007 58

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W a k i n g When Camp came to for the second time, the 27-year-old correctional counselor from Aurora, Colorado, found himself in a pillowy snowdrift on a sloping shelf of rock. He had fallen about 100 feet, stopping 10 feet short of another cliff—a 700-footer.

Slowly, the circumstances began coming back. It was January 20, 2005. He was in the middle of a long, morning trail run up Longs Peak, the 14,259-foot keystone of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, training for the Leadville 100-miler. He’d left in predawn darkness and had been running for almost four hours in crystal clear weather, wearing ski pants, two long underwear tops, a pair of light jackets and a knit cap. In his pack was an ice axe, crampons and a couple of quarts of water.

He’d reached the Narrows—a notoriously treacherous section of four-foot-wide ledges below the summit that fall away into oblivion. He recalls moving from the mountain’s shadow into dazzling winter sunlight. That’s where his memory draws a blank.

Lying in a daze, Camp made a mental checklist of his injuries.

His left wrist was broken. His right leg—with three cracks in the tibia, a shattered kneecap and all but one knee tendon torn from the bone—swung like a sick, useless pendulum.

His left kneecap was also cracked, and he discovered his ice axe had punctured a hole

Alone

near his shoulder blade. Blood poured dangerously fast from three head wounds, including a deep, asterisk-shaped gash on the back of his head from whatever knocked him out—a rock or chunk of ice, perhaps, loosened by the sun hitting the cliff face above him. He tried to stop the bleeding by wrapping his head with one of his longunderwear shirts, pulling so hard the stitching began to rip.

But the blood kept coming. He began to panic.

“Help!” he screamed into the thin mountain air, listening as his terrified voice evaporated across the granite wilderness.

He knew there would be no answer. He was alone.

D e s p e r at e desolation On any given summer day, Longs Peak is littered with hikers and climbers, many of them trying to summit their first 14er, some in jeans and tennis shoes.

The mostly alpine trail winds 7.5 miles from the trailhead, up some 4850 feet, as it traces a long, half spiral around the mountain toward the summit.

But come winter, the mountain is almost lunar in its isolation—the lonely playground for roped mountaineers and a few hardy trail-pounders like Camp.

The parking lot at the trailhead can sit empty for a week.

It was an isolation Camp craved. He loved being alone with his thoughts on the trail, and he trusted his abilities in the backcountry. Though he’d once slipped while solo ice climbing a steep section of Longs—catching himself only by grabbing a fortuitously placed iron eyebolt at the moment he lost his purchase— he had never had any accidents on his runs. Camp had started trail running seriously a year earlier, in the spring of 2004, his favorite run being a weekly 15-miler up Mount Evans, another fourteener, near his home. By the time of his accident he’d run or hiked 22 of the state’s 52 fourteeners, including Longs Peak some three dozen times—his fastest time in under five hours. He’d run it on each of the four consecutive weekends before the accident. He especially loved it in winter—the shimmer of the snow at sunrise, expansive views of the Rockies and peaceful solitude.

But this day, as Camp lay seven desolate miles from his car, with no down jacket, no food, no cell phone and almost no chance of surviving the night, that solitude was poised to kill him. The blood from his head and neck wounds had soaked though his two longsleeved shirts and was already making him shiver.

Instinctively, Camp began to climb. With an ice axe in his one good hand and one usable leg, he began to inch upward.

“It just seemed so hopeless that it didn’t even matter,” Camp recalls thinking as he crawled slowly. The slope ahead was over 70 feet long, steep enough that a slip would send him flying off the edge. He wiped the blood from his face with his broken left hand and continued to climb, leaving a trail of bloody palm prints in

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ting and freezing,” says Camp.

“It wasn’t really in hopes of making it back. It was just something to take my mind off it all.”

The

the snow. “It was like, it doesn’t matter if I fall again or not because I am not going to make it anyway.”

Somehow, he didn’t fall. He pulled himself over the top of the ridge near the spot where he’d originally tumbled. He slithered forward on his belly across the snow to a steep chute called the Trough that opened down the ridge’s opposite side, sloping 1500 feet toward a rocky valley. Seeing double, he clumsily slid down the chute, slowing himself with his ice axe with one hand and nearly speeding out of control several times.

At the point the chute crossed the hiking trail, he stumbled painfully to his feet, and spent the next several hours sliding, hobbling and crawling his way back around the peak, his movement compelled by some stubborn, reptilian corner of his brain. His thoughts wandered crazily in numb confusion. To his lovely young wife, Brenda, waiting at home. To a police officer giving her the news of his death. “I kept moving, just because it felt better than sit-

K e y H O L E

Camp’s only hope was to drag himself back to the Keyhole, a stark fin of rock overhanging the trail at 13,160 feet, before dark. There, a stone shelter had been erected years ago in memory of a deceased climber.

