Here’s a race report from Kevin Russell, one of the 74-mile particpants in the recent SRT race, which takes place along the Shawangunk Ridge Trail. Kevin’s lively story features field-expedient shoe repair, a porcupine, bushwhacking, and rock scrambles. Thanks for sharing, Kevin!
The 2nd edition of the SRT Run/Hike took place along the Shawangunk Ridge Trail (SRT) in New York’s Hudson Valley commencing Friday, September 18 at 6:35 PM and ending Saturday September 19, 2015 at 11:30 PM. The event attracted participants from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Missouri, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and California. 82 racers started out in four divisions ranging from 20 to 74 miles, ready to experience the beauty, ruggedness, and diversity of the Shawangunk Mountains. 73 made it to the finish line for an overall completion rate of 89%. A new record of 22 hours 2 minutes was set for the full 74-mile SRT. There were no reported injuries.
For the organizers, the event started many months ago. For 2015 we changed the format, increasing the number of divisions from three to four and holding them all on the same day. We also moved the last five miles of the course off paved roads and onto an unmaintained trail in the Mohonk Preserve. We spent the months leading up to the event obtaining six different permits, developing detailed safety plans, recruiting volunteers, and hoping people would sign up for an event that provides adventure but not support.
I didn’t feel quite right warming up, and by mile 35, I was really struggling.
But as I pulled into Lockport, New York, I didn’t know this was going to happen. I was here to take on Beast of Burden, a 100-mile race held along a section of the Erie Canal a few miles east of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The event is held twice per year, and in January, I had finished in 19 hours 23 minutes, setting a personal record for the distance and placing third overall. Now here it was in August, a time of year that could be hot and humid, but the forecast was calling for temperatures in the 70s with a light cloud cover. In other words, perfect conditions. I was in an optimistic state of mind and looking to run the race even faster than before.
Continue reading “Race Report: I’ll never be your Beast of Burden”
(Please note, the format for the 2017 event is different from the 2015 event as reported here)
What was remarkable: for all the challenges of racing through the mountains unsupported, there was a 95% completion rate. That speaks volumes about the runners’ skills and attitude.
Ellenville Mountain Running Festival was conceived as an event that would introduce runners to some of the most beautiful but less-used sections of Minnewaska State Park Preserve and Sam’s Point Preserve, which together comprise the largest preserved parcel in New York’s Shawangunk Mountains.
Continue reading “Ellenville Mountain Running Festival — Race Director’s Report”
As I turned a corner in the road and caught sight of the ski slope, my spirits sank. This was not going to be easy.
Running with the Devil is a timed race that takes place on a 3-mile loop at the Mountain Creek Ski Resort in New Jersey. Each loop takes you up 1,100 feet to the top of a ski slope, and then back down again. The average grade is 14%, but in some sections it approaches 30%. The goal is to do as many loops as you can within a 12-hour time-limit.
I had been looking forward to this race for many reasons, including not only the challenge of battling the mountain and the joy of being outdoors on a summer day, but also because my sixteen-year old son had been reading up on philosophy and had asked me recently, what did I think about free will? I replied that surely anyone who would run up and down a mountain for twelve hours is exercising free will — why else would they do that?
Nutritionists commonly advise runners to eat a diet high in carbohydrates. For example, the website Cool Running advises runners to consume 60% of calories from carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are stored in the muscles as glycogen, the primary fuel you need to keep you moving. When this efficient source of energy wears out, so do you. You hit the wall and can go no further (often after about 90 minutes or two hours of running).
— Cool Running
“Hitting the wall” is a common challenge in marathons. I remember how my legs would turn to wood after 15-16 miles and my mood would darken as well, as both muscles and brain were struggling with a diminished supply of energy.
Continue reading “Pemmican: A High-fat Fuel Source for Ultra-long Distance Running”
As I drove through the predawn darkness to the start of Manitou’s Revenge, my thoughts drifted and I wondered, could I win this race?
