2012 HARDROCK 100: The Excitement

The excitement.

Man, I can hardly contain myself anymore. I've spent so many hours on google maps and the HR website the past few weeks, that I'm ashamed to even tell anyone.

I mean, I'm not even racing and I'm so excited I can't see straight! I've been attempting to plan out every day. I've made lists of every possible piece of equipment I could even imagine needing.

While I do have experience in the mountains, I don't have a lot of experience with "these" kinds of mountains. I know that weather can and will change in the blink of an eye, and I know that mother nature is not forgiving.

I've been assigned course sweep from Sherman to Silverton. Just around 28 miles of glorious San Juan night running... wait... I mean hiking. Since then I've been diving into different maps and studying my section as much as possible. One: because I've never run any of the HR course before, and Two: because it's going to be almost ALL at night.

The great part about my sweep is that it's possible I'll have to be 100% self reliant for fuel, etc. So this should be some great "fastpacking" practice. Since the final cut-off for Sherman is ~5:00pm and the race doesn't end till 6:00am the next morning I'm planning on at least being out there for 13-15 hours.

As I study the area and plan my first (of hopefully many) adventure to the San Juans I can't help but hope that others in the world are able to find something that they can become this excited about. Spending time in nature and covering large distances on foot brings me such joy and fulfillment.

So, I'll stop being all emotional and share some of my plans for my adventure.

Day 1: Up to Handies from Grouch and back (~10 miles)
Day 2: Grouse to Ouray (~15 miles / Mexican Food and hot springs in Ouray) Of course after watching the race start that morning.
Day 3: Island Lake/Grant Swamp (~5-8 miles) -> Sleep -> Start sweeping from Sherman around 5PM.
Day 4: Finish sweeping in Silverton around 6-8AM. (~28 miles)
Day 5: Up in the air. Either Kendall Mtn or Ouray to Krogers/Virginous and back... or nothing depending on how I feel! ;)
Day 6: Hamitite Lake Hike (~5-10 miles)

Totals: ~60-80 Miles and who knows how many thousands of feet of climbing.

Now I know that this is insanely ambitious for my first trip to the San Juans, and I'm 100% ready to alter this plan depending on how I feel and how well I acclimate. Also, keep in mind I'm probably going to be doing more hiking than running, so I'm hoping that my legs hold up pretty well. I don't want to do anything too stupid before my sweep duties.

I'm camping just outside Silverton at Molas Campground which is just around 10,500ft. I cannot wait to poke my head out of my tent every morning to see the San Juans at my disposal.

If anyone has and more recommendations on some good hikes or places to see while I'm up there let me know! My current plans definitely aren't set in stone and will probably change daily.

_Jacob_

Please enjoy the beauty I'm posting below.

(None of these photos are mine, If there's no credit, I don't know the source)

Silverton, Colorado

Ouray, Colorado

Somewhere in the San Juans

San Juans

Hematite Lake (Just outside Silverton) Photo Credit: Olga King

Summer Solstice 6HR Run Race Report

Every time I finish a race or run some fairly absurd distance I'm still in awe that I'm able to do what I do. It's almost a surprise every time I pass that marathon mark, and just keep running. I hope that I never become used to running ultra distances and that I'm always thankful of what I can do.

Last Friday night, I had another really great race. (My first being the Leona Divide 50M earlier this year) Earlier last week I wrote a blog about why I like this race. Check it out HERE.

I don't know why I felt like I had to prove something to myself, but for some reason I felt like I wasn't a "real" runner if I couldn't run 40 miles at this race. It's the most ridiculous idea ever, but I feel as of late I've become more of a long distance hiker/trail jogger, etc instead of a true runner.

I proved myself completely wrong on Friday night. Below is a comparison chart of my splits for the past three years. See the results for yourself.

I think that I've finally learned how to suffer. I've finally learned how to listen to my body. I've finally learned how to be an ultra runner. It took years of stupid mistakes, puking on the gorgeous 5 mile downhill descent towards the Jemez finish line, sitting on a log on the Highline trail, and multiple races where my nutrition just wasn't there.

