Springtime in Pennsylvania

Running around Canoe Creek Lake (Dirty Kiln Race)

Spring has finally sprung here in central PA, and it's a quite nice (at least for now...ask me again when it's July, 90 degrees, and humid).  Despite this winter's record warmth around the planet, one of the few areas that actually experienced slightly cooler than normal temperatures was the East Coast.  So while Alaska was baking, sometimes 15 degrees above normal for January, we were consistently colder than normal in our tiny little pocket of the world in PA.  Long story short is that it's nice to finally be outside these last two weeks.

Global Mean Temperatures from Dec 2014 - Feb 2015

After my run at the HURT 100 in January, I took a rather long break from running, and essentially most activity in general.  I did manage to get in some moderate hiking and a small bit of running while spectating at the Barkley, but not much otherwise.  For the past three years, February has been my power month.  It's always when I've hit my peak Barkley training and usually end up busting out 80+ mile weeks with tens of thousands of feet of gain.  This year, after having decided to sit the Barkley out, I opted instead to basically go into full-on relax mode.  I'm not entirely sure what the inspiration was for this egregious act of laziness, but I must admit it felt kind of nice.  After a few weeks though, I got bored, and wanted to pick it back up again.  I'm just not happy, nor myself, if I'm lying around on a couch. 

I slowly began picking up the running again with daily workouts, and ran a few local races.  I thought I'd just touch on a few here for fun.  After running the 10 mile Egg Hill run in March (a race I hadn't done since 2011), I signed up for the local Dirty Kiln Half-Marathon.  I figured a 13-miler was a good way to get my trail legs working again.  It was a great little race, lots of mud, and plenty of full stream crossings.  Just what I needed to stoke the trail fire within me again.  The race went quite quick, especially for the front runners.  I am always amazed at just how fast some of the shorter-distance trail runners are from the area.

The super fast start at the Dirty Kiln

Trotting along the old furnaces

One of many fun creek crossings

First truly warm day of the year

Finishing with a decent time, feeling good to have actually run on some trails!

Shortly after the Dirty Kiln, I had the Hyner 50k on my schedule.  I knew without a doubt, that my time would be much slower than usual due to my lazy February.  Typically, I manage to finish the course around 6 hours or so, but this year I figured it would be closer to 7, as I had planned to take it easier.   The weather was quite nice again for the event, and I opted to carry my new z-pole trekking poles this time as well (which would also slow me down a tad).  I kept it reaaallly easy all day, and had a lot of fun, but was significantly behind my normal times.  Somewhere around mile 20 I stopped worrying about it and just had a great jog along the trail until the finish.  I finished after around 6hrs 50mins of fun.  The trails were warm and snow free...and I was having a blast on them.

Topping out at Hyner View after the brutal 'Humble Hill'

Trotting along at Mile 22

Crossing the line casually, after a great/fun day.

The past couple of weeks I've picked it up significantly with my mileage and training.  It feels good to be at least nearing a level of peak fitness again (although not quite there yet).  Last weekend I managed to get out on back-to-back weekend longer runs, and this weekend I have another back-to-back planned.  Today, I spent several hours playing around in Rothrock on some of my favorite trails.  It was delightful, albeit very tick-infested.  I managed to find 3 deer ticks on me, one already embedded.  Thankfully I got them all off rather quickly, so no risk of any possible infections.

I have some big news forthcoming about my future following graduate school.  I plan to post something soon with the details, but I've decided to hold off for another week on that.  I will say this however: of all the places I will miss when I do eventually leave State College, I think I will miss Rothrock State Forest the most.  I have so many memories running and training on those hills and trails.  No matter where I end up, nothing will ever be like Rothrock to me.

Enjoying one of my favorite spots along the Mid-State Trail.

This Tuscarora Sandstone Formation outcrop is quite fun to 

scramble across (and is part of the Rothrock 30k course too).

I will miss this spot quite a bit once I leave PA.

The snakes were out...

As were the baby ducklings...

