2013 - Reflections of Another Year Gone By

Snowmobile traversing into the void (West Antarctica)

Something extremely unfamiliar is currently happening in my neck of the woods:  I am sitting at a cafe in upstate New York....on Dec 16th.  It has been 5 years since I've been home this late in December, and it is all rather peculiar.  I am so very glad to be taking an Antarctic "year off", as it were, but a part of me certainly misses it.  Going south for December and January has just been such an enormous part of my life for the past half-decade, that it is hard to suddenly find myself comfy and cozy on my warm butt with all the luxuries of modern living.  Many of my friends and colleagues did deploy this year, and I find myself often looking in on their blogs and feeds to live a little vicariously through them.  With all that said however, if offered the chance to still deploy tomorrow, I would flatly turn it down (unless my degree depended on it).  It has been wonderful being home for Thanksgiving, my birthday and through the Christmas season.  It's strange going into stores and smiling at the ridiculous overabundance of holiday music playing overhead.  I am probably the only idiot that doesn't mind it.  I got to buy gifts for my new nephew and will see my family over the break.  I think that I'm most excited though, about spending my first Christmas and New Years ever, in person, with my other-half.  For the past 4 years, I've called her religiously from a spotty satellite phone while standing on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.  I always made sure to call just after midnight on Christmas and New Years...and got to say that even though I was over 7000 miles away, I was still the first to talk to her on both holidays.  This year, thankfully, it will be much easier to keep that tradition going.

Five Antarctic Seasons

Usually around this time of year, I would be compiling a year-end post from McMurdo Antarctica, and reflecting on my experiences from the past calendar year.   I made a promise to myself that following my 2007 Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I would continue to live a life full of new experiences and then make sure to reflect on those experiences at the end of each year.  This year, I get to compile this post while sipping a hot coffee at a small cafe.  It is a nice change of pace.  So I guess with that, I'll jump in. 

I think the most surprising thing about the year in general, was that it turned out to be my highest mileage year for running.  Despite some slower times this year, I still managed more total miles than in any year past, including both 2012 (my Barkley/Badwater year), and 2010 (my PCT thru-hike year).  Sitting here now in December, I don't feel like I ran that much, but my mileage totals have me at nearly 3000 for the year.  I did race quite a bit this year, but also many of those races were multi-day and timed events (like Vol State, 3-Days at the Fair, and the NJ 1-Day).  Overall I am absolutely thrilled at the year I had and am again amazed that I somehow managed to top what I thought was an un-toppable 2012.  When I look back at least year and my adventures at Barkley, Badwater, and in Japan...I think how could it possible get better.  Yet I sit here now, reflecting on 2013, and I somehow found a way to again fill my experience quota for the year quite nicely.  I feel incredibly fortunate for the all the wonderful experiences I've been able to acquire this year, and hope that 2014 only brings me even more.  I try my best, to keep to my promise and live my life with some semblance of adventure and passion.  I only hope that I don't give in to what I like to call, "that pull towards the routine and the mundane".   It is so easy to get comfortable and lose that spontaneity for new adventures.  I will continue to push myself to keeping that alive within me...and always strive to experience wonderful and new adventures while I still have time on this beautiful world.

THE REVIEW:

2013 started in more or less the same way that the previous 5 had....standing atop the West Antarctic Ice Sheet with about 40 other cold and lonely souls.  I wrote a full summary post about my experience during my 5th deployment to Antarctica earlier in the year here:  

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/02/back-home-with-all-pistons-firing.html

In a nutshell the primary highlight from my final WAIS Divide season was the successful completion of 5 replicate ice cores from the site.  Never before during any ice-core project, have replicate cores been drilled up-wall from an existing borehole.  The engineers responsible for designing the drill and procedures for replicate drilling, were incredible and simply inspiring.  Here are a few photo highlights from the season:

First successful replicate core.  The notch is from the side-wall of the main borehole. 

Me and the other science technicians (Ross, Brad, Emily) with the first replicate core.  This core wasn't used for any measurements, which is why we were able to handle it.

We also drilled several shallow snow(firn) cores using a hand drill.  This is a shot from a remote camp we set up about 30k from WAIS.  We drilled a 10-meter core, and dug a snow pit for sampling.

I also installed temperature sensor strings into several boreholes to record the temperature fluctuations in the upper 5 meters of snow.  After I installed the string, I back-filled the hole with snow.

Measuring and documenting a shallow core.

The team sampling a snow-pit

Beautiful sun dogs and sun pillar at camp

The three camp Hungarians (Fanny, myself, and Ildiko)

Never give a full bag of sugar to an overactive ultrarunner who's been 

stuck at a remote field camp in Antarctica for two months.  SUGAR!

When I got back from my deployment, I took a few days to decompress.  Somehow I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the Groundhog day festival and got to hear the good news about an early Spring.  Too bad it wasn't true.

No Shadow!

Very quickly, I began another extremely hard dose of training.  I had planned on returning to the Barkley and needed to again prime my body for another go.  I used my 2012 training schedule as a base and worked to improve it slightly.  Over the next two months, I busted butt nearly every day with cruel hill workouts, long weekend slogs through Rothrock, and countless miles.  When it was all said and done, I had actually trained harder than I did in 2012, and went to Frozen Head a very lean machine.

I documented some of that training in these posts:

Gas-line traverse and 100 miles:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/02/one-hundred_18.html 

Another mid-state trail slog:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/03/quenching-springer-fever-thirst.html

Playing on the Rothrock Gasline

1200 feet, in 1 mile.  Good Barkley training

Lots of crazy vertical days.  9000 feet in 20 miles here.

Lot's of endless repeats....

When the time came to actually run the Barkley, things went much differently this year.  I had a wonderful time regardless of my 2-loop failure, and was humbled and honored to be an adopted part of Travis's crew.  Watching he and Nick finish was inspiring.

I had originally decided not to share any of my photos or personal memories from this year's experience, but I've since decided to share a few photos that in my mind capture the best parts of the event, most specifically, the incredible people I got to share the trails with.