My 6 hour adventure this year started just like the other two years.

We headed off onto our one mile loop at 9pm. Unlike years past, this time I ran my own pace. I let two other guys run off into the distance knowing I'd see them again if my race went the way I planned.

It took about 5 miles to warm up but finally around mile 6 I was feeling good and still running around an 8:30 pace. To make a long story short, I maintained by goal pace up until mile 27 when I took a quick pee break. Things were going perfectly. While I was definitely getting uncomfortable I was still moving extremely well.

Somewhere around miles 28-31 I experienced a "low point" of sorts. My body was all the sudden craving something other than the gels I was eating every 25 minutes and S-Caps. I was recognizing that my body was telling me something. About a mile later I realized I had an ice-cold Redbull in my drop bag. I'm not a huge advocate of energy drinks while exercising, but this Redbull HIT THE SPOT. The quick cold sugary mix brought me back within a mile or so and I was back in the game. Mile 32 was my slowest mile at 9:58. That was with around 2 minutes of walking. My first significant walk break was mile 29 I believe.

I was constantly doing math in my head trying to figure out how slow I could run and still get the 40 miles I wanted. I kept crossing the starting line thinking that mile had to be over 10 minutes, but none of them were. I was still moving.

By mile 38 I was convinced I was stopping at mile 40. This whole time I had caught one of the guys that went off the front, but one of them had lapped me at least 2-3 times.

For this reason that I wasn't really sure what place I was in, so I just kept pushing through. I knew that when that clock hits 6 hours I was done. I could suck it up for two more miles. Sure enough my last two miles were by far the fastest by over 45 seconds. I crossed the line for the 42nd time in 6:01:55 and knew I was done.

I had run 42 miles at an average mile of 8:37. It was now 3:05AM.

The RD handed out overall awards within a few minutes and I found out that I had gotten 2nd place to someone that had run 45 miles.

The funny thing about this, is that I was as happy as could be. I knew that even on my best day I wouldn't have been able to run 45 miles. I was 100% happy with my race and that was what mattered here.

I accepted my $25 gift card to Target for 2nd overall, got back in my car, and headed back to Plano, Texas with a huge grin on my face.

Next stop. Silverton, CO.

_Jacob_

New Balance MT110 Review

I'd like to review a great product from New Balance. It's the MT110, the successor of the MT100, and MT101 line. I was and still am, madly in trail running love with the MT101.

This shoe has been out for quite a while and I know testers that were already wearing this shoe almost a year ago, but I just want to put my spin on it and speak of how it's held up after some pretty rugged runs and a nice 50 miler.

Used Product for: 4 Months and 418 miles.

Weight: 7.7oz

Drop: 4mm (18mm/14mm)

Quality of Construction: 4/5
I've put this shoe through the ringer a few times and it's held up very well. I've experienced very minimal tearing or ripping in the material used for the upper unlike the MT100 and MT101s where I had pretty significant tearing. I used to have holes start to develop on the inside ball of my foot with the MT101s, but not with these. (So far) The material is much different than the MT100s or MT101s. It appears to almost be a synthetic material, not woven like older models. I think this new material is much stronger and holds up to the abuse of trail running much better.

After 420 miles

Fit: 4/5
The fit seems great. I ordered the same size I wore in the MT100 and 101, and it worked great, all except with my Injini socks. I think they're a bit thicker and require about a half size up. I kept getting black nails with the Injini socks and 110s together on long runs over 25 miles. Keep this in mind when you try these on/order them. I love the big toe box and the tongue is nice and thing which helps with the snug feel I like. I give it 4/5, due to the issue with the Injini socks.

Comfort: 4/5
In regards to comfort I had to give it a 4 outta 5. I didn't have any issues at all till I ran the Leona Divide 50M. All the sudden it started rubbing the outside of my right foot just below that bone that pokes. By the end of the race it had rubbed it raw and I couldn't wear the shoes for about 3 weeks till it finally healed up. Other than that, these shoes are totally comfortable. They have a glove like fit while still having a little protection.

