Trail Runner May 2007

CHECK OUT THE ALL-NEW WWW.TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM!

One Dirty Magazine

MAY 2007 • ISSUE 45

EAST SIDE STORY

DIRT CERTIFIED

The Bay Area’s best trails are on the other shore

EUROPEAN VACATION Tour the Alps

in High Style

NEW SHOES

ABUSED IN MUD, ROCK & SNOW

Scorching action at Primal Quest Moab

RUNNING FOR 2

MIXING PREGNANCY & THE TRAILS DISPLAY THRU MAY 31

COACH’S ADVICE

Become an Uphill Monster • iPod Race Etiquette

$4.99 US // $5.99 CAN

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NOVEMBER 2004 | WWW.TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM

45

ONE DIRTY MAGAZINE

C ONTENTS MAY 2007 WWW.TRAILRUNNERMAG.COM

DEPARTMENTS 4

EDITOR’S NOTE

6

LETTERS

62 RUN AMOK 10 MAKING TRACKS

Mad Dash—why are ultras filling at such a crazy rate? • What do trail running and backcountry bowhunting have in common?

Ask Cameron Hanes.

18 ADVENTURE

Some Like It Hot. Scorching desert action in Primal Quest 2006.

BY TRAVIS MACY

26 ASK THE COACH

Get uphill strong; iPod trail etiquette.

28 TRAIL TIPS

Auto owners rely on AAA, but trail runners should subscribe to EEE—Even Energy Expenditure.

BY JIM FREIM

30 TRAINING

38 CINDERELLA

LIVES EAST OF EDEN

The Bay Area’s best trail scene is on the other side.

BY GARETT GRAUBINS PHOTOS BY COREY RICH

46 EUROPEAN

VACATION

The GORE-TEX Transalpine Run takes runners on an eight-day foot race through four Alpine countries.

BY ELINOR FISH

Running for Two. Are trail running and pregnancy compatible?

BY HEATHER C. LISTON

34 TAKE YOUR MARK

50 miles in northern Patagonia’s stunning Lake District; High-angle action at the short-but-grueling Grouse Grind, British Columbia; run for the right reasons at the Race for the Mountains, Breckenridge, Colorado.

36 FACES

The Write Stuff. Runner Michael Collins weaves trails and novels into a busy life.

BY MIKE MCQUAIDE

54 TRAIL TESTED

Dirt Certified. We drag 14 of the latest trail shoes through mud, snow, rock and dirt.

COVER: Elinor Fish pounds out some early spring miles on the surreal flanks of Mount Garfield, Colorado.

PHOTO BY BRIAN BAILEY THIS PAGE: Backcountry bowhunter and trail fiend, Cameron Hanes training in the Wasatch Range, Utah (see page 14).

PHOTO BY SCOTT MARKEWITZ

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Editor’s Note

by Elinor Fish

weaving a new website Please join us online e at Trail Runner have heard your message loud and clear: you love the magazine, but want more trail-running information. We’ve respon de d with a co m plete ly n ew we bsite design e d to f ur th e r se r ve your needs.

The new website makes it easier for you to ask questions, comment on Trail Runner articles, send trail news and write a letter to the editor. We want to hear from you!

In the new Trail Runner community forums, you can discuss everything from training tips to the latest gear, and share race and off-road adventures with like-minded zealots. Soon, we will introduce a feature for uploading digital images and video clips of your trailrunning experiences.

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As the world-wide clearing house for off-road happenings, our bigger-than-ever race calendar is now easier to read and navigate. Use the month and state search criteria to narrow down the calendar’s 800-plus races, which is updated monthly with new listings. We will soon add a search feature for sorting the calendar by race type: ultra, non-ultra, adventure or snowshoe race.

Now that the 4th Annual Trail Runner Trophy Series is underway, check the website for monthly updates on overall point standings, series news and information about exciting new prizes and shoe discounts from La Sportiva and other Trophy Series sponsors.

If you want to know where to trail run in Maine or how to avoid ankle rolls, find the answers in the extensive archive of Trail Runner’s best articles about gear, training, nutrition, destinations, fascinating athletes and more.

Plus, you can stay informed about the latest news and happenings in the trailrunning world with our free e-news-

letter. Simply sign-up today with your email address to begin receiving the bi-monthly news scoop.

The new website will also feature regular sweepstakes offers. Currently, readers still have until June 30, 2007, to enter our exclusive contest with The Costa R ica Coastal Challenge —you can win a free entry to the 2008 running of this six-day race of a lifetime through jungles and beaches. Please keep checking back for other contests and special offers.

The Community section also includes special resources for race directors, including Trail Runner’s promotional packages for getting the word out about your trail event. Add your listing to the race calendar, join the Trophy Series (the country’s largest off-road race series) and much more.

As always, you can still order back issues, trail-running books or send a Trail Runner subscription to someone special.

Check out the new www.trailrunnermag. com and tell us what you think.

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Pittsfield

Peaks Ultra

Challenge

Pittsfield, Vermont

June 9, 2007 • Summit six peaks in the green mountains • 14 hour time limit • 6:00 a.m. start • Camping available • $2,000 to 1st male and 1st female finishers • $200 will be stashed on each mountain • Visit www.peak.com for more information

Pittsfield Snowshoe Marathon

& Half Marathon Pittsfield, Vermont

March 3, 2007 • Lobster & Shrimp Feast for all finishers • $500 to 1st male and 1st female finishers • Guest Speaker-David Breashears and sneak preview of Everest movie • Visit www.peak.com for more information

Visit

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Letters Looking Back I particularly enjoyed Kevin Ludlum’s article, “Mind Games,” in your January 2007 issue [No. 43]. Nothing beats training to prepare for long-distance trail races, but many runners have trouble finishing because they are unprepared mentally. Ludlum brings out some solid ideas, especially setting goals, refocusing plans when things don’t go as planned and controlling anxiety during a race.

In my account of my 1986 Western States 100 run (The End of the Trail: A 100-Mile Running Odyssey), I also include a chapter on mind games. One important lesson is to break the course into segments, such as running from one aid station to the next. I also discuss the concepts of patience, relaxing and simply realizing that you will be out there for a long time. As Ludlum emphasized, you must adjust your pace according to the issues you face on the course. I call this setting a tempo rather than a pace.

I still enjoy jaunts on the trails and, at a now slower pace, resort to mind games even more.

—J.D. Fischer Visalia, California

Joint Study I just received the latest issue [January 2007, No. 43] and had some input on the Ask The Coach question regarding glucosamine supplements and joint health.

The Coach quoted a study in the New England Journal of Medicine as saying, “Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate alone or in combination did not reduce pain effectively in the overall group of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.”

I suggest taking a closer look at the study. They didn’t use glucosamine sulfate—rather glucosamine hydrochloride (HCl). They did use chondroitin sulfate; therefore, the subjects where getting a small dose of sulfur. It appears that the sulfate form is beneficial, which has been shown with other sulfur containing supplements (MSM, SAMe).

Also among patients with “moderateto-severe knee pain,” 24.9 percent experienced improvement in primary pain score and 26.4 percent improvement in secondary pain score compared to 15.1 percent and 18.1 percent for Celebrex, respectively.

This 20-plus-percent response exceeded what the scientists themselves stated would prove efficacy.

Mild knee-pain sufferers had a better outcome with Celebrex versus glucosamine HCl and chondroitin sulfate.

However, Celebrex failed miserably in the study overall, failing to ever reach 20-percent response for any level of pain relief.

Also from the study: “Our finding that the combination of glucosamine [HCl] and chrondroitin sulfate may have some efficacy in patients with moderate-tosevere pain is interesting, but must be confirmed by another study.”

—Tom Weitz Dubuque, Iowa

Youth!

I just finished reading the Trail Runner feature on Anton (Tony) Krupicka [January 2007, No. 43], and his win at the Leadville 100-miler.

I’m an old timer in the ultrarunning community (finished my first 50-miler at Mountain Masochist in Virginia in 1988).

I have seen many of the racing greats come and go, and had to chuckle when I read the piece on Krupicka—he’s a free spirit, rebellious to the status quo, flamboyant and, of course, talented.

It’s very possible that Tony is the heir apparent to one of ultra racing’s icons— Eric Clifton—but those are some big racing flats to fill. We’ll have to see what transpires in the races to come. But until then, keep the heat on, Tony, and entertain the rest of us with your crazy 200mile weeks!

—Tom Mueller Gainesville, Florida

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BY THE NUMBERS

7 MINUTES 30 SECONDS Time it took for the 2007 Way Too Cool 50K, in Cool, California, to reached its registrant capacity of 450 runners.

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

3:30 AM

Time on race day that devoted runner Michael Hays, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, pre-runs the course of each trail event he organizes: the Anywhere 10-K Trail Run, Menan Butte Trail Challenge (3 and 5 miles), Kelley Canyon 5-Mile Trail Run and Wild Moose Run for the Hills 8-K.

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 . . .

READER WISDOM BE BRANCH AWARE As a trail runner, I was always taught to look down to watch for roots, twigs, wet leaves and other hazards, but I learned the hard way that you should also look up.

One day I ran watching the ground, until a low branch suddenly hit me in the face.

It looked as though I’d been slapped with a broom. Keep your eyes up as well as down!

—Denice Horgan Wilmington, Massachusetts RUNNER’S BEST FRIEND After a long work day, I often find that fatigue and malaise hamper my running enthusiasm. My greatest salvation is two training partners waiting for me to arrive home—Mikey, a 13-year-old greyhound-collie mix and Margaree is a six-month-old blue heelerAussie Shepard. They are never judgmental and are always ready to motivate me to get dressed and out on the trails.

—Mark Thorne Reedsville, West Virginia

www.mountaintrails.org

EDITORIAL

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bhelge@bigstonepub.com ACCOUNTING

Mark Kittay CPA

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

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

•Manuscripts, photographs and correspondence are welcome. Unsolicited materials should be accompanied by return postage. Trail Runner is not responsible for unsolicited materials.

All manuscripts and photos are subject to Trail Runner’s terms, conditions and rates •Please allow up to 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.

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Making tracks

by Elinor Fish » photo by patitucciphoto

Racers at the Western States 100-Miler. 1000 runners vied for just 200 spots in this year’s lottery.

Mad Dash

Why are ultras filling at such a crazy rate?

A

fter months of faithfully following a carefully laid-out training program, planning time off work and tweaking hydration and eating strategies, you’re ready to pay the entry fee for the season’s goal: an ultramarathon. The only problem is, if your trigger finger wasn’t poised over the computer mouse on the first day of registration, you may have missed the tiny window of opportunity to register for the most popular races. The Way Too Cool 50K filled in 7 minutes 30 seconds. The Miwok 100K, which took six weeks to fill last year, reached capacity in only five days.

The Massanutten Mountain Trails (MMT) 100-Mile Run, which up until last year never filled, maxed out in just 10 days.

Long-time ultrarunners take this unprecedented surge as a sign that the masses have finally discovered trail ultrarunning—and there’s no going back. Shaking their heads, they lament the inevitable changes sweeping the ultra scene. “If Dean [Karnazes] and Lance [Armstrong] run MMT and bring camera crews, it will be time to find a new sport,” said Brian McNeill in a posting on the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club’s online forum.

Everybody’s Doing It At the heart of the ultra phenomenon is trail running’s overall popularity boom.

The Outdoor Industry Foundation reported in 2005 that trail running was among Americans’ top five outdoor activities. More than 40 million people ran trails in 2005, up from 31 million in 1998.

Among the hoards hitting the dirt are aging baby boomers who are heeding their bodies’ signals to slow down and stick to more forgiving running surfaces. Finding themselves better suited for endurance than speed, they find running trail ultras less physically punishing than road marathons.

The biggest proportion of new trail runners are between 16 and 24 years old, drawn by the sport’s easy access, minimal gear and skill requirements and instantly gratifying nature and fitness fix.

A Natural Evolution The 1980’s fitness craze widened running’s overall popularity, causing the growing number of city marathons to swell from thousands of participants to tens of thousands. For road marathon runners, the 26.2-mile distance was an achievement of a lifetime—not only as a test of one’s running prowess, but also one’s determination to focus on a single goal and achieve something great.

However, the marathon’s impressive aura is fading, as everyone—from 12-year-olds to grandmothers—is doing it.

Many now look to ultrarunning as the arena in which to further test their endurance. Although ultramarathons will always represent a niche aspect of

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Making tracks

running’s total domain, its recent participation growth indicates a critical point in the sport’s natural evolution.

“It makes sense that more people would be curious about ultrarunning,” says Tia Bodington, race director for the Miwok 100K. “Just as 10Ks and marathons had their rush in interest, ultrarunning now intrigues people seeking change, a challenge or something just a bit out of the ordinary.”

The Dean Factor Some attribute the rise in ultrarunning’s popularity to the media frenzy surrounding a few successful endurance athletes. The most notable example is Dean Karnazes, author of the New York Times bestseller, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, the number seven bestselling sports book worldwide, according to The Economist.

“Dean’s book has been so popular it even motivates non-runners and hobby runners to try an ultra,” says Greg Soderlund, race director of California’s Western States 100-Miler. Soderlund figures that Ultramarathon Man combined with the airing of Run for the Soul, a documentary film about the famed race he directs, on public television, have contributed to Western States’ 20percent surge in race applications this year. Over 1000 people vied for only 200 coveted spots on the start line. But the historic event’s popularity is not about the prize money—because there isn’t any—it’s about prestige. “If you want to call yourself an ultrarunner, you’ve got to do Western States,” Soderlund says.

Apart from the increase in publicity is the mainstream media’s new bent on what ultrarunning is all about. “Ten years ago we were painted as freaks who loved pain,” says Stan Dubois, race director of the MMT. “But these days, articles are about how much fun ultras are and what an accomplishment it is to finish one.” The positive press paints ultrarunners as normal, well-rounded citizens with successful careers and families.

After winning the Badwater Ultra 135mile race through California’s Death Valley two consecutive years, Pam Reed, a 42-year old mother of five, appeared on the David Letterman Show in August 2003. “Millions of viewers saw me, a 100-

pound woman, who has kids and a job, and figured, if she can run ultramarathons, then I can do it, too,” says Reed. “I know I’m not the best female ultrarunner out there, but my goal is to get the sport more recognition and this kind of publicity encourages more people to try it.”

Rise of the Young Guns Until recently, logic dictated that runners should spend decades earning their stripes in shorter races before transitioning up to longer distances. This way, runners would gradually build stamina and patience, key ingredients in ultramarathon success.

However, that logic is being scrutinized. Take last year’s Leadville 100Mile champion, Anton Krupicka, who at the age of 23, clocked the race’s second-fastest time ever in 17 hours 2 minutes. It was his first 100-miler ever. He, along with James Bonnett, who finished Western States twice as a teenager, prove that with adequate training and the right mental attitude, younger runners can excel in ultra races.

“You don’t have to be a certain age to be good at ultrarunning,” says 19-yearold Bonnett. “You have to have a ton of patience, but that is something everyone has to learn in their first ultra, regardless of age. When I started, people contacted my dad, saying I shouldn’t be running so much because I was ruining my health, but we just ignored them. And I haven’t had any negative effects. I feel good, and I love doing it.”

Trail ultras will never have the field size that shorter road races can accommodate due to courses’ limited carrying capacities, the challenging logistics of providing race support in remote regions and permit caps. So with the increasing demand for a limited number of starter’s bibs, more events are likely to begin filling up at record rate.

The good news, however, is that there are now more events than ever to choose from.

Check out www.trailrunnermag.com for the most comprehensive trail race calendar anywhere, featuring over 800 races.

What do you think has contributed to ultrarunning’s surge in participation? Visit Trail Runner’s Community forum at www.trailrunnermag.com and share your thoughts.

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Making tracks

In the Hunt Cameron Hanes goes trail running for his bowhunting. Or is it the other way around?

H

At 4 a.m. on September 22, 2006, alone in a soup of thick fog and blowing snow at 8000 feet, 12 miles from the nearest road in Oregon’s immense Eagle Cap Wilderness, Cameron Hanes was soaked and near hypothermic. He had to do something, so he got out of his sopping sleeping bag and bivy sack and headed uphill to generate some heat.

“It’s in Oregon’s largest wilderness, 60 by 30 miles. With virtually no one back there, I felt completely insignificant,” says Hanes. “I could live or die and not one thing would change. My life was equivalent to an ant’s.”

Hanes was not on some heinous 100miler training mission. He was hunting bull elk with a bow. He survived the night by moving, and then spent four more cold, wet, lonely days on the quest, eventually coming out empty handed.

“Without the mental strength trail running gives me, I would have thrown in the towel on that hunt and numerous others,” says Hanes, 39 of Marcola, Oregon, a renowned backcountry bowhunter.

Hanes’ outings are usually solo, and as far from any road as you can get in the lower 48. On up to 10-day adventures, he carries everything he needs on his back and sleeps wherever he ends up, hunting from daylight till dark on steep, rocky, trail-less terrain.

Last summer, Hanes ran four trail ultras (races that included such talent as Scott Jurek and Sean Meissner), finishing in the top 10 three times, and three road marathons, most notably the New York City Marathon. His best ultra finish was at the S.O.B. 50K in Ashland, Oregon, where he finished in 4:27, snagging sixth place.

Hanes is editor of Eastmans’ Bowhunting Journal and author of two

books including the popular Backcountry Bowhunting, A Guide to the Wild Side (2006), which is already in its second printing. He lives with his wife, Tracey, and three young children, and takes up to four trips deep into the backcountry, pursuing big game each year.

What is your running history?

My dad was a track guy, earning a scholarship at the University of Oregon back in the late ’60s, but I was never a runner in high school. I did the football, basketball and baseball thing, and running was something I did to get in shape for football.

