Real Trail Running - Possum Glory 50K Race Report

September 10, 2016

The  3 Amigos - Al, Donny & Mike

Have you ever met a group of folks who you immediately knew were good people? That's the feeling I got the day I walked into The Tri County ATV Center to pick up my bib number for the Possum Glory 50K. While I had communicated with Mike Weaver, Donny Bowers and Al Lockard online, meeting them face to face was something special. A "hey let's go for a run" or "hey let's go get a beer" (or both) kind of special. Along with Al's Wife Candi, this friendly group made up the race director corps for this first annual event. (I unfortunately didn't get a chance to speak with Candi) While this was the first year for this race, these guys aren't rookies. Not only do they all have ultra finishes under their belts, they were the team behind the now defunct Punxsutawney Ground Hog 50K. I never got to run the Ground Hog before a property ownership change put it out of business so I registered to see what this first annual 50K had to offer (there were 25K and 10K events on the day's agenda as well).

I've used the term grassroots when describing another ultra I ran this year. This race was the next step from that and I'd have to label it simply as "real". The race was sponsored by Team Red White and Blue and from the moment I arrived at the ATV center, I knew that this event would have zero pretense. This would be "real" trail running. First, let me tell you a little about this Tri-County ATV place. The club was started 16 years ago and offers ATV enthusiasts a place to ride their machines legally. Most of the vehicles I saw were not your everyday ATV, these things looked souped up and capable of climbing a wall covered with mud. I was thankful they listed their coordinates on their web site as I was skeptical about finding the place using a "street" address. Yes, it was in the middle of nowhere. With that said, I couldn't get over how much I felt at home.

I arrived and there was a food auction taking place in the main building, so not to stroll through the auction crowd I walked around the building to find Al Lockard on a four wheeler. I knew I was in the right place.

In the back door and I quickly ran into Mike Weaver and Donny Bowers who made a bit of a to-do about the fact that I had been the first person to register for their new event. Yes, I was given bib #1 and they even gave me an additional t-shirt for being first. The race already was giving two t-shirts, so I walked away with a haul of three. The auction looked interesting, attended by a wide variety of folks from the countryside. I was tempted to stay and maybe bid on a case of Slim Jims, but I needed to go find supper so I headed back to Ebensburg where I had found a hotel room.

Pre-race early Morning At The ATV Center

The Possum Glory Mascot

Having visited Friday in the daylight certainly made the drive back to the ATV Center in the morning easier. After three stops for Deer in the road and a stop to give a fellow runner directions, I was soon drinking coffee and waiting for someone to say "Go!". The race directors buzzed about while radios crackled and volunteers loaded up aid station supplies. The food auction was gone and now the Possum Glory Endurance Runs had center stage. After some brief announcements we strolled up to the start finish and with little fanfare, Mike said go and rang a cowbell.

The course opened with a gradual climb away from the ATV center. It seemed like a nice way to get warmed up as I watched a few others ascend away from me. One runner in particular had separated from the bunch and when I arrived at the top I found a half dozen runners standing and wondering which way to go. Donny Bowers was there on the phone making it clear that the race markings had fallen down over night. He soon told us to turn left. By now we were all a bunch, less one who had seemingly disappeared into the forest going the wrong way. We made the left and toddled down a considerable downhill section only to be stopped at the bottom by caution tape blocking the trail. We could hear Donny yelling for Joe (the runner who had continued) and we yelled to him that we were stuck. In short order we were turned around and headed back up the hill. The left turn we were to take came after entering the woods, Joe had gone the right way. A couple folks bitched and they were quickly told to chill out as this was trail running. Back at the top, Donny was there and terribly apologetic for the mix up. I high fived him and told him it was an awesome start. I looked at my watch and estimated that the wrong turn had added about a 1/4 mile and for me had set the theme of the day.

The terrain that we would deal with all day was soon evident. These trails were built for rock crawling ATV's and not for running. If you run on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, these trails looked a lot the same, but maybe rockier. If we weren't picking our way through rocks, we were splashing through deep standing puddles. I decided early that fording the tiny ponds was better than trying to skirt them as they were surrounded by extremely slippery mud. The only other feature besides rocks and water was the hills. My watch recorded 5,000' of elevation gain which isn't a crazy amount, but it was the form of the hills that mattered. A few of them were like running up sliding boards and it seemed like they were at times one right after another.

During the race announcements an apology was given because it was advertised that there would be no loops. It turned out that maybe the ATV trails didn't exactly provide enough to host a 50K so we did end up retracing our steps in a couple of places. A short loop (about 1.5 miles) and a long loop (about 5 miles). Both included brutal climbs and I noticed something interesting, on both of the loops the second time through felt noticeably easier. On the first lap of each of those loops my brain knew I'd have to endure these climbs again. On the second laps I knew I was done. Each loop started with an aid station, which was cool and the volunteers kept track of your laps as well. I have to mention that both aid stations had watermelon, which is my favorite aid station food at summertime ultras.

I got through this course as fast as I could. I realized early on that it would be a day of grinding it out, certainly nothing pretty. I just had to keep finding ways to get through the rocks and up the hills. I also added a slight extra challenge by going off course a couple more times. I came to an intersection with signs that read "Outgoing" and "Incoming" with arrows. Because I didn't know the course I didn't know which I was. Was I "Incoming" or was I "Outgoing"?  I made the logical turn and began a muddy climb. There were "Two Way Traffic" signs on the climb and soon I second guessed myself, turned around and headed back down the hill. I got back to those signs that were mocking my ignorance and stood there a second until I said "F it" and turned around and went back up the hill. If it was the wrong turn, I'd probably find out soon enough. My other directional gaff was on the first lap of the short loop. I was on top of a hill feeling good and running along daydreaming. I was kind of in the zone and I did notice orange markings on two trees, but it didn't even register and I ran between them. After a short while of seeing no more orange markings, I finally woke up from my little trance and turned around. Now I was starting to wonder about making that 8 hour cutoff for the finish.