Looking ahead, I'll be running another local half-marathon trail race tomorrow, The Greenwood Trail Challenge.  I've run this event twice before and it was great both times.  I plan on trying to push a little bit more tomorrow if I can, but only if I can still have fun while doing it.  Then, next week I'll taper a bit so that I can run the "Mind The Ducks" 12 hour event up in Webster, NY on Saturday.  I wasn't going to run this event this year, but I just couldn't say no to running a race in my childhood home town again.  I had such a blast running it last year, that I had to go back.  Last year, I actually managed to win the event outright with almost 73 miles.  I don't think I'll be gunning for that many miles again this year...but I guess we'll see.

One last thing,
I don't normally post reviews on here, but I thought I'd share my experience today with a new pair of shoes.  I go pretty simple on footwear when it comes to running.  I basically have three classes of shoes that I keep on my shoe-rack.  1) Trainers, 2) Road Runners, 3) Trail Runners.  Occasionally I've played around with having different types of trail runners (i.e. cushy vs. technical), but usually I just try to keep one model for each of these three categories (unless I'm trying out something new).  For my trainers, I usually have something lying around.  These are my workhorses, the shoes I put on most of my weekly easy miles around town.   I try to buy something with decent cushioning at a fairly decent price.  Generally this means Mizunos, or Asics, or similar.  Also, when my nice road shoes (like Hokas) get worn out, I use them as my trainers.  My Road Runners are what I used for road-type events.  I usually buy a nice pair of Hokas for this role, and then, like I said, as they get worn out, I move them over into my "Trainer" pile.   So where I'm getting with this...

Well the trouble I've had recently has been with finding a good Trail Runner.  For years I swore by my Brooks Cascadias.  I went through a few Hoka phases where I would try their trail shoes, but I found that their tread just doesn't do it for me on trails and I would often roll my ankles as well.   I tried desperately to like Altras, they seem to be all the rage now, but they absolutely DO NOT WORK for me.  I can't stress this enough.  Every time I ever put a pair of them on, I come away from the experience completely underwhelmed and disliking them even more.  I don't know what it is, but they simply don't work for me.  I also found that I actually prefer a good amount of heel-to-toe drop.  I know, so old-school right?  It's a shame, because I actually do like the wider Altra toe boxes.  Which leads me to my current problem...

I had always just bought the new pair of Cascadias when they came out, but after the 7's, wasn't a huge fan of them anymore.  More-recently, I started wearing La Sportivas and have had a fantastic experience with them (particularly with the Ultra Raptors and the Bushido - AWESOME shoes!), but I've always sort of missed that true neutral feel of my old Cascadia 7's.  I've had great luck with the Bushidos, but they are naturally a bit stiff.  This feel is definitely not for everyone.  The Ultra Raptors are fantastic as well, particularly as a bomb-proof shoe, but they are quite heavy.  So...I went to the local running store and thought maybe the new Cascadia 10's would be better, but again I was underwhelmed.  I've found that I've really come to like the grippy outsoles on the Sportivas, which unfortunately the Brooks just don't have.  Additionally there's the big issue of the toe box.  It seems that Brooks thinks our toes are getting narrower and narrower, because I tried on a size 12 (which is already 1/2 size big), and my toes were still squished. Take a look below at just how pointy the tip of the new Cascadia gets in the toes.  How are you supposes to fit 5 toes in there comfortably?

Well the end of this very long story goes something like this....Sportiva just released a new shoe, The Mutant, which has essentially an older generation Cascadia feel, but with much grippier lugs, a little more cushioning, and a really nice new tongue system that laces down snugly (and even hides the laces under a built in flap).  I took them out for 13 fun, rocky, rooty, muddy miles today in Rothrock, and thoroughly enjoyed them.  I'm looking forward to see how they do tomorrow at the Greenwood Trail Challenge, but so far, so good!  I may have finally found my go-to trail shoe!  I've got my fingers crossed.

 

The Brooks Cascadia 10 and it's super pointy toebox

The new La Sportiva Mutant, with it's much more reasonable 

and rounded toe box (and with super grippy lugs!)

Well, I guess that's it for now.  I'll be posting soon with some news about my future, and a few other race and trail plans.

hike on folks, and get out there and enjoy the lovely Spring!