Making arrangements with Travis Wildeboer, after the conch was blown

Ed Furtaw and myself waiting for the start

Counting down the seconds with the man himself

Taking the lead up Rat Jaw (With Bev and Alan Abbs, Travis, and Toshi Hozaka)

Topping out on Rat Jaw

Finishing Loop 1 with Nick Hollon

Brett Maune and I checking in on Travis before loop 4, 

Catching up with Jared Campbell after his ridiculous all night adventure

Nick's Finish!

Travis touching the gate for the 5th time!

14 and 15

Barkley Alumni

When I returned from Barkley...I was in a hard place mentally.  Pulling the plug on my favorite race of all times, was an incredibly difficult decision, and one that dug deep into my soul.  I had decided I needed a break from running for a little while.  I turned my focus back to school work and figured that the running would come back when it wanted to.  I dusted off the kayak and went for several short boating excursions up at Black Moshannon again as well...as that always seems to put me in a place of peace.   After a few weeks, I finally put the shoes back on and went out for what ended up being a soul-nourishing trail run.  Afterwards, I found a new love for the run again, and started to set my sights on a Vol-state run in July.  I wrote about my running rebirth when I decided to take the "road less traveled":

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/04/run-goat-path.html

Kayaking in Black Moshannon

The first official race on my calendar was the Hyner View 50k  This course is surprising tough as I found out in 2012.  It is a 50k with well over 6000 feet of gain, and it is Pennsylvania Rocky!  I was still in pretty good climbing shape from my Barkley training so went into this race with the goal of besting my time from '12.  I had a fantastic day and was practically giggling the entire time.  It felt good to be on trail again during a race and I never pushed to hard.  I made it to the finish with a great time, and a big smile on my face.  The words from my write-up pretty much sum it up:

"As I neared the end of the race, I was quite content. I could have kept going, but I was quite fine to stop too. When I eventually popped out of the woods at mile 30 and began the last mile along the paved road to the finish, I finally switched my watch so that it would display overall time. I just smiled and laughed at the realization that I had just had that much fun, and still managed to come in to the finish 20 minutes faster than last year. The best part was that I was still having a great time, still smiling, and was completely and utterly satisfied with my day on the trails. That passion had come back, and I was steeped in it."

Here was my fullwrite-up:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/04/rediscovering-trails-at-hyner-view.html

Mile ~29ish

What happened next on my running schedule I would not have predicted in a million years.  I decided, on a complete and utter whim, to sign up for a 72-hour event.  Not only had I never done a timed event, nor had any real desire too, but this event was on a PAVED, 1-MILE loop.  Ugh!  Why would anyone want to run a 1-mile loop on pavement when there's all that trail out there to be explored?

...Which is exactly why I signed up for it.  I have always believed in challenging myself and I figured that there had to be something rewarding to an event like this, or no one would ever do them.  I wanted to try something different, and I definitely needed the road training for my upcoming Vol State.

What transpired was incredible.  I had an absolute blast running in circles, met some wonderful people, and knocked out a 3rd place finish to boot.  I wrote a very detailed race report about the entire event here: 

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/05/3-days-at-fair-event-report.html

The short-story of it all was that it WAS actually a lot of fun and definitely prepped me for Vol State.   I learned a lot about how my body reacts to long distances over pavement, when I need rest, what to eat, and how to manage my activity level and effort over such a long period of time.  I also learned a great deal about maintaining and caring for my feet.

Here are few pic highlights:

Somewhere during day 2

Pablo (The Superman!) and I walking a loop

My personal aid station

Receiving my 3rd place 231-mile award.

After coming back from 3-days, I was in need of some rest.  I took it easy for a little while and only participated in a couple of shorter distance local races.  One of these though was the infamous Rothrock Challenge.  I had a history with this race and despite the 19-mile course being my stand-by Barkley training route, I had injured myself during the 2011 Rothrock race.  I decided that I wanted to give it another go this year and signed up.  I took it easy on a very hot day there and ended up finishing in a fairly good time.  I immediately jumped into the finish-line lake to cool off, and it was glorious.  Here was my write-up from that race:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-successful-weekend-in-rothrock.html

so fast....I'm a blur! (hah...yeah right)

Mile ~8ish.  Hot and buggy running on forest road

The infamous Shingletown Scramble

Post-Race cool-off!

A few weeks later, as a post-PhD-defense trip, me and my other-half went on a 11-day romp around the 4-courners region of the West.  We saw everything from Arches NP, to Goblins State Park, to Shiprock, to the San Juans.  It was one of the most amazing trips I've ever taken....and certainly with the best company (although I guess I'm a bit biased).  For two geoscientists, it was pretty much a dream trip.

I wrote an incredibly detailed trip-report form this adventure here:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/06/traipsing-through-desert.html

...but would basically sum it up with this excerpt:

"We saw canyons over 2000 feet deep, and hiked along enormous slickrock sandstones. We played in the most remote places imaginable, camped on BLM land with no one around for miles, hiked through narrow slot-canyons only a foot wide, drove up cliff-side 4x4 roads, drove over 100 miles on a spare tire after getting a flat in the middle of nowhere, and even panned for gold. I could fill entire books with all of the little bits and pieces from this trip."

Here are just a couple of teaser photos:

San Juans

4-corners twister

Magnificent Shiprock

Monument Valley

Monument Valley

Best sunset.....ever.

No biggy, just standing at the edge of a 2000+ foot cliff.