The long loop had a power line climb that was exposed to the sun. Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that it was hot as hell too. The husband and wife duo at the aid station at the start/finish of that loop were great. They refilled my hydration bladder and stuffed me with watermelon. As much as I enjoyed them, I was stoked to not have to visit them a third time. As I exited that area headed for home, Al Lockard was there at a water stop and he had an obvious sense of urgency about him. He hustled me out of there telling me I had only 55 minutes to make the 3pm cutoff. He said I had about 3.5 mile to go, easy right? Well, it was 3.5 more miles of climbing in the heat and it opened with another uphill stretch exposed to the sun. Eventually I found my way through those last hills and I figured out where to turn for the finish. I must've been a pathetic sight running for all I was worth down that last hill trying to beat the cutoff.

Donny Bowers yelled "yes" when I asked if I was making it, but I didn't let up. I was worked, but I made it and a really nice guy standing there at the finish asked what I wanted to drink. He mentioned various things, but I only heard beer and he quickly produced an ice cold can of Busch Light. Best damned Busch Light ever...actually it was only the second one I'd ever had, the other was at the Mayor's House (a backpacker hostel along the AT in Unionville, NY) This being a Team RW&B event, the beer guy asked if I had run for someone. I said, "no". Realizing what I said, I quickly changed my answer and told them about my Dad; Marine Corps WWII Veteran who had just passed away in July. Donny kindly assured me that I had made my Dad proud and he hung a finisher's dog tag around my neck.

Donny asked me what I thought of the course and I told him this was my fifth 50K this year and hands down the toughest. The relentless rocky and muddy terrain and the short steep hills just one after another made for a thorough ass kicking. I ran it in preparation for the Oil Creek 100 and I believe it went as planned. Another oven-like day filled with stumbling up and down hills powered by ClifBar. A bonk on this course would've been disastrous and ClifBar Shot Energy Gels, Bloks Energy Chews and Organic Energy Food fueled me through to the finish.

Afterwards, the ATV Center was buzzing with volunteers, runners and ATV folks who were preparing for some upcoming event. There was acoustic music by Kevin Dale while food was served, washed down by some lovely craft beer by Levity Brewing from nearby Indiana Pennsylvania. Yes I went from Busch Light to a yummy IPA and a tasty Saison (if you're ever in Indiana, Levity Brewing is a must visit for sure). This was the first year for The Possum Glory and they definitely made their stamp on Pennsylvania trail running. Need a September 50K? An Oil Creek practice run? Go get your butt kicked at the Tri-County ATV Center. Good people and tough trails.

Justa' Pooch Hangin' At The ATV Center

On The Road To Recovery - MD H.E.A.T. Race Report

August 27, 2016

Not even a month ago the waters rose so fast that without warning the tragedy now known as the Ellicott City Flood ripped through the historic Main Street destroying properties, tossing cars, and mounding up silt. The truly tragic result of the raging Patapsco River was the loss of two lives. Two people out enjoying a nice evening with loved ones. It's reported that the waters came as if a dam had burst, many were able to narrowly escape the surprise attack, but two were not and their lives were taken.

Janice and I needed to eat dinner and we attempted to eat in Ellicott City, but it was impossible. We were turned away by police. Main Street was still blocked and the one restaurant we did see was packed. Hopefully no seats at The Judges Bench is a sign that the city is making strides toward recovery. The Ellicott Mills Brewery was having a fund raiser and that's where we were trying to go. Thankfully I read on Facebook that the brewery fund raiser was a success.

I found this info online:

•Donations for merchants and residents: www.HelpEllicottCity.com
•More information can be found at https://www.howardcountymd.gov/https://www.howardcountymd.gov/

This old backstop near the start/finish tells the tale.

Those leaves stuck to the chain link show the high water mark.

Flood debris was all around.

That same Patapsco River formed the spine of the body that was the MD HEAT Race course. The race wandered the network of trails lacing up, around and across the Patapsco Valley State Park near Elk Ridge Maryland. I met Nick Yeates, the race director, 5 years ago at The Megatransect and we ran into each other again at The Tussey Mountainback 50 miler just three weeks later. Nick was a huge fan of the Megatransect and his hope was to create his own version near his home in Maryland. This was the 5th running of the MD HEAT Race. The course is a 16ish mile loop, twice for the 50K runners and one lap for the 25K crew. Terrain of all kinds to include a slippery boulder scramble through a stream and one climb that was kinda' nuts (I wonder if anyone was able to run it). There were three aid stations out on the loop and for the 50K, the start/finish was also an aid station. (Aid Station #1 wasn't in place for the 50K, so the first 8 miles you were self-supported...no biggy)

I had the luxury of having Janice with me as crew for this run. Due to parking restrictions at the park, runners and others were asked to park remotely at a nearby Park & Ride and use a shuttle bus to and from the race. Janice and I decided that dropping me off at the start and her meeting me at Aid Station #2 was our best plan of attack. It was a good plan until we found out how far into the park the start line was and we were greeted by a Ranger blocking the gate. He was quite nice though and he let us pass when I assured him that I was being dropped off and Janice would be on her way.

The start area was buzzing as the first shuttle bus had just dropped off a load of 50Kers. Volunteers were setting up as Nick and his Dad circulated ensuring everything was in place (with the awesome hats they were wearing, they were easy to pick spot - sorry I don't have photos to share)  I stashed a drop bag at the pavilion as we'd pass through there to start lap 2. Janice sat in the Jeep toiling over maps. Trying to make sense of a map of the park compared to the map of the race course. We weren't real sure where the aid stations were and if they were even accessible by car, so as Nick said "Ready, Set, Go!" I was just hoping I'd see Janice somewhere around the course. I really wasn't concerned, she's a pro at this crewing thing, I'm no longer amazed when I see her pop up in the remotest of spots. Besides, if she couldn't  find me, cell signal was good here so I'm sure she would've just practiced her Pokémon hunting skills playing Pokémon Go.

Through this tunnel the first climb awaits.