The idea was patently absurd: when it comes to technical trail running, I’ve historically finished in the middle of the pack. But I’ve been getting faster in recent years, even finishing in 3rd place at a 100-mile race earlier this year. Further, Manitou’s Revenge is not a large event. There would be fewer than 100 starters, and for all I knew, the best trail runners might not show up, or they might trip and fall on the rocky paths and drop out. In which case, victory might go to the tortoise, not the hare.
Whether it’s a 5k or a half-marathon, I love to race, which means I’m always looking for ways to run faster. So it was with great interest that I read a copy of Ultimate Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley. To be sure, this book was not written specifically for runners. Rather, it was written for high performance and race car drivers. But no matter what the sport, you’d think speed would depend on the same principles, or at least similar ones.
What is the secret to becoming a winning race car driver? According to Ross Bentley, the secret is to drive consistently “at the limit.” This means fully utilizing the traction of the tires. Or put differently, driving as fast as possible just short of losing control.
He traveling with me needs the best blood, thews, endurance
— Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road
As someone who loves to explore forest trails, I nonetheless spend a fair amount of time at the local track. I’m always trying to run a little bit faster, and I love to make progress.
One of my favorite track workouts is called the Yasso 800. It consists of ten 800-meter (or 1/2 mile) intervals, with 400-meter (1/4 mile) jogs for recovery in between. The name was coined by Runners World editor Amby Burfoot in an 1994 article after he heard his colleague Bart Yasso claim that the drill would predict his marathon time. It’s simple, Bart explained: the average time for the 800-meter intervals in minutes and seconds would predict his marathon time in hours and minutes. For example, an average interval time of 2 minutes 50 seconds would correspond to a marathon finishing time of 2 hours and 50 minutes. The relationship could be thrown off by heat, wind, or hills, but the intervals had proven a reliable indicator, at least in Bart’s own experience.
Continue reading “Running Yasso 800’s on a Bright Blue Track”
Rock The Ridge is a 50-mile race with a 24-hour time limit, which makes it possible for a wide range of people to participate, from elite trail runners to walkers and hikers.
No matter who you are, there’s something special about covering 50 miles, especially when you’re running in the Shawangunk mountains.
But don’t take my word for it. Here are some of the participants’ experiences in their own words:
Joe Alfano
I enlisted a group of family and friends to do the 2014 relay division with me, and it was an amazing experience. As soon as I finished, I was ready to sign up for 2015. As I thought about it, I told myself that I might as well do the whole thing and thought, “to hell with it! I’m doing 50 miles!”
I was so excited at the start that I ended up going too fast on the first leg, which was a big mistake, and I definitely paid for it around mile 22. That was where I hit the wall, and questioned whether or not I could finish.
I came into the Lyons Road aid station pretty exhausted, and was considering stopping. Then I saw my friends and all the volunteers. I decided to take a 15 minute break and ate some food, including a baked potato, which I am convinced saved my life!
About a mile out, I started up the “big hill,” and that’s when something amazing happened – I started feeling great and pushed through the mental and physical wall. Once I reached the top, I had a revelation – I was going to finish this damn thing! My months of training and hard work were going to pay off.
I never dreamed that I would do something like this.
Walt Disney was a dreamer and visionary who had that “can do” spirit. It was only fitting that I wore my Mickey Mouse t-shirt during the race. Mickey Mouse is a state of mind. It’s about staying positive in the face of challenge, keeping your eye on the goal, and pushing through when the going gets tough and not giving up. And that was Rock the Ridge for me.
Michelle Delucca
I learned…DON’T EVER DOUBT YOURSELF
David Shepler
Kimberly Alexander
What did this mean? EVERYTHING! I can do absolutely anything I set my heart and mind to!
Mike and Lisa Kristofik
At mile 26.2 we celebrated my daughter’s first marathon, at mile fifty, her first ultra. She had never ran more than a half marathon in an event or more than 22 as a training run..
Insanity is a prerequisite it seems, or is it?
Dan Rosenthal
I have a congenital heart defect called a bicuspid aortic valve. The valve has always had a mild amount of leakage. Three years ago. I was informed that my valve had led to a slight aneurysm and the valve now has a mild amount of narrowing (stenosis). I spent a year feeling scared and depressed. I finally dealt with my condition during a solo swim on a cloudy day in Lake Awosting. I decided to do everything I could to fight this disease I have been born with and prevent or delay the day when I will need surgery both through diet and exercise.