Landscape Arch

Two geoscientists in Canyonlands.  Pretty much defines "happy geeks"

Mt. Sneffels Trailhead on a less-than-stellar hiking day

Upon returning from this trip, my running focus shifted entirely to Vol-State preparation.  First order of business was to run the Finger Lakes 50 for my 4th year.  I have an incredible soft spot for this race and  couldn't wait to again toe the line there.  It's still one one of my favorites.  I was nervous as the race was literally just one week before the start of Vol State.  I knew I had to be super conservative, and it was an exceptionally hot and humid day to boot.  My thoughts on the race can be summed up by this quote from my report:

"It turned out to not only be hot and muggy, but also very MUDDY; an all around slip-slidy messy-fun day! Throughout the day, I forced myself to downshift and try to just stay steady and take it easy. For the most part I stuck to this strategy perfectly. Today, on Sunday night, I have very little soreness at all. Last year, I finished this race in a fantastic time of 8:54. Back in 2011, I finished in 9:20. Yesterday, I kept is slow and smooth, and finished in a respectable 9:40, with no major residual soreness today, and without ever feeling like I was "racing". Perfect in my book.  I will rest now until Thursday morning when I start running at the Hickman Ferry for as many miles as my little feet will take me."

My full report can be found here:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/07/vol-state-500k-and-finger-lakes-recap.html

A few shots:

Loop 1 finish

Slogging it out in the humidity

Heading out on loop 3

Happy and muddy finish.

And then it came......one week later.  The ridiculousness that only Laz could bring to the table.  The Vol State 500k Road Race.  I had no idea what to expect with this beasty...but at least I was prepared to face the road miles thanks to the 3-Days event and to my long "training run" at Finger Lakes.  I ended up having an incredibly wonderful time during my 4.5 days on the course and had just as much an inner journey, as an outward journey.  Just like Barkley in some ways, the race stripped me down to my core.  I ended up finishing 2nd place overall in the unsupported division just a few hours behind fellow Barker Alan Abbs.  We both beat the existing course record by several hours.

My report for this event was also very long and detailed, but I feel that this clip sums it up nicely:

"This race had so completely stripped me down to my simple core over-and-over again. I think in some way I can understand why people participate in the several thousand mile self-transcendance races. Pushing yourself for so long really makes you see yourself for the simple being that you are, and experience your own existence in its purest form; much like my experiences on the AT, CT, and PCT. I am forever grateful that I was able to take part in such an incredible event, and that I came away from it with such profound memories. What a wonderful adventure it was..."

Here is the link to the full report: 

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/07/2013-last-annual-vol-state-500k-race.html

and a few pics:

On the ferry with Laz

Mile ~90 - Lexington

Sleeping in Shelbyville

yep...pretty much speaks for itself

Eating fried chicken at the finish

After Vol State, I took some time off to recuperate and prep for my upcoming 4th running at Leadville. This year, due to ridiculous air fare costs, I actually decided to make a road-trip out of the whole ordeal.  I had quite a blast making my way across the expansive center of the country and revisiting some states I had only previously poked my head into.  I even visited the Kansas High Point!  When I finally made it to Leadville on my third day, I checked into the Hostel and set up in my private room.  This was the first year I actually was able to secure a small private room and didn't have to share a bunk room.  During the week leading up to the race, I spent a lot of time hiking in the nearby Sawatch range, knocking out a couple of new 14ers in the process.  I finally was able to tackle La Plata and even hiked up Massive from the rarely-used Fish Hatchery approach (Often referred to as the "Nolan's" approach").  I tried to hit up Huron Peak for a 2nd attempt, but was again foiled by bad weather.  So far, I'm 0 for 2 on that peak.  I also knocked out Holy Cross, but that was a week later after the race was run.

Kansas High Point:  Mt. Sunflower

Headed up Mt. Massive from the Hatchery

La Plata Peak

Holy Cross

Holy Cross Summit

...As far as the race goes, this year was my 4th running of the Leadville Trail 100.  As most ultrarunners now know, this year's run was quite overcrowded.  Many many opinions can be read online pertaining to this issue, but I will not comment on that aspect.  I always have a wonderful time running in the high country of Colorado.  Despite the plethora of runners, I was still able to focus my thoughts and attention on the wonder and beauty of the course.  I had no goal of trying to again break the 25-hour barrier, and for most of the race it looked as though this wouldn't be possible anyway....but at the end, I was overcome by a huge surge, and was able to just barely squeak across the finish line under the time.  It was a rough final 13 miles, but I was glad I was able to finish strong and with another big buckle.  Here was a nice quote from my race report that sums up my experience quite nicely:

"....So, I sit here today content with my effort, surprised by my late-run push, and a little perplexed by my altitude and cramping woes. Somehow though, I've managed to go 4 for 4 here at Leadville, something I am incredibly humbled by. I will head back home now having had my fill of the beautiful mountains again. I was able to enjoy some 14ers, throw in a fun road trip out of it all, and run a fantastic and fulfilling LT100."

Here is my full race report:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/08/2013-leadville-trail-100-report.html

Stream Crossing before Hope climb

Approaching Hope Pass

Squeaking in just under 25 hrs.

4 years of Leadville

On my return trip from Leadville, I took it a bit slow, and even visited some more state high points just for fun.  When I got home, I visited my new nephew who was born just a few days later.  I headed back to school and focused on getting as much school work done as I could.  I knew I had several science meetings quickly creeping up on me at which I had to present updates on my data.

Nebraska High Point

Indiana High Point

Ohio High Point

My new nephew

Once settled back East, with the year starting to wind down, I had just a handful of races left on my calendar....a few scheduled, a few last minute additions, all relatively local though.  I would be running my 3rd Oil Creek 100, my 2nd Pine Creek Challenge (and defending my title), a first time go at Virgil Crest, and a 2nd running at the Tussey 50.  It sounds like a lot, but all the races were relatively local, and only the Oil Creek 100 required an overnight stay.

Each race presented me with different challenges, but each also presented me with wonderful experiences and memories.  

My combined race report for all three events can be found here:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/10/2013-pine-creek-100k-virgil-crest-50k.html

Pine Creek had better weather this year, but also stronger competition.  I knew I wasn't in as good as shape as I was at this time in 2012, but still thought I might be able to defend my 1st place title.  I ran strong, but faded much quicker towards the end.  I finished in a respectable 3rd place and managed to still get a "podium" spot.  My only standing course record to date fell by over 20 minutes.

At the start of Pine Creek Challenge.