After high school, I continued recreational running. In 2003, I ran my first marathon, the Gorge Marathon in Hood River, Oregon, and finished third.

The past two summers I delved into ultrarunning, which has been perfect for me, a guy with decent endurance who loves challenge, pain and a sense of accomplishment.

How did you get interested in trail running?

It was a natural transition to prepare myself for the rigors of bowhunting in the mountains. On many long solo hunts in very rugged, remote country, there are many times I want to quit, go home to be with my family, watch Sports Center. I needed to really push out of my comfort zone.

Now, I use my running as motivation during long hunts, and my long hunts give me strength to push through the pain during a long run. I might spend 10 days in the mountains by myself, humping up and down steep, rocky, unforgiving country, in baking heat, pouring rain or snow while trying to arrow a bull elk. Facing these kinds of challenges can make a four-hour run seem like a walk in the park.

scott markewitz

is wife noticed the red streak running up the back of his leg.

An innocent blister acquired during the Siskiyou Out and Back 50K had progressed into a fullblown blood infection, the kind that can quickly kill you if you’re not careful. The doctor prescribed heavy-duty antibiotics and warned him not to go into the mountains. He went anyway.

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Making tracks

Your goal for the New York City Marathon was to beat Lance Armstrong.

Yes, that was my only goal. I haven’t run many road marathons and had just run Baltimore [Marathon] three weeks earlier, so I didn’t know how fresh I would be. So, PRs aside, I was going after Lance, period, and truthfully it was kind of a letdown. I reeled him in and passed him at the onemile mark. I thought about hanging out and getting a little TV love from NBC and the Lance Cam, but had to run my race.

Before the race, even my kids thought I was stupid for saying I wanted to beat Lance. But I ended up ahead of him by over nine minutes [setting a PR of 2:50:21].

How did you get involved in writing?

From my high-school days, I have had a fascination with painting a picture with words. I have an incredible passion for hunting animals in wild places, and the reality and rawness of it seems to make for interesting reading. Bowhunting is a journey that has taken place in the mountains for generations before me.

What is your training schedule like?

When gearing up for the marathon season and prior to bow season [in autumn], I run at least eight to 10 miles every day.

I’ll do a couple long runs a week, from 15 to 20 miles, but have a hard time getting motivated to run alone for more than that so I race. Last summer I raced a marathon and two ultras on consecutive weekends and never felt terribly fatigued. Sometimes because of time constraints I split my runs up in order to get my mileage in; I will run in the morning, at lunch and in the evening.

I love running during the absolute hottest part of the day. I don’t drink water either. I want to be miserable, as I know it is only temporary. This prepares me for those tough stretches of ultras or long hunts. I also run a local three-mile hill that gets baked by the sun. It gets up to well over 100 degrees, and sometimes I run it three times back to back.

Who do you look up to in trail running?

It would have to be Scott Jurek. He is the man. He has won all of the major deals—Western States, Badwater and the Spartathon in Greece.

How did you stay focused on running through the fall hunting season prior to November’s New York Marathon?

It was definitely a challenge to keep up my mileage while traveling and hunting.

Sometimes it meant getting home from the airport at midnight, lacing up the shoes and hitting the streets for a quick five-miler, just to keep the juices flowing.

What are your trail-running goals?

To be the absolute best I can be. My body is fresh; I feel a young 39. I have never piled on the high mileage like many of these endurance athletes, and never ran more than about 20 miles a week until a few years ago. I would like to knock off a 100-miler soon.

Has trail running become a passion in itself?

It has. There are times when I am in top condition and I have a hunt slated and, truthfully, don’t want to go and lose my peak. Once I get on the hunt, though, I get so into it. Both disciplines make me who I am.

—michael benge

scott markewitz

OVERHEARD “I thought about my family and my friends and everything I do, and I just kept saying to myself, ‘I can’t die. I’m not ready to die.’ But it would have been so easy to relax and curl up and die.”

—Danelle Ballengee, who fell 60 feet down an ice cliff near Moab, Utah, while running and waited over two days before being rescued “Dean Karnazes and I had the opportunity to run in the diamond district in the deserts of Namibia and although we never found diamonds in the soles of our shoes, we were always able to run faster than the springbok, wildebeest and oryx chasing us! ­­—American ultrarunner Topher Gaylord, now living in Montebelluna, Italy

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Making tracks

12TH ANNUAL KETTLE MORAINE 100 ENDURANCE RUNS:

100 Mile (solo & relay), 100km and 38 mile fun run June 2-3, 2007 Farewell to a Fiend Jack Kirk, a.k.a. “The Dipsea Demon,” passes on at 100

E www.kettle100.com kettle100run@yahoo.com 608-259-2311 (Timo)

Starting in 1930, at 24 years of age, Kirk ran the 7.1-mile race just north of San Francisco every year it was held through 2003, when he no longer had the stamina to finish. But Kirk, who stood 5-foot-5 and weighed 130 pounds, will be remembered as much for his the intelligent, witty and cantankerous persona as he will for his endurance in the storied trail race in the foothills of Mount Tamalpais. Thanks to the Dipsea’s unique handicapping system (which benefits the older, younger and

female runners), Kirk remained a competitive runner well into his 60s.

He acquired his famous nickname after the 1930 race, when fellow runner Neal Decker said, “The way he runs down those hills, he must be a demon.”

He posted the fastest time twice and also won the race on two occasions, in 1951 as a 44-year-old and in 1967 when he was 60. Even in his 90s, he could be seen in his typical race attire—long trousers, a button-down work shirt and boat shoes—clapping passionately and cheer-

ken wilson

ven in his final days, Jack Kirk had his beloved race in mind. The 100-yearold Mariposa, California, man, who became a legend for his longevity at the Dipsea Race, was talking about returning to the event in the days before he died on January 29. Having finished the historic race 67 consecutive times, the “Dipsea Demon” must have figured he had one more in him.

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ken wilson

Making tracks

ing with other runners in the starting corral in Mill Valley.

In his latter years, Kirk started with the group with the largest time handicap (23 minutes), which meant that the majority of runners would pass him on the course. The Dipsea race committee pleaded with other 1499 runners in the field not to pat Kirk on the back—so as to not knock him over—and found it necessary to have Kirk’s longtime race escort Mike Pechner wear a T-shirt emblazoned with “Caution! Dipsea Demon Ahead!”

“He was a permanent fixture of the Dipsea and it won’t be the same without him,” said Shirley Matson, a four-time winner of the race. “It was exciting to see him on the trail and see him come down the finish line with the crowds cheering him on. He was an inspiration of determination, dedication, drive, guts and feistiness. He was not only a demon, but a legend, a champion and of course a great athlete.”

Kirk’s record streak ended in 2003, when he started the race, but stumbled a couple of times before taking a seat in a chair at the top of Cardiac Hill midway through the course. He refused to throw in the towel and accept a ride to the finish line, until he was told he missed the mandatory time cut-off. The following year, after falling and breaking a hip, he became the race’s honorary starter and maintained that role through last year.

“It gave him great joy to be a part of the race,” says race director Edda Stickle. “Last year, he walked to the finish to watch all of the runners come in. You could tell he was just loving it.”

Kirk, who never married, lived a full yet simple life. He lived alone on a pristine 490-acre property near Yosemite Valley for 60 years without telephone service or plumbing. Instead, he collected water from a nearby spring, bathed in a creek and communicated to the outside world with hand-written letters. He typically slept in broken-down cars in his yard and had no electricity for the last 40 years after getting into a dispute with the local power company.

A strict vegetarian since he was a teen, Kirk raised vegetables in a small garden, harvested wild berries from his property and traded with a local beekeeper for honey. Although he earned a degree in botany from Pacific Union College, he worked a variety of odd jobs, including teacher, soldier, oil refinery laborer, garbage collector and Yosemite National Park maintenance worker.

“He was a character, that’s for sure,” says Merv Reagan, president of the Dipsea’s board of directors. “Every year he’d send a letter to the race committee, and if wildflowers fell out of the envelope when we opened it, we knew he was happy with us. If not, then we knew there was something we’d have to address, something that he thought was inappropriate.”

Kirk, known for his clever quips, once said, “Dipsea runners don’t get old, they just reach the 672nd step,” a reference to the top of the grueling staircase that runners have to endure early in the race. A plaque emblazoned with “Jack Kirk, The Dipsea Demon” will be cemented into the staircase’s top step when it is rebuilt after this year’s race. Organizers will also honor Kirk at a pre-race dinner on June 8.

Generations of runners have toed the starting line with Kirk, marveled at him on the course or cheered for him at the finish on Stinson Beach. And while his presence will be dearly missed, his enduring spirit will certainly be felt for years. Fittingly, Kirk was buried with a Dipsea race T-shirt at his side.

—brian metzler

Trail Running Festival

Fruita, Co April 19-22

6-Day Stage Race & Marathon

Moab, UT June 17-23

www.GeminiAdventures.com

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by Travis Macy » photos by corey rich

Some Like It Hot

Scorching desert action in Primal Quest 2006 Imagine running in the heat of Death Valley’s 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon, tacking on another 15 or so miles. Imagine doing it with blistered feet while carrying a threeyear-old in your backpack, and intermittently resting your feet by mountain biking technical singletrack in the dark, trying to stay awake while paddling a kayak at 2 a.m. and ascending 400-feet of fixed ropes up an exposed canyon wall. Imagine you had no support crew while continuing on such a schedule for 10 days, could only rely on three teammates for help along the way and would split $100,000 with them if you finished ahead of the other off-their-rocker folks trying to accomplish the same thing.

Held for the first time in 2002, Primal Quest (PQ) has become one of the world’s premier adventure races, and one of the few true “expedition” format races around.

Consisting of seven to 10 nonstop days and nights of desert trekking, horseback riding, whitewater swimming, mountain biking, paddling, orienteering, mountaineering and ropeworks, the 2006, 417-mile PQ course through eastern Utah pushed four-person coed teams to their limits.

The sun was strong enough to burn skin in 11 minutes, and 100-degree-plus days were the norm. The trails (or lack thereof) were rough, and sand and gravel permeated every non-duct-taped crevice, rubbing feet raw with every step. Huge, labyrinthine canyons riddled the desert floor, an awe-inspiring sight from helicopter and a navigational nightmare on foot. Solitary rock spires rose 500 feet from windswept valleys, dwarfed only by the 12,000-foot LaSal Mountains rising in the distance—both obstacles to be ascended and descended in this race. Race Director Don Mann had mixed all the right ingredients to brew up the perfect adventure race: “This will probably be the toughest—and the most beautiful—course you’ve ever done,” he warned before the sufferfest began.

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The (Un)Usual Suspects The beautiful course and overflowing prize purse drew the world’s top adventure-racing teams to PQ. Team Nike PowerBlast (formerly Nike ACG/Balance Bar) sought to defend its three consecutive PQ wins, but a dozen other domestic and international powerhouses were ready to launch a multi-faceted attack on the armor of this fast biking team.

Comprised of professional athletes, these teams sought to cover the course quickly and efficiently in order to earn a spot on the podium. For most of the 89 teams at the starting line, however, the goal was to merely finish.

The field was chockfull of trail-running aficionados, many seeking to expand and diversify experiences, challenges and training beyond running. “I love running the trails and will continue to do so,” says two-time USA Track and Field Ultra Runner of the Year Dave Mackey, who raced with the now-defunct Boulder, Colorado-based Team Spyder, “but there’s nothing like the adventure and experience I find in adventure racing. I also find that the cross-training I do for adventure racing makes me a stronger runner.”

Day One Double-Marathon in the Desert Most serious runners would hesitate to do an ultramarathon without examining (or at least studying maps of) a bit of the course. Primal Quest, however, like

most adventure races, challenged racers’ desires to know and control by keeping the course secret until the day before the race. After a brief evening of reviewing maps, teams boarded school buses for the four-hour ride to remote desert country in the San Rafael Swell, where rabbits outnumber humans 10 to one and the nearest town is Elmo, Utah (population 369).

Early in the morning of June 25, nerves were high at the starting line for humans and horses alike—each team completed the first 23-mile running/riding section with a four-legged teammate and one person on saddle. Some distressed animals reacted to the buzzing TV helicopter by bucking and bolting. Says Iona MacKenzie of Team Pedro’s Boulder: “Our horse was crazy! It tossed our rider to the ground and took off full speed in the wrong direction. The wranglers had to chase it, and we lost a ton of time off the bat.”

As temperatures skyrocketed well into triple digits, teams dropped their horses and embarked on the second almost-marathon of the day, and even the leaders found themselves struggling.

While meandering through dry washes and shadeless, oven-like canyons in the windy desert, where the grinding sand spawned debilitating blisters, many racers suffered dehydration-induced vomiting just hours into the race. “That was the most grueling run I’ve ever done,” said Nike PowerBlast’s Mike Kloser.

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While teams at the back of the field continued to struggle with heat complications on the initial run, which would take some over 48 hours, leaders hopped on mountain bikes for an uneventful 54-mile ride on barren dirt roads to the Green River, where they spent the night at a “dark zone,” a predetermined point at which night racing is deemed dangerous and not allowed.

Day Two Heating Up Teams banked up to six hours of sleep at the dark zone, and were ready to race in earnest on day two. The morning commenced with a 6 a.m. whitewater-swim mass start on the Green River, 18 miles north of the so-named town. A relatively new discipline to adventure racing, whitewater swimming consists of riding boogie-board-like “riverboards” through rough water. Two hours after putting in on the river, lead teams rode into the segment’s end-point as a tight pack, transitioned quickly and headed out in twoperson sea kayaks for a 35-mile paddle.

Racers were in good spirits five hours later at Ruby Ranch, where the paddling

section ended. “This race is finally getting fun,” said Team SOLE’s Paul Romero.

At 1:30 p.m., Merrell/Wigwam and Spyder came out of the water tied for the lead as they rushed to the first food supply since the start of the race 31 hours ago, then headed out for a night of canyoneering.

Day Three Skinny Dipping in the Night At 2 a.m. on the third day, mid-pack teams completed the paddle at Ruby Ranch, while leaders simultaneously returned from canyoneering. Team Spyder completed a bone-chilling swim and crawled out of the Green River in the lead. “This was a tough, sandy trek that wreaked havoc on our feet,” said Spyder’s Darren Clarke. Cold, wet and blistered— but fairly high in spirit—they jumped in their boats to head downriver on a 45mile paddling section.

Moments after Spyder paddled away, four naked, backpack-toting bodies emerged from the river. In an expert tactical move, Team GoLite/Timberland opted to pack their clothes in drybags (carried in their backpacks) and swim the river naked. While most teams emerged

from the river wearing soaked clothing and then began paddling to warm up again, GoLite/Timberland simply slipped into their dry clothes and napped in the scrub brush. “Can you guys get me a piece of cardboard?” inquired GoLite’s Sara Wallen. “I need something to sleep on.” Wallen found an empty pizza box and headed into the woods. Nike PowerBlast employed a third sleep strategy, as they opted to nap on the opposite side of the river before swimming across and transitioning to paddling, depositing two hours of solid rest.

At sunrise, moans from the medical tent at paddle’s end in Mineral Bottom signified that feet had become a serious issue.

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Timothy Faust

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Many racers received treatment before embarking on a monstrous canyoneering section featuring a rocky, sandy ascent of Mineral Canyon, a 400-foot ropes ascent, a tricky desert trek in desolate territory, an impressive rappel into Hell Roaring Canyon and more sandy trekking back to Mineral Bottom.

Day Four Back on the Bikes The 33.1-mile canyoneering loop ate

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up the entire night, and teams finally mounted their bikes again on day four, Merrell/Wigwam leading the way but followed closely by Nike PowerBlast, SOLE, Spyder and GoLite/Timberland. The 65.7mile mountain-bike section featured the world-class thriller trails Gold Bar Rim, Poison Spider and Kane Creek, and was interrupted briefly by a spectacular rappel off the breathtaking Gemini Bridges.

Excitement peaked when one of GoLite/ Timberland’s bikes became entangled in

the ropes. In an attempt to remedy the situation, staff shook the lines, which caused the rear wheel to disconnect from the frame and fall through space until it hit the ground, exploding with an ear-shattering shot that sent people running. The situation was quickly remedied with a donated wheel, and the team followed their competitors into the enervating heat.

Known internationally for being fun and exciting, Moab’s mountain-biking

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trails brought most competitors more misery than satisfaction. “The course is stunningly beautiful, but the heat is making this really, really hard,” said Supplier Pipeline’s Bob Miller after pedaling across the Poison Spyder Mesa, a vast expanse of sun-baked slickrock where the trail is barely discernable, wrong turns lead off cliffs and the rock is hot enough to fry a dropped gel packet. Nike PowerBlast laid down the hammer on two wheels, gaining the lead and squeezing life out of its competitors.

For the leaders, day five began with a transition from mountain biking to a 37.5-mile mountain trek. While cooler temps offered relief from the desert heat, the towering LaSals brought altitude, technical terrain, and—ironically— extreme cold.

At one checkpoint in a pristine meadow at 10,000 feet, PQ staff received a shock when Neil Jones of Team Merrell/ Wigwam rambled out of the woods sans trousers, which had been removed in an effort to alleviate chafing. Teams were also surprised there to learn about a previously undisclosed nine-mile orienteering course over rolling, densely vegetated terrain.

This map-and-compass challenge turned out to be the race’s crux. Nike PowerBlast and GoLite/Timberland nailed the navigation and put themselves out of reach at the front, while Merrell/Wigwam persevered in third. A hard-charging Supplier Pipeline mastered the orienteering course at night, followed by a haggard but ever-persistent SOLE, which stumbled out of the

Timothy Faust (top)

Day Five In the Mountains, Finally

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

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

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woods at 3:10 a.m. ready to ascend LaSal Mountain Pass Road. “This is just epic.