If he could make it that far, he’d have some shelter from the encroaching night, which would see temperatures fall to around zero.

But as Camp stumbled down from the Keyhole and rounded the corner, he dropped his ax.

The shelter’s heavy wooden door was missing. Inside, it was packed floor to ceiling with cement-like snow. There was no way in.

Camp realized he was going to have to get all the way off Longs Peak, or die somewhere on the way. He slid down a long ramp of snow to the Boulder Field, a wide, rocky moraine that is tough to hike even with two good legs. His right knee buckled periodically in sickening directions, and he crumpled to the ground in excruciating pain. Once, as he skipped between two boulders, his leg flopped forward at the knee and his boot kicked him hard in the face.

“The terrain was just so giant and so empty. I felt so completely alone,” Camp recalls.

The next few hours Camp remembers only in spurts, like a horror movie punctuated by naps. There are disjointed scenes, inexplicable gaps of time and contradictions of logic. The way the sun seemed to rocket across the sky. Screams as his knee collapsed. Straightening the joint with his hands and standing again.

Near a windswept spot on the trail called Chasm Junction, still more than three miles from his car, Camp fell and didn’t get up. He can’t recall how long he was there, but he was too exhausted to move. Darkness had fallen. He knew he’d die if he didn’t somehow get up, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.

Sleepiness set in. The stars looked so pretty, and strange.

Two of them appeared to be

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R U N N I N G LONGS PEAK, COLORADO

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Elevation: 14,259 feet Trail: The Keyhole Route Round trip: 15 miles Elevation gain: 4854 feet Getting there: Drive nine miles south of Estes Park on Highway 7.

When to go: Mid-July to mid-September Description: A clearly marked forest trail climbs gradually for two miles before emerging into gently rising alpine foothills. After six miles, cairns mark the trail through the Boulder Field. Scramble through a rocky outcropping known as the Keyhole at 13,160 feet, where painted rocks trace the route to a scree slope called The Trough, often snowy through mid-summer. At the top, the route circles east into the sheer vertical ledges of The Narrows, and the final scramble to the summit. Be prepared for drastic weather changes and sudden afternoon thunderstorms.

Guidebook: Longs Peak: The Story Of Colorado’s Favorite Fourteener, by Dougald MacDonald.

12/19/06 1:57:17 PM

GUARDIAN

angels

moving. Down there, low on the horizon. Camp watched them disappear. The lights came back. Closer now. Headlamps.

Someone was coming.

“Help!” Camp cried. The lights stopped. “Help!” They swung around. They got brighter. They shined directly in his eyes.

The headlamps belonged to John Bicknell, the president of the Colorado Mountain School, one of the country’s elite climbing academies, and Sgt. Greg Jones of the Denver Police Department, who were doing a winter training session in the backcountry, and happened to be hiking out in the dark at 6:30 p.m. Bicknell ran for help while Jones stayed with Camp, whose kidneys were shutting down from the combined effects of his bleeding, dehydration and severe hypothermia. His frostbitten hands had swollen to the size of grapefruits.

Camp spent four hours freezing with Jones before rangers and the Larimer County Search

and Rescue team arrived and immediately began warming him up, carrying him off the mountain the next day. “No one else would have traveled that route in a week,” said Bicknell.

“He did amazing things to get to that spot and he should still be dead, because we shouldn’t have been there.”

Camp spent three days in intensive care and underwent knee surgery on his right leg.

It will never be strong enough for him to run trails again, but he has no regrets. He’d run Longs again in winter without a second thought. “The whole thing that is appealing to trail runners and me and people who train in the mountains is that you are completely responsible for yourself,” he says. “If you want to be extra cautious, you can just stay in the car.”

Justin Nyberg is the research editor for Outside magazine.

Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp June 30, July 1-2, 2007 3 organized runs to familiarize participants with the challenges of the Leadville Trail 100

Trail Marathon & Heavy Half Marathon July 7, 2007 Leadville Rocky Mountain Trails, summiting 13,185-foot Mosquito Pass

Leadville Trail 100 10K August 12, 2007 View the first and last 3.2 miles of the Leadville Trail 100 on this out and back 10K

Leadville Trail 100 August 18-19, 2007 50 miles out-and-back in the midst of the Colorado Rockies.

Low point-9,200 ft; high point-12,600 ft.

Entries Available January 2, 2007 Merilee O’Neal, Race Director • PO Box 487, Leaville, CO 81461 • (719) 486-3502 • www.leadvilletrail100.com

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