The race rolls out through some easy park grounds and on a park road before making an abrupt right turn through a cool little tunnel and into the forest. The short stretch on the road was funny (for me), I had a guy running right on my heels breathing forcibly...kinda' like an old locomotive. I moved to the other side of the road and he matched my steps and stayed right behind me breathing like a Heifer next in line at the slaughter house. Annoyed, I stepped off the road into the weeds and stopped. It was fun to watch the twisted look on his face go by, seemingly wondering what I was doing. Not sure what that was all about...maybe he thought he was drafting...I just have to laugh at some people's running habits.

Hills came early and often, but the majority of the trail was runnable and shaded. The trail does pop out onto power line clearings where the sun was brutal, especially as the day went on. Numerous stream crossings became welcome allies as I was carrying an old bandanna and dipping it in the cold water and squeezing it over my head became the day's air conditioning. It did get hot, I believe we ventured into the 90's and the humidity wasn't far behind.

The trail dumped us out onto this paved path for a

short distance till we reached the Swinging Bridge Aid Station.

Crossing the swinging bridge.

Dirt + Sweat = Mud

In my last few trail events, I've been doing a fine job of finding things to trip over and this day was no different. I heard someone approaching fast behind me on single track. I looked over my shoulder to see if they needed to pass and in no time I was tripping and rolling on the forest floor. That was around mile 7 so when Janice met me at the swinging bridge/the 8 mile aid station, I was covered in dirt adhered by sweat. She was quick to tell me I stunk more than normal leaving me wondering what it was I actually rolled in. The road to that aid station was actually closed and Janice whispered to me that she had "sweet talked" her way past the road block and drove in. Janice got me quickly back on the trail, climbing the hill behind the aid station.

The swinging bridge through the trees.

For me, the swinging bridge leading to the aid station was a highlight of the course. The Orange Grove Flour Mill operated along the Patapsco River from 1856 until it was destroyed by fire and effectively put out of business in 1905. The factory was then crushed by Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972 (I'm old enough to remember it's rage when it passed through my hometown of Harrisburg). Today the one cool remnant remaining is a swinging bridge over the river very near where the factory operated. The factory workers' homes were on the opposite side of the river and the original bridge was constructed by the company to make it easier for them to get to work. The current restored bridge was constructed by the Maryland DNR in 2006. It's certainly worth seeing and crossing. It's a suspension bridge with a wooden plank deck hanging from thick steel cables and couplings. Janice met me on the factory side and we bounced across to the aid station together.

The second half of the loop seemed to have less climbing and around mile 13 there was another aid station staffed by colorful volunteers. Their theme was from the movie Cast Away complete with inflated Palm Trees and Tom Hanks' buddy Wilson keeping watch on the goings on. Janice met me there as well, she said it was an easy park and walk into the forest. I swapped out my hydration bladder and had some yummy frozen Mango concoction at the aid station and I was on my way again.

Just a cool tunnel.

My nutrition had been going quite well until now, fueling with ClifBar Gels and ShotBloks and washing them down with Tailwind, but at this point I made a huge mistake. The bladder Janice gave me was right out of our cooler and the Tailwind in it was ice cold. It was now pretty hot and I was like an addict, I couldn't get enough of this ice cold drug. About 3 1/2 miles later I was at the start finish where I had stashed 2 frozen bottles of Tailwind. By now they were cold liquid and I chugged one, downed a ClifBar Organic Energy Food pack and a Mama Chia Squeeze and stashed the other bottle in my vest and started lap two. Janice wasn't there and I soon saw why, the road to the pavilion was now blocked and only those with reservations were allowed entry. The course pops out of the woods into a small parking lot and I saw our orange Jeep and Janice was there reading the map, what else? I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I decided to finish that second bottle and threw it in the Jeep. That's about 40 ounces of Tailwind I drank in just a matter of minutes. It was hot and it felt good, but now my stomach felt like a fish bowl and I couldn't make myself run. The discomfort from the bloat was immense and I ended up walking much of the next mile or more. I started OD'ing on cold liquid around mile 13 and I was a wreck until about mile 18 or so. Aid Station 1 (mile 20ish) was in place for our second visit and I actually felt like I could actually run again. I drank far more than my body could process, I didn't drive myself to Hypernatremia, but that stupid rookie mistake took a major chunk out of the middle of the my run.

Applause for the "Trail Banditos" - excellent course markings!

Didn't go off course once.

The second lap was a quiet adventure as I found myself leap frogging with a young guy and gal for much of the remaining mileage, but the trail otherwise seemed empty.(I learned later that 21 of the 50K starters decided to call it a day after the first hot hilly lap.)

My second visit to the Swinging Bridge Aid Station,

that injured runner shuttle wasn't there for me.

Janice met me again at the aid station at the swinging bridge and this time she had figured out the trails and had walked. I gobbled another ClifBar Organic Energy Food pack and a Mama Chia Squeeze as an injured runner was picked up by the Race Director. Janice and I agreed that she should go to the finish area as I'd be ok with the ClifBar food and Tailwind I was carrying and the support from the Cast Away Aid Station at mile 30. The Cast Away crew did me a solid and refilled my bladder enough to get me to the finish and it felt good to know the day in the heat was over as I crossed the line (It didn't hurt that the "coolest" volunteer of all was there waiting with a freeze pop).

I've forgotten to mention "The Wall". No, not the Pink Floyd album, but an actual stone wall that stood between you and the finish line. With a bout a tenth of a mile to go the course settled right in close to the river and I haven't learned why it's there, but there's this ancient stone wall that seemed between 10 and 12 feet high. It runs perpendicular to the river from a rock outcrop so my guess is that it was built to manage rising waters. Yes, runners were expected to get over it. On the first lap I crossed it with two other runners who told me it was much easier this year due to the river silt mounded up by the flooding. That fact didn't make it any easier getting down the other side, especially on the second lap on tired legs. I wanted Janice to see the wall, so afterwards we took the short walk there. She not only got to see the wall, two finishing runners appeared as she was snapping photos of the monstrosity. We switched quickly to cheering mode and I think the one woman really appreciated the help getting down off that thing without incident or injury.