-john

Another Fun Outing at Hyner View 50k

Photo Credits (P. Lopes, seePArun.com)

Along the "Cliffhanger" Trail (mile 1.5)

For a third year in a row, I again found myself climbing and descending the steep and rocky hillsides deep within the region of the Appalachian Plateau, near Hyner, PA.  It seems that I just can't stay away from the wonderful little gem of a race, known as the "Hyner View Challenge",  tucked away in the remote north-central part of the state.  There's something about this event that always brings me back.  I guess you could say it's a lot of things....ranging from the great course, to the wicked-fun climbs, to the technical trail-tread, to the outstanding after-party.  Simply put, everything about this race really is quite a treat.  The volunteers are great, the race director is top notch, and even the swag bag came replete with merino wool socks!  The registration fee is incredibly reasonable as well, considering the course you get spoiled with.

A few years ago when I signed up for this race, I had just sort of figured it'd be good to do being that it was somewhat "local".  In the end, despite the great course, I had somewhat of a mediocre day.  I was still incredibly sore from the Barkley and simply went out too hard.  I have a tendency to mis-judge my effort level for 50k's (it's always been somewhat of an awkward distance for me - would much rather do a 50m or 100m).  I finished fairly well (6:05ish), but wasn't sure I would ever go back, or do another 50k for that matter.  But one year later, I did decide to give it another go, and last year I showed up to see if I could get out of the running funk I had found myself in.  I ended up having a wonderful time on the course, and a much needed re-awakining with my love of the trails.  It was in a sense therapeutic, and I had a great finish time to boot (5:44ish).

Going into the race this year, I knew I wasn't quite as trained as I'd like.  I took a lot of time off after Barkley these past 4 weeks and simply wasn't in top Hyner shape.  I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't be going after any records this year....but rather just going out to enjoy the beautiful course.  I wanted to come away from the race smiling, and in good enough shape that I wouldn't be sore for a week.  To me, there was no point in racing full steam.  I really just wanted to especially take note of the scenery this year as well, as I often have forgotten to really look around on this course.  Some of the vistas are simply spectacular (particularly from the escarpment on first climb).

The race began an hour earlier than usual this year.  The idea behind this was to hopefully help curb some of the "traffic jamming" that has traditionally occurred when the 50k runners come back into the course and back-up against some of the 25k crowds.  It's never been a problem for me, as any 25k runners I've come up on in the past have always been incredibly gracious and accommodating, making sure to give me plenty of room to pass.  Still, the race director thought it might smooth things out bit.  This did mean a 7:00 am start though.  

About 150+ of us lined up on the road and after a few words from the director, we were off.  The first mile takes us along a road and allows for the crowd to spread out a bit.  Once the single track starts, it's much harder to pass as the first section of trail is very narrow.  I was pretty happy to be running in my first ultra since the Barkley.  It felt great to know I'd be playing on some fantastic single-track for the next 6+ hours too, so I was quite content regardless of my position entering the single-track.

Lining up for the start, getting some instructions from the RD

...and we're off!

The entire field heading out over the bridge towards the single track

I very quickly found myself in a decent position in the pack.  I was more concerned about just having some room to stretch my arms and legs, than where I was place-wise.  It can get pretty crowded at Hyner, and I did get stuck in moderate conga line on the first big climb up to the View.  I knew once at the top though, things would spread out, so I didn't sweat it.  Instead, I just tried to chat it up with my fellow runners and keep everyone smiling.  It helped to make the 1500'+ climb go much faster.  This year I also was spoiled in that my partner-in-crime and other-half had come to cheer me on, and was waiting at the View.  It always a wonderful treat to come around a corner, or top out on a climb and see her...so I was quite thrilled once I reached the the top.

Looking down from "Hyner View" to the highway bridge (and start line)

my "pack" topping out at Hyner View after a blood-pumping 1500'+ climb

relaxing in the "pack"

All right...time to RUN some downhill!

Starting the descent back down from the top

The day went as smooth as I could have hoped.  I ran solid through all of the descents, being careful not to fully "open up".  I didn't want my quads destroyed, so I kept my internal speed-governor turned on.  Several runners would pass me on those descents, but I pushed steadily on my climbs, often re-passing them, and never really ceasing; even running some of the climbs on occasion.  I made sure to fully enjoy the aid stations this year too and chat with the volunteers.  I wasn't in any particular hurry, so I took a minute or two to simply make some conversation with them.  Some of those stations are pretty remote, and I know it's quite a pain to get food and supplies out there.  I tried to at least let them know that I was appreciative and thankful.  

