I’m going to have to say (well, write) something this time.  I first saw the 26.2 sticker about a year ago.  I believe it was on the back of a station wagon or hatchback of some sort that looked like every outdoor product ever purchased from REI was displayed on the back of the windshield.  I wonder if I could get sponsored by so many companies…

I remember thinking the car sticker was a decent idea, people are proud of running a marathon.  RunningUSA statistics show that there were 467,000 marathon finishers last year.  With a US population of 304 million, that means that .0015% of the population ran a marathon last year.  So if you were one of those runners I’m impressed.  I deduct that about 1% of the population has run at least one  marathon in their lifetime.   Finishing a marathon is a great accomplishment that runners can be proud of for the rest of their life.  It makes sense to attach a permanent sticker to your car signifying this feat.

Then I started seeing the 13.1 stickers, usually appearing on SUVs next to stickers that allow access to a private neighborhood or a favorite beach area.  At first I balked at this display, the first half of a full marathon is the easy part, but then I realized that running a half is still an accomplishment to many runners.  Who am I to judge?

But now we’ve gone too far with the running stickers.  My brother saw this 3.1 sticker on the back of a car this past weekend (in a burger joint parking lot).  I think anyone that runs, sets goals, and works to accomplish them is awesome, no matter what the distance or goal is, but placing a 3.1 sticker on the back of your car is a little excessive.  I mean seriously, Elementary School kids can run a 5K.  Pretty much anyone can run a 5K.  But my real problem with this is that the sticker is permanent.  So what happens when you want to challenge yourself to run 6.2 miles or farther?  Stickers can’t be removed, that’s what they are made to do, they stick.  Why stop at your first accomplishment, keep pushing yourself, that’s what running is all about.

This is also one reason why I prefer trail races to road races, runners are more focused on finishing the race, pushing their bodies, and seeing what they are made of rather than distance and PRs (personal records).  It’s not because Trail Runners are any different than other runners, it has more to do with the fact that no two trails are exactly the same so PRs are tough to compare.  Also, distances tend to vary more than road races because geographical features keep them from being exact distances.

Either way, whether you are trail running or road running, setting goals and bragging about your accomplishments is part of the positive feedback you get from running, just don’t stick to one accomplishment.  Keep challenging yourself…and don’t put a 3.1 sticker on the back of your car.  That’s lame.  Seriously.

I started National Trail Running Day last year because I love trail running and I wanted to share my love.  So there it is, I love Trail Running and I’m not scared to admit it.  Although, it wasn’t love at first run, my love grew.  First, I was a track runner middle school, then a cross-country runner in High School, then a road runner in college, and I finally became a trail runner in my first job after college, United States Army Officer.  Every morning at 630 my unit would venture out into the forest of Ft. Bragg, NC trails.  Running is what defined many Army Officers and I was serving in the 82nd Airborne Division which prides itself on being the most fit unit in the Army.  Just to pass Airborne School you had to complete a run test that many could not conquer.  So the leaders in the 82nd were expected to be fit; and there is no greater test of physical fitness than a long run in the woods.

One of the reasons I joined the Army was that I love  the outdoors.  Running trails in the morning was my favorite time of day while serving.  The early morning dawn coming through the pine trees, everyone trudging through mud and sand; an exhilarating way to start the day.  It was a time to reflect on the task in front of you while also pushing your body to its limits.  At the time I didn’t even know trail running was becoming a sport of its own, I just knew that exercising in a natural environment made me happy.

After two deployments and over four years of service I separated from the Army to take on new challenges.  At the time of separation I had to decide where I wanted to live, which graduate school program to attend, and what type of job I wanted.  I had gone straight from college to the Army and up until this point, the Army had always told me where to live, what schools to attend, and what job to do.  I now faced some major life decisions for the first time.  I was up for the task though, I had been a Platoon Leader in Iraq conducting combat missions and making decisions effecting 30 men’s lives.  I was used to making important decisions.  However, I quickly learned that these new decisions that lay ahead of me were much different than the quick, reactive decisions I was used to making for the Platoon, now I had more time, more variables, and the decisions only effected me.  I began working on these decisions with the same fever as if I was still deployed, working 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.  I was maintaining my work-out schedule, but I was often drained and exhausted, running on fumes. (pun intended)

I continued on this pattern for 3 months straight before I finally broke down.  I stopped everything.  I had reached my decision benchmarks and now I could relax.  Slowing down forced me to think and understand everything that was happening.  I realized I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.  Was this the path I wanted to take?  I had quickly made all of my life decisions and began executing them before thinking if they were truly making me happy.  I quickly became depressed under the weight of my ignorant direction.  While in the Army I had such great responsibility, respect, and prestige for what I was doing.  All of a sudden it hit me, I was just like everyone else.  But I wasn’t like everyone else; I was a civilian with no valuable skills, specific direction, or contemplated long-term goals.  I had to reinvent myself.  Not knowing how to attack this problem I started running more.  Training gave me goals to work toward without life changing commitment.  I decided to start each day the same why I did when I was in the Army, starting with a trail run.  Eventually I decided to stop doing the job I had picked only because I had to pick an industry for my MBA applications and started doing something that I love; running and writing about running.  That is why I started SeriousRunning.com with my brother and later National Trail Running Day.

National Trail Running Day is a day to celebrate the benefits of Trail running with runners taking to the trails of varying difficulties and distances, connecting with nature and the environment, slowing down their lives and getting back to the basics.  For more experienced runners, Trail Running offers a more technical version of road running that allows runners to challenge themselves.  The fact is, everyone can enjoy Trail Running and National Trail Running Day is a great way to increase awareness of the sport.

Trail Running changed my life forever and it could do the same for you.  Take a friend trail running on August 21st, 2010 and enjoy the trails.  It’s all about happy trails.

This is a guest post by Alexis Bonari, a Serious Runner who loves using the trail running resource tool to find new local running trails.  Alexis is a freelance writer and blog junkie.  In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.  I hope you wrote this on you desktop!

It’s easy to find amazing local trails with this effective locator tool.  From the homepage , it’s the bar that reads “Find the best running trails in….” with a drop-down menu of states and other options like “District of Columbia” and “International.”  The results are extensive and include reviews with photos of the trails, so try it out to get an idea of where to run in your area.

My search for trails in North Carolina offered results that specified which cities hosted the trails, enabling me to sort out which ones were nearby in Raleigh.  True to the reviews, there were some great finds that have me coming back pretty consistently.  Check out what I found and start a local search in your state to find trails that will inspire you to keep running in the great outdoors.

Beaver Dam Trails

These trails run for about 26 miles through a dedicated state recreation area.  Thanks to the photos posted with the reviews, I knew that the rocks would pose a challenge, so I wore my serious trail shoes.  It’s not ideal for anyone with knee problems or significant foot pronation - it’s easy to trip - but for anyone who would rather run away from the beaten path, it’s a great choice.  The only other caveat is to watch out for bikes, as this seems to be mountain bike territory, but the reviews were really helpful and prepared me to keep an ear out for them.

Umstead State Park

The other suggestion for the Raleigh area was this location, which is much more friendly to runners who aren’t looking for a technical challenge.  I found it to be easy going, with wider trails and some gravel for extra stability, just as the photos indicated.  The warnings about equestrians were really helpful and recommended some more specific locations that tend to be avoided by horseback riders.  When I’m looking for a light workout, this is my new go-to sport, but the Beaver Dam location really fits my running style.