It’s unbelievable, but you can never, ever quit out here,” remarked Romero. Upon hearing that Spyder, Nike-Beaver Creek and Bjurfors were struggling with navigation in the dark, Salomon/Crested Butte opted to skip the orienteering section and instead serve a 10-hour penalty.

Timothy Faust (top)

Day Six Some Almost Done, Most Far from Finish By the sixth day of racing, teams had spread out dramatically. Leaders battled it out while closing in on the finish. After a full night’s sleep, Team Salomon/Crested Butte was ready for a hard push to the finish, consisting of trekking over two 12,000-foot peaks, riding 41.6 miles on the Kokopelli Trail, 15.8 miles of desert trekking with spectacular ropeworks and a two-mile paddle in inflatable kayaks.

Further back, most of the field continued to struggle over territory passed by the leaders days ago. Although prize money was out of the question, enthusiasm and motivation thrived. “You just look around and it’s like, ‘Wow, this is amaz-

ing!’ And then you go around the corner and ‘Wow, this even better!’” said Odyssey Adventure Racing’s Ronny Angell, “Being out on a course like this in the American West is a special experience.”

Days Seven to Ten Home at Last!

Undeterred by lightning-induced delays on the ropes and hamburgered feet, Nike PowerBlast took home the $100,000 top prize, crossing the finish line at 5:45 on the seventh morning shortly before a resilient GoLite/Timberland. A tight race for third unwound just after noon when Merrell/Wigwam bested Supplier Pipeline by just two minutes after making up a 20-second deficit on the final paddling section.

Salomon/Crested Butte, Bjurfors, SOLE, OrionHealth.com, Spyder and Nike-Beaver Creek rounded out the top 10.

Teams continued to paddle proudly to the finish at regular intervals until the 10-day cutoff closed the course. Of the 89 starters, 56 teams finished intact and ranked (many having completed abridged course options introduced to allow trailing teams to finish within 10

adventure days) and another 13 finished unranked after one or more of their members dropped out. Epic foot sections in the heat and mountains will ensure Primal Quest 2006’s place in the annals of adventure racing: “This was probably the hardest expedition race I’ve done,” remarked Kloser.

Racing at PQ may sound crazy, but the suffering is not all bad. As with any ultra-distance race, the life lessons from this epic event will remain long after the pain subsides, as Team MPGear.com’s Jen Jerabek explained: “You learn a lot about patience, teamwork, forgiveness and compromise. You need all of those skills in this race, and of course in life.”

Added her husband and teammate Rick, “The teams that do the best are the ones that think beyond themselves and take care of each other, and that’s something we can all take home from this.”

Travis Macy is a Colorado-based journalist and professional adventure racer.

His CD with comprehensive audio coverage of Primal Quest 2006 is available at www.GoFARpodcast.com.

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adventure Proud Sponsor of Adventure

Spring 2007 Adventure Race Calendar Highlights Race Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race Ozark Challenge Adventure Race Endorphin Fix Adventure Race Castaic Lake Adventure Race Save the World Adventure Race MISSION Adventure Race Central Coast Adventure Challenge

Date Location 4/14 4/14 4/20 4/28 4/28

adventureracega.com ozarkchallenge.com oarevents.com bigblueadventure.com s-t-w.org

5/12

Versailles, Indiana

dinoseries.com

5/19

San Louis Obispo, California

ccadventure.com

Florida Coast to Coast

5/25

Spread Your Wings Adventure Race

5/26

Yough X-treme

5/26

Run, Row, Rock, & Roll Adventure Race New England AR Series #2 The Cradle of Liberty Adventure Race Lionheart 24 Hour Adventure Race

Wesbite

Blue Ridge, Georgia Ozark, Arkansas Canann Valley, W. Virginia Castaic Lake, California McCormick, S. Carolina

6/9 6/9 6/30 6/30

Florida Rock Springs, Texas Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania Fairbury, Nebraska Westover, Vermont Southeastern, Pennsylvania Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

adventurousconcepts.com toocoolracing.com americanadventuresports.com nscracing.com info@racingahead.com goalsara.org americanadventuresports.com

Contact

Email

Ron Zadroga 706-632-6829 Pam Boulden 479-667-4066 Ronnie Angel 540-444-4422 Todd Jackson 530-546-1019 Bill Werling 907-750-1720 Brian Holzhausen 317-336-7553/2 Yishai Horowitz Elias Jimenez 305-479-5767 Robyn Cantor 512-775-1503 Doug Crytzer 814-397-4316 Jim Craig 402-471-2544 Tracey Olafsen 603-284-6368 Bill Gibbons 866-338-5167 Doug Crytzer 814-397-4316

ronzadroga@tds.net pam@byrdsadventurecenter.com ronny@oarevents.com todd@7thwave.com bill@s-t-w.org brian07@dinoseries.com yishaih@gmail.com ejimenez@adventurousconcepts.com art@toocoolracing.com doug@americanadventuresports.com jcraig@Nebraskasportscouncil.com racingahead.com bgibbons@goalsara.org doug@americanadventuresports.com

Adventure Racing 101 Who_Coed teams of four travel

Fancy Foot Work You may not plan on competing in an expedition-length adventure race, but odds are that you’ve had a blister or two during long trail runs. Luckily, PQ racers have done the footwork test sessions for you! Here are some tips for maintaining blister-free feet.

Lubricate» Apply Sportslick or another lubricant to all potential blister areas before and during your run.

Give ’Em Some Room» Begin long races or runs wearing shoes one-half size too big, and be ready to move to larger sizes later in the race as feet swell and toes become tender.

Say “No” to Sand» Sand creeps into most shoes through breathable upper material; PQ racers kept the pain at bay by wearing Gore-Tex shoes with gaiters or wrapping duct tape around toe-boxes.

Ask the Experts» If medical assistance is available at your race, ask for advice early on (before your foot issues become too serious to address).

Toughen Up» Toughening your feet ahead of time—with long runs and hikes and even barefoot walking—will make a big difference on race day.

together over the entire course (no relays here!). Most teams consist of three men and one woman, but many two- and three-woman teams have enjoyed success. Competitors’ backgrounds range from running to rock climbing to ultimate Frisbee.

What_Nonstop multisport races consisting primarily of trekking (like trail running, but often including off-trail travel), mountain biking, paddling, and fixed ropes (rappels, ascents, hand-lines and Tyrolean traverses). Some races also include specialized disciplines like horseback riding, scuba diving, orienteering, caving, inline skating, skiing, snowshoeing, glacier travel and mountaineering.

Teams navigate using map and compass during all disciplines to find race checkpoints in a pre-determined order.

Where_Adventure racing is growing fast at the grassroots level in the United States. Check local listings for a sprint (three to six hour), mid-distance (12 to 36 hour) or expedition (three days or more) race near you. Although prestige at the international level has dropped with the extinction of the EcoChallenge (last held in 2003), healthy racing opportunities exist abroad in every continent except Antarctica.

The USARA National Ranking System, applied only to co-ed teams, is a cumulative points system based on race type and finishing place in USARAsanctioned events.

December 2006

1 Dynamic Earth 2 M.O.A.T. 3 HART/Hammer Nutrition 4 Lab Rats 5 Texas Rough Riders/HART 6 HART/TexasDare.com 7 JUMP 8 HFAR/Inov-8 Trail Shoes 9 Get Outside 10 Backpacker/Bicycle Shop

January 2007

1 Berlin Bike 2 Dynamic Earth 3 M.O.A.T. 4 HART/Hammer Nutrition 5 Lab Rats 6 Texas Rough Riders/HART 7 HART/TexasDare.com 8 JUMP 9 HFAR/Inov-8 Trail Shoes 10 Get Outside

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ASK THE COACH by therese iknoian » illustration by jeremy collins

Music, Man! What is the etiquette or rules for running with an iPod or MP3 player at trail races?

—Julie Tisone, Lexington, Virginia

Uphill Battles

Hydrate or Die

I can muscle up short hills, but on oneto two-milers with a significant grade, I am forced to walk sections. How do I get better at running longer hills?

How much do I need to eat and drink during a 100-mile race on a moderate trail system in cooler weather?

—David Young, Homewood, Alabama

—Sean Kiffe, Missoula, Montana

So you want to be a mountain goat? Few people are happy with their uphill prowess. First, of course, if you want to run hills better, you must simply run hills as part of your normal training. Second, work at refining your technique. Proper hill form entails a shorter stride (it’s more efficient and you’ll use less energy), a slight lean (not from the waist) into the hill and a strong arm swing to help propel your knee lift, says Randy Ashley, two-time Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier and private running coach for ZapFitness (www.zapfitness.com). You also need to stay on the balls of your feet when the angle steepens.

Ashley suggests doing hill-specific workouts. For example, on a moderate hill—one you can actually run without being relegated to a slog—do short intervals at about 90-percent effort: in minutes, 1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1, resting between each with an easy jog downhill of a couple of minutes back to your start. Use a strong arm swing and lift your knees. To further build leg and lung power, try very short repeats at near max effort or longer onemile repeats at reduced output.

Of course, in ultras and even marathons, short power walking breaks or run-walk intervals are the most efficient and energy-saving technique, especially when the pitch increases dramatically.

Food and fluid intake varies, depending on weather, terrain, your conditioning, acclimatization, sweat rate and body composition, but there are some guidelines. “There’s no question, it’s all personal,” says Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., professor of nutrition at Georgia State University and author of Advanced Sports Nutrition (Human Kinetics, 2006). Most runners need about 100 calories per mile, give or take 10 to 15 percent depending on your size, explains Benardot, while other experts recommend less, between 100 and 300 calories per hour. Bottom line: experiment within these ranges during your training runs.

Regarding hydration, the American College of Sports Medicine (www. acsm.org) recommends a wide range of fluid intake—from two and a half to five cups per hour. Again, use trial-anderror training runs to figure out what works best.

In addition, Benardot notes that a runner should get about 200 milligrams of sodium for every cup of fluid, either by using sport drinks or electrolyte supplements. Unfortunately, there is no blackand-white formula. The only consensus is that you need to fuel and drink regularly.

Adds Benardot, “You have to figure out how to parse out the calories and fluids to keep the engine going. Pre-loading and back-loading isn’t enough.”

The advent of portable music-carrying systems has meant a dramatic increase in their use in trail races, but there are no rules against running with tunes. The upside is the extra motivation from the beats, especially in longer (or smaller) races where you may spend a lot of time by yourself. The downside is that runners sometimes have the music turned up so loud they can’t hear other people nearby, especially those who may want to pass.

Coach has come up behind runners, politely requested to pass, only to be seemingly ignored—finally noting the symptomatic wires trailing out of the runner’s ears. We know one runner who literally grabbed the back of another’s shirt to announce his intention to pass when blaring music drowned out his requests.

So, please, for the sake of a good race experience for all, if you fill your ears with music, keep the volume low enough that you are not deaf and dumb to the world. Another hint is just to insert just one earbud so you can hear out of at least one ear. Or consider lightweight sport headphones that don’t completely plug up your ears and block out your surroundings. Who knows, you might still hear the sounds of chirping birds, rushing streams and even the rhythmic sound of your own breathing.

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 Tips

by Jim freim » illustration by jeremy collins

Monitor the Machine Choose one of these three methods to monitor your exertion level:

Even Keel A slow start and even pacing is the secret to coming out ahead

Monitor heart rate.

In your first few races, err on the conservative side, aiming to keep your heart rate 10 beats per minute below your regular training heart rate.

You will have to slow down on uphills to maintain an even rate, but this strategy will leave you plenty of fuel in the tank for the flats and downhills.

Once you have a feel for EEE and tracking your heart rate, run the next race at five beats below training level and the next at training level. When you are ready to attempt a personal record, aim for a heart rate five beats above your training heart rate.

Use the Borg Scale.

This system rates perceived exertion (PE) levels to help athletes hit pace targets.

Runners assign a number between six (no exertion at all) and 20 (maximum exertion) to the intensity level of physical sensations such as increased heart rate, respiration, breathing rate and muscle fatigue. These numbers, when multiplied by 10, provide an approximate heart rate. For example, 13 on the Borg Scale, when multiplied by 10 equals 130, which means the heart is beating around 130 times per minute.

Train in negative splits.

Divide the race into equal segments (measured in time) with the goal of running the last segment as fast—or faster—than the others. Running loop courses in training is an excellent way to practice this. For example, with a loop that takes 30 minutes to run at your fastest goal pace, design a workout in which you run three loops, the first aiming for 35 minutes, the second 32 minutes, and the third in 30 minutes. Progressively faster splits condition you mentally and physically to start out slower that your actually fitness level so that you can recruit surplus speed and energy when you need it most. Making the last loop the fastest is also an important confidence boost to set you up for race-day success.

fter 25 years of training athletes, I have determined trail runners’ number-one mistake (drum roll please)— they simply start out too fast. Drivers have AAA to ensure they safely reach their road-trip destination, and trail runners need even energy expenditure (EEE) to carry them to the finish line. EEE involves running at an even pace or intensity level from start to finish, which leads to faster times, reduced injuries and a more comfortable race experience. EEE is a simple premise for optimal performance; however, it is also one of the hardest for trail runners to grasp.

Bursting with anticipation and energy at the starting line, you are tempted to put the hurt on the competition—now! What was planned to be a 9-minute-per-mile pace, once the race is underway, is more like 8:45. Then suddenly, out of the blue, a monkey jumps on your back. No, make it an elephant. Previously effortless strides become a death march as legs turn to granite. Sensing discomfort and fatigue, your brain sends signals to your body to slow down and mitigate the damage. It’s too late to revert to a nine-minute pace, and you slow to a discouraging survival shuffle.

Top Off the Tank The solution to this potentially disastrous race scenario is EEE. Visualize a tank hanging on the wall. Months of sound training and long runs developed your base strength and fitness, filling the tank with energy. To

top it off, you add judicious speed and strength workouts. In the period immediately prior to a big race or trail run, rest and short, easy recovery runs maintain your tank’s maximum stored energy level and allow your body to recuperate.

Turn On the Juice When the big day arrives and you’re on the start line, open the tank’s spigot to let your carefully stored energy gradually flow out, envisioning yourself moving in smooth, relaxed motion. Resist the temptation to open the spigot too wide by running too hard, which would run the tank dry before the finish. “Hitting the wall” is the term mostly commonly used to describe feelings associated with depleted muscle glycogen stores, blood glucose or muscle damage caused by pushing beyond your fitness level.

However, don’t let a conservative starting pace lead you to worry about opening the spigot too little, which is rare. Simply open the spigot just the right amount and you’ll naturally find your ideal race pace, or “zone,” using up all stored energy by the time you reach the finish line.

To maintain a constant level of exertion, monitor your breathing rate or use the talk test (ensure that you aren’t breathing so hard you can’t speak), and aim to maintain a constant balance between comfort and discomfort (see sidebar for more exertion-monitoring techniques). Every five to 15 minutes, take a mental account of your posture, stride count, muscular strength and hydration and fuel intake levels.

Through EEE, your fastest times will feel the easiest.

Savor the adrenaline rush of passing runners in the closing miles. At the start of your next race, repeat the EEE oath: Never go out too fast.

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Training

two

by Heather C. Liston » illustration by jason crosby

running for

Are trail running & pregnancy compatible?

e bbie Livingsto n h as run the grueling Greylock Trail H a l f- M a r a t h o n i n A d a m s , Massachusetts, eight times.

The last time she ran it, she was seven months pregnant. At mile eight, she passed a male runner who said, “My ego just dropped about five notches.”

“I had a streak going there,” says Livingston. “I couldn’t not run it.”

That’s how a lot of runners feel about their sport—it’s difficult to imagine not doing it, no matter what comes up. And if what comes up is a perfectly normal, healthy pregnancy, is there any reason to stop running?

As many curious, conscientious runners discover, there’s not a lot of scientific literature about the effects of running on pregnancy. What there is, though, suggests that it’s not a bad idea. Anecdotal evidence from running moms-to-be supports that theory too.

When Livingston bounded up Greylock in 90-degree heat last summer, 20 pounds heavier and about 45 minutes slower than she was at her peak, she remembers, “The women were all like, ‘You go!’ But the guys said, ‘Are you sure you should be doing this?’”

Why Not? Why shouldn’t she, she wondered? “There’s a lot of misinformation out there,” says Certified Nurse Midwife Lynn ChapmanStern. “A lot of feeling of ‘Put up your feet and rest, Honey,’ instead of ‘Get out there and move!’ I’m even guilty of it myself sometimes,” she admits. “We all want to be careful around expectant mothers, but in fact, research says resting is useless.

It does absolutely nothing to reduce the risk of miscarriage, for example. If a pregnancy is not going to stick around, it is not because you exercised.”

James F. Clapp, III, M.D., former Director of Obstetrical Research at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland, conducted a scientific study to determine whether “sustained, weight-bearing activity” (like running, for example) during pregnancy increased the risk of premature labor, and whether the “sudden foot-strike shock or bouncing” associated with running caused the membranes surrounding the baby to burst before they should. The answer was “no” on both counts. His study showed that women could actually continue running even after the cervix had begun to dilate without increasing the chances of membranes bursting before labor. And, he notes, “There is no suggestion that continuing regular exercise during pregnancy increases the incidence of delivering early enough to cause a problem related to prematurity for the baby.”

The study did yield the good news that women who exercised regularly during their pregnancies delivered earlier— after the 37th week, when all was well and safe—than those who didn’t. And, while there was “no increase in the incidence of low-birth-weight babies,” the regular exercisers had smaller babies. The babies’ length and head size were unaffected by their moms’ exercise habits, and they were born with less fat.