The climbs and descents rolled on, and my energy level kept fairly steady.  I was vigilant about my gel and salt intake, and I never ran into any trouble.  It did start getting a bit hot as it got closer to noon and the sun came out, but it was nothing a little water over the head couldn't solve.  Miles ticked by and I honestly didn't really care.  I was truly enjoying myself and again Hyner was helping to bring out that inner kid in me.  I was having a blast considering the monumental amount of climbing and descending. The 50k deals up a whopping 7500+ feet of total ascent...and you definitely feel it.

Google Earth track of course

mmmm....7500 glorious feet of ascent.  Good times.

Eventually, after making the extended loop of the 50k course, I did re-connect back in with the 25k course and with the 25k runners.  For me, and where I was in the course, the 7:00 am start actually meant that I hit larger number of runners...although they were moving generally faster than the runners I would have hit last year.  In the end though, the time difference was probably a wash as it took me longer to pass the larger crowds this year.  

By the time I made it to the Post Draft descent, I was starting to get fatigued.  I still had the one last gnarly climb up Cleveland Hollow and the SOB, but after that I knew it would be smooth sailing.  I sort of tucked in behind a large group of 25kers and was content to just stay put.  I had no overwhelming desire to try and pass the 30 or so people in front of me, so I just stayed with them until we all topped out after the SOB.  Once there, I fueled up for one last time and took off around the horseshoe and down the final screaming descent along Huff Run back to the road.  I was pushing out some quick miles at this point just anxious to get to the great food and drink at the post-race party.  I had had a fantastic day, but was ready to cross that line and enjoy a well-deserved rest.  Thankfully though, and just as planned,  I was still smiling as I crossed the highway bridge...although most certainly out of gas as I headed up the final small climb to the finish stanchion.  As I came around the corner I noted my watch time was a sliver under 6 hours so I jogged up to the finish so that I would stills squeak in under the mark.  As I crossed the line, the finish clock read 5:59:52 (my watch read 5:59:24).  I was quite thrilled with this time considering my goals this year.  I had no intention of setting any speed records and simply wanted to take it easy.  The fact that I still managed a sub-6 hour finish is just gravy on top!  After the race I caught up with many of my fellow runners and friends and enjoyed copious amounts of fantastic food and drink.  I can easily say again without hesitation that the Hyner post-race party is the best I've ever found.  The race registration is worth it alone just for the food and party!  I think I managed to finish in the top 20 overall, but honestly the fact that I was still moving fairly well and smiling at the finish...and am sitting here 24 hours later not really sore at all, means that I accomplished all of my goals for race day.  If I'm still in PA next year, you can be sure I'll be running Hyner again.  I can proudly say that I've run every 50k since its inception at this event (the 50k began in 2012, so I'm 3 for 3!).

Good times for sure this year.

hike on my friends,

-j

Squeaking in under 6 hours (5:59:52)

Time to eat some barbecue chicken and home-made brownies!

Garmin Stats:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/488246167

On a side, "gear-head", note....I again went with a new pair of trail running shoes for this event.  I had started running my Rothrock training runs in La Sportiva Ultra Raptors and found that they work fantastic for very technical trails.  I even used them at Barkley for 2 of my loops this year.  The only downside is they are a bit heavy.  After chatting with another fellow Barker this year, I decided to give the new Bushido a try, and so far I've been extremely happy with them.  I ran the race in these babies and my feet held up great.  The grip was good, and no matter what sort of sharp rock I was running over, I never felt a thing.  The best way I can describe them is that they feel like the Raptors, only lighter.  Plus...they are bright yellow....which is always fun!!

Last year I ran Hyner in the Sportiva Helios which were also fantastic, however they are somewhat fragile and just don't hold up very well to the technical trails.  For the $115 dollars you'll drop on them, it just doesn't seem worth it to me.  I've since worn the Helios as my "everyday" shoes and find that they are incredibly comfortable in that function.

Sporting my new Sportiva Bushidos