American Tobacco Trail

Friends have been recommending this trail to me and I’ve been wanting to try it, so I looked it up with the locator tool.  Thanks to the reviews, I found that this is definitely not worth the drive out to Durham.  There’s no shade and all of the photos show paved trails - it’s described as “hot, flat, and boring” and looks inferior to the other great trails recommended by the search tool.  Besides helping to find ideal place to run, this tool is useful when it comes to checking out recommendations, so be sure to take advantage of it.

See what trails are listed in your area and review the ones you’ve already run so your fellow trail runners know what they are running into!

Thanks Alexis for the guest post.  If you would like to be a guest blogger too, then just send us an email to info@seriousrunning.com titled “Guest Blogger” and what trail running topic you would like to write about.  The Internet, bringing people together.

This is the last installment from Hawaiian Shirt Ray on SeriousRunning.com.  If you like what you read, check out his blog, Hawaiian Shirt Ray - Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things:

Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp Day 3 “The Night Run”

"The Night Run" climbing out of Twin Lakes

Leadville Trail 100 Training camp Day 3 is “The Night Run.”  Camp participants have the entire day to explore all the outdoor activities that Leadville has to offer.  For me, I spent the day fly fishing and it was a good day for the fish.  The first time I attended the Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp I did not participate in the night run because I thought I knew all of the trails.  I regretted my choice the night of the race because I felt lost at night, did not know what was ahead, or how far it was to the next aid station.  For me it was mentally tough running from Twin Lakes to Treeline.  Then for last year’s Leadville Trail 100 race the course was changed and it was difficult running the new section for the same reasons.

Twin Lakes to Tree Line

The sun setting the evening of "The Night Run"

The camp participants meet late in the evening at the Leadville Trail 100 Headquarters and were bused to Twin Lakes.  By the time we started the sun was down and it was dark enough that we needed our headlamps.  Runners left Twin Lakes and climbed uphill for about an hour of hiking before the trail is even worth putting the effort into running.  The runners ran on the Colorado Trail and then turn off into Boxcar Gulch.  Technically this section is not tough, but it is nice to be able to familiarize yourself with how the trail feels running it during the night.  Runners were having a lot fun during this section and I could hear all sorts of “interesting” sounds from one group (I’ll call them the “fun Group”).  They were making me laugh with their monkey, pig, and other strange sounds they were making.  The Tree Line aid station was stocked with burritos, hot cocoa, and beer.  I can still hear the pig noises of the “fun group” coming into the aid station.  Bottom line is that the night run is just plain fun!

Next:  The Leadville Trail 100

After camp I feel that I am ready to achieve my goal of running a sub 25 hour Leadville Trail 100 race.  I also know that even if my game plan goes bad, I know that I will still cross the finish line in under 30 hours.  For me, this is what the Leadville Trail 100 Camp is all about; re-familiarize myself with the course and to mentally prepare myself to know that I will finish the race no matter what challenges lay ahead.

Photos by:  Francisco Moreno

Hawaiin Shirt Ray tells us what to expect from Day 2 of the Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp:

Leadville Trail Training Camp Day 2, the “Double Crossing”

Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp Day 2 is the “Double Crossing!”  The Double Crossing consists of running from Twin Lakes (the lowest point in the Leadville Trail 100), down the backside, then 3 miles on a dirt road to the town site of Winfield (the 50 mile turn-around point).  Then runners turn around and run back to Twin Lakes.  The total distance is only about 20 miles, but it can take 7 hours at a conservative pace to run this section of the Leadville Trail 100.  Last year during the race I was having a very hard time and it took me over 8.5 hours to complete the Double Crossing!  Be prepared to push yourself farther than you may have ever done before in your life.

Again, the runners meet for breakfast at 6:30 and receive a briefing about the days run ahead of them.  Then the runners are bused to the Twin Lakes area.  The runners have a few options for running the Double Crossing:   1) run to the top of Hope Pass and return to Twin Lakes, 2) run up to the top of Hope Pass and descend to the bottom of the back side, then run back up and over the Twin Lakes, or 3) run all the way to the town site of Winfield and return to Twin Lakes.  During the training camp there were runners that chose one of each of the three choices.  Ken Chlouber, founder of the Leadville Trail 100, made it very clear that if you are going to run over the top of Hope Pass you must be prepared to get yourself back up and over Hope Pass.

Later that evening there is a pasta dinner for all the runners followed by a Q & A presentation with the panel of experts.  This gives the runners an opportunity to get all their questions answered about how to finish the Leadville Trail 100 in less than 30 hours.  Some of the topics discussed were:  what it takes mentally, course strategy, nutrition, hydration, crews, pacers, gear, and weather conditions.

Twin Lakes to Winfield (Outbound)

The way the Leadville Trail 100 course is described is “Outbound” and “Inbound.”  When the term “outbound” is used it refers to running from the Start to Winfield.  When the term “inbound” is used it refers to running from Winfield to the Finish.

During the actual running of the Leadville Trail 100, the runners leave Twin Lakes Aid Station at mile 40, cross over highway 2, through the river and meadow to the Hope Pass Trail.  However, during training camp the runoff in the river is too fast and dangerous for the runners to cross safely so the runners are bused up the highway to Parry Peak Campground.  This actually adds a bit more distance to the actual race course, but it is the only safe alternative for getting the runners across the creek.

Dangerous Water Conditions on the River

From Parry Peak Campground the runners follow a trail that is perpendicular to the actual trail for the Leadville Trail 100 race.  The runners come to a rusty sign that says something to the effect of “no motorized vehicles past this point.”  They make a sharp right to start the climb up to the top of Hope Pass.  Now the runners are actually experiencing the true course.  The “outbound” climb is longer than the “inbound” climb, but is not as steep.  While climbing this section the runners break through tree line and get their first glimpse of Hope Pass.  One nice thing about seeing Hope Pass is that there are no false summits.  After that, the only other nice thing about running Hope Pass is being done with it.

During the actual running of the Leadville Trail 100 race there is an aid station on Hope Pass called the Hopeless Aid Station, where all the aid station supplies are brought up on llamas.  However, during the Leadville Training Camp there is no aid station on the mountain so the runners must have everything they need to cross Hope Pass.  This includes all the food, water, and clothing for any type of weather conditions.  When I cross Hope Pass in training camp it was actually snowing very lightly.

Hawaiian "Pants" Ray at the top of Hope Pass

For those runners who decided to continue down the backside of Hope Pass, there is an aid station set up at the bottom close to the road leading to Winfield.  It is important to note that this aid station is not there during the actual running of the Leadville Trail 100.  Again, for those runners who decided to continue to the town site of Winfield, they turned right after the aid station and ran three miles uphill on a dirt road to the 50 mile turn-around point.  During the race, Winfield is a full aid station with a medical check, at training camp it is only a minimal aid station.  My advice for first time runners of the Leadville Trail 100 is to run this section during training camp.  I heard a few people say, “I have run enough jeep roads that I don’t need to run 6 more miles (out and back).”  However, this section can be mentally tough if you are not familiar with it.  And the point of training camp is to familiarize runners with the course, not just to be running to put in the miles.  During the race this section can seem like an eternity to get to the Winfield Aid Station.  Those camp participants that did not run this section will have it very tough on race day.  Another thing is that runners need to know about running the section on the road during race day is that the dust is awful.  There is a lot of traffic going both directions during race day.  It is advisable to have a bandanna or dust mask to cover your nose.