Livingston’s baby boy, Shepard, was born on August 15, 2006, at 5 pounds 5 ounces. “The doctors were a little concerned,” she admits, “but I knew it was fine.” The baby’s Apgar scores were eight and then nine. (Apgar is a one-to-10 scale for measuring the health and condition of a newborn, at one and five minutes after birth.) High scores like Shepard’s mean that his breathing, skin color, heart rate, muscle tone and other observable factors were excellent.

Comeback Time How to begin running post partum

“It’s not like you have the baby and BOOM!—everything is back to normal again,” says Maryanne McDonnell, a Connecticut OB/GYN who counts several runners among her patients. “The first six weeks after the birth are almost considered part of pregnancy. You are recovering from a major physical and emotional event.”

Recovery Time First, your body needs to recover from any traumas during delivery. A Caesarian section, is considered major abdominal surgery, and you should not do any heavy lifting or high-impact exercise for at least six weeks. Sutures need to heal and the incision needs to close. And, Dr. McDonnell warns, you should not assume you’re 100 percent healed just because the incision on the skin surface has closed. Internal incisions don’t necessarily finish healing quite as fast.

begin again Hormone levels remain at their elevated pregnancy level for about six weeks after delivery. Relaxing softens the cervix and ligaments to make delivery possible, but that extra looseness can make injuries more likely, so be extra careful not to twist anything the wrong way. McDonnell advises staging your comeback “like it’s the first time you begin running. Start off slowly and build gradually.”

get moving Colleen Personett, an optometrist in Fairbanks, Alaska, had her first baby last December. She started walking and crosscountry skiing about two weeks after the birth and returned to running within two months. Personett takes her daughter Sage with her on about 90 percent of her runs now, thanks to the Chariot, an adaptable baby stroller she loves, which actually works for jogging, biking and skiing (See www.chariotcarriers.com).

Check Priorities For the last seven years, Personett has been a regular contender in Alaska’s Equinox Marathon. Her pre-pregnancy times hovered around 3:45, earning her four spots in the top five. When she was six months pregnant, she finished in 5:15, and the last time, nine months after the birth of her daughter, she brought that back down to 4:30. “I could have done it faster if I wanted to put the time in,” says Colleen. “But my priorities changed. I’m working part-time and taking care of the family. And when you look back in 20 years, do you want to feel good about your marathon times or about raising well-adjusted kids?”

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Training

Jogging and Jostling Doesn’t a baby inside a trail runner get bounced around an awful lot? “Jostle away,” says Chapman-Stern. “What do you think sex does? Besides, the baby is incredibly well cushioned. The uterus is a thick muscle and the baby has lots of padding.” Kim Boere, a personal trainer and pre-natal specialist from Orlando, Florida, even says some of her clients say the movement seems to rock their babies to sleep.

Or, is there a danger of overheating the fetus if you exercise strenuously?

One of the most widespread recommendations about exercising while you’re pregnant is that you should not let your heart rate get above 140 beats per minute. But do you know what research that recommendation is based on?” asks Chapman-Stern. “Absolutely nothing!”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued that 140 bpm guideline about 20 years ago, but has since recanted. ACOG’s current guidelines for exercise during pregnancy are much less specific and say things like, “In general, participation in a wide range of recreational activities appears to be safe,” and, “Recreational and competitive athletes with uncomplicated pregnancies can remain active during pregnancy and should modify their usual exercise routines as medically indicated.”

“There is no magic heart rate number for normal healthy people,” says ChapmanStern. “We all start at different rates and there can be a 30-beat difference from one woman to the next.” Most experts now agree that “perceived effort” is the key factor. In other words: How do you feel? If it’s a hot day, run less. If you’re going uphill and feeling overheated, you may want to slow down.

Rocks and Rolls What if you trip? A pregnant woman’s center of gravity shifts upward, from her hip area to her abdomen. Boere advises paying close attention to changes in your balance, especially if you’re a trail runner, but, like many effects of pregnancy, this one is very individual and may not be a problem for you. Livingston, who also teaches yoga, says she monitored herself carefully during yoga poses to keep abreast of any changes in balance and did not notice any. However, roots and rocks on the trail may be harder to

see when you have a large belly in your field of vision. Common sense dictates that you should choose relatively safe routes, pay attention and slow down if you have any concerns about the terrain.

Although you obviously do not want to fall while carrying a baby, Livingston points out that it’s very rare to fall smack on your belly, pregnant or not. “When you start to lose your balance, you usually tuck and roll,” she says. Not a pleasant idea, but not usually a serious threat to either of you.

Of course, certain health conditions would preclude running. Anyone with preeclampsia, placenta previa (the positioning of the placenta in a way which blocks the cervix), heart disease, lung disease, persistent bleeding in the second or third trimester or ruptured membranes should not run while pregnant, and seek expert medical advice about any exercise plan. In addition, if you feel pain or persistent discomfort while running, you may be running too much, too fast or too late in your term.

That’s What Trees Are For One of the biggest sources of discomfort, mentioned by nearly all pregnant runners, is the need for much more frequent urination. “There’s quite a lot of weight pressing on the uterus,” says Chapman-Stern, who advocates ample hydration in spite of the inconvenience.

“And the bladder is right there. When I was going through my own pregnancy, I knew every bush in Central Park.” To Livingston, that’s one more reason to be a trail runner: “There are plenty of bushes to hide behind.”

Beyond such real concerns, “[Running while pregnant] is fear of the unknown,” says Boere. In the absence of more scientific research, women are susceptible to their mothers-in-law’s warnings and wellmeaning neighbors’ fears. Even ACOG, in its official opinion on the subject concludes, “The information on strenuous exercise is scarce.” Their recommendation? “Women who engage in such activities require close medical supervision.”

Never a bad idea. To that, the experienced and the experts add: Know your body, use common sense … and stay close to the bushes.

Heather C. Liston is a San Franciscobased writer and trail runner.

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Take Your Mark by elinor fish » photo by Marcos Ferro Tarasiuk

Villa La Angostura. This year’s event will offer a new loop route, starting and finishing in Villa Traful, a tranquil town of only 300 people located 160 kilometers from Bariloche, the largest Argentine city in the Patagonian Andes. Situated in pristine wilderness and surrounded by several national parks, Villa Traful caters to Patagonia’s growing adventure-tourism trade.

The rolling course will follow well-marked mountain trails between 2600 to 4000 feet in elevation, where daily temperatures range from 60 to 85 degrees, though Andean weather is notoriously erratic.

Drawing runners from all over South America as well as the United Sates, Japan and Mexico, the Q50 offers a solo category for ultra-types as well as a twoperson relay that splits the race into two 25-mile segments. “This race is also a great opportunity for friends and families to come along and enjoy the region’s diverse outdoor activities,” says Torres.

—Marcos Ferro Tarasiuk

Grouse Grind

The Patagonia Q50 route along 7 Lakes Road wraps around the shoreline of picturesque Correntoso Lake.

Patagonia Q50 Location » Northern Patagonia Lakes Region, Argentina Date » December 9, 2007 Race type » solo or two-person relay Distance » 50 miles Terrain » trails and dirt roads Information » www.q50patagonia.com Why you should go » Northern Patagonia’s Lake District features rolling, forested mountains dotted with turquoise lakes, making it one of the country’s best trekking regions. After moving to Patagonia five years ago, race director Cesar Torres, a Mexican-born American and avid runner, opened the fantastic area to trail runners with the Q50 trail race.

Last December’s inaugural Q50 was held along the scenic 7 Lakes Road stretching between Villa Traful and

Location » Vancouver, B.C., Canada Date » September 23, 2007 Race Type » uphill trail race Distance » 1.8 miles Terrain » steep, technical trail ascends 2800 feet Information » hiking.grousemountain. com/grousegrind/mountainrun Why you should go » It may be short, but it’s very burly, which is why each September nearly 600 masochistic runners flock to the base of Grouse Mountain, Vancouver, British Columbia’s urban ski area. Rising above the seaside city’s sparkling skyscrapers, the Grouse Grind offers bragging rights to those who survive it’s punishing grade and treacherous footing.

Participants submit estimated finishing times, which organizers use to divide entrants into waves to avoid trail congestion, with the fastest runners placed in front. And since Vancouver gets almost a third more annual rainfall than Seattle, Washington, the trail’s soft, spongy ground cover is churned into a muddy quagmire by the time the last group begins its arduous ascent.

With a course record of 26 minutes 26 seconds, set by Michael Simpson in 2005, success in the Grouse Grind isn’t so much

about speed as it is tenacious climbing strength. Referred to as “Mother Nature’s stairmaster,” the 2.9-kilometer course heads straight up the face of Grouse Mountain. Runners’ only consolation is a cushy ride down on the Skyride Tram.

Race for the Mountains Location » Breckenridge, Colorado Date » June 24, 2007 Race Type » trail race Distance » 10 miles Terrain » dirt road and singletrack Information » www.mountain2mountain.com/race.php Why you should go » This invigorating run up Breckenridge’s Peak 7 will get your heart pumping: Starting at 9600 feet and following a dirt road to the Breckenridge Nordic Center, runners then merge onto the Siberia Trail, a black-diamond-rated cross-country ski trail in White River National Forest, which takes them to over 10,000 feet before the return descent.

Wind down post-race at a Breckenridge Brewery-sponsored party for spectators, runners and their families at Oasis 9600 Performance and Wellness Centre, and browse booths from various outdoor gear manufacturers, dance to live music and feast on local fare.

Race founder and owner of Oasis 9600, Shannon Galpin, created Race for the Mountains as an awarenessand fund-raising event for the Central Asia Institute (CAI), an organization that she became impassioned with after reading Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin’s book, Three Cups of Tea. Mortenson, a military veteran and former mountaineer, is now director of the CAI. His inspirational book describes his humanitarian mission to build schools for needy boys and girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan’s remote mountain regions.

Through the race and other initiatives, Galpin’s goal is to raise $50,000 to cover the cost of materials to build a school. “I want runners to enjoy this challenging course and gain an appreciation of how our mountain communities are connected to those in other parts of the world,” said Gaplin. “Since 100-percent of the race-entry fees go to CAI, every person in this race is making a difference in the lives of boys and girls in Central Asia.”

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Faces

by Mike McQuaide » photo by Mike King/www.npmarathon.com

STABbed IN THE BACK

The Write Stuff

Runner weaves trails and novels into busy life

At a café near his home in Bellingham, Washington, author Michael Collins is giving me the cold, hard facts, describing how he prepared his body for the 40-below temps and icy blasts of winddriven snow he expected to endure in last April’s North Pole Marathon. It’s a snowshoe race, not on land but over ice floes six- to 12-feet thick.

Everyday for more than a month, Collins filled two full-size plastic garbage cans with cold water followed by bag after bag of ice. Then he’d dip his big toe in. Then his foot. Then his whole leg. Then the other big toe, other foot, other leg until voila, he was immersed to mid-thigh like a giant lemon slice split between a couple of glasses of water.

“At first I could only stay in for a minute or two—my stomach would hurt so bad—but after a few weeks I could stay in for 20 minutes with no problem,” says the 42-year-old Collins. He went on to win the race, which is run on a mile loop where all lines of longitude meet up, by more than a half hour (registration is about $12,000).

Collins, who’s also a highly acclaimed author—we’re speaking during a break in

his nationwide book tour for Death of a Writer, a mystery which the Washington Post called “brilliant”—was forced to take such drastic measures to acclimate quickly. Just six weeks before the North Pole Marathon, he’d won Algeria’s Saharan Sub-Marathon (half marathon) over a stellar field that included two-time world-champion marathoner, Abel Anton of Spain. Collins overcame oven-hot temps and 30-mile-per-hour headwinds blowing sand into his eyes, nose and throat.

Collins called his bizarre Sahara Desert-North Pole, one-two punch the Fire and Ice Challenge. That he finished both races is a testament to his tenacity and versatility; that he won both of them attests to his natural speed.

“In the Sahara race, I had no idea what kind of shape Anton was in, so I started out fast,” says Collins. “We did the first couple miles in 4:46.”

Over the past 10 years, Collins’ eclectic list of wins includes the Last Marathon in Antarctica, the Humboldt Redwoods Marathon in California, the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race and the Mount Everest Challenge Marathon.

Collins grew up in Limerick, Ireland—he’s a distant relative of the Irish nationalist of the same name—making forays to the United States during middle and high school. Strutting his running stuff, Collins earned a full ride to University of Notre Dame. But things did not go as planned.

His times didn’t improve, he became disillusioned with the program and, although he graduated, Collins quit running.

“When I wasn’t running, I was just doing the college party thing,” he says.

He did the academic thing for a while too, and his dream was to be a full-time writer. Upon graduation, he earned a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Illinois in Chicago. And it was in Chicago that a harrowing experience pushed him back into running. While walking to a bank in one of the city’s notorious slums where he and his wife lived, Collins was attacked.

“Someone stabbed me in the lower back, then grabbed my shoulder and just started slashing away,” says Collins. “It was horrible. There was this whole sense of being hunted.”

Luckily, the injuries weren’t serious, but Collins still had to get around those mean streets. And for a couple of poor graduate students—Collins’ wife Heidi was a medical student—buying a car was not an option. The stabbing made him too terrified to walk anywhere, so, though he hadn’t run a step in almost a decade, he started running. Everywhere. To classes.

To the store. Anywhere he had to go. If someone was going to attack him again, he would have to catch him first.

Running melted off the few extra pounds he’d gained working countless hours among the library stacks, and soon he began to feel good. In 1995, he entered the Chicago Marathon and ran a 2:30, finishing in the top 30 in one of the world’s biggest marathons.

“I remember thinking, ‘I’m back,’” he says.

THE GOLDEN HANDCUFFS In the late 1990s Collins found himself working as a computer engineer at Microsoft in Seattle, working those killer hours that turned so many into millionaires.

“They called it ‘the golden handcuffs,’” he says.

But at the same time, Collins wanted to pursue his real passions: writing

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Faces

and running. So, with Heidi doing her residency, he essentially moved in at Microsoft to achieve his goals. In the office by 5 a.m., he started each day putting in a few hours working on a novel, then took long lunches to run the Issaquah Alps (ultramarathon star Scott Jurek’s training grounds), and stay until late at night reviewing pages he’d written in the morning.

“My coworkers would see me putting in these long hours and they’d think, ‘Oh, he’s working so hard,’” says Collins.

Finally, in 1999, Collins had had enough of the corporate world. He’d heard about the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race, run over five consecutive days in the high-altitude of India and Nepal, and was intrigued. He quit Microsoft and headed for the Himalayas, and won the race.

“I knew that quitting was jumping the gun, but it was such an unbelievable experience that I just said to myself, ‘I’m going to focus on running and writing, and every year or so do one of these extreme adventure races,’” says Collins.

LUCK OF THE IRISH Blessed he was with the luck of the Irish— The Keepers of Truth, the gritty crime novel Collins wrote while at Microsoft, was released to universal critical praise.

The book resulted in a nomination for the prestigious Booker Prize, which turned heads in publishing circles and enabled him to write full time. Since then, he’s written three more books in the mystery/ crime genre—The Resurrectionists, Lost Souls and Death of a Writer, the latter of which hit stores in September.

Director Anthony Minghella (Cold Mountain) purchased the rights to The Resurrectionists and plans are for Kevin Spacey to star in a movie version. A smaller, independent film producer is working to bring The Keepers of Truth to the big screen.

“When I have an idea for a book, I go for a run and let the ideas percolate,” says Collins. “I take a pen and paper and stop every once in a while to sketch down an idea about a character or the plot.”

While nursing a calf injury this autumn, Collins is sketching out plans for 2007.

In June he’ll head to Belgium for the European 100K Championships (he was forced to drop out in 2006 after suffering a fall). But before that, in February, he’ll

return to the Algeria’s desert. And not just to run.

Collins’ 2006 visit was eye opening, as he awoke to the plight of the Saharawi refugees, who had had their lives turned upside-down by week-long rains that destroyed homes and tents. This time he’ll go back with computers and other supplies, the fruits of fundraising he and other Sahara racers have put together.

“It aligns with my childhood in Ireland in that there’s this vast human potential that’s trying to get by with limited resources,” he says. “It’s funny, the race I picked as a preparation for the North Pole Marathon has opened up a whole new avenue.”

The modest Collins downplays his running, but his passion for the sport, particularly trail running (the 16 microfractures in his foot he suffered a few years ago makes road running verboten), is quite clear.

“I’m not religious in the typical sense, but I do think you need some guiding force in your life; exercise and fitness fill that role for me,” says Collins. “Also, being a writer is a solitary life—running helps me get out of the house.”

Mike McQuaide is a Bellingham, Washington, freelance writer and author of five books including Trail Running Guide to Western Washington (Sasquatch Books).

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Cinderella lives east of

EDEN The Bay Area’s best trail scene is on the “other” side

T HE EAST BAY IS THE RED -HEADED STEPCHILD OF C ALIFORNIA’S NORTHERN COAST. SHE LACKS THE ROMANTIC TROL LEY CARS AND QUAINT WHARFS OF SAN FRANCISCO, THE CRASHING PACIFIC SURF OF M ARIN H EADLANDS AND THE ECLECTIC SAVOIR-FAIRE OF TOWNS LIKE SAUSALITO. CULTURAL SNOBS AND HURRIED TOURISTS GIVE HER THE CINDERELLA TREATMENT. BUT SHIFT THE TOPIC TO TRAIL RUNNING, AND A SEISMIC SHIFT TAKES PLACE. T HE VARIETY, SCENERY, ACCESS AND A BEVY OF OTHER FACTORS MAKE THE OFF-ROAD -RUNNING SCENE ABOVE OAKLAND’S CONCRETE AND BERKELEY ’S PATCHOULI PEDDLERS SECOND TO NONE. LEAVE

THE GLASS SLIPPER AT HOME AND

DON THOSE KNOBBY-RUBBER OUTSOLES.