The Wall

The fun at the finish line was unrivaled by any other event I've run. It started with a freeze pop, Janice got to hose me down and there was abundant yummy food along with various ice cold craft beers. This is the only race I've ever run that actually has its own Brewmeister. Hat's off to Jeremy Swan and his home brews that worked so well after 32 miles in the heat. If you've been wondering about his race, wonder no more, go run the damn thing! Cheers!

**********MY YEAR SO FAR***********



It's been an interesting year for me. I've crossed a bunch of finish lines and I can't thank Janice enough for putting up with me through everything.

I've joked that for 2016 I bought a membership to the Ultra-A-Month club and it's been a fun challenge to attempt to complete one per month. I'm not fast, in fact some of my finishing times have been laughable, down right embarrassing. Embarrassing or not, I'm proud that I've finished every race I've started this year.

Huge thank you to ClifBar for their amazing nutrition support. I know that no matter how bad it gets, if I just keep eating ClifBar stuff, I'll have the fuel in the tank to survive to the end.

The year hasn't been all happy finish lines. My heart decided to remind me that I'm 55 years old and surgery was required to stop the episodes of SVT that were stopping me in my tracks. A heart rate of 260 bpm is pretty darned scary...glad it's gone. Huge thank you to the doctors and nurses at Hershey Medical Center, I now feel like I've got a brand new heart. Wednesday before this race I had a follow up appointment with the Cardiologist, my BP was 120/80, HR 52 bpm and I had an EKG and an Echo Test that the doctor said showed my ticker was good for at least another 50K.

My heart was a challenge, but the ground shaking event of my year has been losing my Father. At 93 years old Dad passed quietly one night in July. For 55 years I called the most kind supportive man  I've ever known, Dad. He's gone from this planet now, but he's now more present than ever. My Dad's death could've been a setback I guess, but instead I saw it as inspiration to live on as strong as possible knowing he's over my shoulder keeping watch every step of the way.

This year my running has had numerous interruptions and set backs, but I feel my training is getting back on track and I'm well on the road to recovery.

2016 Events:

1/16/16 Phunt 50k Trail Race Elkton, MD 6:26:09
1/23/16 Frozen Snot 13.5 Mile Trail Run McElhattan, PA 5:52:29
2/20/16 Frozen Heart 50k Callaway, MD 6:14:38
3/06/16 Naked Bavarian 40 Mile Leesport, PA 8:11:23
4/30/16 C&O Canal 100 Mile Knoxville, MD 29:03:26
5/14/16 Glacier Ridge 50 Mile Portersville, PA 13:24:26
5/16/16 Cardiac Ablation Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA
5/25/16 My 55th Birthday
6/18/16 Highlands Sky Trail Run 40 Mile Davis, WV 11:14:36
6/4/16 Colin's 5K Run Central Dauphin HS XC Course Harrisburg, PA 27:05
7/14/16 Daniel Eugene Ligon passed away after an amazing life here on God's Earth.
7/30/16 Allegheny Front Trail Run 50k Philipsburg, PA  8:16:34
8/6/16   5th Annual CD/CDEast High School XCTeam Challenge 5k Harrisburg PA 27:49
8/13/16 Chiques Challenge 4.5 Mile Run/2.5 Mile Kayak Columbia PA 1:22:12
8/27/16 MD HEAT Race 50k Elkridge, MD 7:56:32

Next up:

9/10/16 1st Annual Possum Glory 50k Ebensburg,PA
10/8/16 Oil Creek Trail Runs 100 Mile Titusville, PA
11/12/16 Stone Mill 50 Montgomery Village, MD

One more 50K in preparation for the Oil Creek 100 and a 50 miler after that to round out the year.
I guess my Ultra-A-Month membership was only the 11 month package...

Colorful Patapsco Valley Mushrooms - crewing an old slow

ultra runner can be pretty boring...

C&O Canal 100 Mile Endurance Run Race Report - Redemption Run

April 30th - May 1st 2016

The C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio) Canal along the Potomac River was used from 1831 to 1924 to haul mostly coal from mines in the Alleghenies. The towpath runs from Cumberland Maryland to Georgetown, Washington D.C.. Today the old towpath is now a multi-purpose trail maintained as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park. That towpath accommodated me from early Saturday morning until lunch time Sunday as I made my second attempt to finish The C&O Canal 100 Mile Endurance Run.

Lockhouse 28

The race starts and finishes at Manidokan Camp and Retreat Center, a United Methodist retreat perched on a hill above the Potomac near Knoxville Maryland. This isn't a trail race, but there is a very short "real trail" used to get runners to and from the canal towpath. It's a steep trail with a little bit of everything, it's technical, it's slippery and it crosses a stream at the bottom a couple of times. Runners get to experience this little rugged climb/descent at the start, the finish and once up and down at the 60 mile mark. Other than that, the course is board flat. The course is three out & back segments. The first out & back heads towards Cumberland Maryland and makes up the first 20ish miles and then there's a 40 mile out and back in the direction of Washington D.C. that's repeated to total the 100 miles.  In between those two 40 mile journeys, runners climb/descend that steep trail back and forth from Manidokan. There are 7 aid stations, 3 available for drop bags. Along with the regular aid station offerings, Tailwind Nutrition and VFuel were available on the course.

In 2014 the flatness of the towpath was my undoing. Without changing terrain and hills to climb, I was running faster than I could ever hope to maintain for 100 miles. When I arrived at Manidokan after the first 60 miles, I felt sick and ready to pass out.  I tried to continue, but at Lock 34 I was still feeling crappy and my headlamp wasn't working properly so I got in the Jeep and Janice drove me to the Keep Tryst Aid Station where I turned in my number and walked away with the shame and pain of my first DNF. With that memory tattooed on my brain, I came back to the canal with a plan. It was simple, I would run a slower comfortable pace. I struggled with doing that in training however, so I set up a pace screen on my GPS watch (Suunto Ambit3 Peak) to monitor my discipline. To start I would try to run nothing faster than a 12 minute mile and I knew fatigue would eventually take care of any speedier yearnings. More on that later.