More advice tomorrow as Day Two continues…tomorrow.

Hawaiian Shirt Ray brings it to us again.  Day One at Leadville Trail 100 Training camp continues…

Tree Line

From the Fish Hatchery there is a long stretch of pavement until the runners come to “Tree line.”  For many runners this is a mentally tough section.  It is slightly downhill from the Fish Hatchery until the runners turn onto Halfmoon Road.  I suggest that runners take advantage of not having to think about running and foot placement and run as much of the pavement as possible, depending on race conditions.  If there is a strong headwind then runners discretion should be used since the headwind equates to running up hill.  Again, during camp there is an aid station setup here, but on race day there is no aid station.  However, the runners are allowed to have crew access at Tree Line.  For crews there is plenty of space to park and it is very easy to see their runner coming in.

Box Car (aka Halfmoon II)

Last year the Leadville Trail 100 course changed slightly and no longer runs up Halfmoon Road through the camp ground.  The new course has the runners turn left at Tree Line and run into Box Car Gulch.  One of the benefits of the new course is that runners no longer have to deal with all the traffic and dust on Halfmoon Road.  The new section is the same distance and actually has more climbing than the old section.  Although there is more overall climbing, the runners do not have to run the punishing climb out of Halfmoon camp ground that the old course dished out.  The Box Car aid station is at mile 30 outbound and mile 70 inbound.  During camp there is an aid station setup here for the participants, but during the race runners cannot have crew assess at this aid station.

Twin Lakes

From Box Car runners return to the previous Leadville Trail 100 course which connects onto the Colorado Trail.  This is one of my favorite sections of the course; running through the pine trees and aspen.  During camp this year I was reminded just how much climbing there is through this section.  For me, I use the first time I can see Twin Lakes as a gauge that I have about 25 minutes to go and most of that is downhill.  There are sections on this stretch of downhill that are on very, very narrow singletrack with some substantial drop-offs.  The singletrack drops runners off onto a very step and rocky dirt road leading into Twin Lakes.

Once the runners are at Twin Lakes they are done for the day and treated to BBQ and beverages.  And since Coors Brewery is a sponsor of the Leadville Trail 100, there is no shortage of free beer.  Runners are invited to hang out and relax until the last shuttle bus heads back to town.  At camp they run shuttles back to town often in case runners are ready to call it a day.

Leadville 100 Training Camp Takeaways from Day 1

Day 1 of the Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp gives the participants a firsthand experience of the 26 miles of the course.  Many of the camp participants that I spoke with came away with “that was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be,” but not an intimidated or defeated attitude.  Rather, they received the experience that the Leadville Training Camp is all about; it let the runners realize how they are going to need to train and how they will need to strategize on race day.  There are a few runners at camp that ran the Leadville Trail 100 last year and did not finish.  They are at camp this year with the regret of not having participated in the training camp prior to their first attempt at running the Leadville Trail 100.  In other words, for those of you who want to run the Leadville Trail 100 for the first time I highly recommend coming to training camp to give you the tools you need to finish in less than 30 hours.

Get ready for Day Two!

Hawaiian Shirt Ray’s adventures at the Leadville Trail 100 training camp continued.  Check out Hawaiian Shirt Ray’s blog.

On day one all the runners meet at the Mining Museum in downtown Leadville for breakfast at 6:30.  This is the first opportunity for the runners to all meet and start to make new friends.  After breakfast Ken and Marilee introduce themselves as the Leadville Training Camp directors.  Ken discusses the purpose of the Leadville Training Camp as a means to become familiar with the Leadville Trail 100 course.  It is not a race and I would advise first time runners not to run it as a race.  Ken also introduces the panel of experts that will be helping during camp.  This year he also asked all previous Leadville Trail 100 finishers to stand up whereby he directed all the new runners to tap us as a resource on how to finish the Leadville Trail 100 in less than 30 hours.

May Queen

After the introductions, the runners are bused to the May Queen camp site where the runners will start the first days run to Twin Lakes.  During the race this will be the May Queen aid station, the first aid station at mile 13; while the Twin Lakes aid station will be at mile 40 during the actual race.

May Queen Campground - the start of the first training run

One of the strategies to having a good experience at camp is to try to run each day’s run as though it is race day.  This is very hard to do since all the runners have fresh legs.  For example this run starting at May Queen, the runners will have already had 13 miles in their legs on race day and at camp they are fresh.  Right out of the May Queen aid station there is a small incline that most runners at camp run.  Trust me, on race day they runner will be walking up this hill.  I use this hill as a great spot to refuel before running the next section.

From May Queen the runner run up to Hagerman Road which is a dirt road with a gradual incline; first time Leadville Trail 100 runners are recommended to walk this section.  Again, for a 30 hour finish there is no reason to run this section.  During camp there is a small aid station on the very first hairpin turn.  Runners should be aware that this aid station will not be there during the actual race.

Turquoise Lake from Hagerman Road

Hagerman Road leads up to the top of Sugarloaf Pass and descends the “power lines.”  This is the first long downhill stretch and it can take about 45 minutes to run down.  (Hint, so coming back at mile 80-ish, guess how long it is going to take to get back up).  Once the runners are down the power lines they come to a paved road and head to the Fish Hatchery aid station.

Fish Hatchery

During the Leadville Trail 100 this is the second aid station for the runners.  during camp the aid station set-up right off the road, but during the race the runners will have to take a right-hand turn and run up to the Fish Hatchery.  It is maybe about .2 miles up the road, but during the race if you are not expecting to have to run up to the Fish Hatchery it can seem like a very long distance.

Stay tuned for the rest of Day 1 of the Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp!

Descending Sugarloaf Pass - aka "The Powerlines"

This is a guest post by Hawwaiian Shirt Ray who has a great blog where he shares his experiences to inspire others to do extraordinary things.  His mantra is, “You Gotta Keep Moving.”

Leadville Training Camp is three days of trail running on the course for the Leadville Trail 100 Ultra Trail Race.  The camp is designed to give runners all the tools they will need to start and finish the Leadville Trail 100 in less than 30 hours.  The camp directors truly do not want to see any runner fail in their attempt to finish the Leadville Trail 100; that is why they have the training camp.  There is a panel of experts that volunteer their time to help answer all of your questions.  The panel is made up of runners that have done the Leadville Trail 100 multiple times; most of them have ten or more finishes under their belts.  That is over 1,000 miles of running the Leadville Trail 100 race, so they really know what it takes to get to the finish in less than 30 hours.  The panels of runners are out on the trail with the camp participants running and are interspersed in the front, middle, and back of the pack.  They are there to answer the runners questions about the course or any other question that they might have on how to finish the Leadville Trail 100.

Who should attend the Leadville Trail 1oo Camp?