SAYS A DAM R AY,

20-YEAR-VETERAN OF “THE EAST BAY IS AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES.” A

THE LOCAL TRAILS,

STORY GARETT GR AUBINS PHOTOS COREY RICH

ZACK GROSSMAN TAKES A BREAK FROM HIS CAL BERKELEY PH.D. STUDIES ON A RUN UP CLAREMONT CANYON (LEFT); AND JEFF ROGERS ESCAPES THE CONCRETE JUNGLE IN THE EAST BAY HILLS ABOVE OAKLAND.

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SARAH LAVENDER SMITH CRUISES ACROSS THE SPRAWLING TILDEN PARK.

First Impressions On a summery Saturday morning—that means mid-50s and foggy in Bay-speak— I arrive at Skyline Gate, the main doorstep to the 1836-acre Redwood Park.

The plan is to hammer some miles with local hero, Jasper Halekas, an über-talented trail runner and rocket scientist (seriously) from nearby University of California-Berkeley. I’ve lived in the Bay Area for only four weeks and Jasper’s volunteered to show me some of the area’s crown jewels.

“I was thinking 22 miles,” he says, and we set foot to the triple-wide East Ridge Trail. Eucalyptus trees, with bark curling away like balsa-wood banana peels, groan melodically in the breeze. We pass a tongue-wagging Black Lab—running free, as many of the local trails are leashfree zones.

“When dogs die, they come here,” I think to myself. Jasper and I settle into a good early pace, when he suddenly cuts a sharp left, heading uphill on narrow singletrack. “HEY!” And I scramble to keep up. Much of the run goes like this, as Jasper leads me though a labyrinthine trail network, navigating connector routes and turn-offs with the efficiency of a New York cabbie.

We dive into the succulent, manzanitaand chamise-lined canyon of Huckleberry Botanical Preserve, huff up the other side and Jasper announces our arrival

I’m tired and scenery

but also happier than a

drunk

great white shark during an open-water triathlon.

at Sibley, another East Bay park and our first watering point. Oddly, the environment has shifted from moist vegetation and rich soil to offer exposed, darkened rock—remnants from lava flows some 10 million years ago. Today, folded rock formations and dense, dark basalt lava litter the area.

We leave the cover of trees just as the foggy haze lifts. It quickly grows hot while we climb a hill awash with golden prairie grass and, Jasper warns, a few rattlesnakes. We’re on the east-facing side of the area’s main ridge, where temperatures can be 20 degrees warmer.

Soon, we cross back to the west-facing slope, and enter Tilden Park, a massive plot that sits high above Berkeley. We circle around to a clearing that offers a vista of the entire Bay. From right to left, there is 2597-foot Mount Tamalpais, Angel Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco’s cozy skyline, Alcatraz Island, steel girders of the Bay Bridge and hulking cranes typical of the country’s fourth-largest port.

I’m left standing there, hands on my hips and a clown’s grin on my face, when I realize that Jasper’s dusted me again. I clamber to catch up as we continue downhill to our turnaround point, three miles and 1300 vertical feet below. We’ve traveled 11 miles, and the temperature has reached the mid-70s. I’m tired and scenery drunk but also happier than a great white shark during an open-water triathlon.

Unsung Heroes When local trail runners put tread to dirt, they owe a big thanks to the East Bay Regional Park District. EBRPD oversees an area that would make some national forests jealous: 1745 square miles of protected nature, 95,000 acres (that’s more than 110 Central Parks) and 1150 miles of trails.

Mike Palmer, 53, a soft-spoken ambassador of the sport who has completed the local Skyline 50K (see sidebar) 15 times, has possibly spent more time on these trails than anybody. “It’s the number of parks and the amount of terrain that

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JASPER HALEKAS HITS REDWOOD PARK’S HEAVENLY SINGLETRACK, JUST A FEW STEPS FROM HIS FRONT DOOR (FAR LEFT); AND DYNAMIC ULTRA DUO LYNN SCHOTTKLIES AND NADIA COSTA ENJOY A SUNDAY RUN ON TILDEN’S VOLLMER PEAK TRAIL.

makes the system so great,” he says over coffee one morning. “From anywhere in the East Bay, you are never more than four miles from a trailhead. You can be in redwoods one day and run in the desert the next.”

The East Bay itself is immense.

Roughly defined, it encompasses the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay and areas 25 miles south and 35 miles east.

However, the bulk of the population sits clustered within view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Here, in the cities of Oakland and Berkeley, trail runners can literally have it all: access to urban amenities and an outlet for their dirt-craving wanderlust.

Says Sarah Doman, who, with her husband, Wendell, directs 25 trail races a year through Pacific Coast Trails Runs, “We have found that there’s no need to travel anywhere else … it’s all right here.”

In all, there are 65 parks within EBRPD. Twenty-five miles east of Oakland sits 3791-foot Mount Diablo, a beast of a peak—well, actually more like a gigantic, two-humped camel—where locals go for vertical gain and intense heat. On clear winter days, the summit affords views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Oakland local Graham Cooper, 37, trained in Diablo’s triple-digit temperatures for the sweltering 2006 Western States 100. “I went out with fleeces, windbreakers, gloves and a hat at two

EAST BAY RACE BOUNTY May 20, 2007: Tilden Tough Ten. Ten clicks out and back on a ridge high above the East Bay. Eighty percent on paved bike path, but held in the spirit of a trail run. Elites show up, as do stroller pushers. Held on the same day as the clothing-optional Bay to Breakers. Says Jasper Halekas, “It’s an alternative to running beside naked, middle-aged men.” Info: www.lmjs.org June 3, 2007: Lake Chabot Trail Challenge. Chosen by Trail Runner as one of America’s most scenic runs, the Challenge entices speedsters with wide, run-able grades and charms scenery hounds with windy, eucalyptus-lined paths and serene views of the race’s namesake. Info: 510278-0451; www.goldenbayrunners.org June 17, 2007: Woodminster Nine Miler (42nd running). Held in Joaquin Miller Park, this is the oldest annual run in the East Bay. It winds through redwoods and has enough short, steep hills to scare away some of the local road speedsters. Info: 510-655-8228; home.alamedanet. net/~mhovermale/ August 5, 2007: Skyline 50K. For 25 years, ultra newbies and veterans alike have enjoyed the cushy, cruisy trail and sprawling views of Lake Chabot—not to mention the home-cooked picnic afterward. Info: www.skyline50k.us August 26, 2007: Redwood Park Trail Runs. Pacific Crest Trail Runs host a bevy of wellorganized, superbly marked trail races. This memorable gem offers distances of 10K, 20K, 30K and 50K. Info: www.pctrailruns.com October 7, 2007: Golden Hills Marathon. Run in conjunction with the Dick Collins 50. It is a point-to-point tour of the best East Bay trails, beginning in Tilden and ending on the southern shores of Lake Chabot. Eucalyptus-lined singletrack and 5800 feet of climbing. Info: www. goldenhillsmarathon.net October 7, 2007: Dick Collins Firetrails 50. The Grand Tour of East Bay Trails, encompassing Lake Chabot, Redwood and Tilden parks. 7800 feet in climbing and the entire gamut of trail fun, from open views to tight, shaded singletrack. Info: www.firetrails50.net Indicates East Bay Triple Crown Trail Championship Race. Sign up. You could be a contender.

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o’clock in the afternoon,” he says. The punishment paid off; Cooper took the coveted first-place cougar trophy.

Even so, Diablo sits removed from the Mecca of East Bay trail running. The true physical and spiritual backbone of the East Bay trail scene is a 30-mile-long strip of dense forest and radically changing elevation. A grand fin of a ridge (imagine the long spiny back of a Stegosaurus) that peaks around 1900 feet, it begins in the south with Lake Chabot Regional Park and traces north through Redwood, Huckleberry, Sibley, Tilden and Wildcat Canyon parks.

In fact, the trails—and water fountains—are laid out so perfectly that it’s possible to run a non-overlapping, 50-mile trail route with only two water bottles.

Sinister Beauty Adam Ray and I were training for endof-the-summer 100 milers—Adam for the Southern California’s Angeles Crest 100 and I for the Wasatch Front 100 in Utah—both races with jagged elevation profiles. That translated to a highmileage training regimen with as much climbing as possible.

If you live near a major mountain range, vertical gain just happens. It’s as automatic as blinking. In the East Bay, unless

It’s the number of

you head for Mount Diablo, you need to work at it—although not as much as you might think. So Adam mapped out a double out-and-back, 30-mile run that would give us over 6000 feet in climbing.

Driving northeast up Claremont Avenue, straddling the Oakland-Berkeley border, the whitewashed Claremont Hotel rises above the car’s dashboard. Built in 1915, it’s a stately palace surrounded by palm trees and punctuated with cupolas.

Behind the hotel, on a slope that appears vertical from a distance, is a wide dirt trail vanishing into the eucalyptus trees and chaparral. That’s our target for the night’s run: Claremont Canyon, the bane of many local runners.

Adam, 40, who attended college at Berkeley and ran up this trail between happy hours and poetry readings, describes it best: “It’s like one big middle finger, flipping off all the trail runners in the East Bay.” I’ve lived in the Rocky Mountains, so I am not expecting a climb that will skyrocket my heart rate. But, within minutes, Adam and I are reduced to a slow hike up Claremont’s steep grades. Sweat beads on my forehead and eventually drips from my jawbones.

At the top, we salute Vollmer Peak, a rounded sentinel studded with radio tow-

ers. Then we begin our descent through Tilden Park, with views of the sun setting and fog gathering. Cruising into our turnaround point, a shaded oasis called “Lone Oak,” we talk about our upcoming 100-milers and eventually gravitate toward the latest, never-so-scandalous gossip from the East Bay trail community—who’s dated whom, who’s primed for a breakthrough season and who showed up at the latest party.

All in the Family The East Bay compares to Denver’s Front Range, Seattle’s downtown and Virginia’s happy trails in that virtually every talented dirt grinder seems to have passed through at some point. The list is a veritable “Who’s Who” of trail-running legends: Ann Trason, Carl Anderson, Andy Jones-Wilkins, Emma Davies, Catra Corbett, Tom Borschel, Kevin Sawchuck, Nancy Hobbs. For those who have spent a long time here, there’s a pride bordering on xenophobia, and that spirit is the foundation of an exceptional trail-running community, one that traces back decades.

The late Dick Collins was the Johnny Appleseed of the East Bay trail-running scene. He laid the foundation and planted the seeds for it to flourish. Those who knew him—and many who didn’t—refer

parks and the

amount of terrain that makes the system so

great...From anywhere in the East Bay,

you are never more than four miles from a

trailhead.

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LAVENDER SMITH HUNTS HOBBITS IN THE OTHERWORLDLY TILDEN CANOPY (LEFT); AND JENNIFER AND ADAM RAY ON REDWOOK PARK’S GRAHAM TRAIL.

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to him simply as “The Legend.”

Collins was born in 1933 and counted the East Bay trails as one of his children.

He was one of the sport’s forefathers, and completed the 1979 Western States 100, counting it as one of his happiest moments. During his lifetime, Collins tallied 237 ultras and 147 marathons and averaged approximately one ultramarathon per month.

Shortly after Collins’ death from heart failure in 1997, Mike Palmer shared this story: “I was thinking about doing ultras, but was intimidated by the distance. I listened to Dick talk about how competing in ultras was less damaging than marathon racing. At the time I thought he was crazy but after running a couple of ultras I realized that he was right.”

“If there was an ultrarunning Hall of Fame, Dick would be a charter member,” says Tim Twietmeyer, who has finished the Western States 100 a record 25 times and cut his trail-running teeth in the Bay Area, “Not because he won any races, set any course records or was a high-profile guy, but because he embodied the spirit of the sport.”

Today, Collins’ spirit continues to unite the East Bay trail-running community. There is a bench honoring him in Redwood Park, along the popular Stream Trail. Also, the Firetrails 50, a 50-mile trail race that Dick directed, was renamed for him (see sidebar) and remains one of the area’s must-do races.

Playing Favorites The rich history of the East Bay trail scene gives it a sacred feeling, and every runner, without exception, has an enthusiastic ode to their favorite dirt route.

Zack Grossman, a Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley and fifth-place finisher at the 2005 Hardrock 100 fancies his evening commute: “I start on campus, go up Claremont Canyon, up the spectacular ridge to Chaparral Peak, traverse across the Grizzly Peak Trail, then take Selby Trail through Tilden, hopping off and descending to my house in the flats of Albany.”

Jeffery Rogers, another Oaklander, states it simply: “The French Trail in Redwood Park.” Many others expressed the same sentiment for the same otherworldly, shady, snaky trail. “It’s the

quintessential East Bay singletrack trail,” says Jasper Halekas.

“I would have to pick the Stream Trail,” says Sarah Lavender Smith, who has won several local races, including the Mount Diablo Half Marathon. “The dampness and density of the redwood canopy, the scattered remnants of old mill sites, the winding flow of the delicate creek and the welcoming, gradual climb make me want to start and end my runs here.”

So unfailing and passionate is the local pride that some runners—accurate or not—bestow upon it a legendary status, without equal. “It’s the best around,” says Errol “The Rocket” Jones, who has lived in Oakland for 25 years and has run trail

THE AUTHOR, COSTA AND SCHOTTKLIES REHYDRATING AT RALEIGH’S, A FAVE OF CAL BERKELEY IMBIBERS.

East Bay Beta Trail Runner’s Guide to San Francisco Bay Area: 50 Runs Around the Bay, by Jessica Lage East Bay Regional Park District, www.ebparks.org Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders, www.lmjs.org B.A.U.R. (Bay Area Ultra Runners), www.baur.us

ultramarathons throughout the country. “The people in Auburn [California] might tell you their town is the Endurance Capital of the World, but I’m telling you right now: the East Bay is it.”

Tim Twietmeyer, currently a resident of Auburn, home to the Western States 100, likes the good-natured rivalry.

“Errol’s been delusional for awhile,” he chuckles. “If the East Bay is so great, why do they all come up here to train?”

Undeniable Truths The Rocket and Twietmeyer can go titfor-tat until Governor Schwarzenegger hugs Hillary Clinton, but there is some indisputable support for Rocket’s claim.

First off, the East Bay climate is excellent. Many associate the Bay Area with fog and cold. After all, Mark Twain allegedly said, “The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco.”

Well, San Fran’s on the other side of the Bay, where much colder weather prevails.

The East Bay enjoys mild days and cool nights and doesn’t see the rain of many coastal areas. From Memorial Day to Labor Day 2006, total rainfall was zero.

And that’s normal. It does rain the rest of the year, but most everyone agrees: it sure beats snow.

Also, the East Bay forests resemble jungles in their lushness. Whatever lands in the ground, will likely grow, much to the joy of hippie horticulturists in Berkeley. Multi-boughed trees jut from the earth like upside-down octopi.

Shaggy moss clings to exposed rock. Ivy twists around roots and the smell of natural herbs lingers in the nose long after trail runs.

Uncommon to many urban trail networks, wildlife thrives in the East Bay. “There are lots of deer, skunks, raccoons, coyotes, eagles, falcons,” says Mike Palmer.

“I think I saw a mountain lion once.”

On one dusk autumn run, I found myself on a remote, shrub-lined path. Ahead, I saw a creature with a distinctively feline build and gait, slinking along: a bobcat.

Wildlife of a different nature also abounds on the East Bay trails. Adam Ray once happened upon a naked man alongside the Palos Colorado Trail. He continued running, undeterred, but also curious whether the man could identify poison oak. “I named a tree Naked Guy Tree in memory of him,” says Ray. Mike Palmer, who coordinates an annual, anything-goes fun run called the Psychedelic Climacteric, has seen all types during his runs. “People come and go, but not the trails,” he says. “Thank God for that.”

Garett Graubins is former Senior Editor of Trail Runner and lives in the East Bay, where he still hasn’t learned how to spot poison oak but likes to try.

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Top: Team Triathlon Trention leads the way through an ankle-twisting, boulder-strewn pass in the Austrian Alps.

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EUROPEAN VACATION The Gore-Tex Transalpine-Run takes runners on an eight-day foot race through four Alpine countries Story Elinor Fish • Photos courtesy Gore

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THIRTEEN YEARS AGO, as a student living in France, I took a ski holiday at Les Portes du Soleil, an expansive resort encompassing 14 valleys between France’s Mont Blanc and Switzerland’s Lake Geneva. Each day, I reveled in the novelty of strapping on my skis in a quaint French village, and swooshing over to Switzerland for a late-afternoon chocolate pitstop.

Last summer, I returned to this vast mountain playground for new kind of country-hopping adventure: the second annual Gore-Tex Transalpine-Run, a challenging eight-day trail race that covers 230 kilometers through the rugged mountains of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.

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s 2.0 “Even though I couldn’t understand a single word, I simply soaked up the cultural patchwork of people unified by this singular physical challenge.”

The Transalpine-Run is the ultimate active-holiday-seeker’s European summer vacation.

Each stage, averaging 35 kilometers, leads runners up zigzagging dirt roads to steep singletrack, over high mountain passes and down grassy ski slopes. Trails creatively link alpine villages, which range from cosmopolitan ski resorts to modest farming towns.

“A large part of the route is above treeline where runners can enjoy great mountain views, but it also goes through a wonderfully diverse cultural landscape,” says Wolfgang “Wolfi” Pohl, TransalpineRun race director and a certified mountain guide.

Each day’s run began at 8 a.m., so most runners easily finished by early afternoon, leaving plenty of time to indulge in finish-line luxuries and explore historic towns’ souvenir shops, taste local wine or savor a sidewalk café’s dark, rich espresso and sweet pastries.