Along with starting out way too fast, I also neglected my nutrition last time. ClifBar came through with another amazing delivery of organic goodies to keep me going. This year thanks to ClifBar, caloric intake would not be ignored, I carried ClifShot Gels and Bloks Energy Chews in my pack. My drop bags had more of the same for reloading along with ClifBars, Crunch Bars and I also included ClifBar Organic Energy Food packets. I can't say enough about the organic energy food series, I started my day with one of each of their new breakfast flavors before I left the hotel and ate one of the other flavors with each visit to my drop bags (6 times). They taste great and they're packed with great stuff you need. My favorite flavor is a toss up between Banana Beet With Ginger and Pizza Margherita. I can't thank ClifBar enough for their support, I'll say it again; they're easily the coolest company on the planet!

Organic Breakfast

The aid stations didn't disappoint in the nutrition arena either. The spreads at these stops were off the charts, maybe the best Aid Station offerings I've seen. Each visit I gobbled down watermelon, orange quarters and peanut butter and jelly. I also became enamored with pierogies, my new aid station food of choice; especially those served up by Bert Salter. I use Tailwind Nutrition for hydration and I know they say it's "All you need, all day. Really.", and I believe them, but psychologically I can't let go of actually eating something as well. Anyway, knowing the race was providing Tailwind was cool, but I didn't want to rely on their supply so I also measured out the mix for my hydration bladder and packed that in my drop bags as well (it turned out I used none of my own, the race even had the caffeinated Buzz to get us through the night). I can't mention the aid stations without commenting on the volunteers. I've seen tons of aid station volunteers over time and the folks along this course put in an unrivaled effort. The kindness, selflessness and the countless genuine supportive gestures had me awe struck. These people never waivered, not at the start, not a 4am in the driving rain. These volunteers were extra important to me this year, as I was running without my loving crew to look after me.



 2014 Logo by Pennsylvanian Ultra Friend Todd Lewis



Pre-race briefing

Standing waiting for the start, I recognized a runner I spent much of the day with at the Naked Bavarian and this time we actually introduced ourselves. His name is Phil and he said that he had also DNF'd here, but last year in the horrible winter-like weather conditions they experienced. We were both on a mission to redeem ourselves. The race started off just as planned with a mellow opening run around the grounds of the camp. I ducked into the porta-john and as I exited to descend to the towpath, I heard a woman say, "you shouldda' thought of that before the race". I just smiled and headed down the hill, thinking, "this must be her first ultra as a spectator".

My pace felt good, I wasn't struggling to maintain it and I wasn't taking any of the regular bait to speed up. I heard a runner ask the distance at the Dargan Bend Aid Station. The volunteer responded, "18.8 miles", and my watch matched up exactly. We arrived at the Keep Tryst Road Aid Station and I saw a sign with the current distance as 25.7 miles, but my watch showed almost 30. I asked a volunteer about it and he said it was accurate as far as he knew, but I wasn't the first runner to ask. I got about a hundred feet down the trail and my watch beeped for the next mile and again about a half mile later. I was pretty certain something was up with my watch, but it seemed like the pace it was displaying was accurate. A little further down the trail I thought, wait if the GPS isn't working, the pace can't be correct (duh). I ran for about a minute without taking my eyes off the pace screen and the number was bouncing all over the place, even flat lining.

Leaving Dargan Bend Aid Station

At the Lander Aid Station, my watch didn't match their sign either, but that wasn't important. The critical fact was that after some quick math I realized my pace was too fast. I was running a fine pace for 33 miles, but I had 67 still to go. Lander was staffed by If The Shoe Fits employees who were all ultra runners and the volunteer wearing the Hellgate 100k hat said he has the same problem with his watch in that area of the towpath. I was running an unsustainable pace, just like 2014. I thought it felt a little quick, but my watch had said otherwise. GPS signal can be affected by various factors.  I noticed how the environment had changed from the upper portion of the trail to this lower section. Now the trail was right along the base of rock outcrops and cliffs and of course the trail was directly adjacent to the river, both natural features that can screw up your vital connection with the necessary satellites. I also noticed that when the pace was flat lined, it coincided with when a freight train was passing, which was often. Yes, I had a lot of time to think about this and yes it had really gotten in my head. My pace was doing a fine job of sabotaging my finish here again.

It should say, "Too Fast, Scenic and Festive".

I took some measures to hopefully salvage my finish. The time on my watch was working fine and there were mile markers along the trail. The race doesn't start at mile zero though so I took note of mile markers at turn-arounds and aid stations and monitored my pace that way. I also interspersed periods of walking, it slowed my pace and switched up my muscle usage (on this flat course, the different parts of your legs don't see any variance in usage). I also maintained and maybe even increased my caloric intake. With all that said, I still came through the 50 mile mark too soon. All I could think of was, I was going to feel spent when it was time to start that last 40 miles so I increased my walking in the last 6 miles leading to the camp. It had already started raining so I planned to get in my Jeep and change into different clothing for running through the night in the rain. What I didn't plan was just how long that would take. A Jeep Wrangler isn't a roomy changing room and I was pretty wet. Stripping off soaking wet clothes, getting dry and getting re-dressed took 45 minutes. That unplanned time seemed a blessing in disguise as the break gave me a real bounce. I knew the time and I knew that even if I was feeling completely worked, I could still beat the 30 hour cut off. After gobbling a bunch of food I headed back down the hill to the tow path.