On the inside of the shoe it's covered with a mesh type material that feels pretty good, but again, doesn't really hold up too well. After 400 miles I'm already having some tearing. Normally I expect around 500 miles out of some trail shoes, but then again, my expectations may be a little high. 

Durability: 3/5
Well, after 400 of some solid running I've started noticing that the outsole of the shoe is really wearing down. I don't know what material it's made of but it seems much softer than what the MT100 and 101 used. I've recently started running on my heels when doing steep downhills cause my toes were getting jammed into the toebox. I noticed after this transition and post Leona Divide 50M that the material was getting "smashed" down or compacted and was wearing pretty severely. See photos below. The rest of the shoe is very durable and I've had no issues other than the outsole.

Value: 4/5
These shoes are a nice balance between the MT00 and the MT101 prices. I'm happy to see that New Balance didn't try to go and charge $100. With how quickly ultra runners go through shoes, it's much appreciated!

Appearance: 5/5
I actually really like the appearance of these shoes. They come in two different color schemes. One is a very sleek silver metallic color:

 and the other is a black with hints of blue and orange:

I went with the black and love it. It's great that New Balance is getting away from the history of trail shoes being ugly and in neutral colors.

Performance: 5/5
At 7.7oz this shoe has performance. It's light, nimble, flexible, all while providing some descent protection for those rocky trails. It drains well and dries quickly for those fun river crossings and will fly down the mountains at break neck speed. Just hope that your legs can keep up!

The outsole has some descent lugging and has fairly good traction on all types of terrain.

Strengths:
-Light
-Good construction quality
-Great color schemes
-Fits true to size
-Comfortable with or without socks
-Fast!

Weaknesses:
-Outsole durability

Summary:
The New Balance MT110 is a great racing shoe that definitely has the durability for the long haul. Unfortunately, I can't say that it's an improvement over the MT101. I really do wish they'd continued production of the MT101 for training purposes and left the MT110 for racing. I'll definitely continue to buy the MT110, but due to the poor durability of the outsole holding up to downhill pounding, I'll limit my training in it. Of all the New Balance trail shoes I've worn I'd definitely say that this is one of the best looking shoes they've produced, so big props there. All in all, I wouldn't expect to get some massive overall mileage in this shoe, but if your form is pretty strong it's possible you could run it into the ground.

New Balance is about to release the MT1010 in August 2012, which I think will deal with the issue I'm having with the outsole durability. I'm looking forward to trying it out and comparing the differences.

Photo Credit: Irunfar.com

If you're interested in buying the shoe or seeing what New Balance has to say about it you can check it out HERE. I bought mine from Sun & Ski Sports in Frisco, Texas.

As always, I'm no shoe expert so take my reviews with a grain of salt and try these products for yourself! If you have any specific questions feel free to email me or post a comment below. Now get out there and run!

_Jacob_

Pre-Race Chat! Summer Solstice 6HR

There have been very few races in my life that have stuck with me. I can count the number of races I've done more than once on one hand. I like variety and I like trying out different courses.

A few years ago I went down and did a VERY small intimate first time race called the Summer Solstice 6HR Endurance Run. It started (back then) around 8PM and ended at 2AM. The course is a 1 mile paved loop in a nice park in southern Abilene, TX. Yes. Abilene, Texas. 

It's hot and it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. (No offense Abilenians!) Having grown up in the DFW metroplex, Abilene feels awfully small town. It's a fairly boring 3-4 hour drive from the Dallas area. 

The first time I went out in 2010 I had a pretty rough race (to say the least) and completed 36 laps. HERE's the race report from that race. I finished in 2nd place.

I came back again in 2011 for my revenge and had planned 40 miles! I again made it only 36 miles, and it was ugly. Granted at the start it was still 102-103 degrees, but I train in that and love it! HERE's the race report from 2011. I barely squeezed out 1st place, but didn't deserve it. 