Heading out on the bike path in 3rd place (where'd I'd stay all day)

Virgil Crest was a race I had been eyeing for a while but never run.  It had a legendary reputation in upstate New York as an absolute monster.  Loads of elevation gain and tough climbs.  I had Oil Creek just a few weeks away, so decided to run the 50k as a last-minute "training run".  What I didn't know was that it would rain for a full 24 hours before the race turning every trail into a muddy, slippery, nightmare.  When race-day came, it ended up being one of the most draining races I've ever run at that length.  All the mud slogging just sapped every ounce of energy I had.  The climbs were challenging and in a way fun, but the mud just sucked away any pep I might have had.  I also took a wrong turn at one point and lost several minutes finding my way back to the course.  Still, it was an awesome race, and had a very small-town, home-grown feel to it.  My favorite type of event.  Despite the difficulties, I still managed a great time and finished 11th overall.  I will definitely be eyeing this race again next year.

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/10/2013-pine-creek-100k-virgil-crest-50k.html

At the start of the 50k

Coming down a muddy and slippery ski hill.  

Refueling at one of the well-stocked aid stations

When Oil Creek came up just a few short weeks later, I was mentally frazzled,  I had recently spent a week in San Diego presenting my latest research, and the week leading up to that trip required long hours of prep work.  Needless to say, I missed several days of much-needed running.  When I arrived at the race the night before the event, I had already told myself that I would be running slower and not gunning for the coveted sub-22 buckle.  In my two previous runnings at Oil Creek, I managed to come away with two sub-22 buckles, and both times it was by the slimmest of margins.  In 2011, and 2012, I managed to be the last runner to cross the finish in under 22 hours.  In 2011, that margin was just 9 minutes, and in 2012, it was 19.  This year, with my lack of proper training, and a forecast hot day, I was not thinking about time...and more just about trying to enjoy myself.  As the loops progressed, I moved through vary disparate moods and emotions.  My first loop was fast and peppy, my 2nd, slow and miserable, but my 3rd, calming, and wondrous.  I crossed the finish in a respectable 23:43 and felt great about squeaking in under a day.

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/10/2013-pine-creek-100k-virgil-crest-50k.html

Still smiling late in loop 1

Miserable on loop 2

After my decent outing at Oil Creek, I began to look ahead to the end of the year.  Knowing that I'd be home for the remaining part of the year, meant I would have more time to work on research, AND more time to possibly race a little.  I had been spending quite a bit of time running with my local running group and decided that it was time to give the Tussey 50 another go.  I signed up and even volunteered at the packet-pickup dinner again.  It was fun handing out race packets and meeting all of the eager runners.

When race day came, I had no intention on trying to better my 2011 time (and still 50-mile PR) of 7:49.  I just knew that I wasn't in shape for it, and the course had also been changed since then to be slightly more difficult.  My only thought on going into Tussey, was to have as much fun as possible at my "Home-Town" ultra.  Even though Tussey is a road ultra, it is still my only home town ultra...and there's a sense of pride to that.

I laced up the shoes, headed out on the cold, late-October morning, and went out for a 50 mile run in Rothrock.  I had considerable intestinal issues early on which forced me to slow my pace, and make several pit stops, but eventually I settled down and ran a strong 2nd half.  I finished in a much slower 8:26 this year, but was still quite thrilled with the time.

Here was my quick blurb/report about it:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/11/november-news.html

Mile 11 - Whipple Lake

Mile 31 - Finally enjoying myself

As November creeped up, I found myself splitting my time equally between central PA, and upstate NY (Finger Lakes region).  Fellow Barker Carl Laniak decided to propose a "Run Every Day" campaign for November of which I decided to take part in.  I knew without a little extra motivation, I would likely miss a lot of running days.  I turned out to be a fun and exciting way to keep myself fit during what would have almost assuredly been a lax month.  On November 30th, I felt strong and fit.

....of course this challenge was made a wee bit difficult by the fact that I had signed up for a 24-hour event right in the middle of it.

Early on in the month, I headed back to New Jersey to run the same course I ran in May at the 3-days event.  This time it was a 24-hour event.  I had never run 24 hours and I decided to split my effort into both trying to run 100 miles relatively fast, but also trying to get as many miles as I could.  I was hoping to break 20 hours for 100 and managed to do it by about 10 minutes.  I was able to tack on another 14 miles after that for a grand total of 114, and a 3rd place men's finish.  It was a lot of fun running again with the friends I had made back in May.

Somewhere in November I also did a 2-hour podcast chat with Eric Sherman over at "DFL Ultrarunning".  It was a blast talking about all things ultra, including Barkley, Badwater, and Thru-Hiking.

Here is my write-up from the event and the podcast:

http://lakewoodhiker.blogspot.com/2013/11/nj-one-day-recap-and-chat-with-dfl.html

Still trucking along after 100+miles

3rd place finisher award - 114 miles

After the NJ 24-hour event, I headed to Colorado to do a little last minute work in the ice-core lab.  While there I prepped and imaged several thin-sections and even got to chat with a National Geographic film crew that was there filming for a new show.  There's a chance that I'll end up on a new show this Spring!

Chatting with NatGeo in the lab

Bubble-section of ice-core ice.  Bubbles contain ancient air that's almost 2000 years old

Thin-section photograph of ice grains as seen through polarizers.  

Different colors represent different crystal orientations.  Orange mesh

indicates crystal (or grain) boundaries.

After the ice core lab, I came back home and busted tail preparing a new poster to present at my first AGU fall meeting in December.  AGU stands for American Geophysical Union, and they host the largest geoscience conference of the entire year.  Roughly 30,000 people attend this meeting held every December in San Francisco.  I have never been able to attend due to my Antarctic deployments, so I was quite thrilled to be going.  Unfortunately, the weather in Upstate New York had other plans for me and I missed the first two days of the conference due to plane cancellations.  Still, despite missing my poster presentation, I made it for the final three days, and went to many great talks.

While there I also ran the AGU 5k event.  This 5k is notoriously fast as it is entirely flat, and at sea level.  After my steady November running, I decided to see if I could break my 19:58 PR.