The camp is designed to give first time Leadville Trail 100 runners the tools to finish the race in less than 30 hours, and for veterans of the course, it reinforces the strategies to complete the race.  This is my third time at training camp and I have returned yet again to gauge how my training is coming along, and also to remind myself of the course.  The first time I came to the Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp I didn’t know what to expect during my first attempt at running a 100 mile ultra trail race, let alone running the Leadville Trail 100.  During my three days at camp I learned what it was going to take to cross the finish line in under 30 hours and I also left with the feeling that “I can do it!”

Camaraderie and New Friends

Another thing that I really like about camp is the camaraderie of all the attendants.  There are a wide range of runners some that have completed the race before, runners that never have run a 100 mile ultra trail run, and runners that have never even run a 50 mile ultra trail run.  My experience has been that all of the runners want to help each other finish the race.  It is a great way to make new friends, learn their stories, and then see them at the race.

The first two days of camp everyone meets for breakfast at 6:30 am and this is the first opportunity to start meeting the runners that you will be running with during camp.  Each year I have made new friends and it is fun to see them at other ultra trail races and to see them on race day at the Leadville Trail 100.  Then at the end of each days’ run it is fun to hangout and share each other’s stores from the trail.

Three Days of Running on the Leadville Trail 100 Course

The three days of trail running consists of two daytime trail runs and one nighttime trail run.  The goal of those runs is to familiarize the runners with the course.  Day 1 run consists of the “Double Crossing.”  The runners start at Twin Lakes, run over Hope Pass at 12,600 feet to Winfield and return to Twin Lakes; about 20 miles.  The evening of Day 2 there is a dinner and Q&A session with the panel of experts after the dinner.  This is a great opportunity for the runners to get all of their questions answered about the race how to finish the race in less than 30 hours.  Day 3 is the night run which starts at Twin Lakes and goes to Tree Line.  The first year I attended the camp I did not go on the night run because I thought I knew all the trails so well that it would not be of any help.  Wow, was I wrong.  During the race I had no idea what was ahead, where I was, and how much longer I had until the next aid station.  I highly recommend any runner attending the Leadville Trail Training Camp to participate in the night run.

For the next three days I will discuss each day of training camp in detail.

Mike Ehredt remembers when he was in the Army during the 1980s.  Now he’s a retired postal worker, going postal and murdering some serious miles!  Mike is running across the United States, from Astoria, Oregon to Maine, 4514 miles in remembrance of those who have lost their lives defending our country.  Project America Run.

Mike isn’t taking this task lightly, he knows what it takes to put on the miles.  He has competed in two Eco Challenges (Borneo and Fiji), finished New Zealand’s famed Southern Traverse and in 2004 finished Primal Quest in California.  He’s not just an adventure racer though, he’s a trail and mountain runner too.  In 2006 he completed a 250 mile Trans-Himalayan run in Nepal.  Twice he has finished in the top 150 at Marathon des Sables - a six day race across the Sahara.  In 2008 he became 1 of only 34 people to ever finish the Rocky Mountain Slam which consists of Brighorn, Hardrock, Wasatch, and the Bear 100 mile races.  He’s fast too, with a 33:54 10K, a 2:52 marathon, and a 7:24 50 miles.

He runs about 30 miles a day for Project America Run.  He says, “I never wanted this to be a political statement, I just want to honor and remember  them.  It’s just out of a sense of honor and duty, to say think you to those who served in Iraq.”  He runs solo, soaking in his surroundings and thinking about why he is running.  He places a small American flag with a yellow ribbon around it in the ground every mile he runs.  Handwritten on the ribbon is the name of a fallen soldier to be remembered.  He becomes oblivious to the fact that he is running, heightening his senses and awareness (probably gets a runner’s high) as he thinks of the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

As a combat veteran of the Iraq war myself, I truly appreciate Mike’s focus and determination.  We are all support you Mike.  A truly great American.  Consider contributing to his great cause at http://projectamericarun.com/Donate5.htm.  Happy 4th of July!

“I keep running and when I get to a place I can’t run anymore, I turn around and run home.”

I read this quote in a running magazine a while back and thought it was really neat.  The quote comes from a trail runner explaining how, and probably more importantly, why he ran down a steep rock cliff that all the other runners stopped and walked down.  This quote symbolizes why I love to go serious and extreme  Trail Running.  It’s a freelance, exhilarating activity where you get whatever you put into it.  If you want to walk down the cliff, you can, but if you want to challenge yourself and heighten your senses, then you run down it.  It’s up to you. Challenge yourself.

Another important challenge behind this quote is not the decision the Trail Runner made to run down the cliff, but the decision to just simply run until he can’t run anymore.  How many of us have run until complete exhaustion where our bodies could not physically run anymore?  I want to challenge myself to do that more often (probably not on a remote trail though).  I truly don’t know what I could be capable of achieving in running until I run to complete exhaustion.

Bottom line, I’m sure the quoted trail runner didn’t stand at the top of the cliff and think, “Should I run down this?”  He just did it.  Hansel from the movie “Zoolander” said it best, “I just grip it and rip it, that’s just how I live my life bro.”  Grip it and Rip it on your next trail run.

Most trail runners have experienced it, some run just to attain it, while others have no idea what a “Runner’s High” is.  If you are a trail runner and have never experienced a Runner’s High then you need to run faster, push your body harder, and attain the point where you lose conscientiousness of what your body is feeling.

A Runner’s High can be described as an elevation of the senses while running, typically long distances and in a natural environment.  It is difficult for trail runners to describe the exact feeling (much like drug users) they get from a Runner’s High, but many equate it to the feeling of an orgasm.  Another good reason to go trail running.

Technically, a Runner’s High is associated with the release of endorphins in the brain.  Endorphins are any group of opiate proteins with pain-relieving properties that are found naturally in the brain.  The word endorphins comes from two parts: endo- and -orphin; which are short forms of the words endogenous and morphine, intended to mean “a morphine like substance originating from within the body.”  Knowing that human cells have receptors for this drug suggests that the body produces its own morphine like substances which it is believed can be released into the body by running long distances and gives trail runners the feeling of a Runner’s High.

While it is difficult to quantify exactly what feeling different trail runners get from this release of endorphins, it is agreed that there is a definite mood change.  The difference in Runners’ Highs can be a positive or negative one with differing levels of intensity.  Maybe that is why many trail runners become so Serious about Running, because they are the type of runners that get this intense positive feedback from running.

Whatever the science is and however your brain reacts to trail running, one thing is certain, there is a typical emotional feeling derived from trail running.  Everyone records their feelings differently but there is always a point during a trail run that your body changes.  So go out for a long trail run, and push to attain a close connection between your mind and body.  Let your mind take over while your feet are still moving, one in front of the other, and you are only aware of one thing…yourself.  Trail running is a free self-awareness seminar!

So say no to drugs and help keep the kids stay off the streets.  Get them running on the trails instead and let’s get hiiiiiiiigh together….on Trail Running.

Hydration and energy are essential for successful Trails Runs, but is yours being sabotaged by sports drinks?

Sports drinks were originally developed by scientists at the University of Florida in 1965 to help the school’s football players perform better during their 3-hour long games in 100-degree heat. Sound like your Trail Runs? Didn’t think so. Most of us have trail runs that last from 1 to 1 ½ hours at a moderate pace. The American Dietetic Association explains that unless you are an elite athlete or engaged in vigorous activity for more than 1 hour, plain water works perfectly for hydration.