Originally I didn't think I'd be able to make it back out there year, but alas, I can and am! The race is this Friday night. I cannot wait to get back out to this fun little race and give that 40 mile goal another go around. The past two years my nutrition was a complete joke, and has been totally altered and modified (for the better) since then! 

This year I shall control myself, don't use the stupid idea of miles in the bank, and stick to my nutrition plan. 

This race has a special place on my list of races. Not because of the course beauty, or the wonderful 100 degree temps, or the fun drive out to Abilene... but because it's what I think running is all about. A small, intimate group of runners doing what they love, and making the best of a rough situation. (1 mile loops on a paved loop in Abilene, TX) It really is a beautiful thing running around this little park on a 1 mile loop in the middle of the night when it's still 90 degrees and everyone else in the city is asleep. 

Even though the price has gone up from it's original fee in 2010 of only $25! I plan on sticking around as long as I can for the fun fest. 

Here's to hoping I get to write a report with 40 miles in it upon my return. 

_Jacob_

Here's a video by City and Colour titled "Comin' Home". Takes back to Ironman Arizona in April 2008. 

Fastpacking thoughts...

I love challenges. I love the idea that something may seem impossible at one point in your life, but years later it may be the norm.

My evolution through endurance sports has gone through many different phases, but one thing is for certain. Endurance sports are where I excel.

Ultra running is for me probably my favorite out of every sport I've tried. It combines everything that I'm passionate about. Trail running. Big mountains. Endurance. The concept of traveling large distances on foot, on terrain that's not paved pulls me in and intrigues me constantly.

It seems that my ultra running endeavors have naturally progressed into something called "fastpacking".

A quote I found online says, "Fastpacking takes the idea of ultralight one step further. Essentially, speed hikers seek to cover as much distance in as little time as possible, with one key factor making this possible. These hardy souls carry the bare essentials, limiting gear to sleeping bag, tarp, food, and water. Though definitions vary, most backpackers agree that fastpacking involves running rather than hiking. Most hikers using this technique wear running shoes."

I've already been experimenting with this when I go up to Arkansas and run there some weekends. When I run there a lot of the times I am forced to refill my water supply in creeks and rivers. I have to carry enough food to last me for up to 32 miles and don't have any stash points. So everything I may need for the run I have to carry with me.

I've been doing a lot of research on this subject and it seems that there is little to find in terms of unsupported fastpacking. It seems that most people agree that carrying around 10lbs and under would be considered true fastpacking. Obviously the most heavy items would be your food and water.

For me, this idea of "fastpacking" takes my desire for adventure and endurance to the next level. It asks the question of how far can you go with how little? Do you really need a hot meal? Do you really need that sleeping pad? When it comes down to it, ultra runners are great at suffering and making pretty rough situations in "ok" situations.

I plan to do a lot more research, but have had a few different ideas run through my head for awhile now.

A trail that's intrigued me for a few years is the 225 mile Ouachita Trail in Arkansas. As of right now that FKT (Fastest Known Time) is 3 days 4 hours and 34 minutes. That was fully supported. I'd really like to give this a try unsupported. I'd say that 4 full days would be a stretch at around 56 miles a day. 5 full days would be around 45 miles a day. I don't have any kind of time frame right now, but would like to give this a shot at some point.

I don't plan on cutting back on my racing by any means, but would love to be able to throw in some fastpacking when the chance comes up. Since I have some great trails within a few hours there's not much of a reason not to try this at some point.

While some people may say why in the world would you try something like that, it all comes down to why not? It's most definitely to each his own. For some people a 5K or 10K is enough. For others it's a 50K. For some it's 100.. and for others it's just challenging yourself daily.

In a way, a lot of us ultra runners are already fastpackers. Those of you that have been lucky enough to do the Grand Canyon R2R2R are in a way fastpackers. If what you're doing blows the mind of the average backpacker and ultra runner at the same time, it's probably fastpacking.

I'm really looking forward to trying some fastpacking and spending even more time discovering beautiful trails.

I'd post a few links to some fastpacking info sites, but I really couldn't find too many, so I'll leave you with this ONE if you're interested in doing some more research.

_Jacob_