I ran hard, and kept a steady pace throughout the race.  I pushed hard the 3rd mile and crossed the line in 19:41, shaving 17 seconds off of my PR.  The best part was I actually felt I could have run faster but held back a bit.  This was good enough for a 24th place finish (geoscientists are apparently fast runners).  I also went for a couple of evening runs around hilly San Francisco that even featured the world famous Lombard Street!

Here is my garmin track for it:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/414661027

Since returning from, I haven't done much running.  I've had to process some ice in our lab, and get lots of data written up for my thesis.  I have lots of work to do if I want to graduate next year.  The next few months will be all about cramming.

And so we come to today.  I sit here just a few days from Christmas, super excited to be able to spend it with family and loved ones.  My thoughts of 2014 leave me wondering what sort of stories I might make for myself, what sort of adventures I might find myself going on.  I know whatever comes, it will be as exciting as I make it.  

Looking ahead I do have a few big plans for 2014.  I will keep this last bit brief but will say these few words:

Above all, my primary goal for 2014 is to finish writing my thesis, defend my PhD, and walk the stage at graduation.  This, above all else, is most important.  I want to earn my doctorate.  I have worked hard for it, and I can't wait for that day that I crack open my Shackleton Whisky, and celebrate my new title with my fellow ice-group friends and colleagues.

On the running/adventure side of things here is what I can say for certain.  Because I did not get into Hardrock or Western States again, I have signed up for both the 3-days and Vol State races again....but both are not guaranteed.  It will depend heavily on my PhD defense schedule.  My biggest wish-list event would be to run the Plain 100 in September, although I have not signed up for it yet.  I have decided also to NOT sign up for my 5th Leadville so that instead I may assist a good friend with something even more exciting.  That is all I will say about that, as for now, it is "not announced".

I do have one new adventure that I hope to tackle in 2014 that I've been thinking a lot about over the past year.  I have decided like with Barkley though, that this will be something I do strictly for myself...and for that inner journey I've often talked about.   Although I will say, I will need some help to pull this adventure off, and hope that those I've asked to help will be able to.

So that's it I guess.  Wow. I have sucked the proverbial marrow out of another magnificent year.  What I said at the end of last year's post was so poignantly perfect, that I thought it would be fitting to simply copy/paste it here as well.....

"I've realized that above all, this has been a humbling year. I have imprinted permanent memories in my mind, met so many wonderful people, and found much happiness at home. I do not know what 2014 may bring, nor do I expect to even guess.  For now, I will simply be grateful for every day that I get to wake up and keep enjoying new experiences.

hike on my friends, and never stop exploring."

-j

NJ One-Day Recap and a Chat with DFL Ultrarunning

Making the turn on the 1-mile loop course

On a last minute whim, I decided to sign up for the inaugural NJ One-Day event put on by the NJ Trail Series guys.  Back in May, I decided to participate in my first timed event at the NJ "3 Days at the Fair".  I figured this 72-hour event would be a good way to prep myself for my upcoming slog across Tennessee at the Last Annual Vol State Race.  I knew I needed some long pavement training miles, but I was admittedly nervous about the idea of running a 1-mile loop continuously for 72 hours.

What transpired, was wonderfully surprising.  Not only did I enjoy running the one-mile loop, but I was introduced to the fun and vibrant NJ Trail Series running community.  One of the things that made the 72-hour event so much fun was that it was so incredibly social.  You are never more than a mile away from anyone on the course and at some point you'll either pass them, or they'll pass you.....giving you yet another chance for good conversation.  I came away from 3-days with some really fantastic memories and a whole slew of new running friends.  

So.....when I saw that the race director was going to be putting on a new 24-hour race on the same course this month, I didn't hesitate to sign up.  I knew I'd get to again run alongside some great folks and that I would likely have a fun time.  I knew I wasn't trained as well as I was back in May, but I also knew it would be good to get some miles under my belt.  Additionally, I have never run a 24-hour event before, I was curious as to how many miles I might be able to cover.  More so than miles though, somewhere deep down I had always wondered how fast I could cover 100-miles.   Before arriving at the fairgrounds, I told myself that more than covering total mileage, I wanted to try as hard as possible to break 20 hours for 100 miles.  This mythical number has always seemed unreachable to me, and the closest I've ever come at a race was 21 hours 41 minutes.  Obviously the 1-mile loop is relatively flat at the NJ fairgrounds, but if there was ever a time to go for that sub 20, this was it.

I drove out Friday night and arrived at the fairgrounds after dark.  It was bitingly cold.  I set up my tent and found that I was completely alone.  It seemed everyone else opted for local motel rooms.  For the most part I stayed warm through the night, but just before sunrise I was definitely chilled as the temps dropped down into the 20's.

At 8:45 am, the 50+ runners lined up at the start.  I chatted at length with fellow Vol Stater Bill Shultz and fellow 3-days runner Dave Lettieri.  It was good catching up with all of the folks I met back in May.

At 9:00 am we set out and started making our way through the loops.  I wasn't really sure what proper pace should be, so I kept it somewhat conservative.  I basically ran the first 20 or so miles at a similar pace to that which I ran during the 72-hour event.  The daylight hours went quickly and by 4:00 pm it was already starting to get dark out.  I knew I was in for a long, cold night.  Still though, I was thoroughly enjoying myself, and my mileage was really beginning to rack up.  I covered the first 50 miles in about 8hrs 20mins, which was basically the same pace I covered 50 miles at both Tussey and Pine Creek.  I knew that this meant the wheels would likely fall off at some point, but I wasn't having too much fun to care.

As the wee hours creeped in, the temps plummeted and I focused on just trying to get through multiple loops without stopping too much for aid.  Up to this point, I found that I was stopping after almost every loop and it was costing me unnecessary time.  At some point around 3:00 am, it occurred to me that I was on pace to possibly break 20 hours for 100 miles, but the fatigue had definitely caught up to me.  I was struggling to keep the running going and by 19+ total hours I was hurting fairly badly with 95 total miles.  I pushed it hard for the next five miles and crossed the mat for 100 miles in 19 hours 54 minutes.  I had done it.  I finished 100 miles in under 20 hours.  I realize it is somewhat of a technicality as it was done during a timed event, but in my book, that still counts!