Now it was dark and the rain switched from steady to down pours and the temperature was about 50° and felt even colder with the winds. Yeah, it sucked. On top of that I was starting to feel sleepy. I was awakened once by stumbling in an erosion hole on the river side of the path. I got to the Brunswick Aid Station and grabbed all the caffeinated ClifShot Gels I had in my drop bag and put them in my pack. I had already been running on Tailwind Buzz, but it didn't seem to have much affect on my grogginess. The few minutes it took me to do that exchange seemed to get me through that sleepy patch so I took off again. The ClifShot gels with caffeine were doing a fine job, but twice more I hit patches where the sleep monster was on my heels. The bizarre visual affect caused by running with a headlamp in driving rain seemed to only make the affect of sleep deprivation worse and I was hallucinating like Hunter S. Thompson "somewhere near Barstow on the edge of the desert". I was seeing buildings in the wilderness, shadows the size of large birds in my headlamp beam and crazy beams of light that looked like lasers at a Pink Floyd concert. It was pretty crazy to the point that when I saw real stuff I had to wonder. I saw a real Skunk and then a real family of Raccoons crossing the trail. One of the adult Raccoons stopped and watched me as the last little one disappeared off the trail and into the darkness. I was certain they were real, because neither the adult Raccoon or Skunk had anything to say. I did however find myself talking to the Marbled Salamanders and countless Frogs that were every where enjoying the rainy night on the trail. None of them responded to my greetings, which I guess was a good thing.

I stumbled into the Lander Aid Station (73.3 miles) and needed to sit down, but realized I had chosen the chairs they had been designated for runners who needed medical attention so I started to move when a voice said, "sit wherever the hell you want Perry". I thought, "oh my God, now the voices know my name." Nope, it was ultra buddy Bert Salter, he lives nearby and was volunteering. Bert finished here the year I DNF'd. He quickly produced a hot cup of coffee. It was great to see Bert, what a spirit booster! I stayed the time necessary to drink the coffee, eat a few Pierogies and explain that Janice wasn't with me, but off riding the Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City. He said he had seen her post on Facebook earlier and got the sense she wasn't here as my signature trusty crew. Without a crew, it's a great feeling to see a familiar smiling face especially when the going is getting tough. I headed back out into the storm and Bert promised he'd see me on my return trip.

Janice, Bill & Govan in NYC for The Five Boro Bike Tour.

I made it to the Noland's Ferry Aid Station (80 miles) where a father and daughter duo were taking care of runners like we were disaster victims and I guess in a sense we were. In the cold driving rain Hypothermia had become a real concern. Clothing was stripped off and dried or changed and you weren't heading out for your last 20 miles until you had been warmed by the propane heater. I know I saw them around 4am, but I really hoped I'd see them again at the finish just to thank them. Those two may have saved my life, I can't thank them enough. I headed back out into the rain now clad in a huge garbage bag for extra warmth and protection from the rain. Funny, I spend money on the best gear and my health may have been spared by a garbage bag.



I was running and walking and as daybreak appeared the rain slowed to a drizzle and I soon arrived back to the Lander Aid Station. Bert was still there and asked me what I needed and I asked for a pair of scissors as my garbage bag needed to be shortened. At it's current length I looked like I belonged in the New Order video for the song True Faith. He produced a butcher knife and started to cut, asking me to "apologize to Janice in case I cut something I shouldn't". Everyone had a good laugh and I was back on the trail. At about 10 minutes to 8, I heard a loud thunder clap and the next down pour began. Our reprieve was over. It rained most of the rest of the day. With about three miles to go the rain stopped and just as I was about to make the turn to the finish the sun actually appeared. A crazy ending to a very long slow survival effort.

Lance Dockery, the Race Director, was there at the finish with a small group cheering and I received my first hundred mile belt buckle. He tried to shake my hand and I sorta' missed, I was a mess. That moment meant so much, although it was incredibly slow; it was my first 100 mile finish and 100 miles for me was certainly a big effort. Persevering through those conditions made it mean even more. I avoid using overused terms, but the ridiculous weather turned this into an epic event.

The rain was relentless. It started around 7:30 Saturday evening and it was raining when I left the last aid station heading to the finish. My pacing screw-up almost physically took me out of the race and the rain did the same mentally. I consider myself a pretty upbeat guy, but the constant down pour had me pretty depressed at points. I just wanted it to stop. Those mental rough patches were far worse than the fatigue or the sleepiness. I thought about my family, my dogs, anything to change my mind when the rain was getting in my head.  I kept thinking about our trip with our boys to Scotland and the horrible weather during the race there. That was just a half marathon, but pouring rain and 70 mph gusts made it insane. Musing on that gave me a little strength to get through these conditions as well. For me, the mental test that came from this rain was life changing.

My physical survival was mostly because I kept up my caloric intake and for that I have to thank ClifBar. So often times when running for extreme periods of time, certain faculties begin to falter like your finger dexterity. At this event I experienced none of that. People asked me why I was wearing a ClifBar hat and shirt and I responded because it's their products that fuel me to finish lines. I can't say enough good things about their products, the company and the ClifBar family who have been so amazing in their support.

Finisher's buckle & my soggy ClifBar trucker hat

Gear I used:

Altra Olympus 1.5 (first 60 miles)
Altra Lone Peak 2.5 (last 40 miles)
Superfeet Insoles <Orange> (2 pairs)
Injinji Trail 2.0 (2 pairs)
Pro Compression Calf Sleeves
Adidas Compression Shorts (2 pairs)
Favorite Old Brooks Running Shorts (day)
CW-X Compression Tights (night)
Champion Sleeveless Lycra Base Layer (day)
The North Face Arm Warmers (day)
2XU Long Sleeve Compression Top (night)
ClifBar T-Shirt (2)
ClifBar Trucker Hat (day)
Manzella Winter Gloves
Reebok Winter Gloves (2 pairs) (3 pairs of gloves wasn't enough in the relentless rain)
Outdoor Research Novo Watch Cap (2)
Patagonia Houdini Jacket (race premium from the year I DNF'd - I came back to earn my jacket)
Princeton Tec Apex Extreme Headlamp (275 Lumens - got a call from NASA that my headlamp was keeping the crew of the International Space Station awake)
Knuckle Lights (4) (on't run in the dark without them - thanks Knuckle Lights!!!)
Ultimate Direction PB Adventure Vest 2.0 (slight overkill, but it allowed me to carry more stuff without having a crew)
Paltypus 2L Big Zip Hydration Bladder
Suunto Ambit3 Peak HR - (sually quite reliable, but it struggled here)
Spot Messenger (so Janice could see where I was)
Hefty 55 Gal. Garbage Bag (vital, 100% water proof and sorta' warm)

Just keep smiling...