There are two main components of sports drinks that aid in performance and hydration: carbohydrates and sodium. The carbohydrates come in the form of sugar to sweeten the drink and to add calories for energy. The sodium works to replace the sodium lost in sweat. However, neither of the components are necessary in drinks used for thirst and hydration for moderate runs that last less than 1 hour. In fact, drinking sports drinks when they are not necessary can add extra calories to your diet. The usual size 20-ounce bottle of a sports drink has an average of 140 calories, which means that you will have to run an extra 15 minutes just to burn it off!

Instead of drinking regular sports drinks, here are some healthy options:

- Flavor regular water with lemon, lime or orange slices

- Use lower calorie versions of sports drinks such as Gatorade G2 (71 calories per 20-ounce bottle), Propel Fitness Water (25 calories per 20-ounce bottle) or Powerade Zero (0 calories per 20-ounce bottle)

- Dilute your favorite sports drink with regular water

I know what you are thinking. “But I always drink Gatorade during races. It makes me feel better.” And you are right! There are instances when you do need to replace needed calories and energy during or after trail runs. I know that when I am training for half marathons, I tend to get leg cramps at night. What does that say to me? I am losing too much potassium through my sweat and need to replace it better. Ways to do that are through potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, oranges, or sports drinks! Consequently, I usually end my long runs with a large glass of Propel, berry flavor to be exact. The 45 minutes directly after your run is the best time to replenish the body’s losses.

Essentially, think of your body as a night club. As the night goes on, more and more cabs line up to take people home. Just like as your muscles work, they need to be replaced by what they lose, so transporters in your body line up to bring those lost elements from your bloodstream to your muscles and tissues. After the night club closes, people linger for awhile, so the cabs stick around for another 45 minutes or so to assure that everybody is brought home safely. Similarly, in your body, those transporters stick around for about 45 minutes to bring every needed mineral and nutrient available to replenish the muscles and tissues, which help to prevent soreness and cramping.

Moral of the story: Sports drinks work magnificently to replace your body’s losses if you are trail running for longer than 1 1/2 hours, hit that wall during a trail race when you feel your energy bottoms out, or are in need of extra calories and electrolytes. Otherwise, water is your best bet. It will quench your thirst without adding excess calories that you just worked so hard to burn off.

Happy Trail Running and Hydration!

-Lanier Thompson, M.S.

These past two weekends I ran two trail races and during both of them at one point I found myself without any other runners around me.  Once this happened I began to second guess if I was on the right trail.  We all want reassurance from our peers that we are traveling down the right path.  Of course, there were arrows on the ground and tape cutting the trail splits on these trail runs, but when you are running, pushing yourself, and in the zone, you tend to just keep running on the path right in front of you.  The path of least resistance.  However, sometimes it’s best to run down the trail less traveled…

So let’s say you go for a trail run, by yourself, to get out of the city, to be in the forest, and maybe get some clarity.  While attaining your runner’s high, you zone out of your immediate surroundings and suddenly find yourself lost.  You are running by yourself, you don’t have a GPS, or a map but have a general idea of which Cardinal direction you need to travel to find your way back.

What should you do?  Try to survive and wait to be rescued?  Possibly, but if you are trail running, you probably aren’t that far off your intended location.

1.  Walk downhill until you reach water. There are two reasons why you want to find water.  First off, you want to make sure as you aren’t running around in circles which can very easily happen.  Following a water way ensures you go one direction and make progress.  Secondly, population centers are usually on or near waterways, so if you follow one long enough you will reach civilization.  If not, you’ll eventually reach the beach.  Once there, reward yourself with an umbrella drink and a rub down.  You deserve it.

2.  Look at the Moss on the sides of trees. Moss often grows on the North side of the trees.  Based off this you can determine which cardinal direction you want to travel.  Left of North is West.  Right of North is East.  South of North is…well, South.

3.  Find the North Star. If it is night time and you are in the Northern Hemisphere you can find the North Star as the brightest star on the handle of the Little Dipper.  Just think about the big tent in Elementary school with the stars displayed on the ceiling.  The North Star and Little Dipper are probably the easiest stars to recognize.  Unlike B-list celebrities, which are often difficult to recognize.

4.  Look up to the clouds. You can look to the sky to pray; while you are looking up there, notice which way the clouds are traveling.  Clouds usually travel East to West.  They don’t follow the exact Cardinal directions but it can point you in the right direction.

5.  Watch the sunset and sunrise. While you’re lost, take time to appreciate the simple things in life like the sunrise and sunset.  The sun rises in the East and sets in the West.  Only “ride off into the sunset” if you want to travel West.

Overall, make sure you don’t panic and think rationally.  If you have no idea which direction you should travel then your best option is to just stay put and make yourself visible for possible rescue teams.  Things like bright clothing, fires, and being on a high point are great ways to get yourself noticed.  Being obnoxious and loud is a horrible way to get noticed.  If you have confidence and a calm demeanor you’ll get noticed every time, on and off the trail.

To give us Trail Runners a little tax day relief XTERRA is offering $15 race registrations tomorrow, April 15th!  Finally someone is recognizing the positive benefits of Trail Running and giving us tax breaks.  When is the federal government going to get on board with XTERRA and Trail Running?  Hopefully someday we’ll get enough Justices on the Supreme Court to pass tax breaks for Trail Runners.  Until that happens, register for one of these trail races, tomorrow, April 15th for only $15!  What a break!

Register for one or more of these upcoming XTERRA Trail Race events for just $15 each:

XTERRA Lake Las Vegas 5/10/21km Runs - Henderson, NV - April 24, 2010

XTERRA Waco 5/10/21km Trail Runs - Waco, TX - May 22, 2010

XTERRA Oak Mountain 5/10/21km Mud Runs - Pelham, AL - June 12, 2010

XTERRA Richmond 21km Xduro and Fugitive 10km Trail Run - Richmond, VA - June 19, 2010

XTERRA Bend 5/10km Trail Runs - Bend, OR - September 18, 2010

XTERRA Wheeler Canyon 21km Xduro Trail Run - Ogden, UT - September 18, 2010

XTERRA Makena Beach 5/10km Trail Runs - Makena, Maui, HI - October 23, 2010

XTERRA Kualoa 5/10km Trail Runs - Oahu, HI - December 5, 2010

Thanks XTERRA, you are truly great Americans.  Wait, isn’t XTERRA made by Nissan…

When I can’t run on trails I like to run races that mirror urban trail running.  Last weekend I got a chance to participate in a unique race: running to the top of 191 Peachtree, a 50-story office building in downtown Atlanta. I was sorta bummed the race wouldn’t be happening in the Bank of America building as it had in years past since BofA is the tallest in Atlanta (and 8th tallest in the US) but at 770 feet, 191 Peachtree ain’t no slouch (it’s the 4th tallest in the ATL and 57th tallest in the US). The race was held as a benefit for the American Lung Association and each racer is required to raise at least $100 in donations on top of the $25 entry fee.

At around 9am on Saturday morning the racers lined up on the street outside of the building and I chatted a few folks up to see what my strategy should be. Everyone I spoke to laughed when I asked if they ran the whole way - most of them planned to walk. One guy I spoke with said he walked the whole thing last year in a time of around 12 minutes which didn’t sound too bad. Heck, I could do almost anything for 12 minutes!