I took a long break after 100 and eventually slogged an additional 14 miles.  I walked a lot of those last miles and really wasn't too motivated to push it.  I was tired and sore to boot.  The 114 miles though was enough for 3rd place which was an unexpected surprise.  It won't get me on any US National Teams, but I was thrilled to have topped 110 for sure!

My third place, 114-mile, license plate prize

On a side note, I recently did a 2+ hour  long podcast interview with Eric Sherman over at DFL ultrarunning.  We talked everything from Barkley, to Vol State, to Badwater, to Thru-hiking.  I had a blast chatting with Eric and I was honored to share my stories.  Here is the link to the podcast (My bit starts at 25 minutes in):

November News

Mile ~10 at the Tussey 50

I'll admit that it's a bit strange to be sitting here in early November and not be thinking about and preparing for an upcoming deployment to Antarctica.  This will be my first year home for Christmas since 2007.  There is definitely a part of me that is saddened by this, and I will most assuredly miss another deployment to some extent, but to be honest, I am greatly looking forward to taking a season off and spending it at home.  I of course will continue to pursue opportunities to work in polar regions, as it is my career goal, but for now, I will relish in my time at home.  Truthfully, I have incredible mountains of work to finish for my thesis, so the timing is probably better this way anyway.

As it turns out, "timing" is somewhat of a theme this season.  With the combination of the sequester, the government shutdown, and plans to upgrade McMurdo station itself....science budget money has been incredibly limited for Antarctic projects.  Last week I received this message from the WAIS Divide science coordination office concerning the field camp that I just spent 5 years working at:

"Dear WAIS Divide Colleagues,
The partial government shutdown forced significant changes to the U.S. Antarctic Program’s (USAP) operations for the 2013-2014 field season. The WAIS Divide field camp will not be opened this season, and the borehole logging operations that were scheduled will be postponed until next season. Many other USAP projects were either reduced in scope, delayed for later in the season, or postponed until next season. "

While this site shutdown doesn't affect me as I was slated to remain at home this year anyway, several of my fellow colleagues and friends will now not be deploying.  Fellow grad students will have to wait on their data, and many of my friends are now out of jobs.  And this is just for WAIS Divide.  Many projects across Antarctica were canceled outright.  

On to more pleasant things....

TUSSEY MOUNTAINBACK

I've managed to maintain somewhat of a moderate running schedule although admittedly reduced.  Two weeks ago I had another go at the Tussey mOUTaiNBACK 50 and again ran fairly well.  I was certainly not in top shape and it showed.  I ran a much slower 8:27 this year (as opposed to my 7:49 in 2011).  I managed to enjoy myself much more though, and on a tougher course.  It was a beautiful day for it, and I had fun catching up with friends and fellow runners both at the race and while volunteering at the pre-race packet pick-up.

I had quite a bit of trouble in the early miles with what i'll call "intestinal issues".  I probably lost 10-15 minutes in the race sitting on toilets.  By mile 20 though I was pretty cleared up and ran comfortably through to the finish.  I could tell my legs didn't have enough long training miles under them though as they became sore and fatigued much earlier than normal.  In the end, I was quite content with my time and the fun day at my local home-town ultra.

Mile 30-ish

For the month of November I've decided to participate in a fun RED-FAM (Run every day, for a month) challenge proposed by fellow vol-stater and barker Carl Laniak.  I'm hoping that by committing myself to running every day this month, I'll shape myself up a bit and keep myself from getting soft.  Additionally, I've tacked on a sub-challenge of not-shaving either.  So by Nov 30th, I hope to be a leaned-up, scruffy running machine!

NJ ONE DAY

My last official ultra of the season is this upcoming weekend.  I will again make a visit to Augusta NJ for a 24-hour festival.  In the exact same vain as the Three-Days event I ran back in May, the One-Day features the identical 1-mile loop around the fair grounds.  I will employ a similar setup and strategy and just try to keep moving as much as a I can without getting stupid.  I hope to get at least 100 miles, but as long as I have fun, I'll settle for whatever.

Otherwise, things are less-than-exciting lately.  Lots of data analysis for school and manuscript writing and editing.  I even had to get a root canal done on a bothersome tooth last week (something I definitely don't recommend...yuck!).

Next week I head to Denver for a quick lab session and will get some of my last samples prepared for my thesis.  Crazy to think that things are starting to wrap up.

This will be the first year I'm home for my birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas in 5 years.  All I want for a gift, other than finally spending the holidays at home....is to get into Hardrock! :-)  5th times the charm right?

2013 Pine Creek 100k, Virgil Crest 50k, and Oil Creek 100m Recaps

Lovely Virgil Crest

I thought I'd post a quick recap of three races I recently participated in.  First off, my disclaimer for these races this year would be that since finishing Leadville, I have simply not had the time to maintain a proper "ultra" fitness level.  My normal 6 day-a-week running schedule has been hampered immensely by a heavy research load, and I knew going into all three races that my times would simply not be as competitive as usual.  Still I enjoy running both new and familiar courses, and getting out for long races gives me solace during otherwise stress-filled schoolwork and writing-filled marathon sessions.  All of the recaps will be succinct,  simply-worded, and really just touch on the basics.

Pine Creek Challenge - Sep 7th - Garmin Track: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/373116982
     This was was my second year at the Pine Creek Challenge 100k, and I knew it was going to be a different experience.  Somehow last year, I managed to finish in a time of 10 hours 21 minutes, locking in my only outright win of any race to date.  I knew based on some of the competition this year, and on my aforementioned lack of training, that I would likely not repeat this.  Still I was hoping to at least try to keep my time at or under 11 hours.