Just some of the lessons I learned:

• My drop bags were packed well with nutrition, but I needed more clothing changes to battle the weather.
• You can run through sleepiness, don't panic.
• Keep up the caloric intake and you may just survive.
• In private, it's ok to talk to amphibians you only just met.
• Don't be bummed by a shitty time, you finished...



Next up for me, The Glacier Ridge 50 in just a few days - I should be recovered by then!

Thank you to Kevin Sayers for taking and sharing his photos at the Dargan Ben Aid Station.

Frozen Snot 2016 - Been There Done That

January 23, 2016 McElhattan, PA

The Frozen Snot describes the event as "one tough booger" and the course was as advertised. For 2016 I've put together a pretty busy schedule of ultra running and for some unknown reason I also added the Frozen Snot to my calendar. At under 14 miles, it doesn't fit with my other plans for the year, but I registered anyway. Towards the end of 2015 (my year off) I realized that I had been doing a lot of trail runs with decent elevation gains and as the year wrapped up I set and achieved a goal of ascending more than 200,000' for the year. I think my odd excitement about all that climbing may be what moved me to take on The Frozen Snot, while it's nowhere near ultra distance it did offer more than 5500' of climbing.

So far we've had a classic El Niño extremely mild winter here in the northeast. The weekend prior to The Frozen Snot I ran the sunny Phunt 50k in shorts. As Monday's weather models started to develop, it became quickly obvious that our mild weather would soon change. Our Harrisburg forecast for the weekend offered up an epic blizzard while Lock Haven was slated to get barely 1-2" of snow. I called our hotel and added a second night in case we were stuck there. We got an early jump on driving and got to Lock Haven before any snow flakes appeared. We stayed at The Fairfield Inn in Lock Haven, which seemed like a very new property with nice amenities, and so did the West Chester University basketball teams who were in town to take on Lock Haven University. Friday night, we had a killer burger at a downtown dive bar named Uncle Albert's and stopped at the Broken Axe for some micro brews before walking back to our hotel. While we slept, barely half an inch of snow fell in Lock Haven while the raging blizzard back home was just gaining strength and beginning the dumping of 30" of fresh drifting powder.

The drive to the Army Reserve Center in McElhattan for the race start was interesting, I was following a pick up pulling an open bed trailer and the winds were howling. Suddenly an old fashioned television cart flew up out of the trailer and with little time for response, it was crushed under our Jeep. I swerved and dodged something else that flew out and decided it was time to pass. We got off the McElhattan exit and I made a wrong turn and after driving in circles briefly and one big healthy u-turn we arrived at registration. I was impressed by the nice Frozen Snot embroidered Marmot fleece that was in the race bag. The Army Reserve Center was bustling with hikers, yes hikers. I was surprised to see so many folks dressed as if they were going on a day hike.

The Start



The piper played and then we were escorted outside. I noticed a timing chip in my number as I pinned it on, but as the race director said "Go", I didn't see any mat as we crossed the imaginary start line. (I had heard him say that we were starting at the back of the building and finishing at the front, but didn't really know what that meant.) The event started with a road run to Zindel Park, the center of the days activities and location of the aid station. It was about a mile on the road and I took it easy and used it as an opportunity to get warmed up as it was only about 23° at start time.

This event requires you to have some sort of traction devices for your shoes and I really wasn't sure when I'd put them on. That little bit of snow we got over night made the initial portion of the first climb slippery enough, so I pulled off the trail after the first switchback and put on my Kahtoola Micro Spikes. Many portions of the trails used in this event, have names and it seemed that the true snot enthusiasts knew all of them. The first climb was called "Barb's Kiss My Ass", which I'm sure there's just some hilarious "had to be there" kind of story of how it got its name, but I frankly couldn't have cared less.

After getting my micro-spikes on, I was quickly in a log jam of extremely slow hiking. I probably couldn't have climbed much faster, but man this was slow. And of course I was followed by a guy who wanted to and eventually pushed by me only to stay right in front of me the remainder of the ascent. That opening climb also included a trail called the "Goat Path" which I remembered as having kicked my butt the one and only time I ran the Megatransect. We also continued onto something called "Goat Path Bonus" which the web site boasts as "adding 300 more feet of climbing". Oh boy. I was climbing so slowly, I actually got a little cold. During the slow schlog up that first climb(s) I noticed ice formed on my socks, shoes and the lower leg portion of my tights. I needed to get moving and generate some body heat, at that point watt generation seemed that it could be in the negative numbers.

I wore my regular trail running shoes (Altra Lone Peak 2.0) with 2 pairs of Injinji socks (one pair was an extremely thin liner sock which seemed to work well), 2XU thermal tights, a Reebok thermal base layer and a long sleeve 1/4 zip pull over by The North Face. I also used a Patagonia Houdini jacket, had 2 pairs of Manzella Gloves on as well (One pair was Polartec and the other a liner) and on my head I used a lycra balaclava from Bass Pro Shops (not very warm, but it keeps the wind off your skin and wicks moisture) with an Outdoor Research Novo Watch Cap on top of that. In a couple of exposed sections it was windy with blowing snow and I actually used the hood on my jacket for added protection.

After that initial climbing there was plenty more as we made our way around Mt. Logan, the first loop of this two-loop course. Everything was slippery from the dusting of snow. I saw numerous others fall, especially on the steep downhills. It was so common, I knew my chance to tumble was coming soon. We reached some crazy downhill thing referred to on the map as "Logan Direct" and it was a sliding board covered in a mixture of frozen dirt and snow crystals. Ropes were tied off to trees in an attempt to give you something to hold onto and hopefully control your plummet. I was with a group of 5 others and saw tons of magnificent falls. One guy fell and literally rolled 50 or 60 feet, he was a mess of flying gloves, hat and hiking polls. In the distance above or below you, you'd hear someone cry out and then see the color of their clothing skidding swiftly downward until something stopped them, a tree or maybe a rock or perhaps the person in front of them. I was maintaining about a 30 foot buffer between me and the guy in front of me . To stay upright I was trying to stay in the snow for better traction and holding onto Mountain Laurel and trees. I came to a stretch where I absolutely had to use the trail and it was my turn, I went quickly sliding on my ass and kept sliding. I made up the space between me and that next guy in mere seconds. I also put a knee into one of my trekking poles and bent it in the process. I bent it back as straight as I could and got back up and going again. A bent pole was better than no pole. I fell 4 or 5 more times before reaching the bottom of that sliding board the event organizers called a trail.