I hadn’t done any training for the race but I still thought it should be possible to jog up at least the first few floors. A couple years ago I used to include stadium step running in my training routine and I was actually sorta good at it. But running stadium steps is a little different than running up 50 flights of stairs - at least you get a break when you descend the aisles.

At the race, runners were sent up the stairs in 10 second intervals to avoid a massive traffic jam. The event was chip timed with mats at the bottom and top of the course. I decided to start off at a decent clip, taking 2 steps at a time and I immediately started passing runners who started before me. Before I knew it I blew past the first water stop (seriously) on the 8th floor. Next thing I knew, I was still jogging at the halfway mark, 25 floors. My strategy was to run up the stairs and walk across the transition landings which helped because I was starting to get dizzy from running around in circles.

By the time I hit the second water stop at the 38th floor I was starting to feel pretty spent and around 40 I have to admit I walked 2 or 3 floors. With one final push to the top, I ran up the remaining levels and entered the 50th floor to a cheering crowd lining the hallway. Gatorade and sweeping views of the Atlanta skyline awaited and after cooling down for a few minutes I took the elevator back down to earth.

I didn’t time myself during the run so I waited around for the results and was surprised at how well I did: 7 mins, 30 secs (9 sec per floor) which earned me third place overall out of about 200 runners. As my brother Chris said, it seems like I may have found my race. With a little training I’ll be back next year, ready to take first!

Weak, wimpy, treadmill running pansies who don’t want mud on their shorts can stop reading now.  Trail Running lovers who enjoy being scratched, muddied, and bruised, stay here because we have the Trail Race for you, Dances with Dirt Gnaw Bone Trail Race on May 15th!  Expect to get to the edge where life is in full color.  Expect a day that makes you realize you are fully alive, awake and crackin’ on all cylinders.  Expect insanity, stupidity, and nirvana (or those things at higher than your normal levels)! 

Dances with Dirt is a series of four ultra/marathons/relay trail running events that will test your mettle no matter what age or fitness level you are.

The second race of the Dances with Dirt series, Gnaw Bone takes place in Nashville, Indiana on May 15th.  No matter what distance pushes you to the limit, they have it for you with a 50 mile, 50K, marathon, half-marathon, and 50 mile relay.  You can start the 50 mile ultra at 5:30 AM but you better bring a headlamp because you will be running in the dark.  Is there a better sunrise than one you see at mile 4 of a 50 mile run?  If you don’t own a headlamp there will be another start at 6:15 AM for the 50 mile race.  The 50K and marathon start at 7:00 AM with the half-marathon bringing up the rear starting at 9:00 AM.

From comments and suggestions, Dances with Dirt races have polished this gem of a race course to make it more exciting, fun, and challenging.  The race surface consists of mud, rocks, and river crossings.  The trail is not maintained in certain areas but is well marked with signs that say “Wrong Way Moron.”  Is it the right way if you are not a moron?  I don’t know, but I wouldn’t recommend trying it.  You won’t get swept down any river rapids.  There are some hills but supplemental oxygen isn’t needed.  Overall it is a great run in a beautiful environment…with some stupid spots.  Perfect for runners of all abilities looking for a fun challenge!  Check out the course map if you don’t value the element of surprise.  After the race, celebrate your accomplishment and stick around to pig out with your fellow extreme runners eating a couple of roasted pigs, pizza, and beer (cash bar)!

You don’t have to take my word for it though.  See what the Head Goat Randy Step has to say about this spectacularly good time event.  Yes, he knows he looks like Maury Povich.

Richard Burgunder recently published a great article about the rise in popularity of Trail Running named, “Trail Running:  Racing Towards the top in Popularity.”  In it he states that Trail Running is, “…considered the sixth most popular extreme sport s in the USA, only behind skating, skateboarding, paintball, climbing, and snowboarding.”  I’m not sure what type of skating this refers to, I assume roller skating, which I don’t consider very extreme.  Skateboarding and snowboarding are both board sports enjoyed by a different type of extreme athlete than the Trail Runner and Mountain Biker types and paintball is more of a game so I don’t consider it a sport.  Which leaves Trail Running as the 2nd most popular extreme sport behind rock climbing!  He goes on to say that in 2006 there were 6.7 million regular Trail Runners in the United States and at the current pace Trail Running will soon become the most popular extreme sport in the United States.

That is why we started National Trail Running Day last year with over 5,000 trail runners participating in events across the United States.  Plan an event, register it on the website and mark your calender for August 21st to do some serious Trail Running this year.  When we started National Trail Running Day some avid Trail Runners didn’t like the idea, citing the purity of the sport, being alone running on the trails and exploring paths on their own.  While we understand, we at SeriousRunning.com don’t agree; we think everyone should trail run, the more the merrier.  There are enough trails out there for all of us!  Share and review your favorite trails on our Trail Running listings and help your fellow Trail Runners get the most out of this awesome extreme sport.  We hope that the rise in popularity will lead to better Trail Running information, new gear to help make Trail Running more enjoyable, and an overall better social experience.

So why has Trail Running become so popular?  Well, first off, recently there has been a Running Boom Across America which we determined was due to the poor economy and translates well into the boom of Trail Running.  Many runners get tired of running the same routes and surfaces of road running and have ventured out to the trails for a new experience.  The transition from road running to trail running is simple, using many of the same techniques as running on roads.  Another reason is that Trail Running is easy to access; all you need is a trail.  While many trails have restrictions on mountain biking or horseback riding, virtually no trails exclude runners from running on them.  Even if trails do have restrictions on running then just walk fast if come across another hiker.

So what are you waiting for?  Get off the road and go Trail Running!

I first became injured on May 19th of last year with Jumper’s Knee.  Over the past year I have been nursing this injury, never fully recovering.  I have undergone countless physical therapy sessions, MRIs, multiple X-rays, a plethora of doctors’ touching my knees, different types of knee braces, and everything else you can think of to subside this injury to no avail.  What was left for me to try?  Minimalist Running shoes.

I received a pair of New Balances’ MT100s Trail Running Shoes and thought this must be a sign to take the first step…running.  The New Balance MT 100s (WT 100s for women) are New Balances’ new version of the New Balance 790s.  Since I had never tried minimalist running before I decided to try the New Balance 100s as my minimalist shoe because they offer more support than something like Vibram Five Fingers and are tough enough for the trail, which is where I run mostly.  I started with a little street running in these trail running shoes, only to get to the trail.  My philosophy is you can’t drive to the trailhead if you are within running distance.

When I first started I ran down a hill in front of my house and could really feel the pounding on my feet.  This probably had a lot to do with the fact that I had never run in minimalist shoes, and these were made for trails, not asphalt; and not to mention I was running down a steep hill.  However, if you are looking for cushioning and comfort then these are not the shoes for you.  If you want a fast ride and to feel the trail but still have some protection, the MT100s could be your new trail running shoes!

The heel of the shoe is made up of cut outs for rear traction.  This really helped when I was running over some sandy and rocky terrain as I was able to push off better.  The midsole tread looks like someone took an ice cream scooper and scooped out pieces of the sole.  My guess is that this is to reduce the weight of the shoe, as well as increase flexibility and breathability.  You won’t be getting any dirt, mud, or rocks caught in these cylinder shaped holes.  The front tread is made up of some smaller ice cream scoops but mostly squares around triangles which lend for good traction while still giving you ample feeling of the trail.