Weather was much better this year and I tried my best to simply keep a moderate pace and enjoy the beautiful run.  There is essentially no climbing at all, and the entire run is on a windy bike path of crushed gravel and dirt.  It is a great place to get lost in the miles.  I had 6 episodes of NPR's "Wait wait...don't tell me" and "Car Talk" to keep me laughing while enjoying the cool late-summer air.  Within the first mile I was running a moderate 8:30-9:00 min pace and found myself in third place...and that's where I stayed all day.  No one ever passed me, and I never caught up to the top two runners.  I had the entire 62 miles to myself and it truly felt like I was out for a very long Saturday run.  Like last year, I enjoyed the wonderful geology along the creek, saw a few eagles, and took time to chat with the aid station volunteers.  By mile 45 I was considerably more tired and worn down than last year and I definitely noticed my miles were ticking by slower.  I was also walking a bit more than last year as well.  I chalked this all up to my lower fitness level.   As I neared the finish though, I was pleased that I was still able to pick up the final pace just enough to squeeze in under 11 hours and clock a time only thirty minutes slower than last year.  I finished third and never felt that I pushed myself too hard.  I was certainly more tired during the run and not in as good as shape as last year, but I had just as much fun (if not more!).  So good stuff all around.  Sadly, my standing course record was broken by Travis by 27 minutes.

Hitting the bike-path at the start of a lovely 100k run.

At mile one, I moved into 3rd place when Mark (green shirt) 

passed me....and would remain there.  Travis (white shirt up front) 

won, and Mark took 2nd.

Moving on....

Virgil Crest 50k - Sep 22nd - Garmin Track: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/379868521

     Signing up to run the Virgil Crest 50k was literally a last minute decision.  I knew I would be up in New York getting ready to fly out to San Diego for a science meeting, and I thought throwing in a "quick" 50k after spending a full week processing data would do me some good.  So I signed up on the last day I could just minutes before the registration page shut down.  What I didn't realize, was just how friggin' tough of a course Virgil Crest throws at you.  Holy cow batman, it is a very demanding race.  Add to that the fact that the area got 24hrs of rain before the start of the 50k and needless to say, the entire race was a slip-and-slide of muddy mayhem.  It was brutally difficult, had me wiping out all over the place, and I was definitely not prepared for the almost 7000 feet of elevation gain either.  The 100-miler had a ridiculous attrition rate this year with more than 70% of the runners either DNFing or dropping down to the 50-miler mid-race.   It was brutal.   BUT...the course was pretty stunning.  In better shape and more prepared, I think I would have really had fun attacking it.  Still, I did my best to enjoy the day despite the ridiculous conditions.  I ended up becoming completely exhausted by mile 25 and basically walked/slopped several of the final miles.  In the end, I crossed the finish line 8th overall (5th men), in a time of 6:24.  Truthfully, I was surprised I did even that well.  The course features several ridiculous Barkley style climbs and is definitely a worthy challenge.  There a decent chance I will be back to play on this course again in future years.  Props to the director for putting together such a killer course and race right in my relative back yard.

Starting the 50k

Coming directly down a steep ski slope (Mile 20ish)

Aid station happiness!

And finally...

Oil Creek 100m - Oct 5th - Garmin Track : http://connect.garmin.com/activity/386839824

   This past weekend I took part in my third consecutive Oil Creek 100.  This race has always been good to me, giving me thus far two sub-22 hour finishes and my current 100-mile PR.  This year I had little doubt that my time would be slower, and with a rumored high-humidity day, I pretty much surrendered any idea of a sub-22 this year from the very start.  My goal was simply to stay motivated and not succumb to any desire to drop early.  The morning temps were pleasant at the start (unlike last year's 28F), and I made sure to take the first 31-mile loop somewhat easy.  I found a nice pocket of runners to hang with and the temps were still decent enough to feel strong through those early miles.  I hit the familiar milestones along the beautiful single track and truly thought I was going to thoroughly enjoy my three loops this year.  But after starting out on my 2nd loop after a respectable 6-hour first loop, I found my drive and motivation had plummeted.  The humidity was downright asphyxiating and I just had no desire to be out there.  I could not imagine myself in any way going out for a third loop, despite the fact that I always enjoy night loops the most.  Getting through that 2nd loop was painfully difficult.  I struggled in every way.  Nausea, apathy, heel pain, soupy humidity, overall incredible exhaustion, and even chafing.  Nothing was going right and all I could think of was getting back to the start and calling it at 62 miles.  I was so damned tired...and no matter what food I forced down my throat, I simply could not get the furnace burning.  I was a sluggish mess in every way.  Even when I did get back to the bike path on my final few miles of the 2nd loop, I found I couldn't even really run them...something I have always done in the past.

When I made it in, I sat for a very long time at my supplies bin.  I put on a clean/dry shirt, ate a lot of different foods, and rested myself considerably.  After a good 30 minutes I finally decided that quitting wasn't in the cards and I grabbed my headlamp to head out on a fun night loop.  I had come to terms with the fact that it was going to a tough race to get through, and at least the sweltering day was over and I'd get some fun night running.  The third loop was definitely slow, but I found myself at peace with it and was able to have some level of eased contentment about it.  I didn't run very much, but managed quite a bit of slow shuffling.  I stopped and rewarded myself with a 5 minute sit-down break at every aid station and decided there was no point in rushing.  A sub 22 was well gone now, and I had no reason to push.  Eventually, little milestones would pass and after a very long 7+ hours in the dark, I found myself back on the bike path coming into the school at 91 miles.  All that remained was the 8+ mile mini-loop to finish.  Historically I have done this loop in about 1 hour 45 minutes and quite frankly at this point I just wanted it to be over.  I looked at my overall time and when I came into the turn around and it read 22 hours exactly.  I was quite surprised that I was still doing as well as I was and realized I could still shoot for a respectable sub-24.  There something mentally to be said about finishing a 100-miler in under a day, and knowing my previous times for the 8 mile mini-loop, I knew it was possible.  The only problem was that I was still so damn exhausted.  I figured I'd do my best, but if I came in over 24, so be it.