By now I was feeling pretty stupid about being there. These bushwhacked paths seemed as though they were created just so participants could yuck it up and boast about how difficult the terrain was over beers later. I was developing an extremely bad attitude by now.  I had run the Megatransect and thought the same thing then and said I'd never return, yet here I was in the same set of hills on the similarly contrived trails that Deer wouldn't use.

Earlier as we ran into Zindel Park, along the road there was a sign marking Chief Logan's Path and I was now certain that his spirit was looking down upon us and proclaiming in his native language, "what fools!". As those thoughts annoyed me, I heard the foreboding sound of sirens down below in the valley and through the trees I could see signs that we were soon at the aid station. Nearly 4 hours and I hadn't even gone 8 miles.

They Served The Best PB&J Sandwich In Clinton County

Toasty Warm

Arriving at the aid station, I was wondering if the second loop was worth it. As I ran (yes I was running here) closer to the aid station I saw Janice and quickly recognized Jeff Lister standing with her. That lifted my spirits immediately. I hadn't seen Jeff since I put him back on the AT in Clarks Valley last summer. It was good to see them both as I gulped down a bottle of fluid and ate a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich. Jeff's new dog Bella was sleeping in his truck, meeting her probably
would've made me quit the day's crazy endeavor as I'd have the valid excuse of needing to play with a puppy as my out. I was bummed that I didn't get to meet her. Jeff then told me that Janice had been quite anxious awaiting my arrival as she had heard news that someone was hurt out on the course. Jeff knew that a runner had indeed died from an apparent heart attack, but kept it to himself until I was standing there with them safe and sound. That tragically sad news was why we had heard those troubling sirens earlier. After hearing that news, I just wanted to be done. I finished eating, warmed a little by the fire and Jeff and Janice bid me farewell back out to complete the last mileage.

Jeff & Bella

Jeff & some goofball

Immediately after the aid station, the second and shorter loop began with a climb up a rock slide of slippery boulders the race organizer labeled "The Beast". When I did the Megatransect those years ago, it was the boulders where I went the slowest. I was nursing knee pain that day, but today I felt fine so I tried to get up that rock pile as quickly and efficiently as I could. I realized that on the steepest parts, which were common, I went fastest if I simply used my hands and sort of crawled up the rocks. The boulders were pretty slick, but I made it to the top without incident.

The hell that came with that climb was over and I needed to stop and adjust my micro spikes as they had twisted on my shoes. A couple of guys passed me there and each asked if I was "ok" and one said, "hey man, it's all downhill from here". I responded that I had heard that one before and he said that he was serious and the trail was rolling and easy to the road to the finish. As I descended running most of the remaining trail, it was the best I had felt all day. I was actually running, but I also came to realize that we had climbed that mountain of precarious boulders simply for the sake of it and again I felt stupid for playing into this mess.

"Bumbles bounce!"

The Frozen Snot volunteers amazed me. It was very cold, I don't think it got out of the 20's during the event. While many of them had fires burning at their stations along the course, there was one lady standing making sure you didn't miss a turn. I felt sorry for her, she was bundled up against the elements all by herself with no fire. She asked me how I was doing and I responded that I was fine and when I asked her the same she responded simply, "I'm cold". One crew we passed (twice)
had a volunteer dressed in costume, I'm not sure if they were The Bumble from Rudolph or a Yeti, but I definitely got a kick out of it. That costumed crazy person was also holding a sign that proclaimed, "Run Faster, I Farted"...loved it! I can't forget to mention the photographer Bill Crowell, how he flew his drone in that wind I'll never know. Be sure to check out his YouTube video. Pretty special folks out there encouraging us and keeping an eye on us. Thank you.

"Run Faster! I Farted!"

The rolling course that descended from the boulders in my opinion was some of the prettiest. I was surprised to see the reservoir coming up quickly making it obvious that I was reaching the valley floor. I really enjoyed those last miles that lead to the return to the aid station. I was now passing some others who looked as though they had completely run out of gas.

All Done In The Forest

As I came into the aid station area again, I soon saw that Janice was still there. That was a great surprise as I thought she had already gone to the finish. She took my micro spikes and my poles and I had an easy run back to the Army Reserve Center. It was cool to have runners leaving in their vehicles giving me the thumbs up or yelling encouragement as I was on the last road passing the prison. I was a little confused as to how to approach the finish line in the parking lot, but I figured it out.

Making My Own Path Through The
Parking Lot To The Finish Line

Unlike last weekend's race, this time I made it in time to enjoy the post race soup. The potato soup rocked! Janice and I headed back to the hotel. That hot shower felt amazing. We had no plans and almost no energy, but we decided to go watch her Alma Mater beat Lock Haven in basketball. The West Chester women won their game in double overtime so we got to see that finish and we were there to see the whole men's win as well (unexpected fun while snowed-out of our home town). Sunday morning road conditions were great and we got home to start clearing the mountain of snow in front of our house.

Next month it's back to running! Im headed to The Frozen Heart 50k in Callaway Maryland - looks like a fun grass roots race, gonna be fun!

Other stuff I used:

Ultimate Direction - Fast Pack 20 - made it easy to carry my trekking poles and micro-spikes
Platypus - 2 Liter Big Zip LP hydration bladder
Tailwind Nutrition - Berry (I carried a couple gels and a ClifBar as well, but didn't eat any of them)
Black Diamond - Distance Z Poles
Suunto Ambit3 Peak

This Kid Was Lethal At
The Free Throw Line.
I Don't Think He Ever Missed.