An Excuse to Party Our host from Gore Europe, Jürgen Kurapkat, enthusiastically greeted our small group of American journalists at the Munich airport. The tall, energetic German briskly tossed our luggage into a black Peugeot and sped off in a stereotypical display of high-speed driving.

On our way to Bavaria, a gateway to the Alps, Jürgen casually mentioned his intention to run the race, even though he hadn’t trained for it and still needed a teammate. This wasn’t exactly the kind of race one should enter spur-of-themoment. The next eight days would entail lung-busting climbs, quad-thrashing descents, technical ridgeline traverses, mud, scree and boulders, not to mention a mixed bag of mountain weather and pressure to outrun competing teams.

Mountain environments are hazardous, which is why runners are required to compete in teams of two (teams are divided into four categories: men, women,

mixed and masters—with a combined age of 80 or more). Safety aside, having a running partner can also be good for morale. “People doing this kind of race may not be used to running for so long day after day,” explained course marker Christoph Gnieser. “But having a partner to push you along and pick you up makes for a better race experience.”

A few hours later, Jürgen delivered us to the Bavarian ski town of Oberstdorf, Germany, site of the race start set for the following morning. Oberstdorf’s cobblestone streets were bustling with summertime tourists seeking clean air, fantastic hiking trails and health-enhancing therapy (a large number of hotels specialize in “Kur” spa services, which involve a series of mineral-water and mud baths, and algae and herbal treatments).

The following day, September sunshine warmed the nearly 200 fidgety runners from 22 countries squeezed into the starting chute on Oberstdorf’s narrow avenue. When the starter’s mark sounded, the field of mostly 50- to 60-year old Western European men (men outnumbered women four to one) burst forward.

I was teamed up with fellow journalist, Adam Chase, and moved at a steady clip, cautiously conserving energy for the hours of running ahead, while speedy frontrunners led the pack up a gentle trail meandering through cattle pastures and dense forests.

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2007 GORE-TEX Transalpine-Run WHAT_An eight-day, 230-kilometer stage race. Entry fee is €1100 (approximately $1500) per team of two. Fee includes course maps, dinners, aid-station support, daily baggage transfer, souvenir sports duffle bag and Tshirt. Transportation from the finish in Italy back to the start in Oberstdorf, Germany is available for €25 ($35) per person.

WHEN_September 1-8, 2007 WHERE_This year’s Transalpine-Run follows mostly the same course, though stage three finishes in Galtur instead of Ischgl, Austria.

WHO_Ideal for endurance trail runners, ambitious hikers, adventure racers and experienced nordic walkers. No special navigational or route-finding skills are required.

ACCOMMODATION_Stay in the runners’ communal sleeping quarters (bring your own sleeping bag and pad), usually a large tent or gymnasium, for an additional cost of €15 ($20) per person per day, including breakfast. If you prefer more privacy and comfort, stay in hotels (most towns have accommodations within short walking distance of the race venue), which include great breakfasts. The race website has a list of tourist information contacts; advance reservations are recommended.

WEBSITE_www.transalpine-run.com

Austria’s Robert Rossi nimbly ascends Kuchenjoch Pass.

Among the trail-running purists were a large number of nordic walkers, who carried trekking poles with pointy tips that jabbed distressingly close to my shins.

However, don’t let the term “walker” invoke images of leisurely strolling along, stopping to pat the noses of long-lashed Jersey cows. Over steep and technical terrain, the nordic walkers’ long, powerful strides would at times propel them past plodding runners. Popularized by the Finnish as a fitness activity in the 1990s, what was once summer crosstraining for nordic skiers is now a pastime in its own right.

At times I was envious of my stick-toting comrades, but during flat, runable sections, I was happy not to carry the extra equipment.

Merging onto a narrow foot trail, we nimbly dodged hikers beset with cumbersome backpacks and stiff leather hiking boots. By contrast, I felt light and swift wearing waterproof XCR trail shoes, shorts, T-shirt, a water bottle and lightweight Windstopper shell.

Picking our way around crusty cow patties and sheep flocks, we eventually reached the second aid station at a hiker’s refuge—a simple rock hut perched on

Guiliana Steccanella and Christian Hafner of Italy use nordic walking poles to gain an uphill advantage.

a lush, grassy hillside. After refilling our water bottles and grabbing a fruit-and-nut bar, Adam and I continued up to the day’s highest point, snow-covered Mädelejoch Pass at 1973 meters (6473 feet).

The next section separated the “goats from the sheep,” as the nimble-footed pulled away from the cautious trudgers over an increasingly steep, rocky slope. Cresting the pass, Adam took off, employing his extensive adventure-racing experience to make the most of gravity’s pull, and I pushed my comfort zone in an attempt to keep up. Passing a simple wooden signpost indicating Austria’s border, I relaxed knowing from that point it

STAGE 1

Oberstdorf, Germany to Steeg, Austria (29 km)

STAGE 2

Steeg to Saint Anton, Austria (30 km)

STAGE 3

Saint Anton to Galtur, Austria (35 km*)

STAGE 4

Galtur to Scuol, Switzerland (42 km*)

STAGE 5

Uphill Race, Scuol, Switzerland (6.2 km)

STAGE 6

Scuol to Mals, Italy (37 km)

STAGE 7

Mals to Schlanders, Italy (35 km)

STAGE 8

Schlanders to Latsch, Italy (29 km) * Stages are still in planning; distances may change.

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2006 Gore-Tex Transalpine-Run

would be a mostly downhill jaunt to the finish line festivities in Steeg.

Savoring the day’s adventure, I slowed down enough to safely steal quick glances at the sweeping view. Snowcapped peaks dominated the landscape, their sheer sides plunging to rich, green valleys below.

As we approached the ski town nestled in Austria’s Tyrolean Alps, thumping music from the finish area’s loudspeakers flowed up the hillside. My weary legs and aching feet yearned for flat ground and before long, we pounded out the final few hundred meters along stonepaved streets to the finish line’s giant inflatable archway.

Feeling fine after the four-and-a-half hour run, I took a seat on the edge of a crowded hot tub and eavesdropped on conversation snippets in German, Italian and Spanish floating between my tubmates. Even though I couldn’t understand a single word, I simply soaked up the cultural patchwork of people unified by this singular physical challenge.

The finish area’s party atmosphere grew rowdy as more runners poured in. With an electrolyte drink in one hand and large bottle of Erdinger Weißbier—a popular

German brew—in the other, sweaty runners collapsed into lounge chairs, gritty smiles spreading across their faces.

Others grabbed handfuls of pretzels, chunks of fine, dark European chocolate and dried and fresh fruit, before finding a soft patch of grass on which to strip off their shoes and socks to assess the damage to tender digits. Some soaked weary feet in bubbling foot baths or lined up to pay a few Euros for a 15-minute session with a massage therapist.

Alpine Allure Since the inaugural Transalpine-Run in 2005, organizers upped the difficulty, creating a challenging course totaling 14,000 meters (46,000 feet) in elevation gain. “I wanted a route that was spectacular, not just following forest service roads,” said Wolfi. “Competitors come here to see the Alps as well as run a good race.”

This year’s event, to be held September 1 to 8, 2007, presents a formidable challenge for ambitious trail runners seeking a unique single-sport challenge. North American endurance events of this magnitude are usually multi-sport adventure races, requiring an arsenal of equipment, route-finding skills and fitness in a vari-

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ety of disciplines such mountain biking, running and paddling.

By contrast, the Transalpine-Run has set the benchmark for trail stage racing.

This new and fast-growing foot-race category features a clearly marked course, frequent aid stations, nightly accommodation and hot meals. Keeping with the superior organization and timeliness Germans are known for, every race element is run with precision. Each stage’s distance is GPS-measured to within a hundredth of a kilometer; aid stations, generally 10 kilometers apart, are where race topographic maps show them to be and meals are served on time.

Other such races, including Costa Rica’s Coastal Challenge, Peru’s Inca Trail Marathon and India’s Himalaya Stage Race, are becoming popular among trail enthusiasts looking for a running-based tour through foreign countries with a hint of competition and the camaraderie of like-minded adventurers.

As days on the trails wore on, the faces of similarly paced participants became more familiar and the bonds of shared suffering strengthened. Transcending language barriers, friendly glances communicated a shared sense of adventure and play.

Magdalena Schiffer and Markus Friedl of Team Naturpark Lechtal make their way up to Austria’s high country.

Alex Vorwerck, 37, and Florian Eberle, 35, from Kempten, Germany, are Team Laufsport Saukel Puma, named after the running store where Alex works.

“This is my first big mountain race,” he said. “But also we’re here to have fun.

Florian and I are good friends and he keeps me laughing and having fun on the trails.”

At stage two’s post-dinner awards ceremony in Saint Anton, Austria, Alex and Florian beamed with pride as they walked

on stage to receive prizes for their secondplace finish, behind the defending champions, Italy’s Triathlon Trention.

Finding themselves on the leader board, Alex and Florian felt pressure, knowing they had a shot at the 14,000 ($18,000) prize purse divided among top teams. “It’s dangerously tempting to push too hard,” said Alex. “After the third or fourth day of racing, it will not be so much about how good a runner you are as your mental attitude.”

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Left: Bernd and Ralph Klisch of Austria glide down the cobblestone streets of Scoul, Switzerland.

Bed or a Beer?

Racers’ cumulative fatigue began to show by stage three, which headed deep into the Central Alps from Saint Anton to Ischgl, Austria. Only a few kilometers from the start, the slow-moving field was already strung along a rolling dirt road.

Upon reaching higher elevations, the trail disappeared under a large snowpatch, blindingly white under intense sunshine. Kicking steps into the snow, Ettore Girardi and Silvano Fedel of Triathlon Trentino increased their lead as they worked their way up the 2730meter high pass at Kuchenjoch. Cresting the pass, they dropped into a tranquil alpine meadow dotted with stubby brush and a rainbow of alpine blooms, then paralleled a rushing glacial stream, heading

towards the day’s second-highest point, Schafbichljoch. The sound of clanging cowbells reminded passing runners that for centuries, before hikers and trail runners discovered these remote highlands, traditional herdsmen have been grazing cattle and sheep in the lush pastures.

Most teams, including Alex and Florian’s, took this stage conservatively, knowing that tomorrow’s run was an arduous mountain marathon (42 kilometers) involving 2234 meters of climbing over two high passes, finishing in the Swiss town of Scoul. The only consolation was the “rest day” to follow, a 6.2kilometer sprint ascending 947 meters.

While some competitive teams would use their sprinting strength to improve their

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“The pain and effort I go through in this race is nothing compared to what my wife deals with on a daily basis.”

ranking, much of the field would treat it as a leg-stretching hike to recover before tackling the final three stages.

In Ischgl that evening, we feasted on pasta and salad before the nightly multimedia program, which not only revealed how the race had unfolded but let competitors relive the day’s drama and achievement. Upbeat pop music accompanied a digital slideshow and aerial video footage shot from a doorless helicopter that swooped over runners’ heads.

Visions of mountain beauty and trail camaraderie lingered in the minds of exhausted runners as they retired to sleeping bags and mats, laid side by side in the gymnasium serving as a communal sleeping hall. Others, however, opted for a hotel room’s comfort. Each town along the race route had a number of cozy hotels and inns to choose from, often within a short walk of the race venue. Though rooms were often simply decorated and sparsely equipped (ask for soap from the front desk before getting into the shower!), flaking out on a real bed after a hard day on mountain trails made it feel luxurious.

With work deadlines looming back home, Adam and I had only committed

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to running the first few stages, so for us, the following day was filled with bumnumbing car and plane travel back to the United States. We forwent sleep and joined a few other die-hards in an upscale Austrian pub to make the most of our last few hours in Europe.

The dimly lit bar, which usually catered to winter’s discerning après-ski crowd, furnished with dark leather lounge chairs and big stone fireplace, was mostly empty on this off-season evening except for our rowdy multi-national gang. I sat next to Willy Brown from Edinburgh, Scotland, and Neil Rhodes, a writer for Ultrafit magazine in the United Kingdom. The stocky, muscular Scotsman and his tall, lanky teammate didn’t look like typical endurance runners.

“I’m actually a competitive indoor rower,” said Willy in a thick Scottish accent.

“And my running partner, Neil, holds the Guinness World Record for rowing a million kilometers on an ergometer.”

The two mountain-running neophytes had signed up for the race only four weeks ago. “Rowing keeps us fit, but I must admit the longest I’d ever run before coming here was 10 kilometers.

Tomorrow will be my first marathon!” beamed Willy.

When I asked Willy how he was going to get through the marathon and the four days of racing to follow, he spoke about his wife who has Multiple Sclerosis. “The pain and effort I go through in this race is nothing compared to what my wife deals with on a daily basis,” he said. “I am proud of her strength and because she wants me to do this race, I am determined to finish no matter what.”

Many competitors confessed that hiking comprised a major part of their training for this race. “My best training was a two-week backpacking trip to Greenland three weeks ago,” said Jürgen. “Running in the Alps often isn’t possible because the terrain is so hard; you end up hiking a lot instead.”

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2007 GORE-TEX TransRockies-Run North Americans can test their endurance here at home before traveling across the pond, at the first-ever Gore-Tex TransRockies Run to be held during the height of the Colorado’s fall color.

The six-day stage race will cover a rugged 125-mile course from Beaver Creek to Aspen via Leadville, Colorado. “We wanted to adapt the Transalpine Run’s successful format to North America,” said Race Organizer Aaron McConnell. “But this race will have its own character and challenges.”

WHAT_Six-day stage race totaling 125 miles WHEN_September 16-21, 2007 WHERE_Beaver Creek to Aspen, Colorado ENTRY FEE_$1250 per person; must enter as team of two. Fee includes race support, gear transfer, breakfast, dinners and tent camping. Or purchase the Expedition package ($2650 per person), which also includes airport pickup and motorhome accommodation.

WEBSITE_www.transrockies-run.com

The general consensus was that allday hiking sessions were essential for building a strong endurance foundation upon which to add long, slow runs of around three hours, including plenty of downhill training.

Triumph and Tears On the final day, runners poured from the Otzaler Alps into Latsch, a town of 2500 inhabitants nestled in Italy’s Vinschgau Valley, known as “Europe’s orchard” for its abundant fruit-growing industry. Two by two, they threw their arms up in triumph, passing under the finisher’s arch for the last time.

Jürgen, our tireless host from Gore Europe, finished the Transalpine-Run though he wore through several different teammates in the process. “Everyone worked so hard to get to the finish line and suddenly it was over, so the emotions just all came out—it was unforgettable feeling!” he said.

Neil and Wally, the rowers-turned-trailrunners, were thrilled to finish intact even though they came in near-last almost every stage. “To finish this race you need to have mental strength and a

certain amount of luck, both of which we had,” Willy said.

The day was bittersweet for others.

Alex from Team Laufsport Puma suffered a severe stomach virus that left him practically crawling during stage seven. “I had a high fever and felt like I was climbing an endless staircase. My grandmother would have moved faster,” he said.

His teammate, Florian, who had done last year’s Transalpine-Run, felt strong enough to continue solo and unofficially finish the race. “I wish Alex and I could have made it together, but he did his best, and that’s what this race is all about,” he said.

The Transalpine-Run was a holiday, competitive run and cultural experience all rolled into one. While the eight-day event tested even the most hardened trail runner’s mettle, its defining experience was the lifelong friends made along the way.

Elinor Fish, Trail Runner associate editor, enjoys trail running increasingly as an excuse to travel and explore the world’s most spectacular mountain regions.

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trail tested by elinor fish » photos by brian bailey

Sari Anderson shoe testing on Mount Garfield, Colorado

Our Favorite A selection of trail running’s most advanced and specialized shoes, ever Footwear manufacturers are responding to the popularity of trail running and developing more specialized shoes, for supinators to pronators and everyone in between, and any kind of off-road running. With modern shoe technology, it is a good time to be a trail runner. Seamless uppers don’t cause blisters, creative outsole design makes shoes lighter weight and more grippy and sock liners’ moisture-wicking materials keep feet dry and friction-free. Laces have evolved from simple nylon strand-andeyelet system to cinchable super-durable Kevlar cords and asymmetrical tongue and eyelet arrangements for improved comfort and function.

Whether you prefer short and fast trail jaunts, fell running or cross-country racing to fastpacking, adventure racing or mountain running, the 14 models we’ve selected for the 2007 Spring Shoe Review cover the gamut of off-road options.

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Adidas Adistar Trail 3 weight: 13.6 oz • price: $120

ing and pronation control. Testers were in accord on the shoe’s comfortable fit.

The updated Adistar Trail 3 features a re-designed midsole equipped with “Formotion” technology, a pronationcontrol mechanism in the heel cup and midsole designed to keep your foot tracking as you roll from heel to toe.

Strong heel-strikers and heavier runners will appreciate the considerable cushion-

Tester-monial “One of my favorite allarounders in the review, the Adistar Trail 3 offers a super-close fit, supple forefoot feel and a extra-stable heel. The built-up heel may not be for runners seeking a more natural profile.”

—Michael Benge, Carbondale, CO

Asics GEL Trail Sensor WR weight: 12.8 oz • price: $110

room, choose a half size larger than usual.

The X-shaped arch-support system and luggy outsole make this the Cadillac of the review, a beefy yet relatively light shoe suitable for any terrain.