I shuffled out of the station slowly and hobbled my way down to the trailhead.  I made my way to the mile 3 turnoff and walked my way along the creek to the suspension bridge.  At the dreaded hill of truth, I did not attack it anywhere near the level I did last year and frankly struggled up it.  I was in rough shape, but at the top, I knew I had an easy 3 miles to the finish.  I got a little pep back in my step when I knew the end was within reach and I managed to jog the remaining 2 miles along the bike path and road back to the school.  I crossed the finish in 23:46 and was ecstatic to simply be done.  I crashed in my tent for a few hours and then drove home early in the morning nursing a sore foot.  Similar to my experience at Massanutten last year, my biggest struggle at Oil Creek this year was just maintaining a positive attitude about being out there.  It should be a no brainer when you get to play on beautiful trails in the woods for an entire day, but when the body is not doing so great, your mind systematically tries to follow suit. It takes a lot of effort to fight off that DNF urge.  I barely did.  I came frighteningly close to a willful DNF this past weekend after 62 miles....but just by giving my body some time to feel better, my mind did so too.  Sometimes that's all you need I guess.  

A side note about my Garmin.  It managed to last 23 hours 40 minutes before it finally died.  For a device that supposed to only last 20 hours, I was quite impressed with this considering I had it recording data every second, with lap alerts, AND a heart-rate monitor.  It literally powered off about a half-mile from the finish line (see track above).  

Mile ~23 on loop 1...still happy

Mile ~23 on loop 1 (still)

Mile ~44ish on loop 2.  Sooo not into it.  Quite miserable actually.

Looking ahead, I've got two more ultra events on my schedule (Tussey 50, and NJ One-Day) before essentially shutting down for the season.   Both of these are currently "maybes" however, as I somehow managed to ding up my foot pretty good at Oil Creek.  It appears I rolled an ankle and caused some not-so-lovely swelling.  Not sure I'll be in running shape in the coming weeks.  Guess we'll see how far the icing and advil get me.  At first I actually thought it may have been a stress fracture, but the swelling came down a lot and I am able to walk on it now.  It appears to be healing fast and is very reminiscent of the injury I incurred at my very first Vermont 100 back in '09 (which was soft-tissue related and healed in a about a week).

The Walls Close In

I find it increasingly hard nowadays to find those moments when my mind can wander peacefully.  I pine for the experience of the earthen trails of a thru-hike beneath my feet.  I wish desperately that I could sit and look out upon the wonder of the world around me and simply take it in...without a multitude of thesis related banter flying throughout my head.  Unfortunately those moments will have to wait...

For the past few months I have felt the looming pressure of my dissertation creeping up on me and it has come to the point when I am finally sensing the mountain of work I have before me if I am to finish when I hope to.  I have seen many around me march their way through the final year of their PhD and in every case it wasn't pretty.  Quite frankly, I know it will be unpleasant and I will struggle each day to convince myself that it is worth it.   Each time I waver in my thoughts, I think of watching Penn State's graduation last month.  I remember watching the new PhD recipients walking up to the stage being addressed "Doctor" and how much I look forward to the day when that will be me.  It keeps me going.

For now the walls are closing in and it is already becoming hard to breathe.  I knew this wouldn't be easy and now is the time to sharpen my focus and slog through it.  It will not happen on its own.

So...what does this all mean?

It means that I will be disappearing for a while.  This journal will likely be bereft of new entries for a while.  Likewise my running will necessarily have to decrease in volume.  I have a couple more ultras on the schedule to finish out this year, but the training will cut back significantly.  I will not be going back to Antarctica this Winter, and it's a good thing.  I need the time to write.  I will likely not be running any races next Spring as well, but it will all depend on how much I get done in the next few months.

I have also been splitting my time between two cities now which means a lot of driving...but it is absolutely worth it.  It just means budgeting in more time for commuting.

The running has been slowed down significantly since Leadville.  I have already come to terms with the fact that my remaining ultras this season will not be undertaken with any time goals in mind.  I am simply not trained as I was last year.  This weekend I am set to "Defend my title" at the Pine Creek Challenge 100k, but I will almost assuredly not be winning it again.  Like I said, I am simply not in peak shape.  With all this said though, it feels good to know that I was able to complete my fourth Leadville and come away with yet another buckle.

4 years of Leadville

It's easy to get worked up about the stress that's looming over me, but then I think of the wonderful positives in my life...especially those around me.  This past week I became an uncle for the first time as my sister and brother-in-law had their son.  I drove up to see my nephew and it put into perspective a lot of things.

New nephew

The group of scientists and students I've been working with for the past 6 years finally got together and published an overall "community" paper on the preliminary findings at our field site in Antarctica.  It just went to print in the journal Nature.  I'm officially listed as the 20th author of about 40, but it still means I now have a Nature paper on my CV.

The Nature paper...in print

On a side note, I wanted to relay a story I read about today.  There are few times in my life when I've read a story and been absolutely moved to the deepest core of my being; A story so inspiring that it has literally made me cry with absolute admiration and astonishment.  A story so raw, gut-wrenching, but at the same time poignant, expressive, and touching.  The story I read about was that of a thru-hiker, Andy "Astro" Lyon.  After battling cancer for years, and struggling through chemotherapy, Andy decided to forgo further treatment and spend his days thru-hiking the PCT.  Andy finished the PCT in October last year.  Last week Andy passed away.  Below is his PCT finish photo (courtesy of the PCTA).  To see that much joy in someone who was knowingly facing such incomprehensible hardship shows a level of fearlessness and passion that I will likely never know.

Andy...your story is one of true courage and an inspiration right down to the absolute core.  I only wish that we all could find a way to live our lives as passionately as you have and guided by our hearts.  May the thru-hike continue for you. Rest in peace fellow thru-hiker and friend.

Here's the PCTA article about his passing: http://www.pcta.org/2013/we-mourn-the-passing-of-andy-astro-lyon-14427/

His PCT journal can be found here: hikingthepacificcrest.wordpress.com

Well, I guess it's time to get back to work.  I look forward to the holidays at home and marking off some milestones as I trudge my way through the arduous process of getting my work on paper.

And so, as my advisor would say...

Onward!

-j