I truly feel at home when I’m exercising in the woods surrounded by nature.
The course was special, passing some places I’ve really enjoyed in the past like Sky Top, Castle Point, and Lake Awosting. I also enjoyed seeing some new places like Awosting Falls and seeing climbers above on the Trapps.
I battled leg cramps and knee pain twice, and I could no longer run after about mile 38. I’m proudest that I stretched out and managed to run the last 5 miles to the finish. I was also pleased to experience a faster recovery from this race than after my first marathon.
My doc says the aneurysm in my ascending aorta has stabilized. He told me to come back in a year instead of every 6 months. I am lucky because many others with my condition have faced serious side effects and/ or surgery at a much younger age than me, because I have no symptoms, and I have no restrictions on endurance events.
Reaching my goals has helped me to be happier, healthier, and have more confidence in other areas of my life.
Lisa Mackey
I’m turning 50 next month and it seemed only natural to walk a “50 @ 50.” I signed up for Rock The Ridge to challenge myself…
My experience was really good. It was a hard thing to accomplish because of the distance, and the biggest discomfort I had was due to blisters (the blisters were more annoying than anything else).
This event made me realize how strong I actually am
After walking 50 miles, my perspective of what’s difficult has changed. This event marked a milestone for me mentally and physically. There was never a question in my mind if I was going to complete the course: I was concerned about the condition I would be in when I crossed the finish line.
I fared pretty well, and now I know “what I’m made of.”
Turns out, I’m pretty hardy!
Jim Bixler
Crossing that finish line was an incredible experience that I don’t expect to ever forget.
Steve Greenstein
I half heard something on the radio about “Rock the Ridge” while I was driving. When I got home I checked it out. It seemed like something I might be able to complete; on the other hand it was not something I was sure I could do. I liked that uncertainty. So I started to train, adding more and more time onto the treadmill each week and setting the incline to as high as it went.
My goal was to fully walk it, at about 3MPH, but mostly just to finish within the time allowed. I completed it a bit slower (19:15 instead of my goal of 17:00 hours), but I did finish. As best I can tell I was nearly the oldest person to do the full 50 Miles (I am 64)
The most meaningful thing to me was my coming to understand that while I wanted to quit, often, I never “had” to quit. I always asked myself if I really had to stop and I never did – I only needed to keep putting one foot in front of the next (and not trip).
I plan to remember that distinction between “have to” and “would like to” when I feel like quitting at something.
Evelyn Johansen
Rock The Ridge was something I felt drawn to do since I heard about it the first year. It took me several years to get up the nerve to actually do it. ( I am turning 60 in a few weeks so this year was like now or never.)
I had a great time during the event the event interacting with the other participants and the volunteers. I hike every Wednesday with the Bob Babb Wednesday walkers and some of the people from that group were volunteering at Spring Farm. It was great to see them and get some encouragement from them.
I tried to anticipate problems that I might encounter along the way, but two things that I didn’t foresee were getting blisters on top of my toes, and having no appetite at all which made it difficult to keep up my energy. I started fading fast around mile 25.
Even though I didn’t complete the entire 50 miles I have a sense of accomplishment for going for 35 miles. Some of my friends want me to be a poster child for baby boomer fitness. I am hoping to participate next year as part of a relay team.
Sara Fitzgerald
I signed up because I was at a time in my life when I needed to go on a journey.
I went into myself and came out 11 some odd hours later a different person. I needed a little metamorphosis and sometimes pushing myself like that is what brings it about. Prior to this the farthest I had gone was 30 miles. This opened a lot of personal doors for me.
During the event…amid IT band agony, smiling faces, boiled potatoes, and incredible views, I realized why I love to run, I got over a horrendous breakup, and decided the direction I want to go with my career…better than any therapist!
What it means to me? It means I can do anything I set my mind too
Three years ago I smoked a pack a day and could barely run a half mile. Now, I can say I completed an Ultra. It changed everything.
The Long Brown Path 