Asics’s new flagship trail shoe, the Trail Sensor features a four-part heel outsole designed to absorb uneven ground for a super-stable ride. The nano-technology-equipped upper is water-resistant (hence the “WR”) and the gusseted tongue keeps debris out. The toebox is quite snug, so if you like extra wiggle

GoLite Trail Fly weight: 14.5 oz • price: $110

The Trail Fly leads the endurance category of footwear newcomer GoLite’s new line, which was developed by Timberland. The Trail Fly’s seamless, breathable upper is encased in durable, protective molded foam. The outsoles’ huge “trail claws” grip muddy and snowy terrain like nothing else, functioning like

Inov-8 f-LITE 300 weight: 12.9 oz • price: $90

If you haven’t tried Inov-8 shoes yet, the f-LITE 300 is the perfect introductory shoe to their more radical lightweight models. The smooth and fast f-LITE outsole works best on hard compact trails, and the midsole provides more support that other minimalist Inov-8 styles. Apart from its overall fast, agile feel, testers

Helly Hansen Juell 2 weight: 13.5 oz • price: $110

Tester-monial “I liked the cushioning underfoot and found it reasonably stable.”

—Jen Henry, Ruther Glen, VA

individual springs to absorb impact, but can feel like soccer cleats on pavement.

Available only in whole sizes, the shoe requires the use of the included Precisefit inserts to adjust volume.

Tester-monial “The highlight of this shoe is the overall fit. The toe box is roomy, and the insole system tailored the fit very well.”

—Ryan Henry, Ruther Glen, VA liked the scalloped tongue design, which allowed comfortable ankle range of motion. The slick laces required double knotting to stay tied.

Tester-monial “For their lightness, these shoes offered great protection, flexibility and stability. What more could you ask for in a trail shoe?”

—Roy Pirrung, Sheboygan, WI

Overall, the Juell 2 offers a solid ride over moderately technical trails.

This beefed-up version of the original Juell has more midfoot support and a great-gripping serrated outsole design.

The upper features an abrasion-resistant version of Helly Hansen’s signature Lifa material, and has minimal padding around the collar and tongue, providing ample room for larger-volume feet.

Tester-monial “It’s a very fast, lightweight shoe that fit my feet like a glove, and I really liked the breathable mesh fabric.”

—Amy Peck, Eagle, CO

Keen Wasatch Crest weight: 14.5 oz • price: $95

shoe’s funky-looking asymmetrical laces provide pinch-free forefoot flexion. One drawback was the thick tongue’s habit of bunching up.

Designed to go ultra distances, Keen’s latest trail runner provides forgiving yet stable heel support. Suitable for less technical trails where lateral motion control is not top priority, this shoe errs on the side of comfort versus performance, thanks to its plush cushioning and well-ventilated mesh upper. The

Tester-monial “The toe protection is top notch, and the diagonal lacing allows you to comfortably secure your foot in the shoe.”

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La Sportiva Fireblade weight: 13.0 oz • price: $90

One of the sleekest styles in La Sportiva’s line, this lightweight trainer has an overall slim fit, thanks to a highly-tailored elasticized upper that hugs the foot. Its reinforced heel counter and low-profile triple-density midsole means a firm ride, which some may find punishing over long runs, while others will appreciate the responsive feel for the trail. In lieu of

Merrell Fanatic weight: 14.6 oz • price: $100

Aimed at adventure racers who want a shoe that can keep up with a brisk tempo, the Fanatic is tough—from durable Kevlar laces to reinforced midsole cushioning and a grippy feather-patterned Vibram outsole. Merrell hit the mark in balancing comfort with performance, particularly in the upper’s nearly stitchless

Montrail Nitrus weight: 15.2 oz • price: $95

This shoe weighs in on the heavier end of the scale, but offers performance and comfort worth the extra ounces. New to Montrail’s line of finely tuned trail footwear, the Nitrus is made for stability. A rigid midsole plate creates provides solid midfoot support, but deep forefoot grooves ensure excellent flexion when toeing off.

The ultra-padded upper cushions the foot

New Balance 873 weight: 11.2 oz • price: $90

Simplicity is what makes this update of the popular 872 so great. Able to successfully transition between roads and trails, the 873 is a great lightweight trainer for trail runners wanting a low-profile, well-cushioned shoe that will protect their feet over rocky terrain. Moisturemanagement details include a durable water-repellant (DWR) finish on the upper and quick-drying ankle-collar fab-

Pearl Izumi SyncroSeek 2 weight: 13.1 oz • price: $95

The dramatically updated SyncroSeek features Pearl Izumi’s perfected abrasion-resistant seamless upper technology. The result: all our field testers raved about the SyncroSeek’s slipper-like fit.

Snug up the laces and feel the interior lacing system wrap around your foot, creating a custom fit and secure ride.

a heavy, aggressive tread, the Fireblade has a sticky rubber outsole with shallow lugs that our testers found worked well on all but sloppy, muddy conditions.

Tester-monial “Before I ran in the Fireblades, I stuck to the same flat, even running surfaces. These shoes caused this middle-aged runner to deliberately seek out ‘trails less traveled.’”

—Bruce Baldwin, Regina, Saskatchewan

design that uses highly breathable mesh combined with a durable external plastic frame. The firm molded arch bridge (including a gaiter-strap slot) cradles the midfoot, providing lateral stability.

Tester-monial “This is a four-wheel drive shoe for those who love varied terrain and crave a supported adventure each time they step on the trail.”

—Sabrina Harper, Canmore, Alberta

on all sides, creating a cozy fit. Its highly breathable upper is reinforced with a durable monofilament mesh.

Tester-monial “These shoes are the total package, offering good heel and forefoot cushioning, and perfect arch support combined with superhuman traction have made them my trail-running shoe of choice.”

—Richard Patch, Washington, D.C.

ric. One of the lightest shoes we tested, the 873 has improved fit thanks to the upper’s greater elasticity and heel-lock lacing system. Overall, a great off-road option for lighter trail runners who don’t require a great deal of support.

Tester-monial “There are no unnecessary details. They aren’t clunky like some trail shoes, and they gave me a nice sense of the ground underneath my feet.”

—Ellen McCurtin, Danbury, CT

The midsole’s ample cushioning and outsole’s traction perform well on rough trails without being overkill over short road sections.

Tester-monial “The seamless fit made this shoe my go-to pair out of the eight sitting in my closet.”

—Rob Chambers, Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Salomon Trail Pro 2 weight: 12.4 oz • price: $110

This redesign of the Trail Pro boasts a more protective toe cap, reinforced heel counter and durable mesh upper.

Lighter, faster and less stiff than other Salomon trail shoes, the Trail Pro 2 still offers ample heel and forefoot cushioning. Though it may appear over-built at first glance, the Trail Pro is surprisingly agile and springy. Those who need plenty of toe space will appreciate the generous toebox.

Tester-monial “This is a shoe that can handle ultra distances. The heel and arch fit well, the lacing system kept my foot snug and the midfoot has great lateral stiffness.”

—Devin Gardiner, Carbondale, CO

Timberland Vaporate Low weight: 16.2 oz • price: $100

Designed for fastpacking rather than pure trail running, the Vaporate Low bridges the gap between the agility, cushioning and breathability of a running shoe with the foot protection and stability of a light hiking shoe. A high ankle collar combined with a daisy-chain lace system can be adjusted to create a perfect heel-locking fit. This high-volume shoe best suits those with wide feet or high insteps.

Tester-monial “I felt this shoe handled anything I could throw at it, from really tough trail to runs to all-day hikes.”

—Amanda Jones, Boston, MA

Vasque Mercury weight: 13.7 oz • price: $95

An editors’ favorite, the Mercury hits the mark in terms of arch-hugging fit, attractive styling and trail performance. Built on the same last as Vasque’s popular and neutral Blur, the Mercury is equipped with a firm midsole for greater stability. The Mercury is ideal for trail runners looking for a reliable, lightweight trail shoe that provides excellent traction in muddy conditions, moderate cushioning and stability. This could be Vasque’s finest all-around offering to date.

Tester-monial “I found these shoes to be fast, responsive and extremely agile over a variety of terrain. The shoe was also flexible in the sole and would really ‘dig in’ while running uphill.”

—Larry Ryan, Danville, PA

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TRAIL RUNNER TROPHY SERIES 101 WHAT a point series of over 100 trail races, including two divisions: Marathon and Under, and Ultra.

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

WHEN all races take place between March 1 and September 30, 2007.

WHERE TROPHY SERIES races dot the United States and Canada, from coast to coast. * WIN ONE OF 18 PRIZE PACKAGES, STUFFED WITH AWESOME GEAR FROM TROPHY SERIES SPONSORS! 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/ 03/03 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@peoplepc. com; www.rockcuttrails.org 03/24 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K, 50K, 50M; Layton, UT; ultrajim@ charter.net; www.buffalorun.org 03/24 Bel Monte Endurance Run 25K, 50K; Charlottesville, VA; rungillrun@ comcast.net; www.badtothebone.biz

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

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PATITUCCIPHOTO

WHAT IS IT?

03/24 NOC/Subaru Bartram Trail Endurance Run 8M, 21M; Bryson City, NC; programs@noc.com; http://www.active.com/event_detail. cfm?event_id=1392523 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@PB-Performance. 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; 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 Angel Fire Ascent 8M; Angel Fire, NM; aascent@maxeventspro.com; www.maxeventspro.com/aascent.htm 05/19 Berryman Trail Run 26.2M, 50M; Potosi, MO; slugrd@yahoo.com; www. stlouisultrarunnersgroup.net 05/19 Bishop High Sierra Ultra-Marathons 20M, 50K, 50M; Bishop, CA; andrew. boyd2@verizon.net; www.bhs50.com

05/19 Dirty Dog 15K Trail Run 15K; Charleston, WV; danieltodd@charter.net; www.wvmtr.org 05/19 Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile Run 100M; Front Royal, VA; stanruns@att.net; www.vhtrc.com/mmt 05/19 McDonald Forest 50K 50K; Corvallis, OR; ken.ward@hp.com; www. mac.oregontrailseries.org 05/19 Run for the Sparrow 5K; Valley Forge, PA; walexbarth@msn.com; www.pahomeofthesparrow.org 05/20 Ohlone Wilderness 50K Trail Run 50K; Fremont, CA; ohlone50k@ abovethefog.net; www.abovethefog.net 05/26 Blackfoot Ultra 25K, 50K, 50M, 100K; Edmonton, AB, Canada; info@ blackfootultra.com; www.blackfootultra.com 05/26 Iron Knee 25K Trail Race 25K; North Vancouver, BC, Canada; eric@ ironlung.ca; www.ironknee.ca 05/26 Mt Wilson Trail Race 8.6M; Sierra Madre, CA; eweaver@ci.sierra-madre. ca.us; www.mountwilsontrailrace.com 05/26 Sulphur Springs Trail Run 10K, 25K, 50K, 50M, 100M; Ancaster, ON, Canada; jturner@iter8.com; www.burlingtonrunners.com 05/27 Medicine Bow Half Marathon 13.1M; Laramie, WY; RunWyo@msn.com; www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon 05/27 Pineland Farms 50K & 25K Trail Challenge 25K, 50K; New Gloucester, ME; iparlin@maine.rr.com; www.mainetrackclub.com/pinelandfarms 05/27 Rocky Mountain Double Marathon 52.4M; Laramie, WY; RunWyo@ msn.com; www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon 05/27 Vedauwoo 5k 5K; Laramie, WY; RunWyo@msn.com; www.angelfire. com/wy2/marathon 05/27 Wyoming Marathon 26.2M; Laramie, WY; RunWyo@msn.com; www. angelfire.com/wy2/marathon 06/02 Kelly Canyon Trail Run 5M; Ririe, ID; Info@PB-Performance.com; www.

PB-Performance.com/pb/KCTR 06/02 Kettle Moraine 100 Endurance Runs 38M, 100K, 100M, 100R; La Grange, WI; kettle100run@yahoo.com; www.kettle100.com 06/02 Scorched Sole Ultra 25K, 50K; Kelowna, BC, Canada; shirleeross@shaw. ca; www.scorchedsole.com 06/03 Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, Half & Relay 13.1M, 26.2M; Deadwood, SD; leanhorse@rushmore.com; www.DeadwoodMickelsonTrail Marathon.com 06/09 Lake Youngs Ultra 38.5M; Renton, WA; aj_martineau@yahoo.com; www.marathonmaniacs.com/Lake_Youngs_Ultra.htm 06/09 Laurel Highlands Ultra & 50K 50K, 70.5M; Ohiopyle, PA; rfreeman@ access995.com; www.laurelultra.com 06/09 USATF New England Trail Championships 13.2K; Northfield, MA; dave. dunham@comcast.net; www.runwmac.com 06/10 Valley Crest Half Marathon 13.1M; Tarzana, CA; valleycrestrun@yahoo. com; www.valleycrestrun.com 06/16 Highlands Sky Trail Run 40M; Davis, WV; wvmtr@starband.net; www. wvmtr.org 06/16 La Sportiva Trail Race Trifecta 5K, 13.1M, H; Snowmass, CO; mikemac@ bigfootproduction.com; www.bigfootproduction.com 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.tanglewood naturecenter.com 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@saywardvalley.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 Pilot Hill Trail Run (The Oldest Footrace In Wyoming) 25K; Laramie, WY; Labman_2001@hotmail.com; 06/23 Slacker Half Marathon & Relay 4M, 13.1M; Georgetown, CO; bluther@ co.clear-creek.co.us; www.slackerhalfmarathon.com 06/24 Cranmore Hill Climb 10K; North Conway, NH; info@whitemountainmilers. com; www.whitemountainmilers.com 07/07 Keweenaw Trail Running Festival 5.8K, 10K, 25K; Copper Harbor, MI; jcrumbaugh@charter.net; www.greatlakesendurance.com 07/08 Loon Mountain Race 10K; Lincoln, NH; info@whitemountainmilers. com; www.whitemountainmilers.com

TROPHY SERIES RACES

NEW FOR

2007!

RACE YOUR WAY TO LA SPORTIVA TRAIL SHOES AND A SPOT ON ITS MOUNTAIN-RUNNING TEAM

HERE’S HOW YOU MUST REGISTER BY AUGUST 31 TO BE ELIGIBLE:

PATITUCCIPHOTO

www.trailrunnermag.com/ Trophyseries/enter.html

07/08 Summer Roundup Trail Run 12K; Colorado Springs, CO; raceinfo@ pikespeakmarathon.org; www.pikespeakmarathon.org 07/08 TEVA Vail Hill Climb 7.5M; Vail, CO; jrabinowitz@vailrec.com; www. vailrec.com 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 07/28 Snow King Hill Climb 2.3M; Jackson, WY; jharkness@tetonwyo.org; www.tetonwyo.org/parks 08/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; www.dirtygirlsrun.com 08/11 Herc Open VT Speed Hiking Competition 16M; Warren, VT; info@hercopen.com; www.hercopen.com 08/11 Mt Disappointment Endurance Run 50K; Mt Wilson, Angeles National Forest, CA; gary@mtdisappointment50k.com; www.mtdisappointment50k.com 08/11 STORMY 64km Solo Ultramarathon and Relay 50M, 100M; Squamish, BC, Canada; wendy@stormtrailrace.ca; www.stormytrailrace.ca 08/12 Haulin’ Aspen Trail Marathon and Half Marathon 13.1M, 26.2M; Bend, OR; haulinaspen@freshairsports.com; www.FreshAirSports.com 08/12 Wreck Beach Bare Buns Fun Run 5K; Vancouver, BC, Canada; Judyw@ wreckbeach.org; www.wreckbeach.org 08/18 Where’s Waldo 100K 100K; Willamette Pass, OR; thornley@wpsp.org; http://www.wpsp.org/ww100k 08/25 Bulldog 50K Ultra / 25K Trail Run 25K, 50K; Calabasas, CA; bulldogultra@yahoo.com; www.bulldogrun.com 08/25 Conquer the Canuck - NB Edition 12.5K, 25K, 42.2K, 50K, 92.2K; Crabbe Mountain, NB, Canada; Trail@ccrr.ca; www.ctc.ccrr.ca 08/25 Lean Horse Hundred, Half Hundred & 50K 50K, 50M, 100M; Hot Springs, SD; Leanhorse@rushmore.com; www.Leanhorse.com

08/25 Tahqua Trail 25K 8K, 25K; Paradise, MI; jcrumbaugh@charter.net; www.greatlakesendurance.com 08/26 Bramble Scramble Trail Races 5K, 15K, 30K; Williston, VT; eric@catamountoutdoor.com; 09/01 Grand Teton Races 26.2M, 50M, 100M; Alta, WY; info@tetonraces.com; www.tetonraces.com 09/01 Meeteetse Absaroka Challenge 5K, 10K, 15K; Meeteetse, WY; meetrec@tctwest.net; www.meetrec.org 09/02 Walk in the Park 18K, 36K, 54K; Kamloops, BC, Canada; witp@shaw.ca; http://members.shaw.ca/witp/ 09/03 American Discovery Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K 5K, 13.1M, 26.2M; Colorado Springs, CO; ADTMguy@hotmail.com; www.adtmarathon.com 09/08 Dances with Dirt Ultra 50K, 50M, 100R; Hell, MI; events@runningfit. com; www.danceswithdirt.com 09/08 Mid Mountain Marathon 26.2M; Park City Utah, UT; info@mountaintrails.org; www.mountaintrails.org 09/08 Moose Mountain Trail Races 16K, 29K; Bragg Creek, AB, Canada; jen. silverthorn@shaw.ca; www.members.shaw.ca/moosemountain 09/15 Cle Elum Ridge 50K Run 50K; Cle Elum, WA; marty@cleelumridge50k. com; www.cleelumridge50k.com 09/15 Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Harvest Stompede 5K, 7M; Suttons Bay, MI; rick@lpwines.com; www.lpwines.com 09/15 Sombrero Ranch Roundup 4.5M; Estes Park, CO; matt@bolderboulder.com; www.bolderboulder.com 09/15 Timberline Marathon 26.2M; Mt Hood, OR; cneely@RogueMultiSport. com; www.RogueMultiSport.com 09/16 Lead King Loop 25K and Quarry Trail Climb 12.5K 12.5K, 25K; Marble, CO; macek57@hotmail.com; www.leadkingloop25k.com 09/22 Bays Mountain Trail Race 15M; Kingsport, TN; markskelton@markskelton.com; www.runtricities.org/asp/racecal_manage.asp?action =view&racecalid=529 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 09/22 Vasque Golden Leaf Half Marathon 13M; Aspen, CO; paul@utemountaineer.com; www.utemountaineer.com 09/23 Rock Cut Hobo Run 25K, 50K; Rockford, IL; larrydswanson@peoplepc. com; www.rockcuttrails.org 09/29 Great Eastern Endurance Run 50K, 100K Charlottesville, VA; rungillrun@comcast.net; www.badtothebone.biz

1 Run in the 2007 Trophy Series and receive up to 40% off La Sportiva shoes!

2 For each Trophy Series race you finish, earn 10% off a pair of La Sportiva trail-running shoes, accumulating up to 40% after four races.