The Rockstop embedded into the forefoot provides decent protection from sharp rocks and roots.  The puncture-resistant toe material in the toe wrap also helps provide some lightweight protection from trail debris, but I would be careful out there, it isn’t built like your normal trail running shoes.

The midsole resists compression sets which allows it to bend, feeling more like running barefoot.  However, there is some cushioning in this sole.  I didn’t have any aches or pains in my feet after taking these bad boys on a 6 mile trail run.  There is a little arch support from the rubber that wraps around the sole which helps if you are not used to running in minimalist trail running shoes.

The upper is a synthetic mesh which is really lightweight.  The mesh works great for water drain.  I ran through a couple of creeks and felt like the shoes were completely dry after only 4 or 5 steps!  The mesh also gives a tight fit to your feet.  Helping is the Sure Lace technology that New Balance is using on a lot of their shoes now.  It definitely keeps your shoe laces from loosening or coming undone on the trail.  The tongue is really small too which adds to the lightweight and snug fit that the New Balance MT100 trail running shoes give you.

Overall, great trail running shoe if you are looking for a minimalist trail running shoe or maybe even a trail running shoe with a lot of performance on a trail race.  Now if they would just release with some more rad colors so I don’t have to buy 3 pairs in the same color.

Legend has it that people who complete Dances with Dirt gain superpowers.  I’m still trying to figure out exactly what my super power is, but I’ve narrowed it down to the following possibilities:

1.  Able to scale sequoia sized tree trunks in a single bound

2.  Able to slide straight down a hill (while trying to run up it) without losing all my fingernails

3.  Able to smile at the end of a 4-mile leg that turned into a 6-mile leg when my actual legs felt like they weighed about 20 pounds  apiece

This is a mere sampling of the challenges I experienced while running a Dances with Dirt trail race.  Dances with Dirt (DWD) is many things to many runners.  It is a 50 mile trail relay event (5 runners), a 50K or 50 mile ultra event (for the truly masochistic runner), and a half-marathon and full marathon event (though not at all a typical race at these distances).

I was asked to be the fifth runner on an all-female team planning to dress for the occasion in a Princess Barbie theme.  Yep, there is a team theme and costume contest thrown into the relay, which should be your first clue that this is no ordinary event.  The winners of the “Creative Team and Vehicle Award” earn a free entry into the next year’s event.

I’m not a “girlie” girl by any means, nor were any of the women I was racing with, so it was an interesting choice, but I rolled with it and happily ran in my sparkly tiara and pink Barbie sunglasses while carrying a blonde “runner” Barbie (our team baton) over the challenging race course.

The inaugural DWD, in 1997, hosted 22 teams in Hell, Michigan.  Each year for the past five years, 400 teams have hit the trails.  The event sells out within minutes, which is one of the reasons DWD expanded into venues including Indiana, Wisconsin, and Florida over the past couple of years.  Another reason is that event organizer and promoter Randy Step believes that the race calendar can use a few more relay events and he has so much fun creating the DWD course that he’s more than happy to take his show on the road.  The next event is at Devil’s Lake in Bambaroo, Wisconsin on July 10th.  Hurry and register now before prices go up in 6 days!  Devil’s Head Resort will again play host to the Devil’s Lake trail race.  This is going to be another epic Dances with Dirt trail race for sure!  Check out the race course if you dare.  Click on the link on that page for a full description of each of the legs on the relay.

Although every distance is equally challenging and fun, the relay aspect of the race is truly a blast.  Once runners begin the race, the rest of the teams take their maps and pile into their official DWD vehicle (1 per team please) to head for the first transition point.  Each team transitions at the same spot, but obviously at different times, so each transition area is kind of like a floating tailgate party with people constantly coming and going.  Some folks are very serious about running DWD (why shouldn’t they be, this is SeriousRunning.com) and take off at high speed in hopes of competing for first place overall or a top place in their category.  Others pack coolers of beer and treat it like an afternoon jogging in the woods with friends.  The rest of us are somewhere in between those extremes, hoping to run a decent time overall, but interested in having fun along the way.

I recommend packing two extra pairs of shoes, a change of clothes and a cooler full of food and drink to last about 8 hours.  Experienced teams scout the course beforehand and figure out which legs of the race are best suited for each team member.  Legs average 4.5 miles and each runner is required to run 3.

DWD was definitely one of the most memorable running experiences I’ve ever had.  The organizers clearly love what they do, the participants love to do it, the course is out of the world beautiful, sometimes ridiculously hard, but always lots of fun.  All of this makes for a great combination of competition, community, craziness, and classic moments.  As a result, my DWD “Survivor” medal will remain a tremendous source of pride for years to come.

Let’s face it, sometimes running the same old routes day after day can be pretty boring. Or if you’re like me, many days it’s hard to get motivated to run unless you’re training for a big race.  It’s days like these that I put on a running skirt and everything changes.

I love running in a skirt, especially my Gym Girl Ultra skirt by Skirt Sports, mostly because it’s so comfortable! Form-fitting shorts, or “shorties,” made of semi-compression mesh fabric, are attached beneath the lightweight jersey skirt. The mesh shorties help you stay cool and dry on long or short runs.  And unlike some running shorts that can creep up, the shorties in the Gym Girl Ultra stay put while the skirt is free flowing with side slits to allow a full range of movement. Plus, the shorties have small pockets on both legs that are perfect for carrying your ipod shuffle, keys, cash, or energy gel.

Not only is the Gym Girl Ultra comfortable and functional, its seriously stylish. The Endless Summer pattern has pink, teal, and white swirls and tendrils which are a perfect representation of the free flowing spirit I feel when wearing it. The skirt covers about 3-4″ of the top of my thighs and completely covers my backside so I can still look great while grabbing a bite or knocking out a few errands after a workout. Why hide under baggy sweats or skimpy track shorts when I can wear running clothes that not only flatter my legs and butt, but also show a hint of my real personality.  To be honest, I’ve been tempted to just put this skirt on a Saturday morning to wear around town.  The Gym Girl Ultra is a multi-tasker and low maintenance, too.  I wear the skirt at least once a week and toss it in the laundry on normal wash cycle and it stays bright and colorful.

The Gym Girl Ultra is definitely my favorite piece of running attire for its high performance design and super stylish fit. I know I can count on this running skirt to make me look and feel good. Whether running a 5k or marathon, having a positive mental attitude is just as important as being physically prepared. I’ve found it’s easy to get that extra boost of confidence to go just a little farther or push just a little harder by simply wearing a skirt!

Thanks a bunch to the folks at Skirt Sports for sending this fantastic skirt and a special thanks for inventing the running skirt!

Running on National Trails can be some serious trail running.  National Trails often offer running trails that are less traveled, which lends them to be more technical and secluded.  The Appalachian Trail is a great example of a fun run where you can find some great remote running trails.  With 2,175 miles of trail running along the Appalachian mountains you could spend a good part of a year trying to run this whole trail, even in segments.  If you are a little more extreme, you could try Fast Packing to cover more ground over a longer period, being able to sustain yourself with a small pack of supplies, but distance limits are usually around 600 miles for fast packing.  So do it in two fast packing trips.  Too late, it looks like it’s going to take more than two trips to cover the entire Appalachian Trail because of a new expansion effort to Europe underway.