3 Plus win a chance to become an honorary La Sportiva Running Team Member *!

Team members 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. *When you register, you will automatically be placed in a weighted drawing based on the number of races you finish.

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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.

Woodstock Goldrush 24 • Mar-2-07 • Woodstock, GA tobyb@ymcaatlanta.orgw

Run, Row, Rock, & Roll Adventure Race • Jun-9-07 Fairbury, NE • jcraig@nebraskasportscouncil.com

The Thunder Rolls Adventure Race • Sep-8-07 • IL www.thethunderrolls.org

Eco-Lonestar • Mar-10-07 • Austin, TX www.terrafirmapromo.com

New England AR Series #2 • Jun-9-07 • Westover, VT info@racingahead.com

BlackBeard Adventure Race • Sep-15-07 • Outerbanks, NC www.americanadventuresports.com

Sunflower 24 Hour Adventure Race • 24-Mar-07 Lawrence, KS • www.bonkhardracing.com

The Cradle of Liberty Adventure Race • Jun-30-07 Southeastern, PA • www.goalsara.org

Midwest Monster Adventure Race • Sep-15-07 • Quincy, IL www.monsteradventure.com

Lionheart 24 Hour Adventure Race • Jun-30-07 Ohiopyle, PA • www.americanadventuresports.com

Wild Adventure Race • Sep-21-07 • Biwabik, MN www.wildadventurerace.com

Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race • Apr-14-07 Blue Ridge, GA • www.adventureracega.com Ozark Challenge Adventure Race • Apr-14-07 • Ozark, AR www.ozarkchallenge.com Endorphin Fix Adventure Race • Apr-20-07 Canann Valley, WV • www.oarevents.com Castaic Lake Adventure Race • Apr-28-07 • Castaic Lake, CA www.bigblueadventure.com Save the World Adventure Race • Apr-28-07 McCormick, SC • www.s-t-w.org MISSION Adventure Race • May-12-07 • Versailles, IN www.dinoseries.com Central Coast Adventure Challenge • May-19-07 San Louis Obispo, CA • www.ccadventure.com

Longest Day Adventure Race • Jun-7 • New York, NY www.nyara.org Oak Ridge 24 Hour Adventure Race • Jul-21-07 Oakridge, OR • www.bigblueadventure.com Odyssey 1 Day Adventure Race • Jul-21-07 • Roanoke, VA www.oarevents.com Atlantic Coast Conquest • Jul-28-07 •Oralndo, FL www.mycfar.com Bushwak This! • Aug-4-07 • Vasilla, AK www.egadsalaska.com

Florida Coast to Coast • May-25-07 • FL www.adventurousconcepts.com

Krista Griesacker Memorial Race •Aug- 5-07 • hamburg, PA www.goalsara.org

Spread Your Wings Adventure Race • May-26-07 RockSprings, TX • www.toocoolracing.com

Kit Carson Adventure Race •Aug-11-07• Carson City, NV www.bigblueadventure.com

Yough X-treme • May-26-07 • Ohiopyle, PA www.americanadventuresports.com

Bear Adventure Race • Sep-2-07 • Jacksonville, FL www.performancemultisports.com/BEARinfo.htm

New England AR Series #3 • Sep-22-07 • NH www.racingahead.com Berryman Adventure Race • Sep-29-07 Big Springs Park, MO • www.berrymanadventure.com The SHAG • Sep-7 • NY • www.nyara.org Terra Firma Adventure Race • Oct-6-07 • Smithville, TX www.terrafirmapromo.com Warrior Challenge Adventure Race • Oct-7-07 • Ashland, NE jcraig@nebraskasportscouncil.com Raid the Rock Urban Adventure Race • Oct-27-07 Little Rock, AR • www.raidtherock.com Howl at the Moon • 27-Oct-07 • FL www.adventurousconcepts.com

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

Zanfel & Bulleit Bourbon are proud to donate $100.00 each 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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OUTFITTERS LIST YOUR STORE! • CALL 1-877-762-5423 ext. 17 CANADA

GORD’S RUNNING STORE 919 Centre St NW Calgary, AB T2E2P6 403-270-8606 • F 403-283-8341 www.gordsrunningstore.com info@gordsrunningstore.com NORTH SHORE ATHLETICS 1200 Londsdale # 101 N Vancouver, BC V7M3H6 604-990-6888 www.northshoreathletics.com info@northshoreathletics.com STRIDE AND GLIDE LTD 1655 A 15th Ave Prince George, BC V2L3X2 250-612-4754 • F 250-612-4758 www.strideandglide.ca info@strideandglide.ca ALABAMA

2750 Carl T Jones Dr Ste 1200T Huntsville, AL 35802, 256-650-7063 www.fleetfeethuntsville.com dink@fleetefeethuntsville.com ARIZONA

FLEET FEET TUCSON 6538 E Tanque Verde Road Tucson, AZ 85715 520-886-7800 RUNNING SHOP 3055 N Campbell #153 Tucson, AZ 85719 520-325-5097 www.runningshopaz.com SCOTTSDALE RUNNING COMPANY 6941 N Hayden Rd #B-4 Scottsdale, AZ 85250 480-948-4436 • F 480-948-4435 www.scottsdalerunningco.com mflynn@scottsdalerunningco.com SUMMIT HUT 5045 E Speedway Tucson, AZ 85712 520-325-1554 www.summithut.com SUMMIT HUT 605 E Wetmore Tucson, AZ 85705 520-888-1000 www.summithut.com CALIFORNIA

ADVENTURE 16 11161 W Pico Blvd West Los Angeles, CA 90064 310-473-4574 for other SO CAL locations, see: www.adventure16.com 1850 Douglas Blvd Roseville, CA 95661 916-783-4558 F 916-784-9150 www.fleetfeet-fairoaks.com danelle@fleetfeet-fairoaks.com FLEET FEET SPORTS 32411 Golden Lantern Ste H Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 949-488-3356 www.fleetfeetln.com scott@fleetfeetlagunaniguel.com

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RUNNING REVOLUTION 511 E Campbell Ave Campbell, CA 95008, 408-374-9310 www.runningrevolution.com info@runningrevolution.com COLORADO

BOULDER RUNNING COMPANY 2775 Pearl St #103 Boulder, CO 80302 303-RUN-WALK www.boulderrunningcompany.com BOULDER RUNNING COMPANY 3659 Austin Bluffs Pkwy #32 Colorado Springs, CO 80918 719-278-3535 www.boulderrunningcompany.com BOULDER RUNNING COMPANY 8116 W Bowles #C Littleton, CO 80123, 303-932-6000 www.boulderrunningcompany.com

RUNNER’S ROOST LAKEWOOD 437 S Wadsworth #B Lakewood, CO 80226, 303-991-1851 www.runnersroostlakewood.com IDAHO

PULSE RUNNING & FITNESS SHOP 3100 E Florence Meridian, ID 83642 208-884-1141 • F 208-884-1336 www.racingpulse.com kim@racingpulse.com KANSAS

GARRY GRIBBLES RUNNING SPORTS Stoll Park Overland Park, KS 66213 913-469-4090 • F 913-469-0091 www.garrygribbles.com ggrunkc@mindspring.com GREAT PLAINS RUNNING CO 5967 SW 29th St, Ste #250, Topeka KS 66614 785-215-8600 • F 785-215-8658 www.greatplainsrunning.com MARYLAND

FALLS ROAD RUNNING STORE 6247 Falls Rd Baltimore, MD 21209 410-296-5050 www.baltimorerunning.com jim@baltimorerunning.com MASSACHUSETTS

CARABINERS INDOOR CLIMBING INC 328 Parker Street New Bedford, MA 02740 508-984-0808 - Gym Phone F 508-984-7577 www.carabiners.com philp@carabiners.com

NORTH CAROLINA

DULUTH RUNNING CO 1217 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802 218-728-1148 • F 218-728-1153 www.duluthrunning.com denise@duluthrunning.com MISSOURI

GARRY GRIBBLES RUNNING SPORTS Independence Commons 188810-E East 39th St Independence, MO 64057 816-373-1100 • F 816-373-6442 www.garrygribbles.com ggrunkc@mindspring.com

JUS RUNNING 523 Merrimon Ave, Ste. 1 Asheville, NC 28804 828-252-7867 • F 828-252-7817 www.jusrunning.com jusrun@bellsouth.net OHIO

ENDURANCE SPORTS 6056 Wilmington Pike Dayton, OH 45459 937-848-6250 • F 937-848-9065 www.endurancesports.com endurancesports@aol.com PENNSYLVANIA

ONLINE CAMPMOR www.campmor.com customerservice@campmor.com 800-CAMPMOR (226-7667) RIVER SPORTS OUTFITTERS www.riversportsoutfitters.com ed@riversportsoutfitters.com 865-523-0066 • F 865-525-6921 2918 Sutherland Knoxville TN 37919

www.RockCreek.com info@RockCreek.com 888-707-6708 100 Tremont St Chattanooga, TN 37405

GARRY GRIBBLES RUNNING SPORTS Ward Parkway Center 8600 Ward Parkway Kansas City, MO 64114 816-363-4800 • F 816-363-8484 www.garrygribbles.com ggrunkc@mindspring.com

BUCKS COUNTY OUTFITTERS 64 E Swamp Rd, Doylestown, PA 18901 215-340-0633 • F 215-340-9621 www.buckscountyoutfitters.com info@buckscountyoutfitters.com

MONTANA

RIVER SPORTS OUTFITTERS 2918 Sutherland Knoxville, TN 37919 865 523-0066 • F 865 525-6921 www.riversportsoutfitters.com info@riversportsoutfitters.com

www.summithut.com summit@summithut.com 800-499-8696 5045 E Speedway Tucson AZ 85712

ROCK CREEK OUTFITTERS 100 Tremont St Chattanooga, TN 37405 423-265-5969 www.RockCreek.com info@RockCreek.com

WASATCH RUNNING CENTER 8946 S State St Sandy, UT 84070, 801-566-8786 www.wasatchrunningcenter.com info@wasatchrunningcenter.com

ROCK CREEK OUTFITTERS 2200 Hamilton Place Blvd Hamilton Crossing Chattanooga, TN 37421 423-485-8775 www.RockCreek.com info@RockCreek.com

VIRGINIA

SCHNEES BOOTS & SHOES 121 West Main St Bozeman, MT 59715 406-587-0981 • F 406-577-7789 800-922-1562 www.schnees.com les@schnees.com NEW HAMPSHIRE

ENDURANCE 122 Key Rd Keene, NH 03431 603-357-3232 info@gotendurance.com www.gotendurance.com NEW JERSEY

CAMPMOR www.campmor.com info@campmor.com 800-CAMPMOR 800-226-7667 Catalog - PO Box 680-TR7 Mahwah, NJ 07430 NEW MEXICO

ABQ RUNNING SHOP 12611 Montgomery Blvd NE #A6B Albuquerque, NM 87111 505-293-2786 • F 505-293-2814 www.abqrunningshop.com randy@runningshopaz.com NEW YORK

FINGER LAKES RUNNING COMPANY 138 West State Street Ithaca, NY 14850 607-275-3572 • F 607-275-3571 rube76@hotmail.com www.fingerlakesrunningcompany.com

TENNESSEE

RUNNER’S MARKET 4443 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919 865-588-1650 www.runnersmarket.com runnersmarket@nxs.net TEXAS

ADRENALINE 414 W Main Street Denison, TX 75020 903-465-4300 • F 903-465-4303 www.adrenalinelifestyle.net terri@adrenalinelifestyle.net UTAH

MINNESOTA

TRI RUNNING & WALKING 191 W Main Street Victor, NY 14564 585-924-7690 www.trirunningandwalking.com trirunningandwalking@frontiernet.net

SALT LAKE RUNNING CO 3142 S Highland Dr #A3, Salt Lake City, UT 84106 801-484-9144 • F 801-484-9215 www.saltlakerunningco.com info@saltlakerunningco.com

45 DEGREES 209 S Main Street Stillwater, MN 55082 651-430-3609 www.45-Degrees.com GetOutside@45-degrees.com

WESTCHESTER ROAD RUNNER 179 E Post Rd White Plains, NY 10601 914-682-0637 • F 914-949-4166 www.westchesterroadrunner.com westchesterrr@aol.com

ST GEORGE RUNNING CENTER 1091 N Bluff St #1503 St. George, UT 84770 435-773-3245 www.stgeorgerunningcenter.com info@stgeorgerunningcenter.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE RUNNING COMPANY 110 Old Preston Ave Charlottesville, VA 22902 434-293-7115 • F 434-293-7015 www.charlottesvillerunningcompany.com info@charlottesvillerunningcompany.com WASHINGTON

FLEET FEET SPORTS 19685 State Route 410 East, Bonney Lake, WA 98390 253-862-8890 • F 253-862-5211 www.fleetfeetbonneylake.com staff@fleetfeetbonneylake.com POULSBO RUNNING 19980 10th Ave NE Poulsbo, WA 98370 360-779-8757 • F 360-779-8759 www.poulsborunning.com info@poulsborunning.com WISCONSIN

CLEAR WATER OUTDOOR 744 West Main St Lake Geneva, WI 53147, 262-348-2420 • F 262-348-2421 www.clearwateroutdoor.com sarah@clearwateroutdoor.com

2/27/07 12:07:41 PM

Run Amok

by Brian Metzler » illustration by jeremy collins

Run for your life Incapacity or near-catastrophe?

H

ave you ever imagined what your life would be like without trail running? It’s hard to consider, isn’t it? For all that it offers, running is an amazingly simple activity. Put your shoes on, go to a trailhead and lose yourself in a few moments (or hours) of dusty bliss. Anytime, anywhere, in any kind of weather, you’re never more than 10 minutes from endorphin-boosted euphoria. It’s kind of like chocolate-chip cookies or sex, only easier and with absolutely no strings attached.

Over the past 25 years, running has been woven into the fabric of my life, the most consistent part of it, outside, of course, of eating and sleeping. But sadly, whether you’ve been running for a long time or only a few years, it’s surprisingly easy to take for granted. Mental ruts, fatigue, the injury bug and lulls due to the demands of everyday life are sometimes unavoidable.

Last spring, I faced the first major running injury of my life, and wound up sidelined for more than seven months. Not being able to run at all threw me into a tailspin I didn’t expect.

That I couldn’t get my daily fix and had to cancel plans for several races were the least of my problems. Some people have religion, family, friends or football as their salvation. I have always looked to running as part of my solution when faced with challenges. Whether it was the increase in good juju, giving myself time to think about things or just the general sense of accomplishment, running just seemed to help. I always figured if I could run 30 to 50 miles through the mountains, I could do just about anything.

Within a month or so of my being on the shelf, considerable challenges popped up in my career, relationships with friends and even my marriage. I found myself wallowing in self-doubt and obscurity, exhibiting a general lack of interest, and alternately full of anxiety and depression. At times I’d feel very hungry, then lose my appetite. Other times I had great motivation to do something with a friend, only to lose it as the time approached. I often didn’t feel compelled to get out of bed in the morning.

Whereas before life was a chocolate sundae with sprinkles and a cherry on top,

everything suddenly seemed rather vanilla.

Cycling and swimming helped me stay active, but my year had been filled with numerous running goals that couldn’t be attained. It didn’t help that it took nearly three months to diagnose my problem—a leg-length discrepancy caused by imbalanced hips and three twisted vertebrae— and several more months of painful physical therapy before I could even begin on a path to wellness.

Don’t think a lack of running can lead to such problems? Certainly it wasn’t the only factor in my demise, but it was undoubtedly a major catalyst. Several doctors confirmed that my sudden running void could have contributed to a chemical imbalance in the gray matter inside my noggin. A Duke University study in 2000 showed that 45 minutes of exercising three times a week could be as effective in lessening depression as taking antidepressant medication. (Several of the subjects in the study were runners.)

“I totally agree. I can be really moody, but then I go for a six-mile run and everything is much better,” concurred a longtime friend, a running partner for nearly 20 years. “And if I don’t run for four or five days, I can get down in the dumps and be a real jerk.”

How did I get out of my funk? I’m not entirely there yet, but the doggedness and determination forged by so many years of running helped me back on course. And, thanks to months of physical-therapy exercises, I recently started running again. Initially, I was hesitant, not knowing what to expect. But as my legs began to loosen up on my first run (and again on several subsequent runs) I was briefly overcome by incredible warmth and happiness, almost as if a benevolent force was pushing me gently from behind. It was a runner’s high I had never experienced, and showed just how much running meant to me.

The route back to normalcy has been excruciatingly long, painfully hilly and chockfull of obstacles. But as I have learned from years of trail running, it will ultimately be satisfying.

Brian Metzler is the founding editor of Trail Runner. He tried taking up badminton and backgammon as a replacement for running, with no success at all.

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