In 1994 the Appalachian Trail, whose Southern point starts in Northern Georgia, was expanded from it’s Northern end in Maine to the edge of Canada’s Maritime Province to form the International Appalachian Trail.  Well, the IAT is going to grow even farther now, across the Atlantic to Western Europe where the Appalachian mountain chain’s other half goes into Morocco.  A few hundred million years ago the continental plates of Europe and North America collided, then broke up and drifted to their current locations.  The new IAT will brush the East Coast of Greenland before picking up in Ireland and Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.  It will resume on mainland of Norway and proceed South through France, Portugal, nip Western Spain, and end in Morocco.  Now that’s an extreme Trail Run!  Travelers will have to take a ferry or train to pick up the route across coasts, or you can just try running on water.  Although I’m sure someone will run the entire length of the trail someday, this length of running trail is way too much Trail Runners to swallow; however, the new segments in Europe look to be very exciting!  Trail Running trip across Europe anyone?

The Outdoor Foundation recently published a new report on the state of the Trail Running industry where they found that 4.8 million Americans Trail Ran last year.  We wrote about the growth of trail running a couple of weeks ago, those numbers were based off of Richard Burgunder article which was taken from a 2006 survey.  Well, it’s 2010 so here are the 2009 numbers.

4.8 million Americans considered themselves Trail Runners last year.  In addition, 4.8 million Americans considered themselves pretty awesome.  Weird.  They went on 153.7 million Trail Running outings.  That’s 31.8 days of Trail Running per person.  I know it isn’t always easy to get to the trails, but come on Trail Runners, only one month a year of Trail Running?

13.1% of the respondents said they went Trail Running for the first time in 2009.  That’s a great growth rate!  They said that friends were the most influential reason they started Trail Running.  Take a friend Trail Running on National Trail Running Day August 21st, 2010 to increase those numbers!

Donna Williams, Montrail Sales Manager says, “We are seeing a new breed of runner on the trail as well. One that is youthful and driven towards achieving success in their outdoor pursuits. That is exciting for our industry.”  Thanks Donna, we couldn’t agree with you more.  We think that one of the most beneficial aspects of the growth of Trail Running is the industry is now developing gear and events that cater to our growing population of enthusiasts!  Hooray for Trail Running!

When I ran cross-country in High School the best runner on the team was always a soccer player.  I went to High School in the South where soccer season is a Fall sport, just like cross-country, so most soccer players never even tried running cross-country.  Even with this barrier, our best runner was always a former soccer player which got me thinking, ‘Why are soccer players such great runners?’  One of which, Ian Dickinson, ran cross-country for the first time his sophomore year and then won the State Championship his junior and senior seasons!  He went on to run in college at the University of Georgia and has had a lot of success in running.

So was it soccer that made Ian so fast?  A study done in 1970 tracked one soccer player during a game and showed he ran for a total of 8,800 meters, or 5.5 miles.  They observed the player moving at five different speeds:  walking, jogging, cruising, sprinting, and backing.  2/3 of the distances covered were at low intensities and 800 meters was at fast speed utilizing 10-40 meter bursts.  Today it is thought that soccer players run about 10,000 meters a game, or 6.2 miles.  Midfielders were found to run the most, central strikers and defenders the least…and the goalie.  With training runs of 10 miles or more for cross-country running, their soccer games can’t be the reason for their superior running ability.

An aerobic base for core stamina is important for soccer players to posses.  They should be able to run 10-15 kilometers straight to be in decent soccer playing shape.  Some soccer players run fartleks (sprinting, jogging, then repeat) to condition for the constant burst of speed required for soccer, but that may not necessarily be the best training plan for them.  Stamina is the key to being a successful soccer player.  Stamina is what is needed to continue to burst for 90 minutes straight, and the burst themselves are not as important.

Perhaps that is why soccer players are good cross-country runners, because they need to have stamina to compete.  The soccer players that transitioned to my cross-country team did not make the soccer team, so they became cross-country runners.  Perhaps they were staying competitive in soccer because of their superior stamina and not necissarily their soccer skills.  Whatever the reason, they were happy they made the transistion and enjoyed a lot of success in cross-country.  Hopefully more states will host soccer in the spring so these players can test their stamina skills in cross-country, leading to more dominate Trail Runners later.

Then the US would dominate the world in Trail Running like we do in Soccer!  Go USA Soccer in the World Cup!  It might be a long tournament, but we’ve got stamina on our side!

Hawaiian Shirt Ray continues on Day 2 of the Leadville Trail 100 training camp:

Winfield to Twin Lakes (Inbound)

Leaving Winfield during the race is a great feeling knowing that distance-wise (not time-wise) you are halfway done and now returning to Leadville.  It feels like progress is being made.  For the most part, this section is downhill to the base of the Hope Pass Trailhead.  Now the real fun starts because the climb inbound over Hope Pass is a grind all the way up to the tree line.  During training camp there are a few “runable” sections, but during the actual race I have never been able to “run” them.  So, during training camp I tried my best to simulate my race day pace and I walked the entire section of the inbound climb to the top of Hope Pass.

Once cresting over the top and running past where the Hopeless Aid Station will be, runners should be cautious through this section because it always seems to be wet and sloppy all year long.  I suggest that runners take their time through this short section before running down Hope Pass.  After that section it is runable all the way down to the bottom.  However, during training camp the runners do not run all the way to the bottom, rather they return on the trail groing back to the Parry Peak Campground.  Again, the point at where the actual race course continues down is at the rusty sign.  I say this again to let the runners at the training camp know that during race day it will be different and they will need to realize that they must keep running downhill and not turn as they did in training camp.

Talking with Fellow Ledville Training Camp Runners

I spoke with many fist time ultra 100 runners and veterans of other 100 mile ultra trail runs and the general consensus of the Double Crossing was “that was a lot harder than I imagined it was going to be.”  The training camp is a great opportunity to test where you are at in your training and what you areas that you will need to work on.  One runner I spoke to is putting in about 90 miles per week and realized that she needs to change his training to include power hiking.  Another runner mentioned that she realized that she needed to incorporate a lot more downhill running into her training program otherwise her quads will be “blown-out” early into the race.  Although I will not be running this weekend I will be taking Simon (my pup) into the high country around Leadville and climbing some 14,000 foot peaks (aka 14ers) just to get my power hiking muscles in shape and to get used to the altitude of Leadville.

Dinner and the Q&A with the Panel of Experts

For me the Q&A session during my first Leadville Trail 100 Trianing Camp theree years ago was the most important part.  Although getting familiar with the course was very important, I left the the Q&A session with the feeling that “I CAN DO THIS!”  It lifted the veil to so many unknowns on what to expect on race day.

Founder and President Ken Chlouber and Race Director Merilee Mauqin

One of the best parts for me was when the panel discussed how to get from aid staiton to aid station outbound and inbound.  They shared their experiences of their highs and lows, and what to expect during each section.  They also mentally prepare you to dig deep.  They give you the encouragement that when you are physically spent and mentally finished that you should go to the well one more time to see if there is anything left.  Beacuse, if you look deep inside yourself you will find that there is still something there.  Do NOT QUIT!  As Ken Chlouber says, “You are better than you think you are, and can do more than you think you can.”